Irwell Sculpture Trail
Encyclopedia
The Irwell Sculpture Trail is the largest public art
scheme in England
, commissioning regional, national and international artists. The Trail includes 28 art pieces and follows a well established 30 miles (48.3 km) footpath stretching from Salford Quays
through Bury
into Rossendale
and up to the Pennines
above Bacup
.
A series of leaf images and patterns are set into the brick path to help people discover the park. The sculpture is an attempt to move between the formal Victorian
design of the park seen in the remnants of the formal bedding and local buildings, and the geometric patterns of natural forms discovered on closer inspection i.e. the double helix of the centre of a daisy. The design incorporates many requests arising out of a consultation process e.g. seating, colour and improvement of derelict areas.
. It is Salford
's first major commission for the Irwell Sculpture Trail.
The Lookout was built by Tim Norris and Craig Ormerod in 2003, into the bank of the lake (Clifton Marina) at Clifton Country Park
, to allow people access to the water and a quiet place to contemplate and rest. 53.53567°N 2.346921°W
at Clifton
to Salford Quays
, Salford
. The boats were called 'starvationers' because of their narrowness, needed to navigate the canals.
Remains of these boats can still be seen in the dried-up Fletcher's Canal
in the park. Industrial archaeology, burial ships, underground rivers, crop marks and Iron Age
hill fort
s inform the artist's work. Dig is also used as a seating, eating and performance area. 53.532727°N 2.339024°W
= Grief, Snowdrop
= Consolation, Rosemary
= Remembrance.
The symbolic language of flowers was in common use during the Victorian period
when the cutting was created. The column is also an ancient and symbolic representation of a tree which allows the work to 'merge' into its wooded surroundings. The artist aimed to engage with the wider cyclical events of the site transformations through nature -> industry -> nature over the last century.53.54025°N 2.34038°W
Another sculpture is Our Seats Are Almost Touching. The bench has been produced in a dark grey concrete composite with a smooth, flame finish. The full bench forms a circle but has been split into eight segments of lengths varying from 60 cm to 300 cm and placed as both single and group seating. Each segment enhances a vista or provides a tranquil place for contemplation. This work is part of a series of seating proposals that began in 1994. The Bury
benches were the first to be realised with the second series in the Talanue, Waiblingen
Germany
. This project has established a cultural partnership between the two districts.
, Ulrich Ruckriem has created one of his largest stone settings to date. It is composed of ten large stone pieces set over a number of locations; one column marks each of the two main entrances, a group of seven tall slabs are installed of a flat plateau
, and the largest slab, 25 feet (7.6 m) in height, marks the former railway track. These stones are split horizontally and/or vertically into several parts then reassembled into their original forms. 53.550778°N 2.339731°W
s which led to the name Shire Gardens. The final sculpture will mark the entrance to the new housing development. It is the first major public work by Jack Wright, a sculptor who lives in Radcliffe.
The work takes the form of enlarged frost nails, used to attach the Shire horse
s' hooves in icy conditions. The stem of the nail suggests growth with the head reminiscent of a house roof, this draws a direct parallel to Irwell Valley Housing Association who have developed social housing on this site.
Inscribed on each stem is a line from the poem 'Children Learn What They Live' to remind us how children's lives can be influenced by our actions. This project is a joint commission between the Irwell Sculpture Trail and Irwell Valley Housing Association. 53.564544°N 2.333628°W
In the Bulrush
es is another sculpture. It is made of galvanised mild steel and the sculpture is inspired by the nearby Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
having bulrush motifs, a canal barge hidden in the bottom of the bulrushes and illumination to transform the sculpture at night.
Fryer's sculpture is a wry comment on this hidden history and the site's current use as a country park. By utilising the words 'picnic area' the artists is encouraging the visitor to question whether the art work is a public amenity or tourist trap
.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
scheme in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, commissioning regional, national and international artists. The Trail includes 28 art pieces and follows a well established 30 miles (48.3 km) footpath stretching from Salford Quays
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
through Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
into Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
and up to the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
above Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
.
The Fabric of Nature
Viewed from above this earthwork is loosely in the shape of a bud and leaf unfurling into a double spiral mound taking the viewer up to a curved brick seating area.A series of leaf images and patterns are set into the brick path to help people discover the park. The sculpture is an attempt to move between the formal Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
design of the park seen in the remnants of the formal bedding and local buildings, and the geometric patterns of natural forms discovered on closer inspection i.e. the double helix of the centre of a daisy. The design incorporates many requests arising out of a consultation process e.g. seating, colour and improvement of derelict areas.
Peel Park to Agecroft
Arena (completed 2002) is a public sculpture designed by New York artist Rita McBride. It is made of white Ferro cement and stands over 15 feet (4.6 m) high overlooking Littleton Road playing fields and the River IrwellRiver Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
. It is Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
's first major commission for the Irwell Sculpture Trail.
Clifton to Prestwich
Arresting Time: Jill Randall has been a resident artist at Magnesium Elektron Limited just off Lumns Lane for over a year during which time she wasw influenced by the industrial process she has experienced. Suspended from the riverbank, the alloy sculpture reflects the mechanisms of the factory behind.Clifton Country Park
- See picture at top right of page
The Lookout was built by Tim Norris and Craig Ormerod in 2003, into the bank of the lake (Clifton Marina) at Clifton Country Park
Clifton Country Park
Clifton Country Park is a Local Nature Reserve in the Irwell Valley at Clifton, Salford, Greater Manchester, North-west England.The park comprises 48 hectares of wooded area, fields, and lakes. Industrial heritage is also a feature of the park, the remains of the Wet Earth Colliery can be found in...
, to allow people access to the water and a quiet place to contemplate and rest. 53.53567°N 2.346921°W
Clifton to Prestwich
The Dig was inspired by the local industrial history 'Dig' refers to the starvation boats used to ferry materials from the Wet Earth CollieryWet Earth Colliery
The Wet Earth Colliery has a unique place in British coal mining history, apart from being one of the earliest pits in the country; it is the place where the engineer James Brindley made water run uphill...
at Clifton
Clifton, Greater Manchester
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....
to Salford Quays
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
, Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. The boats were called 'starvationers' because of their narrowness, needed to navigate the canals.
Remains of these boats can still be seen in the dried-up Fletcher's Canal
Fletcher's Canal
Fletcher's Canal was a long canal in Greater Manchester, which connected the Wet Earth Colliery to the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal at Clifton Aqueduct. The canal is now derelict and no longer used....
in the park. Industrial archaeology, burial ships, underground rivers, crop marks and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
s inform the artist's work. Dig is also used as a seating, eating and performance area. 53.532727°N 2.339024°W
Radcliffe
The work called Trinity focuses on the period the railway line was constructed, the deaths of many of the 'navies' involved in the digging of the Outwood cutting and the pre-railway history of the site. The flowers' names hint at the loss of these unknown workers and are a memorial to them and reflect the woodlands that surround the site. HarebellHarebell
Campanula rotundifolia is a rhizomatous perennial flowering plant in the bellflower family native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.In Scotland, it is often known as the Bluebell...
= Grief, Snowdrop
Snowdrop
Galanthus is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous herbaceous plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae...
= Consolation, Rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
= Remembrance.
The symbolic language of flowers was in common use during the Victorian period
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
when the cutting was created. The column is also an ancient and symbolic representation of a tree which allows the work to 'merge' into its wooded surroundings. The artist aimed to engage with the wider cyclical events of the site transformations through nature -> industry -> nature over the last century.53.54025°N 2.34038°W
Another sculpture is Our Seats Are Almost Touching. The bench has been produced in a dark grey concrete composite with a smooth, flame finish. The full bench forms a circle but has been split into eight segments of lengths varying from 60 cm to 300 cm and placed as both single and group seating. Each segment enhances a vista or provides a tranquil place for contemplation. This work is part of a series of seating proposals that began in 1994. The Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
benches were the first to be realised with the second series in the Talanue, Waiblingen
Waiblingen
Waiblingen is a town in the southwest of Germany, located in the center of the densely populated Stuttgart Region, directly neighboring Stuttgart. It is the capital of the Rems-Murr district...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. This project has established a cultural partnership between the two districts.
Ulrich Ruckheim
On the site of the former Outwood CollieryOutwood Colliery
Outwood Colliery was a coal mine in Outwood, near Stoneclough, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England. Originally named Clough Side Colliery, it opened in the 1840s and was the largest colliery in the area It was owned by Thomas Fletcher & Sons, Outwood Collieries, Stoneclough,...
, Ulrich Ruckriem has created one of his largest stone settings to date. It is composed of ten large stone pieces set over a number of locations; one column marks each of the two main entrances, a group of seven tall slabs are installed of a flat plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, and the largest slab, 25 feet (7.6 m) in height, marks the former railway track. These stones are split horizontally and/or vertically into several parts then reassembled into their original forms. 53.550778°N 2.339731°W
Nailing Home
The starting point for this commission was to incorporate the themes of children's rights and the name of the housing development into the design. Research revealed the mill owner used to keep Shire horseShire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
s which led to the name Shire Gardens. The final sculpture will mark the entrance to the new housing development. It is the first major public work by Jack Wright, a sculptor who lives in Radcliffe.
The work takes the form of enlarged frost nails, used to attach the Shire horse
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
s' hooves in icy conditions. The stem of the nail suggests growth with the head reminiscent of a house roof, this draws a direct parallel to Irwell Valley Housing Association who have developed social housing on this site.
Inscribed on each stem is a line from the poem 'Children Learn What They Live' to remind us how children's lives can be influenced by our actions. This project is a joint commission between the Irwell Sculpture Trail and Irwell Valley Housing Association. 53.564544°N 2.333628°W
In the Bulrush
Typha
Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
es is another sculpture. It is made of galvanised mild steel and the sculpture is inspired by the nearby Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal is a disused canal in Greater Manchester, England, built to link Bolton and Bury with Manchester. The canal, when fully opened, was 15 miles 1 furlong long. It was accessed via a junction with the River Irwell in Salford...
having bulrush motifs, a canal barge hidden in the bottom of the bulrushes and illumination to transform the sculpture at night.
Bury
As If I Were A River has been produced around the key motif of this exhibition - the river. The ethos of this public art commission is to use art as a tool to enable the public to interpret their landscape and have the confidence to explore their environment.- Water Wheel: The materials are painted steel and stone. This sculpture marks the entrance to Burrs Country ParkBurrs Country ParkBurrs Country Park covers a 36 hectare site located on the banks of the River Irwell, 1.5km north west of Bury, Greater Manchester. It was acquired by Bury Metroplolitan Borough Council in 1986 and transformed from a derelict industrial site into a modern country park...
, once the site of a large cotton millCotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
. The work, half immersed in masonry, at first glance might appear to be an uncovered relic of the huge waterwheels which originally powered the industry of the Irwell ValleyIrwell ValleyThe Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
. The wheel symbolises the process of constant change, the changing of a river into an industrial site and its change back into countryside again.
- Stone Cycle: Working on site gave the artist an understanding of the place, the passing of time, people, industry the reinventing of the area; this is represented in the broken circular layout of the sculpture. Like the site the stones had a previous life, originally quarried and cut for use as a bridge. Under the 100 years of industrial grime the artist discovered marks made by the original masons. Carved symbols were added to these marks, clues to long forgotten stories.
- Picnic Area: This sculpture is a representation of a human scale rat trapRat trapA rat trap is a trap designed to catch rats.Rats are suspicious of new objects and traps with only one entrance. If they see other rats have been trapped they may avoid the trap. Traps which do not address these issues are likely to catch only young, inexperienced rats, not the older ones.Spring...
rendered in stainless steelStainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
with the words picnic area inscribed upon its plate. Sited in the corner of two water ways, a canal and a tributary that once fed the cotton millCotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
, now all that remains of a bygone industrial age.
Fryer's sculpture is a wry comment on this hidden history and the site's current use as a country park. By utilising the words 'picnic area' the artists is encouraging the visitor to question whether the art work is a public amenity or tourist trap
Tourist trap
A tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that has been created with the aim of attracting tourists and their money...
.
Ramsbottom
Seek And You Will Find: a series of carved wooden sculptures relating to the indigenous flora found around the park. All the works are 'secretive', located amongst the flora its form is taken from Ramson herb from which the town's name originates.- The River: a meandering 90 yards (82.3 m) path ending in a platform to watch passing trains. The sculpture contains work created by local people - poems celebrating the river and the illustrated story of Jacob's LadderJacob's LadderJacob's Ladder is a "ladder to heaven", described by biblical Jacob in the Book of GenesisJacob's Ladder may also refer to:* Ladder of Jacob, a pseudepigraphic text of the Old Testament...
, a local beauty spot.
- Tilted Vase (1998) by Edward Allington draws on the legacy of the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the valley. Classical in shape reflecting the architecture, built in sections and bolted together to look like a machine.
Irwell Vale
- In The Picture (1997) by Richard Caink: The frame refers to traditional landscape painting of the 18th century, often used to display land ownership. The carvings are artefacts that relate to the industry in the valley and the loom-wreckers rebellion of 1826 at Chatterton Mill. The visitor can step into the picture as both viewer and subject matter.
- Remnant Kings: The large timber sections made from local ash timber are cradled in a steel cog. This structure suggests movement, throwing the timber forward and releasing the stones within its folds, like seeds bringing new growth. "Remnant Kings stands proud on the hillside watching over its kingdom waiting for its chance to scatter".
Rawtenstall
- Whispering Wall: Inspired by the water boardWater boardA water board is a regional organisation that has very different functions from one country to another, ranging from flood control, water resources management, water charging and financing, and bulk water supply.-Philippines:The...
's installations in the Rossendale ValleyRossendale ValleyThe Rossendale Valley is part of the Forest of Rossendale, an upland area of North West England, in Lancashire. The area is within the Borough of Rossendale...
, this sculpture brings together elements of local quarrying, redundant pipe work and the ever-present sound of running water. A 4000 litre underground tank acts as a central echo chamber for 37 yards (33.8 m) of pipe radiating outwards to holes cored in the external, riven, flagstone wall. Drawn by an intense blue light, visible through the holes, the observant passer-by can hear a shifting montage of whispered voices and sound textures sourced from the local ecology.
- Gateway: The materials are steel, mosaic and cobblestone. Railway lines were shaped to form the archway of the gates and steel panels cut with images of steam train wheels to reflect the usage of the immediate area and local history. Funded by Groundwork Rossendale, and English Partnerships in association with the East Lancashire RailwayEast Lancashire RailwayThe East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
.
- Willow Tree sculpture is a large environmental maze that spreads over a hillside in a series of tunnels. To either side are large turf kilns: a beehive shaped one from smelting and a ziggurat one for burning charcoal. There are also two detached chimneys for which RossendaleRossendaleRossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
used to be famous. The sculpture has become an open air environmental classroom.
- The BocholtBocholtThere are two towns called Bocholt:* Bocholt, Germany* Bocholt, Belgium...
Tree celebrates Rossendale's award-winning links with its GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
twin-town. The sculpture is a symbol of unity between the people of Rossendale and BocholtBocholtThere are two towns called Bocholt:* Bocholt, Germany* Bocholt, Belgium...
as a reminder to the people of Rossendale that they have friends in other parts of Europe. Bocholt's civic symbol is the tree. Materials: Painted Metal.
Waterfoot
- Logarythms: A zig zag traveller's rest for walkers of the Way. The sculpture has a simple mathematical construction, increasing in length and height as the piece zigzags down the slope. Materials: Logs
Bacup
- Weave: The starting point for this sculpture was the local industrial heritage and in particular the textile industry. The idea for Weave comes from looking at fabric under a microscope and seeing the threads moving in and out of each other in a woven pattern. Weave also refers to the local landscape with peaks and troughs like the hills and valley.
- Coming Full Circle: The sculpture is a maze enclosure built using dry stone walling with five spiralling walls and five paths with a quiet, central seat. The pattern of the wall whirlpool mirrors the movement of the wheels turned by water stored in the adjacent lodges which once powered the local felt factory. The five exits continue as paths meandering through a planted belt of hawthorn, cherry and apple whose, when in flower, mass of white blossom will give the appearance of turbulent water around a waterwheel. This sculpture, with an oak tree at its centre, acknowledges the circular motion of time that will return this land back to woodland.
Deerplay
- Sentinel: This sculpture incorporates two traditional skills used in the valley, dry-stonewalling and felting, in a unique way. The artist learned stonewalling from a local craftsman and in turn passed on the art of felt making to young people in the valley. Sentinel means soldier posted to keep guard over a special place.