Irwell Sculpture Trail - Bacup

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.