Irwell Sculpture Trail - Radcliffe

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. Harebell = 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°32′25″N 2°20′25″W / 53.54025°N 2.34038°W / 53.54025; -2.34038 (Trinity)

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.