Irwell Sculpture Trail - Rawtenstall

Rawtenstall

• Whispering Wall: Inspired by the water board's installations in the Rossendale Valley, 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 (34 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 Railway.

• 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 Rossendale used to be famous. The sculpture has become an open air environmental classroom.

• The Bocholt Tree celebrates Rossendale's award-winning links with its German twin-town. The sculpture is a symbol of unity between the people of Rossendale and Bocholt 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.