Stort sculpture trail open
A sculpture trail celebrating Harlow’s
waterside heritage has been officially opened today by Harlow
Council and British Waterways.
Four free-standing sculptures and a glass
and metal walkway form the three-and-a-half mile waterside trail
along the River Stort linking Parndon Mill to the Gibberd Garden in
Harlow.
The sculptures are situated at Parndon
Lock, Burnt Mill Lock, Latton Lock and Harlow Lock along the River
Stort, whilst the raised glass and metal walkway spans the weir at
Parndon Mill.
Alan Freeman, a local artist based at
Parndon Mill Studios, was commissioned to design the raised
walkway. The metal fabricated structure includes a series of glass
inserts created by glass artist Karen Murphy (also based at Parndon
Mill). Each of the glass works are inspired by the local
environment; the flora as well as man made objects that relate to
the mill and lock.
The free-standing sculptures have been
created by a further four artists, commissioned by Harlow Council.
The artists have used concrete and stone along with the inspiration
of the river and its history to create unique pieces of art
available for all to see.
| Councillor Edna
Stevens, Vice Chairman of Harlow Council, said of the new trail:
“This project draws on the long tradition within Harlow of siting
sculpture in public spaces. There are over 60 works for local
residents and visitors to enjoy around the town, but these are the
first sculptures specially commissioned for the waterway. The
sculptures, along with the improvements to the towpath, make this a
great trail for everyone to enjoy.” |
 |
A section of the trail also forms part of a
£975,000 series of towpath improvements between Harlow Station and
Roydon Station. The improvements, including towpath resurfacing,
the addition of access ramps and towpath widening, will mean that
when planned works are complete in early 2009, the Harlow to Roydon
route will be fully accessible to all. In particular both
wheelchairs and pushchairs will be able to easily navigate the
path, enabling more people to enjoy their local waterway.
The trail was officially opened by
Councillor Edna Stevens, Vice Chairman of Harlow Council and Simon
Bamford, British Waterways, on Thursday 25 September at a launch
event to coincide with the opening of the gallery at Parndon Mill’s
latest exhibition Glasshaus III sponsored by Rok, which is running
from 25 September to 2 November and is open Tuesday - Sundays 10am
– 6pm (weekdays), 12-4pm (Saturdays) and 2-4pm (Sundays).
The project has been funded by the Department
for Communities and Local Government Growth Area Funds and Harlow
Council. The project partners include Harlow Council, British
Waterways and Parndon Mill.
You can download a copy of a map of the trail in a pdf here.
For more information about the trail pick up a
leaflet from Parndon Mill or the Gibberd Garden or download a copy
from www.waterscape.com.
