TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan were guests of honour at the official launch of the Saltash Celtic Cross, the centrepiece of a Community Spaces flagship project to regenerate Elwell Woods and provide a spectacular landmark at the gateway to Cornwall.
Wendy Jenkins, Programmes Director of Groundwork UK was also at the launch to congratulate the local volunteers and community members who helped to bring the spectacular project to fruition.
It’s up!
The spectacular Celtic Cross at Saltash – part of a Community Spaces flagship project – is finally in place after weeks of delays caused by low temperatures and high winds…
The 20-metre cross – designed by Cornish artist Simon Thomas – was lifted into place alongside the Tamar Bridge at Saltash this weekend.
After a 128-mile trip from Newquay via Exeter, the cross was erected late on Saturday night. A 100-tonne crane lifted the structure and a second 80-tonne crane was used to guide it into position.
The Tamar Bridge slip road was partially closed to allow the sculpture to be bolted into place.
Laim Bradley of the Saltash Waterfront Residents’ Association said: “It has taken three years to get the cross in place and it looks remarkable. Simon’s vision has created a stunning piece of public art that will stand as a monument to Cornwall for years to come.
“We would like to thank everyone involved in the project for their commitment and enthusiasm”
The sculpture was originally designed by Simon for the Millennium celebrations. It is a modern interpretation of the traditional Celtic cross, inspired by the Neolithic landscape of Cornwall, its engineering heritage and the modern forward-looking Cornish identity.
Simon said: “The sculpture not only represents a proud Cornish heritage, but also the Cornwall of today which is an exciting and vibrant place, open to new ideas and celebrating its uniqueness.
“The Cornish Cross truly marks the Gateway to Cornwall, inviting visitors and welcoming travellers home.”
Building the cross has been a collaborative process for the company in charge of construction. Gateguards, based at Newquay Airport, has risen to the challenge of marrying art with a specialist engineering project.
The company is well known for building replica historic aircraft for film and museums, but their projects can be far more complex than that. Project Manager Duncan Healey assembled a team of fellow Cornish experts to bring the project together.
David Kendall, of Optima Projects Ltd was responsible for the structural design and engineering for the composite structure of the cross. Composites engineer Stig MacDonald, brought in for his materials expertise, while composites specialist Dan Emuss took charge of the three spars.
The Cross is prepared for its journey from Newquay to Saltash
The spars, which are over 16 metres in length, are made from aerospace and boatbuilding composite materials of glass fibre and carbon fibre. The head has been built from traditional Cornish metals.
Duncan Healey of Gateguards said: “This has been an incredible project to be involved with. Over 6,000 individual geometric pieces have been made to create the structure, with no two blocks identical.
“Ten people have worked on building the cross. We have all felt the same, that this is a very specialised engineering project, but more importantly, a work of art.”
The base of the cross has been designed to look like a cairn. Work will continue this week, placing a protective cowl at the base and laying grass to complete the cairn effect.
The Cornish Cross, which is part of the wider Elwell Woods regeneration project, was principally funded by Community Spaces, with additional support from Cornwall Council, Saltash Town Council and the Duchy of Cornwall.
An official launch event is due to take place on May 10.
The Kings Heath Village Square in Birmingham – a Community Spaces flagship project – is in the running for the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Awards for Planning Excellence.
The project has been shortlisted in the categories for “Leading the way in planning for community” and “excellence in planning and design for the public realm”
There are 30 schemes shortlisted for five project categories, ranging from the regeneration of Kings Cross in London to public realm improvements in Singapore. Shortlisted projects will now be scrutinised by a panel of 24 expert judges, chaired by one of the world’s leading planner-architects, Sir Terry Farrell, before the category winners are announced on July 10.
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, will present the Silver Jubilee Cup, the UK’s top planning prize, to the overall winner at the RTPI Planning Convention on July 11.
Sir Terry Farrell, Chair of judges, said: “Our shortlist reflects the very best planning projects, strategies and processes that are helping to make great places for people to live and work in. The breadth and standard of entries to the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence is once again extremely impressive and a credit to the profession. Each demonstrates the positive impact and benefits of good planning.”
Projects on the shortlist have been recognised for their national contribution to planning and demonstrate how major schemes can be delivered speedily through the planning and other consents systems.
Sponsors for the 2013 Awards include British Land and the Design Council.
For information about the shortlisted projects click here
A model of the Saltash Celtic Cross
It’s getting rather exciting on the Devon-Cornwall border as the Celtic Cross at Saltash – a Community Spaces flagship project – nears completion.
The BBC’s Inside Out South West team have covered the latest developments and you can see the report by clicking here. The Celtic Cross report starts at 20 minutes and 10 seconds.
Artist Simon Thomas talks about the inspiration for the project and how the landmark is being built using hi-tech materials and techniques.
Driving into Cornwall across the Tamar Bridge will never be the same again…
A hedge and tree planting day at Elwell Woods in Saltash, Cornwell on February 16 will see local volunteers continue the transformation of the area, as preparations continue for the arrival of the Cornish Cross.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust will be working with a group of volunteers to plant a 100m long perimeter hedge around Elwell Woods. The hawthorn, blackthorn and broadleaved hedging will encourage wild birds to nest in the area. A variety of native trees and shrubs will also be planted through the woodland.
Anyone interested in helping can come along from 10am-3pm on Saturday February 16. Volunteers must wear suitable clothing, including boots and work gloves. Refreshments and pasties will be provided.
This will be the latest in a series of volunteer days that are transforming Elwell Woods. Saltash Waterfront Resident’s Association (SWRA) initiative will turn the former wasteland into a wooded area complete with fitness equipment, picnic areas, a small orchard and a 20 metre high Cornish Cross.
Further volunteer days are planned for Saturdays in March – planting the orchard on the 2nd, and building and installing bird and bat boxes on the 23rd.
Joe Ellison, Project Leader for SWRA, said: “With the help of our volunteers, we are transforming this previously forgotten area into a beautiful place to visit with stunning views and, when the Cornish Cross is in place, one of Cornwall’s most important landmarks.”
The 20-metre cross, designed by Cornish sculptor, Simon Thomas, is in the final stage of fabrication at Newquay Airport, made from leading edge aerospace materials such as glass and carbon fibre to resemble copper.
SWRA believes the Cornish Cross will become the ‘gateway to Cornwall’ and will become as firmly fixed on the tourist map as the Angel of the North, attracting visitors to the area and boosting the local economy.
Elwell Woods, including the Cornish Cross, is a Community Spaces Flagship project. Additional funding and support has come from Cornwall Council, Saltash Town Council and the Duchy of Cornwall.
Time for celebration in Kings Heath, Birmingham, where the new Village Sqaure – a Community Spaces flagship project – has won the Best Use of Arts and Culture in Regeneration category in the Regeneration and Renewal Awards 2012.
“Kings Heath Village Square is a great little bit of community regeneration in semi-suburban Birmingham that already seems to have become the heart of its local area,” said David Powell, director of David Powell Associates and chair of the panel that judged this category.
The scheme was conceived as part of the development of All Saints Church in Kings Heath, south Birmingham, and aimed to contribute to the wider regeneration of the area by creating a new village square that would incorporate local art and provide a space for performances and exhibitions. The square was completed in November 2011 and has already been used for concerts, community craft markets, carol singing and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The judges were pleased to see the leading role that local people had played in commissioning and designing the project through the All Saints Community Development Company. The square is used not only by the church, but also by a variety of community groups. Income generated by a local farmers’ market will be used to fund maintenance. The square incorporates artworks designed by local schools, youth groups, and senior citizens. A verse written by a local poet is etched into a decorative pathway within the square.
The judges felt that the square would provide long-lasting benefits: “We were impressed by the level of finish and quality,” says Powell. “It looked like it would stand good use over a number of years.
“It struck us that this project was relatively low risk with a probably low ongoing cost. It’s good to see something like this being done so well in what are remarkably tough times.”
For more on the awards click here
A model of the Saltash Celtic Cross
Cadets from the Plymouth and Cornwall Air Training Corps will help clear Elwell Woods in Saltash this weekend as part of the preparations for the installation of the stunning Cornish Cross.
Just over the Tamar Bridge, into Cornwall, there is a little patch of forgotten woodland. Overlooked until recently, when the Saltash Waterfront Residents’ Association (SWRA) secured Community Spaces funding to turn wasteland into a wooded area complete with fitness equipment, picnic areas, a small orchard and a 20 metre high Celtic Cross.
Elwell Woods, overlooking the River Tamar was a patch of wasteland that has grown into a small sycamore wood over the last 60 years. However, after many years of neglect, the area is full of rubble and debris that needs clearing. Some of the stone rubble will be set aside for dry stone-walling scheduled for November
Local Air Cadets from the Saltash Wing have been recruited to help with the clearing up and in return, some of them will get the chance to learn about dry stone walling at training days organised for next month.
Joe Ellison, Project Leader for SWRA said: “Having the Cadets on board is a real boost. There is a lot of work to be done clearing rubble and preparing the site for the dry stone walling training days we are holding with Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
“It’s a really exciting part of the project to be able to hold training events like these and a good way to say thank you to our volunteers. We want Elwell Woods and the Celtic Cross to be part of the community – somewhere people can meet up, enjoy a quiet walk and the stunning view across the river.”
The 20 metre Celtic Cross, designed by Cornish sculptor, Simon Thomas, is being constructed at Newquay Airport, made from leading edge aerospace materials such as glass and carbon fibre to resemble copper. SWRA wants the Cross to become the ‘gateway to Cornwall’ and to become as firmly fixed on the tourist map as the Angel of the North, attracting visitors to the area and boosting the local economy.
Flt Lt Warren Bowden of the OC 335 (Saltash) Squadron said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the Cadets. Elwell Woods are right on our doorstep and to see them change and develop from abandoned ground into something that will benefit the community is tremendous.
“They are looking forward to getting stuck in and learning new skills as well as watching the woods take shape over the coming months.”
The Elwell Woods project, including the Cornish Cross, has been made possible largely through a £450,000 flagship grant from Community Spaces. The project has also received funding and support from Cornwall Council, Saltash Town Council, Caradon District Council and the Duchy of Cornwall.
Project co-ordinator Phil Creek and Wendy Jenkins, Programmes Director at Groundwork UK, with some of the children who created giant flowers for the Royal visit
The Duchess of Cornwall was greeted by a display of 120 giant resin flowers – part of a Community Spaces Flagship project – when she visited Exeter Cathedral’s Majesty Flower Festival.
Children from 46 Devon and Torbay schools decorated the glassfibre resin flowers to form a guard of honour for the Duchess. The designs follow a theme entitled ‘The Colours of the Commonwealth’ based on ideas developed from studying artists and art from 53 Commonwealth nations.
The flowers were funded with a sustainability grant from Community Spaces, which helps projects to continue to have an impact after the major work has been completed. Last year saw the launch of a £450,000 Community Spaces project on the Cathedral Green, part of a masterplan designed to create new pathways, lighting and planting as well as places to sit and enjoy the improved landscape.
The flower project was led by the Devon Learning and Development Partnership, which last year helped children to decorate 170 life-size sheep that adorned the Green as the project was launched.
The Paignton Geoplay Park, a Community Spaces Flagship project, was the subject of heated local debate from the outset.
The team behind the project, the Paignton Community Partnership, faced many vocal objectors who warned that the playpark was in the wrong place, was the wrong size or was just plain wrong!
Heeley Development Trust is launching its new Mountain Bike and BMX track in Heeley Millennium Park, Sheffield on Saturday (January 14).
Built as part of the major revamp for the Millennium Park by BikeTrack.org and Heeley Development Trust staff the new track is just the first part of a Community Spaces Flagship Project. The new path weaves in and out of the trees across the whole of the bottom of the park.
Andy Jackson, manager of Heeley Development Trust, which owns and manages the Millennium Park, said: “Mountain bike riding is becoming more and more popular but not everyone can get out to the Peak District or the Pennines. This track gives people a chance to practise here in the city.
”There’s something there for everyone – from beginners to the most experienced – and folk can work their way up from getting round the corners up to some very technical ‘skinnies’ “ (that’s balancing beams to the rest of us). The Trust will have bikes for people to borrow on the day, experts on hand to give advice on riding the course and there’ll be a load of free-standing obstacles for people to try out.”
There have been big changes elsewhere in the park and in the playground a new giant birdsnest swing has sprung up. Park manager Thom White says: “Swings are one of those things that people have been asking for for years. I’m just glad that the Community Spaces funding came along and let us do it.”
Things will be kicking off from noon in the Heeley Millennium Park on Well Road, just off Chesterfield Road. Local councillors Tim Rippon and Cate McDonald will be cutting the ribbon at 12.30pm.
For more information go to http://www.heeleydevtrust.com/
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
Image from the Community Spaces Flickr Group
