Big things grow from fallen oaks... (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Big things grow from fallen oaks...

9:23am Friday 14th July 2006

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SKELWITH Fold Caravan Park, near Ambleside, unveiled a large outdoor sculpture made from some of the hundreds of oaks that were uprooted in the devastating January storms of last year as a memorial to the disaster and as a symbol of regeneration.

The sculpture resembles some of Cumbria's ancient stone circles. Representing the circle of life and nature, the large, central column is aligned north/south and the slightly smaller ones that form the circle have either mysterious faces similar to those seen on stone statues on Easter Island, or seats cut into them so park visitors can contemplate and enjoy views of the Langdales.

Many of the fallen trees have been planked to make into furniture or made into posts and beams for use in Skelwith Fold or for sale, as well as making several seats and benches round the 130 acres. Moreover, as many of the 300 plus bird boxes, red squirrel feeders and false drays were also lost when the trees came down, some of the salvaged wood has been used to make replacements.

Park director Henry Wild commissioned Lancashire sculptress Kate Eveson, who had recently left college, to design and sculpt a memorial using fallen oaks.

He wanted her to create a permanent reminder of the storm and mark the park's conservation work.

"I did not influence Kate's design at all, so when I saw it I was extremely pleased as it is evocative and mysterious," said Mr Wild.

"It is also tactile but has no name and no explanatory plaque as Kate simply wants people to wander and feel or sit and let their imaginations roam free and to hopefully have individual responses to its presence - but I am sure the kids will simply see it as somewhere to have fun!"

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