The sculptures located on Rodway Green Space, where created by artist
Walter Jack in 1995. Two of them are seats and the third an Arch. They were created as part of an Arts Council project when the homes located off The Beanlands were built. A fourth element, which Walter Jack supported the Primary School to design, was undertaken shortly after completion of the main 3 sculptures. It is a zig zag bridge that crosses the ditch halfway up the dell on the right-hand side and links Rodway to Greenaway. The bridge is regularly used as a location for a scarecrow on the annual scarecrow trail.
The Giraffe Arch
Sadly, The Giraffe Arch was removed for safety reasons by Swindon Borough Council in January 2020, having stood proud for 25 years. It was located on The Beanlands to the right-hand side of Rodway and created a gateway access to the dell that runs up to the right-hand corner of Rodway Green Space. The arch was made by splitting a single tree down the middle, the back and legs from pieces of branches from the same tree. The artist completed most of the work on this piece using a chainsaw.
Tall Seat
By following the path up the dell, passing the zig zag bridge, you will climb the hill. At the top the trees open out to an open grassy space tucked behind the houses in Lime Springs. In the top right corner, you will find the Tall Seat. This piece was made from an oak tree that the council had found in a ditch nearby. A mobile mill was brought to the site and used to plank the tree. The artist liked the vantage point and wanted something grand and tall in the space. The artist considers this bench to resemble a horse, others think it more like an elephant. The seat points North East and is in a great location for bird watching, a family of Woodpeckers lives near here.
Sarsen Seat
Leaving the Tall Seat, turn left towards Stacey's Lane and you will come to the Sarsen Seat, which is located at the at the top of the Rodway Green Space sledging slope. The Sarsen Seat was made using a large sarsen stone to form the back rest and pieces of oak, left over from creating The Tall Seat, to form the bench. The stone was found in a field nearby by local resident Malcolm Hinton who helped with the project. The seat commands a great view across the parish to the North.
Photographs taken at the launch event in 1995