photo taken by Pete Davison, Secret Agent Marketing‘Something fishy’ happening at Priory Gardens
THERE’S something fishy going on at Priory Gardens in Marlborough, where a year-long lottery-funded scheme has seen an overgrown riverbank transformed into a riparian marvel.
Two trout-shaped benches are being installed as part of the final phase of the Reclaim Our River project. Carved from oak logs from the Marlborough area, the benches will stand as testament to what the project is all about: ecology, art and a love and respect for the River Kennet.
The benches have been created by wood sculptors Raymond Wirick and Tim Trowbridge, from their workshop just outside Marlborough. Each bench has taken 50 hours to craft, and even installation of the heavy pieces will take a couple of days.
Raymond explained: “The benches are unique. Because they are created from natural materials using chainsaws, no two will ever be the same. They were created specifically for this project. I submitted a number of ideas, including herons and other animals, but everyone loved the trout; it was a no-brainer.”
Charlotte Hitchmough from Action for the River Kennet, one of the partner organisations behind Reclaim Our River, said: “One of the benefits of the river restoration is that trout have returned to the Marlborough stretch of the Kennet, so the trout theme seemed ideal.
“We’re very excited about these benches. They mark the end of a year’s hard work and are also the first public installation of work by Raymond, so we’re very honoured by that.”
