life
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
Carving a
‘high’ note
By Tony Ridd
It’s funny how often the most
casual conversation can often
turn something from being an
ordinary day to, something
quite special! When Robin Hill
Country Park Manager, Darren
Cool, asked Chainsaw Sculpture,
Paul Sivell, what they should
do about a dead Sweet Chestnut
tree in the park, it set the wheels
in motion for a successful
attempt at the unofficial world
record for the tallest sculptured
tree.
It took fifteen days for Paul,
helped by Fine Art Student,
Oliver Adams to start and
70
complete this feat, using
chainsaws and power tools to
achieve their goal.
Standing nearly 18m (58ft)
high and beating the previous
record by 30cm (12”). The
carving depicts a history of the
Island and Robin Hill.
Starting two thousand years
ago with a Roman planting a
Sweet Chestnut at the base of
the tree. Moving up you come
across a Christian Saint. The
Island was the last place in
Britain to be introduced to
Christianity (7th Century). The
9th-11th Century are represented
by the Vikings, followed by the
Normans, with the date 1066 on
a Norman shield depicting this
stage of history. Pirates and
Smugglers are next, covering
the 16th, 17th and eighteenth
century, With the Victorians
being sybolised by poets Keats
‘A thing of beauty is a joy
forever’ and Tennyson ‘Beneath
the Roman ruins where the
purple flowers grow.’ Carved
high up!
A robin with the date 1994,
signifies the time that Vectis
Ventures, took over the site,
and the top branches which
portray musical notes brings
the sculpture up to date with
reference to the Bestival, now
very much a major part of the
Parks year.
This is not the only carving ‘in
the park’ that Paul and Oliver
have sculptured there are many
wonderful pieces of art waiting
to be discovered!
The park is open everyday from
10.00 ‘til 5.00pm.
Paul Sivell (left) with assistant Oliver Adams
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