Breaking the Mould - Rothwell Country Park Sculpture Trail , UK - Abstract Public Sculptures on Waymarking.com

"History
Rothwell Country Park used to be occupied by Rothwell Colliery, but following its closure in 1983 it became a post-industrial wasteland, remnants of which are still visible today.

Fortunately in the mid 1990s a partnership was formed between local people, Leeds City Council and Groundwork Leeds which saw a transformation of the area. Over the next 5 years extensive landscaping of the site allowed the land to be carefully reprofiled and tracts of meadow, woodland and wetlands were created. Finally on the 24th of June 2000 Rothwell Country Park opened to the public, providing this corner of Leeds with a much needed oasis. In 2010 the Friends of Rothwell Country Park was set up to help manage the park for both people and wildlife. Contact either the Trust or Friends of Rothwell Country Park to volunteer on site and get involved with managing the site.

Rothwell Country Park is part of a corridor of green spaces in the Lower Aire Valley in Leeds which is owned by Leeds City Council and managed in partnership with the Trust.

Sculpture trail

The Rothwell Country Park Sculpture Trail is situated on the former pithead and there are still relics of the industrial heritage of the site. A large open area, with a couple of picnic benches on, is the site of the stockyard and under the moss you can still see the railway lines in the concrete floor. There is a circle of road in the centre of the sculpture trail, which would have housed the mines' emergency gear platform on the curbed area.

The first sculpture you come to is called ‘Breaking the Mould’, by sculpture Andrew McKeown. It is a giant seed which has emerged from an industrial mould which represents new life and growth emerging from industrial decline. There are 21 of these stone and iron sculptures to mark each of the 21 ‘Changing places’ regeneration sites across England and Wales. The sculpture celebrates and marks the £60 million Changing Places programme which transformed 1,000 hectares of post-industrial derelict land into parks and open spaces." link

Although Leeds City Council helped to fund the creation of the park and the sculpture trail their funding has now been withdrawn and the park is maintained solely by volunteers.

This sculpture and the others in the trail are now being overtaken by nature as it's been left to its own devices.

Title: Breaking The Mould Artist: Andrew McKeown Media (materials) used: Stone and iron Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): Rothwell Country Park Sculpture Trail Date of creation or placement: Not listed

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