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16th March 2003 - Artistic Sheep Flock to the Greenway

A flock of sheep strayed onto the Spen Valley Greenway this week – but any sheepdogs attempting to round them up will be left sadly frustrated.

The 11 sheep have been sculpted from scrap metal and concreted into the ground near the Clayborn football fields between Liversedge and Cleckheaton – the first of a number of specially commissioned artworks to be installed along the seven-mile route. The whole project – Art and the Travelling Landscape – has been developed by Public Arts in partnership with the Greenway's owners, Sustrans, and is costing around Ł90,000.

Sculptor Sally Matthews, who has spent the last six months creating the sheep in her workshop in Wales, was on site on Monday to supervise the installation of her flock – to the amazement of passers-by. "I got my inspiration for them while walking on the Greenway," she explained. "This part of it is wonderful, with farmland on one side which has real sheep. I wanted to create something that gave the impression it was moving alongside you as you walked along the path, and sheep seemed the ideal subject."

The sheep have been created out of all sorts of scrap metal – rotavators, hooks and horse shoes – which have been welded together. "It's been the most difficult project I've done so far because there were so many sheep," said Sally, who previously sculpted four cows for a Sustrans project in the North East. "I'm really pleased to get them out of the workshop and on to the Greenway where I always wanted them to be. "I think the Greenway is a wonderful asset and I'm amazed how many people are using it. Sustrans has such a vision of what they want to achieve, which is great." Greenway warden Gordon North said: "They are something that people will come a long way to see and I'm sure the local population will take them to heart."

Sustrans' regional manager David Hall was delighted with the sheep and said more artworks would follow soon.
"I think we will get people coming to the Greenway because they want to see the art. They are great talking pieces and make it a memorable route. I think people will be delighted to have them." The rest of the artworks include a series of benches, signposts at each end of the Greenway and signs inspired by poetry. A large earthwork feature will be installed on the planned Ringway on Spen's other disused railway. The Art And The Travelling Landscape project will be celebrated with an official launch on June 6.

Not pictured:
Rain Boots
two pairs of Teva Mush flip-flops (one that I keep at my parents' house and one at the beach)
a pair of Pumas and a pair of brown leather "casual" shoes that I keep at the beach

TOTAL = 23 pairs of shoes

OMG WTF SRSLY