Carved stone features for National Defence and Rehabilitation Centre

I have recently installed these works into the beautiful grounds of Stamford Hall near Loughborough. The Hall is now home to the National Defence and Rehabilitation Centre https://www.thednrc.org.uk/ which has been moved from Headley Court. The carved stone features were completed in time to mark the change over to the Leicestershire Estate last year, an event that was attended by Prince William, the Prime Minister and the Duke of Westminster.

The work consisted of two elements. The first was a giant, 3 tonne boulder which was sourced from the Duke of Westminster’s Estate in Lancashire. This contained the poem by W.H.Davies, “Leisure”. The inscription was drawn and carved over the rough face of the boulder along with a brief summary of the project. The sharp carved v-cut letters contrast really well with the weathered, rough surface of the ancient sandstone boulder to provide a stunning feature that sits comfortably  in the landscape of the rural Estate.

The second element was a pair of curved Georgian benches. The elegantly designed seats were carved from Hawley sandstone. The complexity of each seat meant that they were constructed in 13 parts each and jointed together in situ. The seats and the boulder occupy a wonderful location, away from the main buildings of the rehabilitation centre and overlooking the lake.