The Benches were commissioned by Michael Johnson Arts Administrator of Test Valley Borough council in 2001 and were made to fit in with some old cast iron seats already on site. They had been cast by Taskers, who also made the Bridge over Drovers Lane that leads to Basingstoke. The seats are made out of heavy section mild steel bar and were galvanised prior to installation. One seat is 3meters long the other curved approx 4meters long. They are 600mm wide.
Ladies Walk in Andover, follows the line of an ancient trackway where 121 trees were planted in 1863 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Albert to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The path that is now lined with magnificent trees marks the East West boundary of the town and the seats provide a place where people can rest and observe great views to the South.
Some poetry and the Latin names for the different species of trees are stamped into the metalwork. This technique has become an important hallmark on some of the seats/benches that I have made.
One of the poems reads:
Sitting Quietly, Doing Nothing, Spring Comes, and the Grass Grows by Itself. (From The Way of Zen. Alan Watts)
Other words from the council include: Ox Drove. Markway. Ladies Walk. We Have Walked Through Lifetimes To Arrive.