Thornton Millenium Project
Wall carving for the millenium seat
 Many
residents of the village will already know that I was commissioned
to carve a panel for the Millennium Seat. Initially I proposed
a design for a map of the village showing historical events that
have occurred in and around Thornton. However, after the clock
was positioned on the wall I realised that a map of our long,
thin village was no longer a possibility for both visual and practical
reasons.
 My
starting point for this design was the need to find a shape for
the panel that would look integrated with the existing structure
and not simply appear to have been 'added on' as an after thought.
I have chosen to design a panel that wraps around the clock, almost
as a decorative border, and I have also carved the existing backing
panel of the clock.
 My
second decision determined the design of the carving, to place
a thorn tree (from which our village originally gained its name)
in the centre of the panel, curling its gnarled branches around
the clock. The panel links to the clock both physically and in
theme - both describe the passage of time..
 Christian
ruler. Oswald lived in the 7th Century and would probably have
passed through Torentun on the Roman built road on his way to
battle on the Welsh border. Oswald symbolises the ancient status
of our village and reminds us that the road through our village
has been important to many travellers, many of who have been impressed
by the beauty of the location and have chosen to settle here.
Oswald has with him his pet Raven and the raven's relatives, the
crows, have also chosen to settle here in great numbers. The other
side of the panel looks to our future. Three village children
are shown mending walls and tending livestock. They symbolise
a continuity of caring for and working within the landscape that
surrounds us. With the installation of the panel the Millennium
Seat is now complete.
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