Artist transforms tree into Swindon icon at Town Gardens

From start to finish, the transformation of the horse chestnut tree into the famous nature writer, complete with squirrel and bird, took several months, 65 trips to and from the gardens and roughly 130 hours of work. 

Its creator, Darren Scott, has talked about the process that led to him immortalising the author in wooden form ahead of the official unveiling of the work of art due later this month. 

Darren Scott (Image: Darren Scott)

"Jake Mee of South Swindon parish council approached me sometime in March this year. He’d seen my work elsewhere and explained there were three condemned trees in Old Town Gardens that may be suitable for sculpting if I was interested.

Darren thought that Richard Jefferies, who has a museum dedicated to him near Coate Water, perfectly suited the location and designed a sculpture of the animal lover that South Swindon Parish Council agreed to. 

"I decided to visit the Richard Jefferies museum near Coate Water Park to get more of an insight into the man I was going to sculpt. I met Mike Pringle, the director of the museum who was delighted that it may help increase awareness of one of Swindon's most richly interesting historical characters."

Darren began working on the tree in July and has thanked members of the public for their encouragement and support. 

"During the process, I met and talked to many people, local and from afar who came to visit the beautiful gardens and were interested in what I was doing. Without exception, everyone was delighted, appreciative, encouraging and positive about the project. I’m sure this helped me through some of the more challenging parts of the process and I would like to thank everyone for their support."

It isn't yet known how the new sculpture will be displayed to the public, especially in light of repeated vandalism targeting similar beloved wooden sculptures in Stanton Park, with fears that vandals might do the same here. 

There have been calls for the sculpture to be fenced off or even encased in a perspex box, but Darren hopes this won't be the case. 

"This saddens me because I really believe sculpture is to be touched and looked at close up. And for every thousand people that pass by only one will want to destroy it, so do we take away the enjoyment, curiosity and wonder of nine hundred and ninety-nine people for sake of one sad little individual?"