Mab Lane Community Woodland

These are the next stage of designs that will be presented to the schools working to create sculptures for the new woodland (see previous posts)…

The back field (a.k.a. the backy) will be completed in early Feb 2010 with exception to Mab Lane Boundary which is dependant on United Utilities works.

Work at Mab Lane playing field will resume second week in January. Drainage will be completed by end of January and this will be followed by tree planting and metalwork in February, prior to earth sculpting, aquatic planting, path works and grass seeding in March.

There will be a further opportunity to help plant up parts of the new woodland, with both community and schools events being set up – details will be posted on this site.

Children at 3 local schools have been busy completing designs for sculptures, some of which will form what is hoped to be three real life timber sculptures to be located within the new community woodland. Pupils from a mix of years at St Alberts RC Primary, St Brigids Catholic Primary and Mab Lane Community Primary School participated in three design workshops with staff from The Mersey Forest Team and the artist, John Merrill, who will eventually create the pieces of sculpture.

The children were shown some pictures of other well established community woodlands in The Mersey Forest area and features which will be incorporated into the new woodland with some examples of inspiring sculpture. Using an environmental theme, the children first sketched their ideas, once sketches were completed, the children modelled their ideas in 3D using clay and photographs were taken of the models to record the children’s ideas to lead to the next phase of design.

John Merrill the artist was pleased at the brilliant and varied designs of the children (see photos in slideshow above or as an album here),over Xmas the sculptures have been assessed for their good design, function and feasibility of construction and in early January he will return to each school to discuss the ideas with the children.

It is hoped the designs will lead to three final pieces being created for the woodlands – with locations yet to be determined.

Later in spring the new sculptures will be officially located on site hopefully in the presence of individuals of the schools involved.