Four permanent landmarks in the village of Hatton, South Derbyshire.
The heritage trail was created through a project run by local community group, The Friends of Salt Brook Committee, supported by People Express and internationally acclaimed sculptor, John Newling.
The aim of the project was to ensure Hatton’s amazing industrial heritage is there for all to see, to be celebrated, to be proud of and inspired by, for generations to come.
Four professional artists were commissioned by the local committee, to each create a unique sculpture based on Hatton’s history of farming, manufacturing, engineering and transport. The history includes; Trent Valley Glassworks, local dairy farming which led to Nestlé start up in 1901, the invention of the first non-sparking train wheel for mining and much more.
'Wheel' by Alex Blakey
Created using corten steel and kiln-formed photographic glass, the steel represents the manufacture of Clayton’s Locomotives and transport of Nestle products, whilst the glass links directly back to the Trent Valley works and the production of the first photographic tiles. The work includes direct photographic prints of local images and includes kiln-formed glass panels carved in a workshop with the local community. Each of the panels is hand-carved to depict a scene from one of the major industries.
'Silo' by Dan Rawlings
Silo’ by Dan Rawlings explores ongoing themes in his practice, a sympathy for unloved and forgotten relics and a fascination with nature’s resilience have inspired him to create visions of a world where man’s impact is being slowly reclaimed by nature. For this project Dan went through archive images from the village and drew a design that he felt “represented everyone; how warmly everyone reflects on Hatton and how contented they look when they talk about Hatton and it’s history”.
'Farmer' by Graeme Mitcheson
This carved stone sculpture depicts a local farmer, hunched over, manoeuvring Nestle churns. Distinguishable by his flat cap, apron, moustache and baggy clothes we are transported back to the early days of the Nestle story in Hatton. At that time, local farmers would deliver thousands of churns, using horse and carts, every day to the factory to be used in the production of condensed milks. Nestle has strived to maintain a close relationship with the local work force ever since.
'Gob' by Rachel Carter
Rachel Carter creates woven sculptural pieces using resistant materials such as Cast Bronze and Eco-Fibre. For her piece ‘Gob’, she explored material, processes and casting techniques with Pangolin Foundry, applying them to this large-scale bronze sculpture. Inspired by the fascinating stories of the glass industry in Hatton, Rachel was particularly drawn to the relationship between the Gatherer, Blower, Parrison Maker and Taker-in.
Watch the film below to learn more about the histories of Hatton, which inspired the Sculpture Trail, and the lives of people living in the village.
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