Staffordshire County Council adopted a Percent for Art policy in 1990 with 1% of an expenditure on public buildings and highways to enable commissioning on artworks to enhance the built environment. In Keele the long-awaited plan to bypass Keele village was completed by July 1992 cost of £3.2million and a commission was proposed.
Sculptor Denis O’Connor with collaborator blacksmith Simon Vaughan won the commission. An important part of the brief was to involve the local community in the design of the two very large wrought iron sculptures. Denis spent days with the local primary school to incorporate local references derived from the children’s artwork for one of the pieces. The other refers to the time in Keele when the Knights Templar were active in Keele’s history.
The County Council set up a ceremony with the artists, members of the Council and MP at the time Lin Golding to unveil the £15,000 sculptures June 11 1993.
The original black finish had weathered quite badly. PMTraining apprentices did a good job of renovation with the ‘Knights’ given a striking red livery. However close inspection some years later revealed a deal of spalling of that finish over the years. Keele Parish Council started looking for funding to renovate both sculptures. Application was made to Derbyshire Environmental Trust who recommended Tarmac Ltd Landfill Communities Fund. County Councillor Mark Deaville was helpful in suggesting suitable renovation companies.
Welcome the expertise, wide experience and attention to careful process of Thomson Protective Coatings who took on the project!
Pictures trace the history of these magnificent sculptures over the decades culminating in the hours of preparation in 2023 by the skilled employees of Thomson’s. The blue-black finish is as the sculptor himself requested ahead of the start of the works.
Keele Parish Council could not be more grateful to all involved in the grant funding and hours of skilled renovation of our two unusual, unique and highly impressive iron sculptures.
Wenslie Naylon
Keele Parish Councillor
