Four bespoke wooden benches have been crafted from a 100 year old tree stump recovered from the Milford Haven Waterway by a talented local sculptor and the creative ideas of school pupils.
The Port of Milford Haven enlisted the help of Gelliswick VC School to come up with designs for the sculpture following the theme the ‘Year of the Sea’. Over 30 ideas were submitted to the Port’s Tourism Manager Karen Lewis who then worked with sculptor Robert Graves to select sketches depicting various elements relating to the sea.
Karen Lewis is delighted with the final product, commenting “We’re so pleased with the new benches which will be located at Milford Waterfront near the lock gates. The area is designed to be a picnic spot for families to enjoy for many years to come.”
Nick Dyer, Head Teacher of Gelliswick VC School, said “We were honoured to be involved in the design of this wonderful bench sculpture. As a brand new school we are very grateful to the Port for including us in such an interesting community project, taking a tree stump that is over one hundred years old and creating something beautiful for Milford Haven’s future. We are very proud of the children’s designs and their enthusiasm in the project, helped by the fact that our Year Four children have recently been learning science through a sea theme. Gelliswick is playing its part in the ‘Year of the Sea’ and as well as being an integral part of this artwork I am sure it will become a much admired part of Milford Waterfront.”
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Photo: Teacher Delyth Evans, sculptor Robert Graves, Tourism Manager at the Port of Milford Haven Karen Lewis and pupils from Gelliswick VC School unveil the new benches at Milford Waterfront
