New 3D art piece on Station Park

On 9th May 2023 a new piece of art was installed on Station Park, a horse and two wagons, designed by local artist Rachelle Cleary and built by local volunteer Steve Watson, who generously provided over 100 hours of his time and skills in building the wooden pieces.

When visiting the Park, look carefully at the two wagons and you’ll notice that they are different in design.

The front wagon gives a nod to the process of tipping ‘night soil’ on Chat Moss, which was used as a fertiliser by market gardeners throughout history.  Night soil was removed from neighbouring towns at night having been collected from cesspools, pit latrines and privies.  These materials were transported onto the Moss by horse and wagon.  The second wagon represents the farming of peat.

Chat Moss is an immense peat bog of some 10.6 square miles of Salford, Warrington and Wigan.  It is an historic area that used to be an inhospitable landscape intersected only by narrow paths, known only to turf cutters and other labourers who lived on its borders.  Nowadays it provides opportunities for walking and cycling along the rights of way network.  One of the pathways crosses Twelve Yards Road, a name that is reportedly linked to a moveable pier that used to distribute the night soil 6 yards from either side of a central walkway, which was then repositioned 12 yards further on and the process repeated.

The art piece was designed to a size so that it can be enjoyed by young children when visiting Station Park.  HDT’s IC Art programme has completed several pieces of 3D art that depict the history of Irlam & Cadishead.  All can be found nestled in the Station Park’s green spaces.

Posted on: 27th June 2023