David Nash – Broad Piece – 1978
Photographs from Fletched over Ash book by David Nash 1978
Material: Wood, Water
Trail: Millwood Trail
Theme: Landscape
Form: Realism – Trees
Length: 150 foot long
Maps Featured on: 1981 – 2005
Status: No longer discernible, March ’24
Sketch from David Nash Return to the Forest exhibition
Quote from the artist – “Realised the essential material of the forest is water… Plan a combination of running water & wood. After a long search find a water source & two fallen trees lying down a slope. Diverted the water along branch troughs, through the roots of a fallen sycamore down its trunk, off along a thin ash branch trough, through the roots of a fallen sycamore, down its trunk, off along more troughs to finally pour over a stone & disappear into the ground.”
Photograph from newspaper clipping, unknown source
Sited just off the Silurian way above the visitor centre. Made up of a series of fallen trees with channels carved out, and hollowed branches, so water can run down them. Like Ban an T’ishka, the wood doesn’t rot because the water is constantly flowing. It is well known to have been repaired by artists and visitors over the years.
Photograph taken by Robzet approximately 1996
“For such a fragile, ad hoc, affair it is remarkable how it has survived. I thank all those kind souls who have had a hand in its preservation. Especially Keir Smith who stopped someone cutting it up for firewood.” – Nash
Every time I have walked past it over recent years the stream has been dry, I therefore couldn’t say whether it still worked or not. In March 2020 there was water flowing in the stream. I had to do some repair work, as a couple of the hollowed logs had moved out of position, and a lot of leaf litter and moss was blocking the water. The trees used originally have rotten and shifted so they are not part of the water route anymore (although you can still see the channel cut in them) instead the water flows from one log down the next. After a small amount of work I was thrilled to find the 42 year old sculpture still worked:
Photograph & Video taken 20th March 2020
Artist’s other work in Grizedale –
Running Table – 1978
Horned Tripod – 1978
Willow Ladder – 1978
Sweeping Larch Enclosure – 1978
Fork Ladders – 1978
A Meeting of Ways – 1981
Grizedale Forest Sculpture An Unofficial Archive 