About Woolston Millennium Garden
Woolston Millennium Garden was created to celebrate the millennium and Woolston’s extraordinary aviation and maritime heritage. The project covered 300 square metres, with a theme of Flight & Float.
The garden comprises three landscaped areas that represent the elements of land, sea and sky; constructed in grassed earthwork, granite blocks, and resin bounded stone and blue glass. A brick path in the form of an aeroplane propeller runs across the site, unifying the space and drawing people to its focal point, a 10 metre high stainless steel and glass ‘feather’ sculpture. Created in collaboration with the local ship builder, Vosper Thornycroft, the sculpture symbolises the famous Spitfire plane and community friendship.
The garden also features three stainless steel rod ‘feather’ double seats, chain link profile ‘figure’ bollards, and boundary walls in the profile of the Triton ship and Spitfire wing. Brick pavers are inscribed with key dates and events in Woolston’s history, including names of local people who served on the Titanic. The garden is light by eight ground sunken uplighters. An audio post provides a narration of the project, thus ensuring the garden has full disability access.
This text was first publshed in 'Public Art in the South East' - South East England Development Agency and The Arts Council.