The sculpture
The sculpture incorporates heritage artifacts from the once-in-a-generation works which took place last winter at our Welsh Harp/Brent reservoir, has been unveiled by Deputy Mayor of Brent Cllr Kathleen Fraser at an event with the artist, Phil Neal, and local schools involved in its design.
The sculpture, a metal boat with a sail in the shape of a harp, was inspired by old newsreel footage of powerboating on the reservoir in the late 1920s – 30 years before its designation as one of the country’s first Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The boat is designed to be used as a bench and will be installed later this summer overlooking the water at Neasden Recreation Ground. Until then, it will be sited at Welsh Harp Sailing Club on the other side of the reservoir from its final position.
As well as fabricating the boat, mast and sail, the artist used pulley wheels and chains – which until last year operated the sluices on the reservoir but had reached the end of their working life – to give the impression of the spray and movement of the boats in the newsreel footage.
The project
The project, which was made possible by support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is part of the Trust’s Community Roots programme in Brent. It will provide a lasting reminder of the works, which involved draining the reservoir of the equivalent of 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water to access apparatus located at the 19th century valve tower. The works also required many thousands of fish to be rescued and temporarily rehomed elsewhere on the charity’s 2,000-mile network. The reservoir is being restocked with native species to protect its important ecosystem which supports internationally important populations of birds including the great crested grebe and common tern.
Taking inspiration
Artist Phil Neal said: “I was totally inspired by the film of ordinary people, dressed in their Sunday best, with sometimes three outboard motors attached to their little boats, going hell-for-leather around a figure-of-eight course on the Welsh Harp. The detail cut out of the sail interprets drawings of local flora and fauna by the local schoolchildren I worked with.
“When my sculpture is installed in its final location, I hope that local people will make the connection with the harp-shaped sail, and that they will appreciate the opportunity to sit on a boat in this amazing urban open space, looking out at the boats which sail there today.”
Pieces of local history
Ros Daniels, our director for London & South East said: “These time-worn objects, which had reached the end of their working life, are more than simply scrap metal. They are pieces of local history which tell the story of how the River Brent, fed by the Silk Stream and the Dollis Brook, was dammed to create the body of water we see here today, and which has played an important role in the life and leisure time of generations of local people.
“I am delighted that these items have not simply been preserved as museum pieces but instead have been reimagined into this incredible sculpture which will be enjoyed for many years to come.
