An iconic sculpture depicting a 23-foot mammoth has restored to its former glory in a Nottinghamshire village. Nottinghamshire is home to scores of unusual sculptures and statues, with one of its most unique having just been restored to its former glory.
The Hoveringham Mammoth that catches the eye of visitors and residents alike but it's one of many spectacular sites across Nottinghamshire, with a cricket match and a beekeeper also being among the county's unusual sculptures and statues. Below is the story of the Hoveringham Mammoth, alongside some of the other wonderful landmarks in Nottinghamshire.
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The Hoveringham Mammoth
The Hoveringham Mammoth was built in 1965 by Kim James, becoming a prominent landmark at its home outside Hoveringham Gravel. It was gifted to Nottingham Trent University in 1991 by Tarmac, which bought Hoveringham Gravel.
A campaign was then launched in 2019 to restore the sculpture and to bring the mammoth home. Forterra, a manufacturing company with a plant in Hoveringham, was one of the leading donors to the project and in June 2022, the mammoth was installed just 50m from its original spot.
Nick Clark, Contracts Manager at Forterra's Hoveringham Plant, said: "We're delighted to see the Hoveringham mammoth back where it belongs. We're very proud of the effort and time that’s been put in to restoring the mammoth and glad Forterra had the opportunity to contribute to such an iconic local landmark."
Hucknall's Dog Walker sculpture
The metal statue of a man walking his dog sits on top of a former colliery site, with the statue being commissioned to represent the new use of the land in Hucknall. The Linby Colliery closed in 1988 and the land now hosting the statue once served as the waste coal heap for the pit.
The sculpture stands at twelve foot and was erected in 2007. It cost around £13,000 and Nottinghamshire County Council used money raised from landfill tax to fund it.
The cricket match sculpture in Kirkby
The street outside the Kirkby in Ashfield Library plays host to sculptures of three cricketers who are depicted as being in the middle of a match. Harold Larwood, William Voce and Donal Bradman are all depicted, with the first two hailing from mining families in Ashfield.
All three cricketers, the latter of whom played for Australia, took part in the 1932-33 Ashes series in which England's bowlers began to bowl towards the batsmen's body. It led to the English team being labelled "unsportsmanlike" by the Australians.
The Clifton statue
Sir Robert Clifton was the MP for Nottingham from 1861 until his death in 1869 and this statue near the Wilford Toll Bridge was built in memory of Sir Robert and one of his biggest achievements. He was responsible for the funding of the Wilford Toll Bridge, as well as the building of the Clifton Colliery.
This statue was therefore placed near the bridge after Sir Robert's death. Around 20,000 people attended the funeral of the Liberal Party politician at St Mary's Church in Clifton.
Beeston's 'Bee Man'
The Beeston Seat was designed in the 1980s and features two L-shaped concrete hedges, with an elderly man sitting on a bench in the corner of one of them. This figure has a beekeeper's hat and gloves next to him, with the sculpture therefore having become known simply as 'The Bee Man'.
The corner of the other hedge features a tree stump with a beehive on top of it, with small bronze bees covered it and many other areas of the sculpture. The sculpture was commissioned as part of efforts to rejuvenate the design of Beeston in the 1960s and 70s.
Nottingham's Quartet
The Quartet was first situated on the west of Old Market Square, where it was unveiled by Princess Anne in 1986, before it was moved to its current home to make way for the tram line. At a cost of £25,000 and seven months in the making, the statue is said to represent the daily routines of people passing through the city.
It depicts four life-size figures, one of whom is holding the lapel of his shirt, whilst another has his hands in his pocket. Another one of the figures clutches a bag whilst the final of the four figures, which all stand on a bronze plinth, holds his arms behind his back.
Brian Clough Statue
The statue paying tribute to former Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough was unveiled in front of a crowd of thousands by his wife Barbara. Brian Clough managed Forest for 18 years and the club won two European Cups, a European Super Cup, a League Championship and four League Cups during his tenure.
The statue was unveiled in 2008, following Brian Clough's passing in 2004. It is situated just off the Old Market Square and has become a focal point of the city since it was unveiled.
Legends of the Lane
The two men who were considered to be the greatest management team at Notts County are immortalised in a statue near the club's stadium. Jimmy Sirrel and Jack Wheeler, who led Notts County to the First Division in the 1980s, are depicted in the statue on the pavement south of Ashling Court in Meadow Lane.
Sculptor Andrew Edwards started work on it in 2010, with the statue being unveiled by families of the two men in 2016. More than £100,000 was raised by Notts County fans, with the names of those who donated being featured on the statue's plinth.
The Sneinton Dragon
During a regeneration of the area, Sneinton residents were asked what sculpture they would like to represent it. Robert Stubley's Sneinton Dragon was the result, unveiled by Nottingham City Council in 2006.
It can be found in the shade of the trees at the junction of Sneinton Hermitage and Manvers Street, standing at seven-feet high with a 15-foot wingspan. The sculpture is said to represent the slums of Sneinton that were cleared in the 1930s.
Golden Hand
The 10ft Golden Hand statue in Vicar Water Country Park, Clipstone, was commissioned around 20 years ago by national cycling group Sustrans as a feature of their National Cycle Network.
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