This summer saw the 250 year-old, 17.3 metre, 11 tonne oak tree, which fell in Turner’s Paddock, Stourhead in January 2013, go upright at Frome College.
The ancient tree was used as an art project by students at the college.
Spokesperson Jane Davis said, “The intention was to re-erect the tree on site this summer as part of a scheme to create a more significant main entrance to the college. The tree featured in the painting ‘View over the lake at Stourhead’ by JMW Turner in 1798 when it was 30 years old.”
The Heritage Lottery awarded the project £40,000 to involve Frome’s young people in the tree’s historical and ecological heritage. The sculpture signifies the now depleted great forest of Selwood, first recorded in 894, which once covered the whole Frome area.
“Students have carved personal aspirational tattoos into the heartwood of the tree and visited the Tate Britain with a talk by the curator of the Turner Collection,” Jane said. “Young filmmakers supported and documented the project and enjoyed a guided walk along the 15-mile route through the forest from Frome to Stourhead. Talks were given by local experts and an exhibition was mounted in Frome Museum involving paintings of Stourhead by Frome Community College art students.”
The project was managed by Azeema Caffoor for Young People Frome, with artist Barry Cooper, sculptor and historian Anthony Rogers, eco-poet Helen Moore, and filmmaker Howard Vause.
The team worked with National Trust Stourhead and Somerset Wildlife Trust, with funding from the Henry C Hoare Foundation, Frome Town Council, Somerset Community Foundation and National Trust.
Jane continued, “Celebrating the completed carving of the tree at Frome College in July 2016, students were involved in creating the start of an annual event, coordinating a performance/procession by St. John’s First School and traditional tree-related activities that will also fundraise to ensure the on-going maintenance of the tree.
“After much work by students and artists, the ‘Last Tree Dreaming’ finally went upright on Wednesday 31st August.
“This has been achieved by the immense generosity of Angela Yeoman and our project manager engineer, Grant Gellatly. The installation was achieved through the skilled construction work of site engineer Alan Brown, woodworkers Wayne Higgins and John Brown; collaborating with Andrew Hopkins of Andrew Hopkins Concrete Ltd, and Mark Riley of Riley’s Crane Hire.”
