Blaenavon Spiral

Blaenavon Spiral







The Commission


Sue Hiley Harris was one of the eight craftspeople originally selected to develop public art proposals and it was one of her proposals for a location in Blaenavon known as the ‘gap site’, that had been particularly favoured by those who had attended the artists’ presentations. The site is a gap between two houses at the top of Broad Street, and was lacking any clear identity or purpose. It was unattractive and contributed very little to the character and vitality of the town centre.

Her proposal was to create a spiral shaped form in stone within the paved site, which would rise gradually out of the ground up to seat height. The top surface of the spiral is the same riven Blue Pennant Sandstone from Gwrhyd Quarry near Swansea that has been used as paving on the site and which is used throughout Blaenavon. However, these large blocks have a diamond-sawn finish on six sides and the top and sides were flamed to provide a precise, durable finish not subject to laminate.

Behind the spiral and following its curve, a number of corten steel posts are set into the ground, in the form of ‘pigs’- the bars of iron created during the steel-making process and transported throughout the world. Stamped onto the pigs are the names of countries that iron was sent to from Blaenavon. As the spiral emerges from the ground, and as the ‘pigs’ gradually increase in height, reference is made to how natural minerals were taken from the ground in this area of South Wales and formed into valuable assets to be traded.

Sue Hiley Harris designed this artwork with landscaping advice and support from Andrew Nevill. The stone is from Gwrhyd Quarry and the corten steel ‘pigs’ were fabricated by DAR Design.