Kielder Column

The Kielder Column's story begins not in the forest, but a few miles away in the town of Gateshead. Sculptor John Maine, a Royal Academician known for his bold, geometric works, created the Column for the 1990 National Garden Festival in Gateshead. The festival, a celebration of horticulture and landscape design, provided a fitting stage for Maine's design.

However, the National Garden Festival was a temporary event. As the site was dismantled, the fate of the Column hung in the balance. It was then that the good folk at the Kielder Water & Forest Park saw an opportunity. Launched in 1982, the park aimed to revitalise a remote area of northern England, balancing the creation of a water reservoir with the development of a thriving visitor destination. Art, they believed, could play a crucial role in attracting visitors and fostering a connection with the landscape.

In 1994 the Kielder Sculpture Trail was introduced, and in 1999, the Kielder Column found its permanent home. Dismantled and transported piece by piece, it was meticulously reassembled at Bakethin Wier towards the northern end of Kielder Reservoir.

The official description of the Kielder Column is as follows;

“a stock of pink sandstone blocks arranged in courses around a core. The surfaces have been closely worked by hand to create the sense of an ascending spiral throughout the column.”

The Column's artistic lineage is also noteworthy. It's part of a larger collection of 47 sculptures and installations scattered throughout the Kielder Water & Forest Park. This ambitious art program has transformed the park into an open-air gallery, blurring the lines between art and environment. Each artwork, including the Column, invites visitors to engage with the landscape in new ways, fostering a deeper appreciation for its beauty and complexity.