Pillars Past

“Pillars Past” is a sculpture which forms part of a wider trail, “Passing Places”, which is on the Way of the Roses Cycle Route as it passes through Pateley Bridge. The stone sculpture was commissioned by Sustrans, who look after the cycle route, and sits on a former railway turntable at around the half way point of the route which runs from Morecambe to Bridlington.

Pillars Past was created by the artist Joseph Hayton and is made up of three figures stood in a circle which represent the Lead Mining, Agricultural and Monastic history that shaped the area around Pateley Bridge. The sandstone used for the sculpture is from Yorkshire and the figures appear to emerge from each block.

Lead mining in the area dates back to Roman times and was a large part of the local economy until the 1860s when cheaper imports made the mines uneconomical. The figure representing lead mining is based on Paul Reinsch who helped to restore old lead mines in the Greenhow area.

Nidderdale was shaped by both Fountains Abbey and Bylands Abbey, who had huge landholdings in the area between 1200 and the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. The Archbishop of York also used to own the township of Pateley Bridge! The monk depicted on Pillars Past is based on the artist's father, John Hayton.

As you might expect, sheep farming has played a huge roll in Nidderdale's history, starting around 1200 when the Abbeys began farming the land and still the dominant type of farming in the area today. The shepherd figure is based on a sheep farmer called John Raynor who works a farm in Gouthwaite that was established in 1200 and is recorded as supplying Fountains Abbey with produce.

It's a great little sculpture that is of a human scale so you can interact with it and stand in the middle while the figures stare at you!