Cardiff art : Celtic Ring

My last blog, Under my feet: a key, was an introduction to today’s post on the public artwork that surrounds that ‘key’, which is both a name plate for the artwork and a waymarker to locate the beginning of the Taff Trail. 

The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC) was established in 1987 to regenerate the docklands, which had by that time become a wasteland of disused docks and abandoned buildings. As part of their regeneration plan, the CBDC commissioned a series of public artworks to complement the many new building programmes: the Celtic Ring is one of those commissioned pieces.

It was created by sculptor Harvey Hood in 1993. Though born in Staffordshire and educated both in Birmingham (at the Birmingham College of Art) and London (at the Royal College of Art), Hood has spent much of his adult life in Wales. After completing his MA in London, he moved to the Cardiff College of Art, where he eventually progressed to Head of the Sculpture Department. Though now retired from university teaching, and from his 30 years as director of the Berlanderi Sculpture Workshop near Raglan, Hood continues to create amazing works of sculpture. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally, and his work is held in public and private collections around the world.

On Harvey Hood’s personal website there is an excellent blog post that documents, using many fascinating images, the process involved in the creation of the Celtic Ring. It moves from Hood’s sketching his initial ideas on the shores of the Bay before the Barrage was built, to the intriguing process of manufacturing the artwork, from clay mould to plaster cast to fibreglass to bronze.  

As you can see from my photos of the Ring’s interior, its surface is textured with many features relating to the maritime and industrial environment in which it is located. As well as references to local landmarks like the Norwegian Church, the former Hamadryad Hospital ship, and several of the local docks, there are seafaring instruments and tidal charts. It is a remarkable artwork that has stood well the test of time since its creation almost thirty years ago.

Under my feet: a key

Well, it looks like a key to me, though it’s really a name marker for the Celtic Ring, the public artwork that surrounds it. The inscription on the key reads: ‘To mark the beginning of the Taff Trail to Brecon. Cardiff Bay Art Trust. Celtic Ring 1993 by Harvey Hood. Commissioned by CBDC’.

I’ll write about the artwork in my next post but today’s post is about what’s under my feet, that key. It can be found in Cardiff Bay, on the boardwalk near the water at the bottom of Roald Dahl Plass. As well as a name plate for the artwork, the key is a waymarker for the 55-mile Taff Trail, a walking and cycling route that runs from this spot all the way to the town of Brecon, in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Although the Trail is named after the River Taff, and does run alongside the river for some of its route, it also veers aside to follow former railway tracks and forestry roads in some places. To find out more detail about the Taff Trail, its route, its history and tales, check out the excellent My Taff Trail website. 

Although Covid-19 restrictions mean it is not currently possible to walk all the Taff Trail, you may be able to walk parts of the route that are local to where you live as part of your daily exercise regime. That also applies to cyclists, as the Trail is part of the National Cycle Network. In more densely populated areas, the Trail can be busy, so please be aware of and show consideration for other users.

House numbers, 1 to 10

While I was walking my local streets in search of nicely decorated Christmas doors for my earlier blog Doors: Christmas wreaths, I couldn’t help but notice other aspects of the house fronts, in particular the door knockers and house numbers. And so this is the first of what will probably be several blog posts about what I discovered.

Though house numbers in a development might start out standardised, many later get changed as the new owners decide to put their own stamp on their new home. And it’s quite amazing how varied these house numbers can be.

First, the design. This might be contemporary or traditional; modern or rustic; off-the-shelf or customised. The range of colours on offer is almost infinite but other considerations include your choice of font, whether the numbers are underlined or not, in standard or bold type, or perhaps you prefer script. 

You might choose simply to have numbers on their own, though most house owners seem to prefer their numbers on a plaque, perhaps for ease of attachment. But should that plaque be square, rectangular, round, oval or even wedge shaped? The plaque might be flat or 3-dimensional; floating or out-standing or hanging. It might even be illuminated for ease of night-time viewing, and the numbers could be powder-coated or polished, engraved or laser-cut. So many choices!

And rather than choosing to have a simple number on your plaque, you might perhaps add the name of your dwelling, if it has one, or personalise your plaque by including a motif that reflects your interests or hobbies or career choice or location (you breed dogs so add a hound; you’re a birder so add an owl; you’re a gardener and choose your favourite flowers; you’re a champion ice-skater – see my photo of house number 5; you’re proudly Welsh so include a dragon; you’re a farmer so add a tractor).

If you’re a creative person, rather than choosing a store-bought house number, you might like to make your own numbered plaque, perhaps in mosaics, or painted wood, or even grow ‘living’ numbers (similar to the concept of a living wall, but in the shape of numbers – google images for “moss numbers” to see some examples).

If you decide to purchase your numbers and/or plaque, there is a wide range of materials to choose from. These include but are not limited to wood; metals like chrome, stainless steel, aluminium, and brass; slate and other stones like anthracite, granite, marble, and Portland limestone; glass, acrylic, and ceramic materials; and, for those who want to be eco-friendly, there is even a product called eco-stone, a ‘new composite material made from the fused glass from recycled televisions, recycled vitrified porcelain and recovered waste glaze from tile manufacturing’. (The House Nameplate Company website explains more about this product, and includes photos and a video showing how the product is made.)     

Once you’ve chosen your design and materials, you then need to decide where you’re going to locate your stylish new house numbers. Perhaps they will be attached to your entrance door, or to the exterior wall of the house near your door, or perhaps they would be better suited on your gate or fixed to your boundary wall.

Until I really started paying attention to the numbers on people’s houses, I had no idea how diverse the range of number and plaque options was. Neither had I considered what a difference they make to the overall appearance of a house, nor what they can tell you about the people living within. As I live in a shared building that has a name, which can’t be changed, but no house number, I’m not in a position to personalise a number for my home but I am now rather envious of those of you who can. Good luck with your choices!