Oakhill Country Park and Nature Reserve has a fascinating history, witnessing all of Goole’s industrial expansion. The name Oakhill is derived from one of the farms that used to work this land, Oaks Hill Farm and New Potter Grange. First came the Aire and Calder canal parallel to the Dutch River. Then the railway, the country park is filled with old railway sidings and the lakes were created by digging for the clay to support the railway, hence the name Brick Ponds.

Country Park is sandwiched between the canal, railway, farmland and all the industry at Goole 36. Now nature is reclaiming the land and it is this unique history and contrast between nature and industry that the artworks, commissioned by Goole Town Deal, are trying to reflect.

Oak Totem

Created by artist Natasha Houseago, this stunning piece is made from a single piece of sustainable Green Oak weighing over 1.5 tons and took 4 months to carve.

Natasha said “my inspiration came from the industrial setting in the carpark and the contrast of nature so close to industry. Having the Oak Totem in this location stands as a beacon for what lies beyond in Oakhill. All of the natural elements carved into the totem are inspired by the nature found in Oakhill, the pink water lily sits on top with large petals almost like the turbines surrounding Goole. In fact, she said, the lily is carved out of the roots of the tree to get the width of the timber right. Then butterflies, dragonflies and all sorts of insects’ crawling around the stem. I wanted the stem to have lots of texture, to inspire people to go and touch it and interact with it.”

Salt and Pepper Pot Damselflies  

These salt and pepper pot creations were made by artist Ben Greenwood. They are made from steel and the Damselflies are a steel skeleton covered in clay ceramic tiles and their wings coated in resin. Ben said, “originally I thought about stained glass, I wanted the wings to interact with light and give the impression they could fly”.

He said “on my walks around Oakhill I was particularly inspired by nature reclaiming this once industrious site. The thought of colourful natural elements on top of brown steel industrial structures really captured my imagination. The aim with this piece was to create a gateway into Oakhill and I was inspired by the water towers, the salt and pepper pots, because they are like a gateway into the town, so unique to Goole and they can be seen in the distant skyline from this spot. I chose Damselflies because Oakhill is one of Yorkshire’s premier sites for this Odonata species which should be celebrated”.

Tommy Pudding

This piece is also by artist Ben Greenwood, a giant newt called ‘Tommy Pudding’. This character represents the newts found in Oakhill, including the UK largest protected species the Great Crested Newt, which Siemens and a team of ecologists have worked hard to protect during all the building works.

Ben said he was “inspired by the Tom Pudding tub boats that transported coal across the Air and Calder Canal, after all Oakhill is even on Tom Pudding Way. The sculptures body is done in sections to reflect the tub boat compartments and his back is covered in black ceramic tiles with subtle inflections to look like lumps of coal piled up.”

The Goole Town Deal board and Friends of Oakhill have said they are delighted with all the artwork, and since the installation visitor numbers to Oakhill Country Park have increased. Also giving thanks to Siemens Mobility Ltd for their help installing the structures.