A new sculpture for Maldon
Saturday morning saw the unveiling of a new cultural landmark for Maldon; a sculpture by the artist John Doubleday. This beautiful sculpture is in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, adjacent to the footpath linking Church Street with St Mary’s Lane, at the centre of the memorial garden. The Mayor of Maldon, Councillor Abdul Hafiz, assisted by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor David Ogg unveiled the sculpture in the presence of members of the church and those whose relatives are buried in the garden.
- 15th August 2020
- Read in 2 min
The striking sculpture is a bronze truncated pyramid mounted on a stone base, surmounted by an anchor which acts as a sundial. The theme of the sculpture is the River Blackwater which flows below the churchyard. Each side of the pyramid shows a different aspect of the river from its source to the river mouth. Each of the four faces depicts the wildlife seen at the different stages of the river, from thrushes and minnows at its source to herring and herring gulls at its mouth. The face showing the mouth of the river also includes the iconic Chapel of St Peter at Bradwell. At the unveiling John Doubleday told the story of the sculpture and explained that the river is symbolic of our journey through life with the anchor a sign of Christian hope.
Following the unveiling, a prayer of blessing was given by Canon Peter Begley, Area Dean of Maldon and Dengie. He sprinkled the sculpture with holy water and offered it to God using incense.
Father John Dickens, Parish Priest of St Mary’s said, “We are delighted with our new sculpture; the cost of which was met entirely by donations from friends of St Mary’s Church. We are sure this beautiful work of art will be appreciated by local people and visitors to our historic town for many years to come.”
Photos by Ken Russell.
The sculpture
John Doubleday, the sculptor telling the story of the sculpture(2)
The unveiling by the Mayor, Councillor Abdul Hafiz and Deputy Mayor, Councillor David Ogg.(2)
Formal group, left to right, Fr John Dickens, Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Canon Peter Begley, Area Dean, Shamema Begum, the Mayoress, Councillor Abdul Hafiz, Mayor, Councillor David Ogg, Deputy Mayor, and Sharon Ogg, Deputy Mayoress.