One of the artworks marks the long held nickname of people from Westhoughton as ‘Keawyeds’
The three sculptures are set to be installed in Westhoughton
Three pieces of public art reflecting a town’s storied past are to be installed.
Planners in Bolton are set to approve plans this week for three sculptures in Westhoughton, paid for by developers.
The sporting past of the village will be marked with a cricket bat and wickets at the site of the old Westhoughton Cricket Club which was replaced by a Sainsbury’s store.
A greyhound will represent the town’s former dog track at Hart Common, now replaced by the Hewlett Way housing estate.
And a cow sculpture will celebrate the long-held nickname for townsfolk ‘Cow heads’ or ‘Keawyeds’ in a Lancashire accent, a term which is steeped in folklore.
The origin of that name comes from a legend that describes a farmer who found his cow with its head stuck in a five barred gate, and, rather than damage the gate, cut the cow’s head off, as the cow cost less than the gate.
All three statues are to be funded through Section 106 contributions which is money set aside by developers of Sainsbury’s and other housing schemes to benefit the community.
The sculptures will be placed on land on the south side of Cricketers Way next to the Sainsbury’s supermarket.
A report which will go before Bolton’s planning committee, said: “The proposal is for three locally significant sculptures, which have been designed in consultation with local ward councillors.”
“One depicts a greyhound in a seated position, cast in bronze and painted black. “The cricket bat and stumps is cast and painted in bronze.
“The third sculpture depicts a horned cow and is cast in heavy-duty recycled aluminium, hand finished in brushed gold. “The largest of the three, the sculpture will be mounted on the ground.”
The report added that the sculptures will be arranged in a linear formation on highway land ‘forming an attractive installation of public art that will be easily visible by both pedestrians and vehicle users’.