Ice Age-inspired mammoth sculpture arrives at Channels

A huge sculpture of a mammoth has arrived at the Channels development in north Chelmsford. The dramatic piece of public art, which is 4.5m tall, 5.5m wide and 8m long, is inspired by the neighbourhood’s link to the Ice Age and the unique geology of the area.

Installation process is now underway

The sculpture, created by artist Michael Condron, has now been craned into position at Channels Park for the initial phase of its installation. The striking piece is designed to rise out of the hillside at the entrance to the development, visible as a landmark to anyone entering Channels by road or by foot.

Over the next couple of weeks, earthworks will be built up around the sculpture so that it appears to rise out of the ground, embedding it within the landscape. Uplighters will also be added so that the mammoth can be easily seen at night, as well as during the day.

The Channels Mammoth was lifted by crane onto the hill at the entrance to the development

A project many years in the making

The project to create a new public artwork for the area has been several years in the making. A steering group representing residents, parish and city councils, landowners and developers was formed in early 2020, just before the first Covid-19 lockdown began. The commissioning process started in earnest in mid-2021 once most restrictions had been removed, and Michael Condron, a local sculptor specialising in landmark pieces, was chosen.

Sculptor Michael Condron has created the mammoth

Channels’ Ice Age landscape a key influence

The inspiration for the earthwork came from research into the geological history of the site. Thousands of years ago, an Ice Age feature known as a glacial till cliff existed at Channels and still does today, formed by rocks transported over large distances by glaciers and meltwater. The powerful prehistoric forces that shaped the Channels landscape are symbolised by the steppe mammoth – one of the iconic creatures of the Ice Age.

The steppe mammoth, a larger precursor to the woolly mammoth, roamed across Essex hundreds of thousands of years ago during the Early and Middle Pleistocene periods. They could reach 4.5m in height with tusks as long as 4.9m, weighing twice as much as an African elephant.

Ancient river systems reflected in metalwork

Artist Michael Condron has worked the Ice Age theme into every part of the Channels Mammoth. The design of the surface metalwork of its shaggy coat has been influenced by ancient river patterns, and its eyes are made of highly polished local stone. Stone from the nearby Bulls Lodge Quarry will also be used inside the metal mesh of the mammoth’s body, linking the geological and human history of the Channels site.

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“Meltwater moving across the countryside hundreds of thousands of years ago has been a key influence on this piece. The surface of the sculpture is made up of stylised, curving strands of metal, representing the rivers and rivulets of ‘braided’ river systems which were carved into the Channels landscape by colossal forces, shaping it on an epic scale.”

Michael Condron, Sculptor

Piece shaped by Channels community

Provision for public art at Channels was one of the planning requirements put in place when the site was developed. The project has been funded through developer Section 106 contributions solely for the use of public art and the project delivered by officers at Chelmsford City Council.

However, the finished sculpture has been a true community collaboration between the artist, Channels residents, developers and landowners, local geological society Geo-Essex and planning officers. Three local schools were also part of the creative process, working with Michael Condron in the early stages of the design, including sessions of plaster cast making and card sculpting.

These community workshops led to sketches which were put forward to the steering group to review, and the concept design for the mammoth was chosen. The final work, now several years in the making, joins dozens of public artworks across the district, which strengthen local identity.

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“Public art has an incredibly important role to play in fostering both pride in an area and a shared sense of ownership. The involvement of the Channels community at every stage of the commissioning process has helped to shape a wonderful piece that reveals unique aspects of the past and reflects the interests and aspirations of the present. Provision for artworks like Michael Condron’s Channels Mammoth is a vital part of our planning process, helping us to nurture pride in place alongside the homes we need.”

Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford

School workshops and public outreach helped to shape the creative process. Copyright Michael Condron

Earthworks now begin

The earthworks which form the final part of the piece will be finished in September, with landscaping and planting to soften the edges where the mammoth rises from the ground. Later in the month, the piece will be officially handed over to Channels Community Stewardship CIC, which has responsibility for the parkland.

For artist Michael Condron, this handover to the community that has shaped the sculpture is a thrilling moment.

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“The best thing about being a public artist is having the finished piece in situ and seeing people’s reaction to it after months and sometimes years of work. It’s a real landmark piece, and although it looks bigger in the confines of a studio, it will still make a big impact on the landscape. I hope people will use it to navigate the area and we’ll start to hear phrases like ‘turn left after the mammoth’! I'm really happy with it and I hope people who live and work in Channels love it too.”

Michael Condron, Sculptor

The landscaping stage has now started to embed the sculpture into the hillside