Birds at Rheged
Arriving at Rheged Gallery to deliver my sculpture for The Brilliance of Birds exhibition, I was greeted by lots of birds flying above and perched on the stone cliff face.
The entrance is impressive and styled on the old limestone kilns that once stood on the site. The Rheged Centre is built directly into a former limestone quarry. The grass you see on top of the stone blocks is a living roof that helps the building blend seamlessly into the surrounding Cumbrian landscape.
It felt lovely bringing my stone pieces to a quarry site, an idea that they might feel ‘at home’. The limestone from the disused quarry has been used in building the Centre, and is known as ‘Slapestone’.
Slapestone is a geographical and geological term for a specific limestone area and ridge, located near Bowes Moor in the North Pennines. It was primarily used for building and landscaping, known for its rustic style.
Geographically the name describes features like Slapestone Sike - a small upland stream - and Slapestone Bridge located near North Stainmore in Cumbria. In old Northern English and Norse dialects, the prefix ‘slape’ means slippery. Therefore, Slapestone historically translates to ‘slippery stone’. This is most clearly demonstrated in the geographic name SlapestoneWath - a ford crossing a river in Wensleydale, and nearby Slapestone Bridge and Slapestone Edge in the Lake District and Pennines.
The brilliance of birds exhibition
My three sculptures selected for the exhibition are Cuckoo carved in Yorkstone, Curlew carved in Yorkstone and Golden Plover carved in Ancaster Limestone.
The Brilliance of Birds exhibition opens on 3 July and runs until 4 October 2026.
Rheged Gallery - Redhills, Penrith, Cumbria
