The Willow Man, which was created in 2000 by Serena de la Hey, stands near junction 23 of the M5 motorway.
Many have commented on the appearance of the Willow Man over the past few years, but there are not currently any future plans to restore this loved statue, Somerset Council has confirmed.
The artist said she is ‘optimistic a solution will be found’ and is in ‘several different discussions’ regarding the future of the sculpture.
The structure, which is 12 meters tall, has fallen into disrepair – and the cost of repairing the landmark is estimated to be more than £1million, a feasibility study confirmed in 2023.
Somerset Council said while they ‘recognise the affection’ for the Willow Man, they ‘cannot commit’ public funds, or staff, to take the project forward.
The Willow Man, near Bridgwater. (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest)
Sean Kelly, a regular traveller to Devon and therefore frequent driver on the M5, said the statue today is a ‘mere shadow of its former self’.
He said: “Willow Man may stand 40 feet (12m) high and have an arm span of 16 feet (5m) but the sculpture is now a monument to decay and perhaps other factors including – I would suggest – the choice of a natural (black malt willow withies) for the ‘body’, the factors of time, weather and wildlife. The later is mentioned because there’s a school of thought that he was ‘plucked’ of his composition material by nesting birds!
“The South West of England deserves – and needs – something better. For me the next best thing further down the drive to the SW is the much smaller but iconic ‘Orange Elephant’ – an oversized orange-coloured cow along the A38 near Kennford promoting a farm ice cream shop.
“Monument Man – I fear your time is nearly over. And so, today, I have taken the singular liberty of rechristening you (given your appearance and to keep on trend with the world of weight loss) ‘Wegovy Man’.
“But that may be only temporary. I fear soon he will be ‘Wherehashegone Man’!”
National Highways provided £35,000 in November 2023 for a study to explore whether the Willow Man could be repaired or replaced with a new artwork, but Somerset Council said, following this study, it would cost up to £1m to replace the sculpture.
Somerset Council added that if a business or organisation was willing to ‘take the lead’ on the project, they would be happy to share the feasibility work and support them.
The council spokesperson said: “Somerset Council recognises the affection that people across the county have for the Willow Man, and that is why we helped secure external funding for detailed feasibility work. Those studies confirmed both the public’s strong attachment to the sculpture and the significant costs involved in repairing, recreating or relocating it – estimated at over £1 million.
“As outlined, the council must focus its limited resources on essential services, and we cannot justify committing public funds or staff time to take this project forward.
“Since the feasibility work was completed, no organisation has come forward with a viable, fully funded proposal to rebuild or re‑imagine the Willow Man.
“However, if a business, community organisation or consortium wished to take the lead, whether through sponsorship, fundraising or an alternative vision, we would be very happy to share the feasibility work and support them in exploring what might be possible.”