PREMIUM
One of Stratford’s large art sculptures has been damaged.
The Armillary Sphere, located on the roundabout by Banbury Road and Trinity Road, is thought to have been hit by a vehicle on Friday, 27th June, or in the early hours of the following morning.
Damage to the Armillary on the Banbury. Road in Stratford. Photo: Iain Duck
The installation is a model of the universe, showing objects that are in the skies. The structure is designed to look partially buried and consists of seven rings with the sun at the centre. It was designed by sculptors Renn and Thacker and installed for £100,000 in 2007 following approval from Stratford District Council after a public consultation.
James Wiley, who lives on Trinity Mead, was out walking his dog when he first saw the damage left by a vehicle crashing into a sign on the roundabout and then the sphere.
“It looks like a car has come up along the Banbury Road, and I imagine they’ve tried to turn and have possibly gone sideways into the sign and then the Armillary,” he said. “Whoever is responsible has cracked and dented it which, given its been here for years, is quite sad.”
James said his first reaction was one of shock, but this soon changed: “My first thought was, ‘Oh God, I hope it’s all right,’ because it looked like it had been hit really hard and one of the signs on the roundabout was down too. There were also little bits of car around but I could see whoever had hit it had been able to drive away, which then annoyed me as they had hit it and left it. Fortunately, they seemed to have been OK at least.
“It’s a shock and a bit upsetting to see. I’ve been here for 20 years and I’ve always been able to see it on my way home every day.”
James said he didn’t contact the police as protective fencing had already been placed around the damage, leading him to believe it had been reported.
“I just don’t want it to look like that for the next year. Someone will need to pay for it to be fixed and I hope it gets done as soon as possible.”
Warwickshire Police told the Herald that they have no record in their system of the incident.