The sad tale of the Withy Man

I wonder how many of you, when bombing down the M5 towards Devon and Cornwall for your holidays, look out for the solitary giant lurking in a field near Bridgwater in Somerset? He's right next to that gigantic camouflage-painted Morrison's distribution centre and he's called the Withy Man (as he was christened by his creator Serena de la Hey). But most people know him as the Willow Man.

I drove past him twice last year and was saddened to see how tatty he was looking. His arms, in particular, have been stripped of all of their willow and are mere sticks. Local newspaper, the Bridgwater Mercury, has called it a disgrace and that it shows 'a lack of civic pride'. But there's more to it than that. This is a sad story about lack of funding. Writing in The Guardian in 2018 (here) Steven Morris explained that Sedgmoor Council can no longer afford the repairs. In response to this Serena de la Hey launched a crowdfunding appeal, hoping to raise £75,000 to rebuild the figure. But, tragicaly, only £16,000 was pledged, triggering fears that the Willow Man’s days are numbered.

The sculpture, made of steamed black maul willow from the Somerset Levels woven around a three-tonne steel framework, was commissioned by the Arts Council and built as part of the Year of the Artist in 2000. A year later it was set on fire by vandals and rebuilt thanks to funding and public contributions. And over the years Sedgemoor council and local businesses have helped keep the Willow Man standing proud. But the council has made it clear that squeezed budgets mean it can no longer help out. 

A spokesperson said: 'Sedgemoor district council is fully aware of the Willow Man’s significance to the area. We have been helping Serena right from the very inception of the piece and, along with others, have helped fund numerous re-weaves and patching up over the years. But the cash needed is just too much now.' 

De la Hey decided to go down the crowdfunding route because of the sense of public ownership in the piece – and as a way of testing if people really wanted it to remain. Though she did not reach the target she needed, so many people were supportive that she is not yet prepared to give up on the project.

In 2018, there seemed to be new hope when a group called Women Together for Willow Equality (WTWE) claimed that it had secured funding for repairs and for a ‘Willow Woman’ to be constructed in time for the 100th anniversary of women being given the right to vote. Sadly, however, it didn't happen - possibly because of a clash between the group and the artist chosen to make the female figure, Glenda Garter. Apparently they clashed over the Willow Woman's proportions. Here's an artist's impression of how it might have looked:

Meanwhile, the Willow Man has got shabbier and shabbier and the South-West's equivalent of the 'Angel of the North' is under serious threat. De la Hey says that she is considering her next move but warns that if nothing is done this year could be the last summer getaway overseen by the Willow Man. 

She told The Guardian she was sad – but also philosophical. 'The nature of the material used meant Willow Man was originally envisaged as a temporary piece, which would stand for only about three years. Back then three years seemed enough to be going on with,' she said. 'But it has become part of people’s lives and has also become part of my professional and personal life. It is my calling card and it will be difficult to let it go. As a person working in willow you have to make difficult decisions. Sometimes it’s easier if you make those decisions at the start. You say this has a certain life and you put in place procedures in the beginning as to what happens when you reach that point.'

Sedgmoor District Council has said it would continue to support the sculptor, Ms de la Hey, with advice to help her to find a long-term solution for the structure, but confirmed there was no more funding available. Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger added: 'It's extremely expensive. It was burnt down shortly after it was built and cost an enormous amount of money to put it back, and it's going to cost an awful lot of money now. It's very tough to justify that.' 

Ms de la Hey is now appealing to local organisations to contribute. 'Businesses do use the logo of the Willow Man so if anyone is out there, let's see what we can do,' she told the BBC. 'The desire to see him remain where he is as a representative of the South West is too close to many people's hearts. How appropriate at maybe the end of the Covid period that we have this rebirth of the 'Willow Man'?' To date, sadly, help has not been forthcoming and the Withy man is now missing his head too. It seems like the end is in sight. 

There's an oft-told story that, during the war, when Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favour of the war effort, he simply replied, ‘Then what are we fighting for?’ Unfortunately, this is a case of so-called 'Churchillian Drift' and he never said any such thing. Or, at least, it's not among his 15 million published words in speeches, papers, letters, articles or books. 

However, I utterly agree with the sentiment. What kind of society do we become when everything we create and value is purely utilitarian? 

It will be a very sad day indeed when the worth of something is decided only by what it is worth.