Artists Denman and Gould to Work on Public Art Commission at Lydney Harbour.

Taken on a research visit to Drawing Matter. Copyright Dave Watts photography

Artists Denman and Gould have been appointed to deliver two landmark public artworks for Lydney as part of the £2.1million Destination Lydney Harbour project, funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's Coastal Community Fund.

Denman and Gould were successfully appointed after a public consultation and competitive procurement process. The commission will further enhance the visitor experience of the harbour, linking the town with its important seafaring heritage.

Rose Farrington, Community Projects Leader, Forest of Dean District Council said:

“We were looking for an artist to create a site-specific installation that would draw attention to Lydney’s unique heritage, making connections between the history and context of Lydney Harbour and the surrounding area both physically and conceptually. Denman and Gould specialise in public and community-based projects and have in-depth experience of delivering public art projects like this, we are looking forward to working with them to create something unique for Lydney.”

Artists Denman and Gould said:

“We are hugely excited to be working on such a fascinating project. We are very inspired by the rich history and the unique natural environment experienced at Lydney. We look forward to fully getting to know the place and to create an artwork that truly reflects and supports the use of the historic harbour.”

Forest of Dean District Councillor, Bernie O’Neill said:

“The public artwork is an intrinsic part of the harbour redevelopment and something that we hope the people of Lydney will be proud of; it will welcome visitors to the area, invite people to visit the harbour and, in doing so, help them to learn about this nationally important scheduled ancient monument.”

Devised by the Lydney Coastal Community, The Destination Lydney Harbour project will create safe, attractive transport routes into Lydney Harbour and develop the area as a recreation and tourism destination. The old mortuary and store buildings have been upgraded and will become the new accessible toilets and Visitor Information Hub, mooring and seating points will be installed and improvements made to cycle and walking routes, the highway, and station approach. Signage will be improved, and a new walking trail will be installed. Lydney Skiff, a community rowing boat building project is also underway – bringing this traditional craft back to Severnside.

Further information can be found here