We installed these Caithness monoliths recently, in a new Abel Homes housing development known as ‘Three Squirrels’ in East Harling, Norfolk. They like to commission a sculpture for their new sites and I have been lucky enough to work with Maggie and Tony a few times now. They always give me a pretty free rein in terms of design concept, and I generally start off with some local history research.

The symbolism and imagery I used was mainly taken from detailing in the local church, some of which I have shown below:

The two tombs below are to Sir Robert Herling (d. 1435) and Sir Thomas Lovell (1540-1604). The baskets are taken from the Herling (Harling) memorial on the left, they are known as ‘Frails’ and were used by workmen to carry their tools and lunch, they are evidently a symbol of the Harling family. The squirrels are a feature of the Lovell family crest and can be seen on the other tomb. Both these symbols are shown in stained glass fragments too. Etymology flash: The Latin word for squirrel is SCIURUS from the Ancient Greek words skia (shade) and oura (tail) which is a reference to how squirrels like sitting in the shadow of their tails.

The inscription on the reverse of the stones was taken from the Lovell family motto, it was conveniently three words long. TEMPUS OMNIA MONSTRAT translates roughly as ‘time reveals everything’.

The material is Caithness stone from Thurso, N. Scotland. It’s basically a sort of slate, quite laminated in it’s structure and hard and brittle. It can be polished. I’ve seen it used for making sinks and worktops. It tends to change colour over time and becomes more orange due to the iron content. It was tricky to work with, and here are some pictures of the making process:

We installed the stones into concrete ‘shoes’ using a hi-ab crane. This can be a little nerve-wracking. Etymology flash: Both “nerve-racking” and “nerve-wracking” are accepted spellings, though “nerve-racking” is the more traditional and preferred form. The distinction stems from the verbs rack and wrack, where rack relates to stretching or torturing (like a rack torture device) and wrack relates to destruction or seaweed. While “nerve-racking” suggests torment, “nerve-wracking” suggests destruction, with both conveying the overall meaning of causing anxiety and stress. 

here are a few more pictures showing the finished stones in situ: