Posh Pillar and her Daughters

As part of the public art project, Journey to Hidden Places, three pillars depicting poetry and sculptural work can be seen in the English suburb of Wincobank.

In 2010, Journey to Hidden Places began as an art project with a mission of celebrating the past, present, and future of the Wincobank community through the installation of whimsical sculptures placed in areas experiencing cultural renewal. Currently, 11 projects make up Journey to Hidden Places, including The Lost Gateway, Enchanted Chairs, and the Giant Hands and Feet. Each art installation seems to add an element of magic to the Wincobank community. 

Installed in November 2010, the Posh Pillars and her Daughters pay homage to the history of Wincobank Hill. The main pillar has a sculpture atop it designed by Brian Fell, and depicts an aerial scene from the WWII Sheffield blitz projected on the front of a searchlight. The pillar itself bears a poem about the bombing written by a local 9-year-old girl, Bryn Wainwright.

The main pillar is about 12 feet high but the three smaller “daughters” are about 4 feet high. Two of the smaller pillars carry poems by a poet called Ebeneezer Elliot (known locally as “the Ranter”). These two pillars flank a memorial to a  local anti-slavery campaigner. The three smaller pillars are topped by sculptural works by Owen Cunningham. One is a reproduction of a fern-like fossil, another is a large model of a Roman coin. The anti-slavery pillar is topped, appropriately, by a ball, chain, and shackle.