Eilis O'Connell's Apples and Atoms (commissioned 2013), which celebrates the life of Ernest T.S. Walton, who together with John Cockcroft was awarded the Noble Prize for Physics in 1952 for their work in atomic science. (Image: William Murphy, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

By Shamistha de Soysa

Cambridge is a town renowned around the world for its academic achievements - but did you realise that it also boasts a sizeable collection of modern and contemporary sculptures, many of which are located in its easily accessible public spaces? Shamistha de Soysa explains. (All images by Shamistha de Soysa, unless otherwise noted.)

Cambridge, England. A city, synonymous with its storied university and steeped in history, music, famous pioneering names, art and artefacts. The river Cam flows quietly, a witness through the ages to the founding of Trinity College, the alma mater of Sir Isaac Newton, by King Henry VIII, the music and Gothic architecture of King’s College Chapel, the unravelling of DNA by scientists Watson and Crick, and the formulation of the rules of football at Parker’s Piece, a common in the south-east of the city. Notable alumni from a seemingly endless catalogue include John Cleese, A. A. Milne, Stephen Fry, Sir David Attenborough and the “Cambridge spies.” The city’s Fitzwilliam Museum contains over half a million ceramics, paintings and sculptures. The Botanic Gardens, with over 8,000 plant species, combines its recreational purpose with teaching and research.

Only an hour’s fast train from London’s King’s Cross and populated by just under 150,000 at last count, Cambridge has diverse charms for the curious, the historians, the arts aficionados – and of course the foodies, with a mandatory visit to Fitzbillies for its pastries and legendary Chelsea Buns.

Amidst this wealth of attractions, one of the city’s merits which often goes unnoticed is its absorbing collection of more than 100 sculptures of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, located in both public and private spaces. Despite their number and obvious presence, even a trip on the ubiquitous tourist bus makes no mention of them.

The Cambridge Sculpture Trails project

Known as The Cambridge Sculpture Trails, the project was initiated in 2009 with the aid of a lottery grant, by art enthusiasts “keen to share their joy in finding sculptures in contrasting places, from peaceful college grounds to busy city streets.” Showcasing pieces by luminaries like Sir Henry Moore as well as emerging artists, the project continues to be run by volunteers with financial support from Cambridge City Council, companies and private individuals.

The sculptures are scattered through the town centre and its surrounds and have been gathered into four different self-guided walking trails, estimated to take 2 hours each to explore and outlined on the project’s website. The latter contains a wealth of information, maps, images and descriptions, but no distances are given and be aware that recent inclusions to the collections may not appear in the maps. Be prepared to be generous with your time as undoubtedly the duration of the walks depends on many individual variables, and some distances might be longer than they appear on the map. The proposed trails are helpful, but they are by no means prescriptive and trail-seekers can dip in and out of the segments according to interest, location and convenience.

The collections embrace a variety of materials and moods, from the oak of Oliver Barratt’s The Antarctic Monument (above) in the grounds of the Scott Polar Research Institute, to granite, aluminium, steel and concrete. Some are stand-alone pieces like Gavin Turk’s painted bronze Ariadne Wrapped (below) which greets you on arrival at the train station. Others are integrated into the walls of faculty buildings like the glass Crystalline Design of the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre. There is the sentinel-like Reflective Editor standing 3.75 m high, in black polished granite by Douglas Allsop, outside the Microsoft Building (below), while the tireless motion of the giant, mechanical grasshopper in the gold-plated Corpus Clock by John Taylor and Matthew Lane Sanderson on King’s Parade, reminds us of the transience of time. Sophie Dickens’ wood-carved Mother and Child hangs high in a glass case on the side of a department store building and is best viewed after dark.

There are nods to historical events and figures, like the poignant War Memorial Coming Home by R Tait-Mackenzie and the head of Sir Robert Scott by his wife Lady Kathleen Scott, both in bronze; there is the very functional Timber Seating by Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley, contrasting with the abstract and glossy Chauvinist by Helaine Blumenfeld, crafted from Norwegian blue granite on a brick base.

Accessing the trails

Trail 1 begins on arrival at the railway station and heads north-west, taking in a cluster of sculptures en route to the imposing exterior of the Fitzwilliam Museum and then turning east, ending near Maid’s Causeway. The museum itself deserves a separate visit. Entry is free but it is closed on Mondays.

Trail 2 sets off from the market square in the centre of the town. If you visit on a Saturday, be sure to spend time among the heaving stalls, as well as checking out the sculptures in the vicinity which includes the 1933 bronze Doors of the Guildhall by Laurence Bradshaw (below). Then head east to the grounds of Emmanuel College to see Wendy Taylor’s Jester, the four pieces at Christ’s College and the 16 pieces in the permanent collection at Jesus College, worthy of their own time slot.

Heading west, cross country, Trail 2 passes Clare College to the assemblage of works around the Cambridge University Library, the Sidgewick Site Faculty Buildings and finally, Robinson College.

Trail 3 tours the north-west of the city, accessible by Park & Ride buses, taking in sculptures within several college gardens. It begins at Churchill College, which has its own collection. See Trinity Hall’s Wychfield Site and Murray Edwards College before heading south to the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Clarkson Road.

Trail 4 includes the Addenbrooke’s Hospital art collection. This trail may appeal to cyclists as it combines walking with cycling. Best accessed by Park & Ride buses, Trail 4 starts at the Royal Papworth Hospital and finishes outside The Rosie Hospital.

Some of the college collections require checking in at their Porter’s Lodge where you may also obtain a list of sculptures. During term and exams periods, entry may be limited, which makes September an apt hiatus during which to visit, when school holidays are over, the weather is cooler and the University students have not yet returned, allowing greater access to the colleges.

Appreciating public sculpture in context

However you approach the trails, keep your eyes ‘peeled’ as the sculptures can appear where they are least expected and they are sure to surprise, entertain and challenge, if not puzzle. This is sculptural art as an accessible, everyday experience.

The downside of this approach is that these pieces are exposed to the ravages of the elements, falling leaves, avian life, arachnids, and can even be taken for granted as the occasional repository for an empty milkshake cup. Whilst most of the sculptures I saw are well-maintained, there are some which look a little forlorn. The electronic screen of Simon Tegala’s Flow in front of the James Dyson building on the Fen Causeway, lies dormant; and Gary Webb’s painted metal Snowy representing a local personality, jostles for space in the market square between an ice-cream cart and a pair of rubbish bins. Dozens passed by without a second glance at the sculpture or its plaque.

Would they be better contemplated and protected in the respectful silence of a gallery? Perhaps, but that would detract from the Cambridge Sculpture Trails’ ongoing experience and examination of sculptural art in everyday settings.

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