Rivelin Valley Chair

On the outskirts of Sheffield is the Rivelin Valley Trail, where beautiful riverside walks provide a mixture of nature and industry, lined as it is by ruins and remnants of various water wheels’ used to pump water to the mills and steelworks of the city in a bygone age.

Not far from the cafe and playground on the site sits a small island in the river, and on that island is a strange chair. Though it looks like it’s made of gnarled tree roots, closer examination reveals that the chair is actually sculpted from steel. It can only be accessed by a short trail of stepping stones from the river bank. The sculpture is the work of artist Jason Thomson, whose aim was to mix up the countryside and the industrial, while recognizing steel as the predominant industry in the city. It was created as part of the Second Nature project, which supports the exploration of Sheffield’s woodlands.As it is, you’re likely to see families and passers-by brave the sometimes partly submerged stepping stones, or wading out on warm days to the island to sit in the strange throne.