Does anyone know the history behind these signs by Cropredy Lock on the South Oxford Canal?

[geehils]

This is one of the four cast metal signs to which I refer in the heading, all with different text. The writing looks like Haiku poetry and the shape of the signs is very distinctive with the cutouts - someone has gone to quite a lot of trouble to produce them and I'd be fascinated to know more.

[zenataomm]

Someone walks their tall male dog along there.

[Mike Tee]

could be a female dog with short male owner

[hider]

A caught short dog with ignorant owner.

[ditchcrawler]

I would guess some kind of art trail

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would guess some kind of art trail

Yes. Not a long history.

(Who knew Brindley's assistant Samuel Simcock also wrote haiku?)

[MtB]

I think they are a recent addition.

 

Given the similar doggerel, I reckon they were probably made and installed by CRT at the same time as their embarrassing vandalism on the balance beams at Hilmorton.  

 

 

[hider]

To my knowledge they have been there many years.

[MtB]

8 minutes ago, hider said:

To my knowledge they have been there many years.

 

In which case maybe they inspired the doggerel carved in the Hilmorton beams!! 

 

 

[NB Alnwick]

They have been there since we first came to Cropredy in 2003 - they may have originated at the Lockbund Gallery?

[geehils]

My thanks for all the replies. I contacted Lockbund Gallery and not theirs. They thought maybe most likely to be the work of Swan Foundry. Unfortunately they have closed. CRT have said they will try and identify. If anything comes of it, I will post the answer

[Tonka]

There are similar signs at Claydon

[ditchcrawler]

Maybe the Oxford branch of IWA may know  oxfordshire@waterways.org.uk

[Athy]

We have mootrd kn the area for some years and Have seen these signs many times. I thonk, though I can; be sure. that they have been there longer than we have.

[Tonka]

7 minutes ago, Athy said:

We have mootrd kn the area for some years and Have seen these signs many times. I thonk, though I can; be sure. that they have been there longer than we have.

Nice to hear that you are still around

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Perhaps every one who knows the real answer has been sworn to secrecy.

[Mike Todd]

Google is your friend - in a very few clicks came up with the author as Jamie McKendrick from Oxfordshire - see 

 google.com/search?q=the+humped+back+bridge+is+taking+umbrage&oq=the+humped+back+bridge+is+takig+umbr&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgEECEYChgVMgYIABBFGDkyCQgBECEYChigATIJCAIQIRgKGKABMgkIAxAhGAoYoAEyCAgEECEYChgVMgcIBRAhGI8CMgcIBhAhGI8CMgcIBxAhGI8C0gEIOTM3MGowajGoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

for a little more under walk Banbury Points of Interest  or  Cropredy Points of Interest

 

also http://www.walkandcycle.co.uk/oxfordshire/Trails/50-99/OXFOTR0067.pdf

 

[NB Alnwick]

And the sculptor was Michael Fairfax MRSS who was comissioned by British Waterways and Powys County Council in the 1990s to produce something at Brecon - so it is more than likely that these 'Bridge Sculptures' were also comissioned by BW and the local authority.

 

[Mike Todd]

24 minutes ago, NB Alnwick said:

And the sculptor was Michael Fairfax MRSS who was comissioned by British Waterways and Powys County Council in the 1990s to produce something at Brecon - so it is more than likely that these 'Bridge Sculptures' were also comissioned by BW and the local authority.

 

If you read the refs I cited then you will see that they were "funded by Cherwell District Council and Southern Arts"

[NB Alnwick]

Agreed but they could not have been placed there without a significant level of involvement from British Waterways. 

Cherwell District Council is the local authority and British Waterways were responsible for managing the property.

Edited November 24, 2024 by NB Alnwick

[Mike Todd]

16 hours ago, NB Alnwick said:

Agreed but they could not have been placed there without a significant level of involvement from British Waterways. 

Cherwell District Council is the local authority and British Waterways were responsible for managing the property.

The original question was what was the history not who authorised them!