Artist and ‘maker of things’ Arthur DeMowbray was commissioned to undertake this beautiful installation. It is a shelter constructed as a goosewing, a reference to the Winchester Geese, the sex workers who once worked within the Liberty of the Clink. The supports form a cloister-like structure that leads visitors up the slope and into the garden space. A carved wooden gutter glides around the edge of the wing, collecting rainwater, which then feeds a wildlife pond at the base. Amongst the carvings, visitors will also see a poem from the Southwark Mysteries by local playwright John Constable inscribed in the beams. The poem is read out at every Crossbones Vigil on the 23rd of the month outide the ribboned gates on Redcross Way.
The wood was sourced entirely from within the M25 using fallen oaks from the 1987 hurricanes, chestnut from sustainably managed woodlands and even goat willow and buddleia from Crossbones Graveyard itself; artwork not just inspired but also literally grown from the site itself.
