Corridor at Dalby Forest

The iron column ‘Corridor’ carries a pattern of octagonal studs drawn from studies and observations of bicycle tyre tracks which have been formalised and rendered as an architectural form. The piece draws on and refers to its location by means of literal representation - a bicycle tyre, by historical reference - the medium of iron; and ambiguously by the form not only being a cycling reference but also in that its shape is suggestive of a de-limbed tree, giving it a forestry reference.

Cast in iron at Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, W.Yorks using the ‘sand cast’ method associated with industrial casting processes rather than the fine art casting technique of ‘lost wax’. By virtue of its medium, the column pays reference to the Industrial landscape, still evident in part, of the North York Moors. Iron has been extracted and worked in this region from the Iate 8th century BC. It was an essential element for the Cistercian Abbeys at Byland and Rievaulx and this area witnessed the Iron ‘Rush’ of the 19th and early 20th centuries where, in particular, Rosedale and the Esk Valley were transformed by industrialised extraction, burning, and transportation of high yield ironstone.

Location and Visitor Information

Where to find Corridor

The sculpture is located on the edge of the garden in Dalby Forest Courtyard. Walk across the main car park away the Visitor Centre and cross the road at the end of the car park. Cross the wooden bridge to enter the Courtyard and the sculpture is on your right.

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Artist Biography

Born in Oxford in 1963, Peter Coates is a sculptor and artist based in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, making and siting works of varying scale. Each piece is an individual response to its specific location, landscape and/or architectural context. He trained as a stone carver and architectural sculptor and employs many techniques associated with this background. Stone, timber, cast metals, text and light feature in his work today. Coates has worked and exhibited internationally and is a frequent collaborator with writers and poets.