William de Dalby at Dalby Forest

This 9 foot tall wooden sculpture was inspired by local historian’s tales of the 14^th Century “William of Dalby”, who was permitted to keep cattle and remain in the forest for as long as he remained a hermit. An 8ft carved chair and a 4ft table with a carved spoon and knife accompany the sculpture symbolise William's hermitage.

Location and Visitor Information

How to find William of Dalby

From the Adderstone, walk uphill and past the Gruffalo sculpture. Turn left to follow the chalk path, and continue on this path after the chalk changes to forest floor. At the T junction at the end of this path turn right. The sculptures are immediately on your right hand side on the grass verge.

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Artist biography

John Fortnum’s sculpture can be seen in some of the wildest landscapes in Britain, from the North Atlantic seascapes of the Orkney Isles to the North York Moors, where he has used the wind, rain, and oxidation as natural elements in Landscape sculpture. In his smaller more intimate sculptures the human body, with its architectural and structural aspects, is an underlying theme. Fortnum is fascinated by the alchemy of heat on materials and enjoys using different materials and experimenting with a wide range of sculptural possibilities. Fortnum created the large scale St Modwen steel sculpture in Burton on Trent which moves with the direction of the wind.