Budleigh Past and Present

Standing tall and quivering slightly in the breeze, it’s been likened to a four-masted schooner at anchor in the bay. This newly-installed sculpture overlooking Budleigh beach has already become a talking-point in the town since it appeared seemingly overnight. Many coastal UK resorts have embraced the idea of beach art. Maggi Hambling’s sculpture The Scallop erected on Aldeburgh beach in Suffolk to celebrate the life of composer Benjamin Britten was a recent example. However not everyone has welcomed the new arrival. The idea of a beach sculpture in this special location has been vexatious since the idea of a hollow glass structure containing pebbles in a formaldehyde solution failed to find favour in the town. Budleigh sculptor Michael Taylor was one of many local residents who felt that the concept of a seafront sculpture which celebrates this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is not without merit, but on reflection doubted, as he put it, that any man-made structure could ever com...