Winchester born and raised architectural stonemason and sculptor, Oliver Annaly, has designed and carved a stone red rose fountain, and it’s now the centre piece of the newly opened Hampshire police constabulary memorial garden in the grounds of their Headquarters on the Solent, at Victoria House, Netley, Hampshire.
The garden was designed by Chris Hull, formerly of Sparsholt College, who won a competition held by the police and the garden was built by contractors Scandor. The rose is hand carved from Black Mountain red sandstone, which was sourced from Black Mountain Quarries Ltd near Monmouth.
Oliver says: “It was important for the project that it was completed within 6 months and that the stone that I used was sourced and hand carved in this country. I know that it is better to use granite or marble for a fountain, as it is durable. But I chose the red sandstone as it is the hardest, densest, most durable sandstone I have ever carved.
“It has a very low absorption percentage, as found in the natural stone directory. Using my knowledge of over 20 years as a trained stone carver, I treated it so as there is no absorption of water. It is also designed to enhance the petal forms via water channels. It is also unlikely to get frost damage.”
Oliver is available for commissions. Contact him at oliverannaly66@hotmail.com
