Artist's memorial to coal miners

Slate has been polished until black to look like coal

A artist's memorial to the coal miners of Wales is being moved to its intended home in Ammanford, in west Wales.

Howard Bowcott has created a 5.5m (20ft) sculpture from slate and sandstone which will travel to its new home in pieces.

Mr Bowcott, from Penrhyndeudraeth, near Porthmadog, has travelled up and down the A470 twice a week to ensure community involvement in his work.

The 49-year-old artist created the sculpture from slate and sandstone

The piece was commissioned by Ammanford Town Council and the Arts Council for Wales, with the backing of Artwork Wales.

It followed his success with another project in south Wales - the Chepstow High Street regeneration scheme.

Local people have had a hand in making it, there is a sense of ownership Howard Bowcott, artist

The brief was to produce a work that was not a literal depiction of a miner or mine.

"My inspiration was a geological slice through the strata where you would come across a seam of coal," said the artist.

Two columns made up of "slices" of slate and sandstone make up the work.

Polished slate has been used to represent the coal seam because coal would be too soft.

Poet Einir Jones, a teacher who lives in Ammanford, has worked closely on the piece, sourcing and including the work of local people.

Mr Bowcott has other projects in the pipeline in Abergavenny and Pontypridd following on from Ammanford and has been commissioned to create a slate sculpture near the new bridge being built in Holyhead..

Howard Bowcott during the early stages of construction

Mr Bowcott said: "I would like to do more of this kind of work and I'd like to see more initiative being taken by councils in north Wales too.

"It's not a mater of money because European funding is available, its a matter of taking the initiative.

"Art doesn't have to be a one-off piece, it can be used on paving, benches, (and) walls.

"It is important to maintain it afterwards of course, but none of my work has been vandalised, local people have had a hand in making it, there is a sense of ownership," he added.