Dartmoor Giant's Chair goes into storage - for now

By Laura Joint
BBC Devon

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Timelapse film of chair coming down

For four years, the Giant's Chair on a remote spot on Dartmoor in Devon has enchanted walkers.

The 6m (20ft) high chair was crafted from local green oak by Dartmoor artist Henry Bruce and placed in a field on his land near Widecombe-in-the-Moor.

It was not long before walkers off the beaten track discovered it and word quickly spread about Dartmoor's newest attraction.

However, it became too popular and it has now had to be taken down.

Watch BBC Spotlight's report on the chair's removal

Photo gallery of the chair's last day

The chair was put up in 2006 without planning permission from Dartmoor National Park Authority, which ordered its dismantling.

On 22 July 2010, time ran out for the sculpture and the removal men moved in to take the chair away.

Hundreds of people campaigned to save the Giant's Chair

"There is definitely a bit of sadness in having to remove it," Mr Bruce told BBC Devon as he watched his piece of art being taken down.

"It's particularly sad in the context of the reasons for the removal, which are based on anxiety rather than reality."

The park authority argued that the Giant's Chair was attracting too many visitors and Dartmoor's infrastructure - especially the narrow, winding roads and limited parking facilities - could not cope.

But Mr Bruce disputes the claim and also stresses the need for Dartmoor to remain a "dynamic space".

"The chair is in a fairly obscure place - it's not a Mecca," he said.

"You have to walk to it, you can't drive to it, and really, you have to happen upon it.

"But perhaps it has had its time here, and I can understand the need for it to be in an appropriate environment."

Henry Bruce - sad at having to take the chair down

The chair was made at great cost, in terms of both man hours and money, so much care was required in its dismantling.

So what now for the Giant's Chair? Well, it seems it might not be in storage for long.

"It will go into storage for a little while," said Mr Bruce, "but I'm sure we will find somewhere else for it which is more appropriate.

"Haldon Forest is a possibility but there is a lot of cost involved in moving it and I need to find some help with the cost."

Mr Bruce was grateful to the hundreds of people who campaigned to save the chair after it was first threatened with removal in 2008.

"It's wonderful that so many people appreciated and admired it.

"And I have currently got other things in the pipeline which they might appreciate as well."