Sheffield's answer to Stonehenge unveiled in city woods

It may not have Stonehenge’s World Heritage status.
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But today Storrs Henge has been revealed as Stannington’s peaceful answer to the great stone circle, after Sheffield artist Andrew Vickers unveiled his latest project, which he dreamt up druring lockdown.

Well known Sheffield artist Joe Scarborough unveiled the work for Andrew on Saturday, at a ceremony in front of scores of visitors.

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It was revealed as part of an open day at Andrew’s Woodland Gallery, on Storrs Lane, the 10 acres of woodland that Andrew, also known as Stoneface, runs and uses to display his sculptures.

Sculptor Andrew Vickers with the figure at the centre of  Storrs Henge in StanningtonSculptor Andrew Vickers with the figure at the centre of  Storrs Henge in Stannington
Sculptor Andrew Vickers with the figure at the centre of Storrs Henge in Stannington
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Plans revealed for stone circle in Sheffield wood that could be city's answer to...

The 56-year-old was born and raised in Stannington, where he now owns the 10-acre Storrs Wood.

Andrew’s circle features four stones which are six feet above the ground and two feet below. Four more stones are slightly smaller at five-and-a-half feet above the ground.

He said it was the biggest work he had done to date, and is memory of those who have lost their lives during the pandemic. He previously create heart-shaped sculptures that have been appearing in and around the city, symbolising the community’s appreciation for the NHS and key workers.

Andrew Vickers and Joe Scarborough at Storrs HengeAndrew Vickers and Joe Scarborough at Storrs Henge
Andrew Vickers and Joe Scarborough at Storrs Henge
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Andrew said: “I've thought about doing a henge for a long time, but when Covid came along, I went round Sheffield placing some stones for the NHS, appreciating NHS in keystones.

"I did under the guise of ‘The Wood Nymph. And once it was done I wanted to connect all those stones back to Storrs Wood and so the idea of creating this henge to connect them came along. It’s a really spiritual thing.”

He said the stone figure at the centre of the circle can be moved in any direction so it can be pointed at the stones that he had placed out in the communities and ‘connect their energy back into the centre of Storrs Wood’.

"It’s a Stone Age telephone mast,” he said.

Visitors at Storrs HengeVisitors at Storrs Henge
Visitors at Storrs Henge

"The actual construction’s probably taken about six months. The planning of it all was about a year.

He said the turn out for the unveiling was fantastic.

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Mr Scarborugh, who unveiled the scultpure for his friend, said that although the monument was crowded with visitors on the day, it was actually a celebration of solitude and peace.

He said: “You come up here, have some peace, just put yourself back together. It’s gorgeous, it really is, but what it needs is peace and quiet, solitude. How many of us need that these days?

Visitors at Storrs HengeVisitors at Storrs Henge
Visitors at Storrs Henge

"I can tell you, in a busy city like Sheffield, quiet places are at a premium and here we have one at the outkirts of Sheffield which is absolutely corking and is the result of some darned hard work, I can tell you that.”

As well as the unveiling of the new Storrs Henge, the open day also saw visitors to the site heading off to explore the gallery’s Woodland Art Trail, while its Woodland Cafe was also open for the occasion.

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Sculptor Andrew originally left school aged 16 to become an apprentice joiner. Then in his late 20s the father-of-three started sculpting, paying for it from a landscape gardening business.

He took over Storrs Wood seven years ago.

Local journalism holds the powerful to account and gives people a voice. Please take out a digital subscription or buy a paper. Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.

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