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Birchwood Index

Encounter
Pestfurlong
Sunrise
Risley Moss
Risley ROF
 Walled Garden
Bunkers
 Business Parks
Hotel
Warrington Rd
Autumn Images
 Winter
Christmas
Carnival
Wildflowers

All photographs on these pages are the property of the photographer Brian Tuohey.

They may not be re-published in any form without written permission, but may be downloaded for personal use.

Requests for commercial or charitable use of these or any other photographs will be considered.

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Encounter
Gateway to Birchwood

Photo Gallery | History

Introduction

The Encounter sculpture was built and put in place in 2002 as a gateway to Birchwood and a distinctive symbol of the area.  It is situated on a small triangle of land at the end of Birchwood Way where the road joins Junction 11 of the M62 motorway.  It can be seen easily if you are travelling eastbound on the motorway (towards Manchester), but is more difficult to see from the westbound carriageway unless you leave at Junction 11.

The photos below were all taken from Pestfurlong Hill and nearby open land on the edge of Gorse Covert, from which there are excellent views of the sculpture as it rises majestically above the trees.

Below the photos I've added a few words on the history of the Encounter sculpture.

My Other Encounter Galleries
On my new website, www.btphoto.co.uk - galleries page:  www.btphoto.co.uk/gallery.html
On the Birchwood Community Church website:  www.birchwood-church.org/gallery/local-views 

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Photo Gallery

Click on the small pictures to open the large versions.  Each large picture opens in a new browser window or tab.  The pictures were all taken with a digital camera and have been cropped and re-sized to 800x600 pixels.

Floodlit Once Again, January 2008
It was more than three years since Encounter had been illuminated, but on my first day back at work after New Year 2008, I was taken aback to see that the lighting was working once again.  It was nice to see and there was plenty of time to appreciate it during the long wait to join the M62 from those dark morning rush-hour queues, caused by the traffic lights on the slip road.  At this time, Encounter was illuminated on the west side only.  For the first week, it was a yellow-green colour, but after that, it was changed to a pale pink, but sadly it didn't last.  Hopefully it will once again be floodlit.

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September Sun, 2007

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Springtime Sunset, April 2007

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Green to Gold - Autumn's Changing Colours, November 2006

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Summer Splendour, July 2006

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Early Floodlighting, August 2003

These photos were taken hand-held on an older camera, without the aid of a tripod.

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History

The initial idea for the sculpture came from the Birchwood Forum and they commissioned artist Stephen Broadbent to design it.  The sculpture was built locally in Birchwood during 2002, assembled during October of that year and completed in November.  Its design is based on two figures flying through the air together, symbolising the relationship and interchange between business and the local community.  It also takes reference from the distinctive peeling bark of the birch tree, such a common feature of the local area, and the swarf from a lathe, highlighting the engineering heritage of Warrington.

It was constructed from a combination of mild steel and cast aluminium, coated in a durable protective outer layer.  It stands 28 metres or 91 feet high and is one of England's tallest pieces of public art.  It also houses a mobile phone transmitter.  This helped to fund it and gives the sculpture an ongoing functional aspect.

During 2003, Encounter was floodlit at night, as seen in some of the photos above.  Later that year, in November, there was a formal unveiling ceremony to mark the anniversary of its completion, and about the same time, a new hi-tech multi-coloured lighting system was switched on.  Encounter remained floodlit until about the end of 2004.  For the next three years, it was left in darkness, being illuminated only by the security lighting of a nearby warehouse.  This changed over the Christmas holiday period at the end of 2007, when the lighting on the west side was repaired and Encounter was once again illuminated.

Encounter has become a popular and well recognised symbol of Birchwood, and images of it are used by a wide range of local companies and organisations.

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Updated 15/05/10