thursday 9th may 2024

New public artwork revealed at local development in South Queensferry

We have revealed a new public artwork at our development of new homes at Hawthorn Gardens in South Queensferry, providing our ‘Percent for Art' commitment to the town as part of our planning consent for the development.

Jordan Howieson (Senior Architectural Technician), Pauline Mills (Technical Director), The Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, Mrs Elizabeth Grubb, and Phil Cooper (Land and Planning Director) at the opening of the new public artwork at Hawthorn Gardens.

Talented team

To mark the official installation and unveiling of the art structures to the local community, we welcomed the City of Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge to join us at the development in South Queensferry, known locally as Queensferry and being the Royal Burgh of Queensferry.

We were joined by members of the Queensferry District Community Council and the talented team that has worked to deliver the project. Guests also included Mrs Elizabeth Grubb, the wife of the former Lord Provost George Grubb who served the local community as a Liberal Democrat Councillor for 13 years during the period 1999-2012, and members of her family.

The Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, with Mrs Elizabeth Grubb, her son Rhoderick and daughter Mhairi, with representatives of QDCC and Local Councillors along with Pauline Mills, Technical Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland.

Community spirt and connections

Designed by Artist Blacksmiths at Ratho Byres Forge, the forged steel artwork is not just a visual masterpiece. It symbolizes the legs of the three iconic bridges spanning the River Forth – the Forth Bridge, the Forth Road Bridge, and the Queensferry Crossing. It also incorporates leaves from local trees, replicating the leaves of the seven tree species in the local area historically known as the Dark Entries. This artwork is a testament to a local community's spirit and connections.

The new art sculpture at Hawthorn Gardens.

Providing a lasting tribute

As part of the event, guests also took the opportunity to visit Grubb Gardens, a street of new homes under construction that recognises and provides a legacy to former Lord Provost George Grubb. Overlooking a new central playpark, Grubb Gardens includes a range of apartments and new homes similar to the styles shown within the development’s show home street scene.

The Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, with Mrs Elizabeth Grubb, her son Rhoderick, and daughter Mhairi, and Pauline Mills, Technical Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland.

We are proud to have the opportunity to provide a lasting tribute to former Lord Provost Grubb, as Pauline adds: “We strive to create developments that people want to call home and to bring communities together. What better way of linking our new development and growing community at Hawthorn Gardens with the existing and vibrant local community in Queensferry than by naming a street in the development after Lord Provost Grubb, who dedicated so much of his life to public service.

“Grubb Gardens is forming a lovely street overlooking a new playpark, and its links to former Lord Provost Grubb creates a piece of local social history as well as a lasting legacy that we know his family is very proud of.”