Miscellanea

Thrussell and Thrussell - Artist Metalsmiths

I first encountered the work of the Thrussells, father and son Gary and Thomas, in 2005 when Jane and I started walking the Clay Trails, around Bugle and Wheal Martyn. At beginning of what I like to call the White River Trail -Wheal Martyn to St, Austell and, after a gap, on to Pentewan - is a small metal chimney with cleverly cut out small individual clay country features, photo below right. My next encounter, some years later was, when doing a round walk from St. Breward, I found "Arachnathrone", photo below left, on a grassy patch between the Primary School and the path to De Lank. Then Jane and I were walking on Bodmin Beacon when we discovered Thrussell benches; how pleasing to be able to rest on the work of one's favourite artist metalsmiths. Since then we have encountered their work at two pubs, the Rann Wartha in St. Austell, below, and Weatherspoons Chapel an Gansblydhen in Bodmin, and at two more primary schools, in Pensilva and Wadebridge. A favourite motif seems to be the salmon; we particularly like the one near Wenford Dries on the northernmost section of the Camel Trail. Now that I seem to be committed to seeing all the Thrussell works that we can reach in a day, I am compiling a list of those yet to see. Already I have added the Penrice Cross at Penrice Academy in St. Austell, the Archway to the Children's Playground in Carharrack - happy memories of the Redruth and Chacewater Mining Trail.and the Bandstand in Launceston. We also found an unexpected one on the slope below the Cornwall end of Tamar Bridge. If our health and fitness hold out into 2017 we hope to cross the bridge to see their work on Plymouth Hoe and on the Plym Valley Trail. The Thrussells work is not just in Cornwall and Devon; see it also in Bilston in Staffordshire and Maldon Friars in Essex.

Do visit their extensive Web Site. More Thrussell - and even more Thrussell - and yet more Thrussell

Arachnathrone, St. Breward

Rann Wartha Inn, St. Austell

Wheal Martyn Chimney

Photographs

This review was written by Oliver Howes and is reproduced here in his own words. All text and photographs remain his work, preserved in his memory.

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