Bearsted Woodland Trust’s famous wooden horse carving has been saved from decay and given a new lease of life – thanks to a complex, day-long operation to move it to a new plinth.
The carving has been a popular feature of the 28-acre green space since it was carved in Riders Wood in 2017 by the late Steve Andrews.
Earlier this year, regular maintenance by volunteers at the site revealed that the carving had rotted internally from the ground up and was in need of drastic remedial action to save it from ultimately decaying totally.
Various options were considered and it was decided to save the head and shoulders of the horse by cutting it away from its existing rotting base and moving it to a new plinth nearby.
To carry out this complicated manoeuvre, BWT drew on the professional skills and experience of its volunteers to identify and hire the specialist hoist required to lift and move the wooden horse to its new home. The team also constructed a sturdy new plinth, located a few metres from the existing carving.
The complex operation, which was sponsored by The Family Funeral Service, involved the precision cutting of the horse’s head and shoulders by chainsaw and its hoisting, moving and fixing to the new plinth. It took a whole day at the beginning of December to complete.
BWT Management Committee Chairman John Wale said: ‘This was perhaps the most complicated maintenance operation ever mounted here and I’m delighted to say it was entirely successful.
‘We were able to draw on the varied expertise of our volunteers in its planning and execution and the end result is that we have saved one of the most iconic features of our green space for future generations to enjoy.’