Visit to Peter Clutterbuck’s Forge Southsea Wednesday January 29th, 2025

Ian Swann and I paid a visit to Peter’s forge/workshop last week with Richard Farrington, the original arch sculptor. It was such an amazing feeling walking down a narrow alleyway behind Osborne Road in Southsea and entering a tiny courtyard full of old bits of metal of many sizes, to find the two key people of the Arch Restoration Project comfortably chatting away in the sunlight discussing the finer details of the arch construction. I had been looking forward to this visit ever since the FOCW had engaged Peter Clutterbuck to carry out the reconstruction of Richard Farrington’s original Gateway Arch to Centurion Way in November 2022.

It was an exciting and really interesting morning and lovely to meet Peter’s team of two, John Duffield and Patrick Mannerings, (not forgetting Mouse the long haired dachshund) who assist Peter in the creation an exceptional variety of structures in such an amazingly small space. There are so many examples of their work all over Portsmouth, in the surrounding areas of Hampshire and much further afield.
Do have a look at their website, Peter Clutterbuck Blacksmiths – https://peteclutterbuck.co.uk . We are very lucky to have such a competent and inspirational team restoring the Centurion Way Arch.

Carley Sitwell

Below are examples of some of their work and pictures of the visit.

Good News

Last week brought panic and a flurry of activity. Indeed, concerns from WSCC, lamp-post companies and also with issues of excessive cutting of nearby tree roots, caused doubts that the project could proceed at all.

Julia Smith and Carley Sitwell have now skilfully negotiated an alternative site, about 200 meters further North along the path, where the restored Archway can be installed.

This alternative location appears to keeps everyone happy – Bishop Luffa school, Miller-Linden developers, WSCC, Balfour Beatty and tree wardens. It’s in a clearing where the sun shines down! It really looks a good location!!

The Archway project also benefits from Chichester City Council kindly granting an additional £900 funding.

The new location is already being excavated in readiness for installation of the footings.

Carley has recently visited Peter Clutterbuck’s forge in Southsea and met with the SDNPA.

Julia Smith describes progress as “Exciting!!”.

Disaster Strikes!

WSCC and the lamp-post companies have decided the archway can no longer be reinstated in its original position. The concern seems to be about space needed to maintain the lamps (presumably changing the bulbs) and potential damage to the lighting cables when installing the new footings.

In addition, excavations around the remaining “archway boot” on Bishop Luffa’s land, reveal there is too much embedded concrete to contend with and too many tree roots to cut. It also seems impossible to reinstate the archway in its original position without dangerously weakening the surrounding tree roots.

As all our plans to reinstate the Archway hinge on us having obtained planning permission to re-erect the arch in its original position, it looks doubtful the project can proceed.

This is a disaster as Southsea blacksmith Peter Clutterbuck has almost finished his work reconstructing and rebuilding the arch.

We are now considering if the newly restored Archway could instead be erected in Carley Sitwell or Julia Smith’s garden because we now lack permission for it to be installed on a public site.

Work Has Started On Digging The New Footings For The Archway

Work has started today on the footings for the renovated Centurion Way arch at the railway bridge with our WSCC appointed contractors. It has taken five years of work and fundraising to get to this point. Super exciting! The concrete footings will take three weeks to set and so we are on track to get the arch restored, gilded and back up in March. In conjunction with the South Downs National Park, plans for an information board are in progress and will follow.

We are still fundraising so if you can support please donate via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/c039016c

Digging of the new footings begins
Digging of the new footings begins

Centurion Way Solar System Scale Model

Centurion Way is now the permanent home of a scale model of the Solar System

For those that remember, back in 2021 there was a temporary scale model of the solar system along Centurion Way…well it’s back, and this time permanently!

Starting with The Sun, just under the bridge at Brandy Hole copse and finishing with Pluto, by the slope down to West Dean, this 6.5km route has markers placed for each planet, at the distance they would be in relation to each other at a scale of ~928,000,000:1.

On top of each marker is a QR code which takes you to the interactive ‘Centurion Way Solar System Scale Model’ website, which has pictures of each celestial body to the same scale, as well as lots of fun facts.

It’s a great way to encourage kids interested in space to go out on a walk or for a cycle, and to appreciate relatively just how far away the planets are from the Sun, and us!

More details are available on the following website.

https://solarsystem.eastbroyle.org/

Images of parts of the Solar System model installation are shown below

interactive ‘Centurion Way Solar System Scale Model’
interactive ‘Centurion Way Solar System Scale Model’

1st January, 11am, Beating the Bounds on New Years Day to Support Arch Restoration and Fundraising

After Festive Meals and Seasonal Celebrations, Join the Friends of Centurion Way for a New Year’s Winter Walk on the Path

On the 1st January 2025, the Friends of Centurion Way hope you can join us for an informal walk From Chichester to the Amphitheatre and Railwaymen Gang Sculptures.

We will meet at the railway bridge at Bishop Luffa at 11am.

Carley Sitwell (Leader of the FoCW Archway Restoration Project) will begin at 11:00am with a brief update about the projects progress. Indeed, our blacksmith Peter Clutterbuck should already be beating the archway metal into shape as we begin beating the pathways bounds on the 1st of Jan.

At around 11:10 we will begin a stroll up to the amphitheatre at people’s own pace. Chichester Trishaw may be making an appearance. You are very welcome to bring a bike, if you’d prefer to explore the path further North up to to Singleton.

If possible, please promote the upcoming  event using the poster available on this PDF format link. 

FoCW meetings on the path to start the New Year are becoming a local tradition. Links to some previous years event posts and images are shown below.


New Years Day 2024 Meeting at Mid-Day on the Path to Launch Sculpture Archway Reinstatement Bid

2024 meeting on the path to launch Archway Reinstatement Bid

New Years Day 2022 Walk and Cycle on Centurion Way

New Years day of 2021 the Centurion Way people counter first began continuously logging how many people use the Southern end of Centurion Way.

Measuring the Popularity of Centurion Way in 2021

On New Years Day 2020, the Friends of Centurion Way met on the path to enjoy mince pies, sausage rolls and mulled wine.

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New Years Day 2019 Walk and Cycle on Centurion Way

Beating The Bounds on New Years Day 5
Beating The Bounds on New Years Day 2019

Christmas Carols on the Path! Arch Restoration and Fundraising 18th December

Update

Theo did a great job playing the backing to the Christmas Carols on the electric piano despite the inclement wind and rain.

Friends of Centurion Way raised their voices in song as the rain did its best to dissolve the song sheets.

Carley kept everyone’s spirits high by supplying mulled wine and mince pies.

Mark Simmons who organises the Chichester Fun Bike Rides, kindly took photos of the FOCW Christmas event.

For details of Mark Simmons Chichester Fun Bike Rides, please follow his links Farrbott.Substack.com & BottsBikesBits.com

Original Post

Come and join the Friends of Centurion Way on the path for mulled wine and mince pies and some carols to celebrate Christmas. We will be meeting:

Where – at the site of the Arch Restoration Project (next to the railway bridge crossing on Centurion Way)

When – Wednesday 18th December 2024 at 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Do come along – we can also  tell you more about the Arch Restoration with a little display!

Image file of the event’s poster available on this link and is also shown below.

December 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends of Centurion Way Supporters

You kindly gave us your email and online support some years ago when we were fighting to save the path from diversion by the developers of Whitehouse Farm. Thanks to you and a public campaign, we saved the original route of the path!

Since then, the community has stepped up to bridge the gap in Council funding – a hard-working volunteer User Group helps maintain the path and cuts back undergrowth, and Friends of Centurion Way have continued to campaign to save this cherished path and its artwork from decline.

Our current plans are ambitious – to restore the charming and attractive Gateway Arch over the start of Centurion Way near Bishop Luffa school and the railway bridge – the arch fell down in 2015 and West Sussex County Council (Highways) put it in storage. We now have almost raised enough to reinstate the archway. Indeed, we already raised enough to cover what we originally believed would be the reinstalment costs. However, because Centurion Way is registered as a highway, there is an additional £4,000 cost to have a licenced firm install the Arch in full compliance with West Sussex County Council policy. 

We are ready to restore the arch in galvanised steel to ensure a long life whilst retaining the original artwork, and to put this landmark back next to the railway bridge, where it stood for over 20 years. It’s a wonderful gateway from the city to the Downs, and a meeting place for three national cycle ways – Centurion Way, Salterns Way and ChEmRoute (NCN2).

With the support of the South Downs National Park Authority, we want to install two information boards – one at the arch and one at the Gang Men sculptures at the amphitheatre. We would love to extend this to a third board and a resting bench by the arch if funds permit!

There are regular FOCW events on the path, which have been reported in the local press and on our informative website and Facebook account.

We have never asked our supporters for any money for our campaigning, events, insurance or operating costs. Now we ask you to donate now towards the Arch. Grants from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, City Council, Miller Homes etc allowed us to kick off the project, but now a community fundraise for the last £4000 towards the arch and interpretation boards is the final step. Our target date is the end of February 2025 – in due course, the area around the arch will be re-landscaped as part of the future southern access road, but the path remains protected and on its current route and the developers have committed to working around the restored arch and the path to enhance this area.

For information, we link/include pictures below the horizontal line showing the arch and the other three artworks on the path. Also an example of other civic work in Fareham from our blacksmith. For updates, pictures and more information, please go to our website at http://www.centurionway.org.uk/. Or follow us on Facebook or email our project lead volunteer, Carley Sitwell, on carleysitwell@gmail.com for more information.

We have no plans to ask for money again, but if you enjoy the path and care about protecting it for the next generation, then please support us with a donation for the arch & boards. We are a small group of volunteers that have achieved big things so far, and we are really grateful for your support.

If everyone who enjoys the path and its artwork gives us a small donation – we shall easily smash our target! Please step up and give what you can to enhance the path for the next generation! THANK YOU from the Friends of Centurion Way

TO DONATE (NO MINIMUM)
Please donate through crowdfunding at GoFundMe at: https://gofund.me/1e63b422 – look up our page Centurion Way Gateway Arch
OR scan the QR code on your phone for a link to GoFundMe
OR donate directly into our bank account (Sort: 30-96-26, Lloyds a/c: 37087460)
to save crowdfunding fees – but please do email to let us know you have contributed.


QR code for GoFundMe

QR code for fundraising link

The Original Gateway Arch in 1995

The Original Gateway Arch in 1995

The Chichester Road Gang created by David Kemp 1995

The Chichester Road Gang created by,David Kemp 1995

The Chichester Road Gang created by,David Kemp 1995

The Amphitheatre Earthworks designed by Justin Marshall 1995

The Amphitheatre Earthworks,designed by Justin Marshall 1995

Primary Hangers at Lavant Road Bridge created by Richard Farrington

Primary Hangers at Lavant Road Bridge,created by Richard Farrington

The Falklands Arch Fareham by Peter Clutterbuck

The Falklands Arch Fareham by Peter Clutterbuck

 

Carley Sitwell and Julia Smith’s Presentation given to Westgate AGM November 2024 about the Reinstatement of the Centurion Way Arch

On Saturday 16th November 2024, Carley Sitwell and Julia Smith gave a comprehensive presentation at the Westgate AGM about the reinstatement of Richard Farrington’s wonderful Gateway Arch.

Please follow the link if you wish to see a PDF version of the slides that they presented Nov-24-FOCW-Presentation

FoCW Halloween Gallery of Ghouls

Update with images of 2024 Halloween event on the path

Original post promoting the event below horizontal line.


Thursday 31 October 2024 – Halloween Event on the Path From 5.30-6.30pm

Come and find us on Centurion Way where the Railway Bridge joins Centurion Way at Bishop Luffa school, the last stop in the Parklands Halloween Trail.

The Halloween event will be held exactly where Richard Farrington’s wonderful archway sculpture previously stood and where it will be reinstated once fully restored by Peter Clutterbuck who is a highly skilled blacksmith based in Portsmouth. The location is close to the Southernmost Entrance to Centurion Way where it joins Westgate.

Bring your family and maybe a scary costume, pumpkin head and something ghoulish to eat or drink.

A poster for this years event is available in PDF format here.

A fundraiser poster aimed at reinstatement of the archway is available in PDF format here.

Carley Sitwell is organising this event and she can be contacted at carley.sitwell@centurionway.org.uk

Made from real spiders!
Made from real spiders!

We will have terrifying activity sheets for everyone who wants them and hope people are not too scared to take one.

Ideas for sounds and music

I’ve edited three versions of “I’ve Put A Spell On You”