FOUR town sculptures are being forged as landmark features, thanks to Haslemere Festival and Fringe with support from Grayshott Pottery.

The artworks will be installed in the tall planters donated to the town in the High Street, Clements Corner, Lion Green and Petworth Road.

Haslemere blacksmith Andrew Brighty is designing and creating each one as a modern Arts and Crafts feature at the Huntingford Forge in Dockenfield.

Hopefully, the first artwork to go in the planter outside Boots in the High Street will be in place for Christmas.

Next is Clements Corner and the sculpture on Lion Green will be unveiled during the 2020 Haslemere Fringe, followed by Petworth Road.

Fringe committee chairman Ken Griffiths, who is project co-manager with Grayshott Pottery trustee Phil Bates, said: “This is an exciting opportunity.

“The first sculpture is a representation of the core tenet of the Arts and Crafts movement – a return to traditional craftsmanship over mechanisation.

“The mass manufactured I-Beams, or rolled steel joists, rising up from the bowl represent industrialisation.

“Their hot forged flowing tops represent craftsmanship and quality and are reminiscent of fabric blowing in the wind, as a link to the Haslemere weaving industries and peasant arts society.

“The second sculpture for the Clements Corner planter will symbolise flowers. Like the High Street artwork, the finish will be galvanised, acid etched and waxed.

“The third artwork to be unveiled at Haslemere Fringe 2020 on Lion Green will represent music, and the design of the fourth in Petworth Road is still being debated.

“These works of art donated to the people of Haslemere through the Haslemere Festival and Fringe, will be a permanent feature of the town for many decades to come.

“Hopefully they will form a significant part of an arts trail around the town, thereby attracting more visitors and boosting the financial wellbeing of Haslemere.”

Haslemere Fringe returns to Lion Green from July 3 to 5 in 2020.

Planning for the biennial music and arts event has already started and the organisers have promised fans they will be ‘blown away’ by the line-up.

Haslemere Festival, which is chaired by Hamish Donaldson, delivered its biggest and best programme yet in May.

Some of the 50-plus ‘acts’ signed up were such a coup, they sold out before it began.

The entertainments ranged from music, talks and shows to Little Lumpy cycle race.