Pyramids (Bathgate)

Last updated

Pyramids land sculptures on the M8 at Bathgate The Pyramids (geograph 2401298).jpg
Pyramids land sculptures on the M8 at Bathgate

The Pyramids are a land sculpture alongside the M8 motorway at Bathgate.

Contents

Originally named the "Sawtooth Ramps", it was sponsored by Motorola and formed part of the M8 Art Project. [1] The sculpture was created by artist Patricia Leighton in 1993. It is 1,000 feet (300 m) long and consists of seven 36-foot (11 m) high ramps made of earth and seeded with grass. The artist based the design on local geographic features (drumlins) and the shape of the surrounding bings. [2] Sheep are grazed on the structure which keeps the grass short. The pyramidal shape of the sculpture gave rise to the name of the nearby Pyramids Business Park. [1]

Coloured sheep

Purple sheep on the Pyramids at Bathgate Purple sheep on the Pyramids, near Bathgate (geograph 2444814).jpg
Purple sheep on the Pyramids at Bathgate

In April 2007, a local farmer painted the sheep which graze on the grass mounds bright red with a harmless sheep spray. [3] Over the years the sheep have been painted different colours to raise awareness of charities: pink for Breast Cancer Research, and purple for World Autism Awareness Month by Scottish Autism in April 2015. [4]

Giant poppies

Red poppies on the Pyramids at Bathgate We Shall Remember Them! (geograph 2686048).jpg
Red poppies on the Pyramids at Bathgate

Giant poppies have been painted on the grass ramps in November for a number of years. This is organised by Poppyscotland as part of the Remembrance Day commemorations and fund-raising. [5]

In 2015, the extremist political group Siol nan Gaidheal painted their white poppy logo on one of the ramps, which was condemned as vandalism and a political stunt by Angela Constance, a local MSP. [6]

Related Research Articles

Remembrance Day Holiday in Commonwealth countries remembering armed forces members who have died in the line of duty

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

Poppy Species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae

A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the source of the narcotic drug opium which contains powerful medicinal alkaloids such as morphine and has been used since ancient times as an analgesic and narcotic medicinal and recreational drug. It also produces edible seeds. Following the trench warfare in the poppy fields of Flanders, Belgium during World War I, poppies have become a symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime, especially in the UK, US, and Canada.

Remembrance Sunday Day to commemorate war dead

Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in November. Remembrance Sunday, within the Church of England, falls in the liturgical period of Allsaintstide.

North Ronaldsay sheep Breed of sheep from Scotland

The North Ronaldsay or Orkney is a breed of sheep from North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. It belongs to the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds, and has evolved without much cross-breeding with modern breeds. It is a smaller sheep than most, with the rams (males) horned and ewes (females) mostly hornless. It was formerly kept primarily for wool, but now the two largest flocks are feral, one on North Ronaldsay and another on the Orkney island of Auskerry. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists the breed as a priority on its 2021–2022 watchlist, and they are in danger of extinction, with fewer than 600 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom.

Grazing Feeding livestock on forage

In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible cellulose within grass and other forages into meat, milk, wool and other animal products, often on land unsuitable for arable farming.

Bathgate Town in West Lothian, Scotland, 5 mi west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway

Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, 5 miles (8 km) west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated 2 miles (3 km) south of the ancient Neolithic burial site at Cairnpapple Hill, Bathgate and the surrounding area show signs of habitation since about 3500 BC and the world's oldest known reptile fossil has been found in the town. By the 12th century, Bathgate was a small settlement, with a church at Kirkton and a castle south of the present day town centre. Local mines were established in the 17th century but the town remained small in size until the coming of the industrial revolution. By the Victorian era, Bathgate grew in prominence as an industrial and mining centre, principally associated with the coal and shale oil industries. By the early 20th century, much of the mining and heavy industry around the town had ceased and the town developed manufacturing industries, principally in vehicle production and later electronics before these factories closed in the late 20th century. Today Bathgate is the second largest town in West Lothian, after Livingston and serves as a regional commuter town within the Scottish Central Belt.

Hill figure Large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside to reveal the underlying geology

A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural bedrock is placed into them. The new material is often chalk, a soft and white form of limestone, leading to the alternative name of chalk figure for this form of art.

Remembrance poppy Artificial flower worn to commemorate military personnel who have died during war

The remembrance poppy is an artificial flower worn in some countries to commemorate their military personnel who died in war. Veterans' associations exchange poppies for charitable donations used to give financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the armed forces.

Catherington Down

Catherington Down is a 12.8-hectare (32-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Catherington in Hampshire. It is also a Local Nature Reserve

Puna grassland

The puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru, but extends south, across Chile, Bolivia, and western northwest Argentina. The term puna encompasses diverse ecosystems of the high Central Andes above 3200–3400 m.

Islamic Society of Britain

The Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) was set up in 1990 for British Muslims to promote Islamic values. Its youth wing is The Young Muslims UK (YMUK).

Roundabout interchange

A roundabout interchange is a type of interchange between a controlled access highway, such as a motorway or freeway, and a minor road. The slip roads to and from the motorway carriageways converge at a single roundabout, which is grade-separated from the motorway lanes with bridges.

Conservation grazing Use of animals to graze areas like nature reserves to maintain habitats

Conservation grazing or targeted grazing is the use of semi-feral or domesticated grazing livestock to maintain and increase the biodiversity of natural or semi-natural grasslands, heathlands, wood pasture, wetlands and many other habitats. Conservation grazing is generally less intensive than practices such as prescribed burning, but still needs to be managed to ensure that overgrazing does not occur. The practice has proven to be beneficial in moderation in restoring and maintaining grassland and heathland ecosystems. The optimal level of grazing will depend on the goal of conservation, and different levels of grazing, alongside other conservation practices, can be used to induce the desired results.

Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve A Chiltern Hills nature reserve

Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve is located on the north-west escarpment of the Chiltern Hills, in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has an area of 159.1 hectares, and most of it is a 128.5 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is listed as a Grade 1 site in A Nature Conservation Review. The reserve is in several sections, mostly in the parish of Lewknor in Oxfordshire, with smaller sections in the parish of Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire.

<i>Butterflies</i> (Van Gogh series)

Butterflies is a series paintings made by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 and 1890. Van Gogh made at least four paintings of butterflies and one of a moth. The metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly was symbolic to Van Gogh of men and women's capability for transformation.

Sherlock Station is a pastoral lease and sheep station located approximately 54 kilometres (34 mi) East of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Covering an area of 216,700 acres (87,695 ha) pasture, the lease provides good grazing land. In 2015 it was purchased by Bettini Bros, now Bettini Beef, in a package with Mallina and Pyramid Stations. The Bettinis still owned the lease in 2018. Sherlock is operating under the Crown Lease number CL311-1966 and has the Land Act number LA3114/558.

Light Horse Interchange

The Light Horse Interchange is a motorway interchange located in Eastern Creek, New South Wales, Australia at the junction of the M4 Western Motorway and the Westlink M7. The interchange is the largest in the southern hemisphere and was opened to traffic in December 2005. The interchange was named in honour of the Australian Light Horse Brigades of World War I, who trained at the Wallgrove Army camp that was located near the site of the interchange prior to deploying overseas.

The Sir Roden Cutler VC Memorial Interchange often shortened to Roden Cutler Interchange is a three-level motorway interchange located in Prestons in South-West Sydney. The interchange forms the junction of the Westlink M7 and M5 South-West Motorway with the M31 Hume Motorway, opening to traffic in December 2005 along with the M7. It is a major urban feature of the National Highway network with roads linking Sydney south to Canberra and Melbourne and north to Newcastle and Brisbane converging at the interchange.

Michael Shvo

Michael Shvo is a real estate developer based in New York City with offices in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He is the Chairman and CEO of SHVO, a real estate development company he founded in 2004.

<i>Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red</i>

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was a public art installation created in the moat of the Tower of London, England, between July and November 2014. It commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and consisted of 888,246 ceramic red poppies, each intended to represent one British or Colonial serviceman killed in the War. The ceramic artist was Paul Cummins, with conceptual design by the stage designer Tom Piper. The work's title was taken from the first line of a poem by an unknown soldier in World War I.

References

  1. 1 2 "Scottish fact of the day: M8 motorway sculptures". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  2. "projects". Art in Partnership. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. "BBC NEWS: Edinburgh and East - Sheer brilliance for bright sheep". BBC News. 3 April 2007.
  4. "Sheep at M8 Pyramids in West Lothian given make over for World Autism Awareness Month". dailyrecord. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  5. "Giant poppies painted alongside busy motorway in honour of Remembrance Day". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  6. "Anti-English extremist group hijacks famous poppy display on the M8 pyramids". mirror. Retrieved 12 November 2015.

Coordinates: 55°53′28″N3°36′17″W / 55.8911°N 3.6048°W / 55.8911; -3.6048