Willow Man

Willow Man is a 12-meter sculpture beside the M5 motorway in Somerset, woven from black maul willow around a steel skeleton. The figure extends one arm outward as if reaching into the landscape, its body formed from thousands of interlaced willow stems.

Serena de la Hey built the work in 2000 as a millennium commission for Somerset. Arsonists burned it down in 2001, prompting a reinforced replacement on the same spot.

The figure refers to centuries of willow growing across the Levels, where farmers once harvested branches for basket making and fencing. Local craftspeople still work with the material, keeping traditional weaving methods alive in workshops around Somerset.

The sculpture stands clearly visible between junctions 23 and 24 of the M5 near Bridgwater, easy to spot from a moving car. A moat surrounds the base, making close access impossible, though you can view it from the roadside lay-by.

A circular moat with a diameter of 40 meters protects the structure from further attacks since its reconstruction. This ring creates a small island in the flat landscape, making it the only sculpture in Britain surrounded by its own defensive ditch.

Location: Somerset

Inception: 2000

Height: 1,200 cm

GPS coordinates: 51.15047,-2.98121

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28