Des sculptures surprises

I love sculptures made of almost any material and my favourite is anything set in the outdoors, especially when the work has been designed to fit a particular niche or landscape. I was therefore  delighted to find, quite by chance, when visiting last week with friends in Verteuil-sur-Charente, France, a château parkland with six huge and wonderful works. The story of l'Abrègement is quite dramatic. Former medieval buildings were replaced in the 18th century to create the very handsome  Château l'Abrègement. At this time, around 1750, the then newly married Lord Cornay and his Lady, also planted an adjacent oak forest, loved and cared for by following generations. But in 1999, on a single frightening night when a tempest raged through central France, more than15,000 mighty trees in the park were blown down. Tree trunks and debris were scattered across the landscape, falling far and wide with masses on top of each other.

To create something spectacular from this disaster, the present owners (descended from the same original planters) invited several sculptors to be inspired by the fallen wood and create something to echo the savage beauty of nature. Huge sculptures of intertwined branches and tall oak, sequoia and chestnut were conceived by artists including Anthony Gormley, Andy Goldsworthy, Joel Shapiro and Christian Lapie. As well as walking around the park to marvel at the sculptures, the Château also has a lush vegetable garden and a beautiful walled flower garden. What a find, off the beaten tourist track, in a quiet area of rural France.