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All the United Kingdom England Somerset Willow Man
Willow Man is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Willow Man

The metal frame is all that's left of a wicker sculpture which once towered over the M5 motorway.

Somerset, England

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  http://intosomerset.files.wordpress.com/20...
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Once nicknamed the 'Angel of the South' due to the similarity in its roadside location to Anthony Gormley's more famous 'Angel of the North', the comparison ends there. 

The twelve metre tall statue was built by the Somerset artist Serena De La Hay at a cost of 15,000 pounds, this roadside attraction was intended as a symbol of the local area.

Following an arson attack in 2001, the decision was made to rebuild the statue with a moat to stop potential arsonists from gaining access. 

Various attempts have been made to repair the wicker cladding, but as of 2022 it was recognised that the cost of restoration could cost anything up to £100,000.

A housing estate and a giant distribution centre have robbed the location of its originally intended open setting, with just the base of the statue and its metal arms visible as a curiosity from the motorway. 

Related Tags

Statues Monuments

Know Before You Go

Look to the right of the carriageway past the Morrisons distribution centre when heading south along the M5 after J23.

Community Contributors

Edited By

ytyynycefn, Crisp By Nature, jooniur, nbj914...

  • ytyynycefn
  • Crisp By Nature
  • jooniur
  • nbj914
  • rbenn250

Published

November 2, 2010

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Sources
  • https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/m5-landmark-willow-man-could-6985458
  • BBC: "Arsonists burn wicker man" (May 2001): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1319215.stm
Willow Man
M5
Dunball
Somerset, England, TA7 8QJ
United Kingdom
51.149094, -2.980556
Get Directions

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Photo of Somerset

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