Studio Weave were commissioned to deliver a public artwork as the culmination of a three-year initiative of creative commissions conceived to encourage local people to engage creatively in the changing character of their communities. In addition to designing the ‘Cleddau Reaches’ installation, Studio Weave also contributed to ‘The Bigger Picture’ engagement plan and programme of events which yielded community plan initiatives that influenced the strategic interests of the installations.
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From its origins as a stream, the canalised Cleddau which was once lined with trees and wildlife had become inhospitable to non-humans through Haverfordwest – and the humans who replaced them had lost all connection to their natural surroundings. A series of three ‘reach boughs’ have been installed on the river banks to: renew the town’s relations with its environment; mark the route between the ‘Bridge Meadows’ to the North and ‘Fortunes Frolic’ to the South; and begin to signify an invitation to the displaced natural communities to return.
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The installations initiated the ‘Cleddau Reaches Green Infrastructure Project’, which proposed a series of accessibility improvements along the river for the amenity use of kayakers and walkers. Following increased public interest in the Cleddau Reaches Route following the installation, a number of improvements were delivered which culminated in the project being nominated as a finalist in the ‘Excellence in Planning for Health and Wellbeing’ category at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2021.
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