Sky Arts - Landscape Artist of the Year - Winner’s Film

21 December 1804

Oil on Wood Panel

50 x 70 cm

2021

In the past there was never enough water on the canal and today, water scarcity threatens the future of our planet. The stories of those who lived along the canal are a testament to their grit and strength in the face of changes in transportation, changes in communities and at times, disaster. Yet the quality of light and beauty of the landscape surrounding the Chelburn reservoir is breathtaking. The industrial world has been reclaimed as something beautiful; restored and preserved for the enjoyment of all. The view over Littleborough was inspired in part by archive images of the Summit Tunnel fire of 1984, a blaze sparked by the derailment of one million litres of petrol in the tunnel facing the canal, and a legacy of the industrial revolution that changed the future of the canal forever. This is a small slice of history, my tribute to this 200 year old landmark and a celebration of the powerful, beautiful and unique landscape of the Rochdale Canal.