The Flanders Moss tower is officially launched though luckily it hasn't left the ground. And how do you launch a tower ? Well you get the local primary school to perform a bog rap of course.
Last Monday we set up as marquee for the day in the car park and invited a whole load of people who have been involved in the Moss over the summer to come down and help us declare the tower open. Bruce Crawford, local MSP did the official declaration and was helped by 12 children from Thornhill Primary who performed their rap on the Moss to an audience of about 50 people. The speeches short and sweet and then everyone headed out to climb the tower to take in a view that no-one has ever had in the 8000 year history of the Moss.
A few facts about the tower:
- the platform is 7 m above the bog surface
- it is a bit like an ice berg as it is longer under the surface than above, the supporting piles go 10m down through the peat into the underlying clay,
- it is built mainly of Scottish oak,
- the architect was Robin Baker of Baker Associates in Birnam and it was built by Luddons from Glasgow, both relatively local firms,
- the design aims to give people a unique view across the Moss while merging into the landscape,
- the overall aim is for people to experience the wide expanse of the Moss without causing any damage to the fragile and hazardous bog surface.
I would be very keen to hear what people think of the tower so please feel free to comment on the blog or send comments to the SNH Stirling office.
And what is the Rap on the Moss ? Well over the summer, as part of the People, Peat, Poetry project Thornhill Primary School worked with Glasgow rap artist Louie to produce the Rap on the Moss so giving Flanders Moss more street cred that it has ever had before.
Last Monday we set up as marquee for the day in the car park and invited a whole load of people who have been involved in the Moss over the summer to come down and help us declare the tower open. Bruce Crawford, local MSP did the official declaration and was helped by 12 children from Thornhill Primary who performed their rap on the Moss to an audience of about 50 people. The speeches short and sweet and then everyone headed out to climb the tower to take in a view that no-one has ever had in the 8000 year history of the Moss.
A few facts about the tower:
- the platform is 7 m above the bog surface
- it is a bit like an ice berg as it is longer under the surface than above, the supporting piles go 10m down through the peat into the underlying clay,
- it is built mainly of Scottish oak,
- the architect was Robin Baker of Baker Associates in Birnam and it was built by Luddons from Glasgow, both relatively local firms,
- the design aims to give people a unique view across the Moss while merging into the landscape,
- the overall aim is for people to experience the wide expanse of the Moss without causing any damage to the fragile and hazardous bog surface.
I would be very keen to hear what people think of the tower so please feel free to comment on the blog or send comments to the SNH Stirling office.
And what is the Rap on the Moss ? Well over the summer, as part of the People, Peat, Poetry project Thornhill Primary School worked with Glasgow rap artist Louie to produce the Rap on the Moss so giving Flanders Moss more street cred that it has ever had before.
