For years I have been intrigued by a strange carved face in the wall on Storrs Lane as I passed it in the car. I saw the curious name Stoneface begin to appear online too. It turns out that Stoneface is actually Andrew Vickers, a sculptor who was once a dry stone waller. And his open days in the ancient Storrs Wood are becoming legendary.
This pretty wood was new when the Vikings named it, with Storrs Brook flowing between it and the road. The brook once powered two water wheels but very little is visible now of its industrial past. Stoneface bought Storrs Wood around four years ago and since then has turned it into a charming woodland gallery complete with sculpture trail.
Now, Storrs Wood is home to a sleeping giant, a face in a gate post, a rearing horse made of metal scrap, and a changing array of Stoneface’s famous grindstone carvings and sculptures. It is a mythical place – a cross between something out of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter – and it captures the imagination of all who visit. Stoneface uses this imagery to good effect to run a variety of equally imaginative events, from fairy storytelling sessions and weddings to blacksmithing and treasure hunts. The events fund the conservation of the ancient woodland and the Sheffield Wildlife Trust, and Stoneface are working to encourage and strengthen the bio-diversity there, as well as run educational projects with the local schools supported by the Sheffield Lakeland Partnership.
