Visitors to Elford Hall Garden have been stopping in their tracks at the sight of a giant wooden grasshopper taking shape under the hands of chainsaw sculptor Tony Devitt.
When we visited, Tony was hard at work carving the creature from oak, mounted onto the base of a former apple tree. With more than 60 hours already invested and a further 20 to 30 hours still to go, the finished piece will feature copper antennae and weathered copper feet, recycled from old pipework.
Tony, who lives in Anslow, took up chainsaw sculpture after retiring from his career as an industrial designer (including buses and trains.)
I used to draw things, but never got to make them. Now I can do the whole cycle and complete it.
What began as a hobby has since filled Elford Hall Gardens and other locations with remarkable wooden creations.
Among his favourites is an ogre hidden in the woods, which children delight in feeding with leaves, and a seahorse sculpture that also draws attention from visitors. Further afield, his work can be seen in Anslow village, where a harvest mouse climbs a stalk, and at Fisherwick, where he created an oak tree covered in carved creepy crawlies for a children’s outdoor area.
Tony never repeats the same piece twice, with each work being unique. He has even completed commissions ranging from owls and mice to an eight-foot skull for a goth couple in Rugeley. “Everyone’s a one-off,” he says. “That’s what makes it special.”
Now retired for six years, Tony jokes that it was a choice between “going to the pub every day” or getting out and doing something creative. Thankfully, his decision has left the district enriched with extraordinary sculptures that capture imaginations young and old.
