A WORK by Monmouth sculptor Phil Chatfield will take centre stage in an extraordinary voyage down the River Wye.

A four-foot one tonne figure of Our Lady of the Waters and the Wye, mounted on two canoes made into a canoe-catamaran, will be floated for 75 miles downstream, from Hay-on-Wye to Monmouth.

Sue Symonds of Monmouth Canoe Centre has been involved in helping create the canoe component of the pilgrimage.

The voyage aims to raise awareness and to call for concerted action to cleanse the river. The brainchild of Fr Richard Williams of Hay-on-Wye and Philip Chatfield, the sculptor, the pilgrimage will leave Hay Bridge on August 15th and arrive in Monmouth on August 19th.

Two Monmouth rowers, the Deputy Head of Monmouth School and his wife, who are both Atlantic rowers and wild swimmers Nicola Goodwin of BBC Hereford and Worcester and others will accompany the canoe-catamaran on its journey.

Phil Chatfield’s interest in the Wye pollution story began when he went to do a site visit to Dixton Church last summer when he was involved in the late John Hartland memorial project. “I was horrified at the colour of the river”, he told the Beacon.

Art exhibitions will be held at Moccas Village Hall and Whitchurch Church with many events en route: music in Hay, trumpet and saxophones on Bredwardine Bridge and Georgian chants by the monks of Belmont at Moccas. The pilgrimage will reach Biblins Bridge at 5.30pm on the 19th, 6.15pm at Dixton Church ending at 6.30pm at Monmouth Boat House where it will land on the boat house steps from where the statue will be carried by the two transatlantic rowers, and finish with Evening Prayer at 7pm in St Mary’s Church.

It is hoped to livestream the voyage from a webcam on the sculpture’s crown.