The Twisted Chimney/Simnai Dirdro

This imposing, twisted chimney stands 8 metres at the north of the Rhymney Valley, for all travelling on A465 to see. It was designed by New York based artist Brian Tolle and is his first installation in the UK. The sculpture was unveiled in 2010 and aims to create a futuristic vision rather than a being a literal depiction of the areas past. It is sited near the former Union Ironworks and on land that was once a railway line, and was created with input from the residents of Bute Town.

The sculpture is 16 metres long and is a realistic brick design which was carved in polystyrene, then coated in 6mm of Armour-Lyte for durability and strength, before being hand painted by Theatre Company Steel Monkey and being lifted into position by crane.

In conjunction with the unveiling, a film called The Bogey Road created by Stefhan Caddick was shown. This film takes archive footage dating back to the 1918 and places it in modern locations around Bute Town, creating interesting contrasts and challenging images.

Both of these projects were commissioned by Caerphilly County Borough Council and Safle, with Heads of the Valleys regeneration funding for the Welsh Government.

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