The Romsey Rose

THE bronze sculpture just beside the Waitrose store in Latimer Walk at Romsey commemorates some of the most important traditions of the town.  
 
It was commissioned by the Waitrose parent company, the John Lewis Partnership at the time the company moved base and opened its current supermarket on a fresh site in Latimer Walk, ten years ago.
 
It is now cared for by the local authority, Test Valley Borough Council but it takes its inspiration from the design of the Hampshire Rose and the creators, Simon Cooper and Matthew Duke have borrowed features from within the architecture of Romsey Abbey.


To create it, they simplified the design of the Hampshire Rose into a pentagon ring, then supported it on a 45 degree angle by archways based on those found in Romsey Abbey.
 
The sculpture weighs approximately a 1.5 tonnes, is 13 feet wide, 10 feet high and 8.6 feet deep.
 

A plaque nearby reveals that one of the main aims of the project was to encourage the Rose to be touched, walked through and the lower part sat upon. This gives passers by a complete experience and helps the sculpture's sheen as the areas that are retouched most will reveal the natural bronze But the plaque urges viewers not to climb on the artwork.