Return of the Hoveringham Mammoth
Iconic steel sculpture returns to former home at restored Nottinghamshire gravel works
WHEN the new head office for Nottinghamshire-based Hoveringham Gravels Ltd was opened in October 1965, distinguished sculptor Kim James was commissioned to produce an abstract representation of the company’s ‘Mammoth’ trademark.
The resulting sculpture, which stands 23ft high and weighs more than 4 tonnes, became a well-known local landmark symbolizing the company’s connection with the archaeological remains found in the nearby sand and gravel pit.
The Hoveringham Group was bought by Tarmac in December 1981, after which the Mammoth remained in situ until the early 1990s, when it was donated by Tarmac to Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and re-erected outside the Engineering Department.
In January 2019, members of the Hoveringham Vintage Vehicle Society (www.hvvs.co.uk) started to explore the possibility of returning the Mammoth to its original home in the now restored gravel workings on the outskirts of Hoveringham village, and in June 2020, with the help of both Tarmac and Nottingham Trent University, HVVS received the necessary deed of gift document.
The following month the rusty old Mammoth was transported by local heavy haulage specialists Hutchinson Engineering from NTU’s Clifton Campus back to the Trent Valley where it now awaits refurbishment by Yates Engineering.
In the meantime, HVVS will be managing the fund-raising effort to cover the restoration and re-siting of the iconic sculpture. For further details of the project, contact John McAndrew at: jmcandrew3@sky.com.
