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Swifts chirp in the sky, hares roam the grass verges and butterflies flutter along the forest edge. There is an orchard; there are chickens, beehives. It seems quaint, if quaint, about the English countryside – until you find the beautiful sculptures made from reclaimed metal or machine tools scavenged from factories, shipyards and farms.
The pieces are the stars of a show called Heavy Metal, which includes the work of one of the UK’s greatest artists of the 20th century, Anthony Caroand one of his successors, James Capper.
Michael Hue-Williams, director and owner Albion Barn and Fields In south Oxfordshire, where Heavy Metal is on display, he said he doesn’t like the traditional museum. I like to see a statue suddenly appear. You wander around for a while and just happen to find something amazing.
Those with the deepest pockets can buy – Hue-Williams is a well-known and best seller – but art and nature lovers in general are invited to browse for free as long as they count and promise not to climb on the sculptures.
Caro, who died in 2013, is considered one of Britain’s most famous post-war artists. They were involved in the construction of the Millennium Bridge in London and are celebrated for their use of recycled steel.
The display at the Albion Barn includes pieces such as the Erl King, in which a ship’s anchor is used to create what appears to be a shiny medieval helmet.
Another, Star Flight, is made of tin. From one side, the church of St James provides the background; from another, far away Wittenham Gameswooded chalk hills, get the job done.
The third caro, on the edge of the forest near the owl’s nest, is made from a cow’s feast, which would have been used to keep the cows while they were being tested or treated. Titled Slow Passage, parts of it were painted red, which Hue-Williams said reminded him of the work of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian.
One of Capper’s standout pieces is called IRIS, which looks like an industrial “grabber”. Some of Capper’s pieces move. The active parts of IRIS open like a flower.
Capper’s painting inside a tractor shed that has been converted into a museum consists of two scarred, menacing figures perched on a fence like circling deer.
A guide to the exhibition describes how Capper went to an interview as Caro’s butler but the master artist told him to go back to his studio to continue making his sculptures. He did just that and now works in a studio on an old battlefield in Wiltshire.
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The trees at Albion Barn were planted by Hue-Williams’ father, Giles Hue-Williams, as a regeneration project before the idea became popular. Tragically, he was killed by a swarm of bees while working in his orchard.
But he created an environment that is well suited to art. Visitors should be warned: there is no gift shop and restaurant (the grassy area above the garden wall is taking additional customers), acres of gardens and trees and sculptures are visible outside the site.
Hue-Williams’ daughter, Lucca Hue-Williams, is a director and founder of a central London house. Albion Young and Heavy Metal mixed together, he admitted that there was something a little crazy in the idea of a show of important artists in the Oxfordshire countryside.
“It’s a hidden gem but I think it’s important to have a diverse show,” he said. “It’s a conversation between Anthony Caro, one of the greatest artists of the last century, and the artist who inspired him and became his friend, James Capper. People can come, wander around the gardens. It’s British but fun.”
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Open Thursday and Friday, with limited tours on website. Not suitable for children under 12, and children aged 12-17 must be supervised by an adult at all times.
