The sculpture Mariners Way II is created from contemporary materials in the form of a knotted rope sphere, and was made by artist Edward Crumpton in 2015.

It is a memorial to an ancient and fabled path, the 'Mariners’ Way', which runs across Devon, from Bideford on the North coast, through Dartmoor, to Dartmouth in the South.

In historical times Devon was renowned for its seafaring, and the path was taken by sailors walking from one port to the other to seek work. The 'Mariners Way', was in fact created from parts of other existing ancient tracks and pathways to make the most direct route across Devon.

Today a weather-beaten stone cross and a traditional Medieval Longhouse mark out where the Mariners’ Way existed.

Signposts for the Mariners’ Way can be found across the moor and traces of the track now echo in the traditions of Dartmoor. Find out more about the history of the Mariners' Way and its route here.

The sculpture

Mariners Way II is fashioned from knotted rope. The use of the half-hitch macramé knot is important on several levels. It works as a physical representation of the steps undertaken by the mariners; in a medium integral to their lives.

This traditional maritime skill would have had both a practical application in their work and has also served as a form of artistic expression.

Mariners used knotting to create decorative pieces of macramé that they would often sell on their travels.

The artist

Edward Crumpton lives and works in North Devon. Edward studied Fine Art at the University of Lincoln and it was here that he began to develop his practice around landscape, the nature of the journey and how these journeys connect the human with the environment. Edward is particularly interested in how people have interacted historically with the environment, how the landscape is marked by the physical traces of human existence and how the oral tradition evidences their passage.

Edward has been studying the traditional British rope weaving and knotting techniques as a medium to create sculptures. Edward interprets the form of rope much like a drawn line on paper. He is fascinated by the versatility of the medium to simultaneously create simple forms from complex structures and patterns. Rope has been an integral part of human history and has extensive uses to build, voyage and communicate for thousands of years. Edward translates his understanding of this material and the engagement he has with the landscape around him to create rope screens and rope sculptures.

Find out more about the artist and his work here.