This sculpture has the honour of being the only one ever to grace Goosey Foot Tarn, a beautiful spot right at the top of the forest, just up the hill from the Moor Top car park. 'Boatent' was, simply put, a tent on a boat, floating in the middle of the tarn and was inspired by Arthur Ransome's 'Swallows and Amazons', the successful children's adventure set in Ransome's vague approximation of the Coniston area and parts of Grizedale's western flanks. It's unclear if the boat was secured in one spot or if it was free to just float about, but I'm assuming it was in a fixed position, either way it wasn't there long. I never saw it, and only recently learned it existed at all.

 

Justin Carter was part of the millennial wave of slightly more, shall we say 'conceptual' artists, brought in by a new Arts Director around the turn of the century (read more on the 'Forest Billboard' page) and his other project at Grizedale involved him collecting various examples of roadkill and having them stuffed, while still keeping them in their recently-run-over poses.

 

As for Goosey Foot Tarn itself (named for its shape), this small man-made body of water is one of the forest's quieter spots and was once a reservoir, providing drinking water to the good people of Hawkshead. It has two long stone dams, one at either end, serving as bridges, meaning you can easily walk all the way around the tarn, if you so desire.