‘Flora’ the owl arrives at Hale Wharf, Tottenham

We’re delighted to reveal that our very own giant owl, ‘Flora’, has landed at Hale Wharf, a vibrant waterside community in Tottenham.

‘Flora’ is an avian art installation and our own contribution to The Big Fun Art Adventure, an initiative launched by North London Hospice and Wild in Art. The project has brought an exciting and free sculpture trail to North London for families to enjoy this summer.

The trail is made up of more than 30 giant owl sculptures, alongside a parliament of 30 smaller owlets, hidden in plain sight on streets and in parks across North London.

Every owl, which has been sponsored as part of the initiative, was designed and decorated by local artists as part of a celebration of the creativity, culture, and vibrancy that North London has to offer.

At the start of 2024, the project team attended a sponsors evening where they selected a design for their owl which best reflected the environment in which the owl would be installed. As Hale Wharf is situated next to The Paddock nature reserve, the team decided that local artist Chloe Averys design, ‘I bring you Flowers,’ was best fit. The team have since named the floral owl, ‘Flora.’

Now that ‘Flora’ has landed at Hale Wharf, she will be enjoyed by residents and families for eight weeks. She will then be auctioned to raise money for North London Hospice.

The arrival of ‘Flora’ comes as Hale Wharf, delivered by Waterside Places – our strategic partnership with the Canal & River trust – and in partnership with the Mayor of London and London Borough of Haringey, is soon to achieve practical completion.

Hale Wharf is located within Tottenham Hale, one of the Mayor of London’s priority Housing Zones. Our work has seen the transformation of a forgotten and underutilised urban waterside area, to deliver 505 new homes, including 191 affordable.

The regeneration has opened up new public spaces and walking routes for the community with the addition of three new bridges, one improving pedestrian connectivity to Tottenham Hale station and another linking the scheme to The Paddock nature reserve.

Project Director – Chris Coxall, said:

“It’s always our aim to support the communities in which we work, and Hale Wharf is no exception. We look forward to welcoming residents and families on the trail who will be able to come and see Flora and connect with nature at The Paddock.”