Stepping over the border into beautiful North Wales, my digital preservation journey brought me to the coastal town of Prestatyn. Located just a stones throw away from the bustling railway station on Station Road is a quiet, leafy haven known as Coronation Gardens. Nestled within this park is a stunning wooden owl sculpture that serves as a perfect example of nature and art coming together. Continuing my mission to archive our local heritage, I brought my Creality Otter Lite 3D scanner to capture this magnificent carved bird.
Here is the heartwarming story behind this wooden wonder and how the latest handheld 3D scanning technology makes preserving it so effortless.
The History Of The Coronation Gardens Owl
Public parks are the green lungs of our towns, and Coronation Gardens has a rich history of its own, originally developed in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. Today, it is lovingly maintained by the Friends of Coronation Gardens volunteer group.
Here are the key facts about how this specific sculpture came to be:
- The Inspiration: The sculpture was born from a desire to preserve nature. A former elm tree in the gardens had sadly died. Instead of simply felling and removing it, discussions sparked following a visit from Wales in Bloom judges about giving the tree a second life.
- The Artist: The incredibly talented local wood carver Mark Earp stepped in to help. In an amazing show of community spirit, he agreed to undertake the carving project completely free of charge.
- The Creation: Working directly with the Denbighshire County Council Tree Team, Mark transformed the dead elm wood into a beautiful, watchful owl. The project was officially completed in March 2025.
- The Legacy: The sculpture stands as a tribute to the dedication of the local volunteers who care for the area. As Councillor Barry Mellor beautifully stated at the time, the memory of the former elm tree will now take flight for many people to admire for generations.
Scanning Carved Wood With The Creality Otter Lite
Digitizing a wooden sculpture outdoors presents a completely different set of challenges compared to scanning smooth bronze or stone. The rough textures of the bark, the deep chisel marks left by the carver, and the dappled sunlight coming through the park canopy require a highly capable tool. The Creality Otter Lite handled the task perfectly.
Here is why this scanner excelled during the capture process:
- Incredible Precision: Capturing the intricate feather details and the deep grooves carved by Mark Earp required serious accuracy. The 0.05 millimeter precision of the Otter Lite flawlessly mapped the complex organic textures of the natural elm wood.
- No Messy Sprays: Because this is a natural park environment and a beloved community artwork, applying dulling spray to the wood was completely out of the question. The advanced vision system handled the varying shades of the timber beautifully in the natural outdoor lighting.
- Wireless Portability: Scanning in a public garden means you need to be quick and avoid creating tripping hazards for people enjoying their walk. The lightweight and entirely wireless design of the Otter Lite allowed me to walk smoothly around the tree stump, capturing every angle without any trailing cables getting in the way.
A Digital Archive Of Community Art
Preserving our local monuments in 3D allows us to capture the profound community spirit of our region. Having a flawless digital model of the Prestatyn owl sculpture ensures that the incredible carving skills of Mark Earp, and the beautiful second life of the Coronation Gardens elm tree, can be respected and remembered by future generations across the globe.
