THERE’S a striking new addition at the RSPB Farnham Heath Nature Reserve this spring – and it has caught the attention of the BBC.

The House of Invisible Hands is a permanent wooden structure constructed out of oak with walls of chestnut coppice by sculptor Walter Bailey.

The inspiration for the piece came from the historical process of local glass making during mediaeval times.

This practice involved working within the forest and using the raw materials of the landscape to keep the furnaces going.

The impurities in the materials created the green of the resulting glass objects.

Walter said: “The House of Invisible Hands is a shrine to those who made forest glass. The glass was made by peasants and often children worked long hours stoking the furnaces. This structure represents the many hands that laboured within local forests years ago.”

The hand-carved oak structure blends in among the trees at the view point on Farnham Heath offering a shelter and rest point for walkers to experience the artwork from outside and within.

Walter continued: “It is my hope that when you visit the site, you enter into the tranquillity of the landscape”.

The BBC Countryfile team were so taken with the concept of the piece they wanted to film it being built.

So on a rather wet March day, filming took place as Walter and his team of volunteers created the structure.

Throughout the process Walter explained the stages to presenter Steve Brown.

Walter added: “It was fantastic for the Countryfile team to take such an interest in the piece. It’s a great opportunity to profile the arts within Surrey but also the magnificent landscape of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

This project is part of Surrey Unearthed, an art programme from Surrey Hills Arts, which has seen a variety of artists create pieces inspired by the history and natural materials of the Surrey Hills.

See how the House of Invisible Hands was created on BBC One’s Countryfile this Sunday, March 31, at 6pm.

The sculpture can be found on the RSPB Farnham Heath Nature Reserve. Visitors can park at the Rural Life Centre, The Reeds Road, Tilford GU10 2DL.*For a drone video of the sculpture, visithttps://youtu.be/Dl4NTDW8n4U