West End park art installation confuses Eastleigh locals

A video was posted to the r/Southampton Reddit group, with the caption: "What is this that I found on the hill of Maple [Crescent] because it wasn’t there before".

It showed a number of maypoles located around the green space at the top of the hill.

Each maypole had a different symbol placed on top, and the arrangement confused some users of the Reddit group.

The art installation is located close to Maple Crescent Road (Image: Newsquest)

'Quidditch World Cup?'

A few people had a guess at what the maypoles were for with jokey suggestions thrown out including "Extreme Sailor Moon convention?" and "Quidditch World Cup?"

Another made a reference to the 2006 Wicker Man film, posting: "They look like may-poles but well out of season. Check if Nicholas Cage is hiding in the bushes. I've heard he is local-ish."

Meanwhile, another joked: "Ancient evil goblin cult hun stay safe xxxx".

More serious proposals were made as a few suggested that it looked like the symbols on top of the maypoles were related to planets.

Eventually, one user was able to find out what the maypoles were, as they shared it was part of a public art installation from Eastleigh Borough Council.

The maypole symbols relate to planets (Image: Newsquest) The installation was created by architecture and ideas studio CAN and artist Felicity Hammond to help "create a community gathering space at the centre of Hatch Farm", the council website shares.

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It adds: "The artwork draws inspiration from historic barrows, and uses the motif of the maypole as the vertical axis connecting the earth to the more mystical realms of the universe.

"The seating in the artwork is shaped to the outlines of leaves, gathered by children at St James’ C of E Primary School, and the colours mirror the vast night sky.

"On top of each of the maypoles are astronomical symbols for the eight planets in our solar system."

When contacted for comment Eastleigh Borough Council added: "We’ll be putting a panel on the site soon with more information about the work, which is paid for from developers’ contributions for public art within the Hatch Farm development.”