The Prophet by Willi Soukop is a little gem of Modernist public art tucked away outside a block of council flats in the Avenue. The sculpture was donated to the one-time Chairman of the Urban District Council John Jefferies and placed here when Leaholme Court was built in 1973.
The flats themselves are now completely derelict. The Bromford Group, the Housing Association that owns them, has plans afoot for a new energy-efficient development. High time they were swept away! They have long been a blot on the landscape: residents have complained of poor conditions; there has been one fairly substantial fire and rumours of various other unsavoury incidents. The only concern is the archaeology, as the site occupies a prime position over part of the original Roman fort. The Bromford Group has undertaken to keep The Prophet in place.
Article on the sculpture by David Viner, CAHS Newsletter, April 2009.
Archaeological assessment for the Leaholme site