Millie - Spins the Wheel of Time

Standing proudly in the Town's Festival Garden is a life-size bronze figure of a mill girl affectionately known as 'Millie' who personifies Bradford on Avon's rich tapestry through ages past and the town's bright hope for the future. The sculpture by former resident Dr John Willats is an artistic feat and a must-see for visitors, revealing much about the enchanting market town.

Unveiled in January 2000, 'Millie' symbolises all three millennia starting at the conical part of the base in the form of a half-buried Roman amphora, suggesting the Town's Roman origins. On the stone drum are two angels similar to those in the Saxon Church, then on the other side is the gudgeon - the emblem of the Town and its River. On either side of the fish are the words 'SUB PISCE - SUPER FLUMINE' meaning under the fish and over the water' - from the town's motto.

Freedom and Hope
'Millie' herself represents Bradford's long association with wool and cloth and symbolises 'Clotho' - one of three greek fates who spun out, measured and cut off women's lives. The English word 'Cloth' derives from her name. Millie's dress with high waistband suggests the eighteenth century, the period of Bradford on Avon's greatest prosperity. The dove being released towards the town symbolizes the free spirit of the third millennium, bringing freedom and hope.