Leyland Town Deal Chair - Biography
Charles Hadcock DL
Holder of The Queens Award for Enterprise Promotion
Charles Hadcock is a contemporary sculptor. He has lived in Lancashire for the last 20 years having relocated from London. He specialises in making large scale, cast metal sculpture. His work features in collections around the UK, Europe and internationally.
Charles has exhibited and sold his work consistently during the past 30 years with some 18 solo shows and over 30 group exhibitions. He has been commissioned many times to produce permanent sculpture for public parks and squares, and for private organisations and individuals.
Since 2013 he has been developing a new body of sculpture which has been critically acclaimed. Charles is a sculptor who personally makes all of his sculptures in his studio and does not rely on "production houses" to create his work. It is very important to him that "his hand is present" at all times during every process. As a result each of his works is unique. The production of these sculptures has been made easier because of the techniques and skills of a variety of engineering firms based around the country but especially in Lancashire.
In 2001 Charles purchased the ex North West Water Authority building in Preston to house his sculpture studio and in the surplus space he designed and built the award winning Watermark Art and Design complex.
In 2004 he built a second office complex, The Benchmark, which is adjacent to The Watermark.
Charles is a director of Designbit Ltd t/a Roach Bridge Tissues. Together with his wife, Camilla, in 1999, they set up a specialist wrapping tissue paper printing company to continue her family's tradition of paper manufacture and merchanting, based at Roach Bridge Paper Mill, Samlesbury since 1875. They continue to supply luxury and prestigious branded tissue paper to many of the high street shops across the country.
Charles is the Development Director of Edenbrace Ltd which owns the Roach Bridge Mill site. Taking advantage of the 18th century infrastructure already in place at Roach Bridge Mill, he developed and project managed the successful installation of a 230 KWH hydro electricity generating plant which has the capacity to supply power to the whole Roach Bridge Mill complex, allowing the products produced on site to have truly green credentials.
In 2019 Charles and Camilla set up a development company Mill Court (RoachBridge) Limited to build 8 homes on land opposite the Mill. The homes will complement the long term development plans for the Roach Bridge Mill site which include a multi occupancy office building and further workshops and industrial units. The stone built homes are of a traditional character and will be constructed using local and Made in Britain manufactured materials and products.
Awards and Membership of Professional Bodies:
2018 Appointed Honorary Colonel of the Lancashire Army Cadet Force.
2014 Commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire
2003 - 2018 Chairman of Creative Lancashire, a County Council and private sector
initiative to support the creative industries of Lancashire
2010 - 2014 Elected Council member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
2008 Elected Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
2007 Recipient of the Queens Award for Enterprise Promotion
Qualifications:
1987-1989 Royal College of Art, MA in Fine Art - Sculpture
1984-1987 Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology, BA (Hons) Fine Art
1983-1984 Derby College of Higher Education, Foundation
1979-1983 Ampleforth College, York
