JCB is a huge company that has a prominent place here, and they’ve just celebrated 80years. So we popped along to visit the plaques and the famous Toy box JCB.

Its a super easy and fully accessible walk, or wheel around block paved walk. Its a perfect circular walk around the JCB Lake, and has numerous water fowl birds as residents there. Its around 30 to 60mins walk but if like me you take pictures of every bird, you may take longer!

We started off up the side of the factory to our left, and lake to our right. It was around 3pm so the light was going as its dark now around 4pm (how fast is that now?!)

First statue we see is Opus Sculpture by Mark Delf (1992), which portrays how much the need for hard manual labour has been reduced by the introduction of the earth moving machinery designed and built by JCB.

As we walk around we see the plaques celebrating key dates in their history, all the achievements they have done over the 80yrs

JCB is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025, a milestone that coincides with the 80th birthday of its Chairman, Lord Bamford. The company was founded by Joseph Cyril Bamford in 1945, starting with a single agricultural tipping trailer and growing into a global manufacturer of construction and agricultural machinery. Celebrations include events, a special day off for employees, and continued focus on innovation, such as their hydrogen-powered machinery.

To mark the 1 million Backhoe sales and the 80th birthday they a created special 80th birthday installation at JCB’s lakeside HQ in Staffordshire – a full-sized digger presented as if it were a scale model.

Walking around we saw another statue which is Startled Horse Sculpture by Mark Delf was installed at JCB World Headquarters in Staffordshire in 1990. The life-size bronze sculpture majestically overlooks the lake: symbolising that the animal has more power and control over its decisions than does the rider.

It was such a beautiful and gentle walk, a perfect way to get some fresh air in the lungs, and easy to walk around on my ankle and with a walking stick.