A Roman boat dating from AD 190–225, discovered in 1958, now rests nearly five metres beneath the Cancer Centre. This 50-foot vessel is believed to have been abandoned in Guy’s Channel - a tidal creek and tributary of the River Thames - during a time spanning from prehistory to the medieval period.

Sculptor Daniel Silver used the boat as inspiration for his commissioned artwork. With a keen interest in archaeology and its relevance today, he sees the boat as a powerful link to our shared history. His proposal was developed in collaboration with Roy Stephenson, Head of the Archaeological Collection at the Museum of London.

Daniel references a historic London once shaped by islands and canals, where boats were the primary mode of transport. This imagery led him to reflect on the individual journeys people make through the city - mirroring the path of patients navigating treatment within the Cancer Centre.