The Sculpture Park – Churt.
For art lovers, a collector, sculptors, photographers and nature enthusiasts, The Sculpture Park, Churt, near Farnham is a hidden haven for those with a keen eye for creativity and has been for the past 15 years.
Having heard about the Park from a friend, naturally, I was keen to explore for myself. Tucked away within the 10-acre landscape I was inspired to see such wonderful, works of art in both modern and contemporary designs. There were over 800 pieces to enjoy, all in a variety of sizes, styles and price budget.
The Sculpture Park is primarily situated outdoors over a 2-mile trail and open all year round and every day. With the evolving seasons, it creates an ever-changing landscape, which has been developed with a series of projects and the introduction of thousands of new plants, bulbs, and specimen trees, therefore a great excuse to visit more than once!
Although raining on the day we attended, this certainly did not deter our enthusiasm to investigate every inch of the park. We followed a carefully planned route from our given guidebook, which winds and weaves through trees and shrubs, past lakes and over streams. All the sculptures on the route were numbered and the book gave us the details of the artist, the name of the sculpture and the price, which added to the enjoyment of the visit.
Three lakes complement the park’s diverse landscape and are home to an abundance of water creatures and unusual sculptural features.
There were a number of artists whos work particularly caught my attention:
Wilfred Pritchard – the Park houses numerous witty and controversial pieces of artwork from this artist, particularly engaging were his skeletons in bizarre, humorous and iconic situations.
Ruth Moilliet– tends to focus on nature, British wildflowers, and wildlife. Her work is inspired by her close study of a particular species and the beautiful, intricate forms she discovers.
Maylee Christie – was a successful illustrator and writer of children’s books in Madrid, Spain. She became involved in the ancient art of Byzantine mosaics at the Mosaics Art School in Ravenna, which leads her to pursue a Masters of Mosaics in Venice with Orsoni.
“Mosaic is my own way of being a child again, playing happily for hours on end with hundreds of different materials in a world of make-believe.”
How it all began.
There was a chain of events, which lead to the opening of this great space.
It all began with the Churt Village hardware shop. Purchased by an enthusiastic artist Eddie Powell, who at the time was studying photography and sculpture at Farnham College of Art and was looking for an opportunity to supplement his grant. Now recognised as Miscellanea of Churt this exciting emporium showcases a variety of interior designs specialising in bathroom and kitchens. You cannot leave this establishment without something inspiring the inner creative you!
An expansion to house additional, larger pieces of his own artwork as well as sculptures from other artists opened the doors to The Sculpture Park, a family-run business generated from one man’s passion for art & design.
Nearly all sculptures at the Park are available to buy and their friendly, expert staff can give advice on choice, installation, and delivery.
Entrance Fee:
£10 adults
£5 concessions
Children under 4 are free
Open 10 am – 5 pm every day
Dogs welcome on a short lead
No café but you are welcome to leave (maybe to the pub ‘Bel and The Dragon’ opposite) for refreshments, then re-enter The Sculpture Park.
Children must be supervised at all times
Wheelchair access limited to lower areas
For more information visit here
Poppy Watt
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