As an alternative to your usual style of day out, how about visiting a sculpture park? You might say that these are one of our country’s best kept secrets – did you realise there are around 40 in the UK? Many are set in beautiful locations and each has its own uniquely different ambience and landscape.
You may not know too much about sculpture, but walking one of these trails in such pleasant surroundings is sure to be restful and enlightening. Kids will love being outside, running freely amongst the trees and the art works; it’s a great way to open young minds, especially those who might rebel about walking around a regular gallery.
This is also a pretty budget-friendly day out. Many parks have free admission and offer picnic facilities, so pack up that hamper, gather your brood and get outside to make the most of the British summer!
The New Art Centre Sculpture Park & Gallery
Roche Court, East Winterslow, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 1BG
www.sculpture.uk.com
T: 01980 862244
About the park
The New Art Centre was founded in 1958 and relocated from London to Wiltshire in 1994. Roche Court is a nineteenth-century house set in parkland. Exhibitions change frequently and displays have included works by significant sculptors such as Barbara Hepworth, Anthony Caro, Helen Chadwick, Julian Opie, Richard Deacon and Richard Long. All works are available to purchase. The New Art Centre also exhibits each year at the Basel Art Fair in Switzerland.
Planning your visit
Free entry Open daily 11am – 4pm
Free parking
Maps of the park and information sheets are available at the front of the house
No dogs
Forest Of Dean Sculpture Trail
Speech House Road, Broadwell, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 7EL
www.forestofdean-sculpture.org.uk
T: 01594 833057
About the trail
The 3.5 mile trail opened in 1986 and has currently has 22 works exhibited which explore the trees and wildlife of the Forest of Dean, its industrial past and rich heritage. Work include those by Peter Randall-Page, Ian Hamilton Finlay and Cornelia Parker.
Planning your visit
Free entry
Open daily from dawn until dusk
Parking: £3.00 per day Nov-Feb, £3.50 per day Mar-Oct
Maps & MP3 narrative guides are available for purchase from Forest of Dean Adventure shop
Geocaching route
Picnic area
Children’s’ playground
Shop
Dog friendly
Tout Quarry Sculpture Park
Easton Lane, Portland, Dorset DT5 1BW
www.learningstone.org
T: 01305 826 736
About the park In 1983 Tout Quarry, once a working stone and mineral extraction site, was transformed by a group of artists and the local community into a unique 40 acre site. Sculpture, quarrying, geology and the environment all converge here. More than 60 works have been carved into the rock face or onto extracted boulders, others are constructed from shale. Artists include Philip King, Antony Gormley, Keir Smith and Dhruva Mistry.
Planning your visit
Free entry
Open daily
Free parking
Map & signboards displayed throughout
Dog friendly
Amazing coastal views
Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden
Barnoon Hill, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1AD
www.tate.org.uk/stives/hepworth/
T: 01736 796226
About the garden The house, garden and studio of Barbara Hepworth, who lived and worked here from 1949 until her death in 1975, were opened to the public in 1976 and have been cared for by Tate since 1980. Hepworth used the garden as a place to view her works and it now houses over 40 of her large and small scale sculptures in bronze, marble and brass as well as many plants, flowers and trees.
Planning your visit
Adults £6.60, Children £4.40
Open daily Jan-Feb 10.00am–4.20pm, Mar–Oct 10.00am–5.20pm
Limited parking in St Ives
Free tours available
Shop
No dogs
In addition to the Sculpture Garden there is a trail of public works by Barbara Hepworth in St Ives. A map is available at the garden.