Hawkshead – Where Can We Walk

Caution in the woods: Malcolm Wilson Rally

February 12, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

Walkers, cyclists and horse riders are being given advanced warning of disruption as the countdown begins to a popular Lake District rally where more than 100 cars and around 5,000 spectators will flock to the forest spectacular.

The Malcolm Wilson Rally is set for Saturday 3 March 2012 and rights of way will be closed as drivers race over woodland tracks and land around Grizedale Forest, Wythop and Whinlatter.

All footpaths, bridleways and trails between Coniston Water and the Hawkshead to Satterthwaite Road and others at Wythop and Whinlatter will be out of bounds during the event.

The Forestry Commission will also be closing most permitted paths, cycle routes, and open access land around the rally routes.

Clear signs will be in place explaining path closures and the Lake District National Park’s Access and Rights of Way Officer, Nick Thorne apologised for any inconvenience.

“We really have no option but to put public safety first,” he said. “It would present a serious risk if people were to carry on using the rights of way when the rally is in progress”.

Katie Jarvis, Recreation Ranger for the Forestry Commission at Grizedale added: “The rally is a great event to watch, but for those who would rather walk or mountain bike there are alternative routes on the east side of the Hawkshead to Satterthwaite road.

“Although the North Face trail is closed for the day, a mapped alternative – taking in the delights of Claife – is available from our visitor centre and bike shop. On Sunday we will be fully open for business as usual”.

At Whinlatter, the Altura Trail will be closed for the morning, although all of the forest should be open as usual by lunchtime as the rally moves south. Closed paths and tracks will be clearly marked with notices.

Spectator car parks will also be clearly signposted and if possible, non-rally visitors should avoid using roads in the affected areas on the day.

More details on the rally route and car parks can be found on www.malcolmwilson.co.uk The Forestry Commission also publish information on www.forestry.gov.uk/grizedale and www.forestry.gov.uk/whinlatter

New sculpture at Grizedale Forest

February 16, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

A new sculpture installation, inspired by the form of a section of the River Thames used for the Cambridge vs Oxford boat race, has been launched for the public to visit on the Forestry Commission estate at Grizedale Forest, near Hawkshead, in South Cumbria.

‘Boat Race’ by renowned Artist Keith Wilson can be visited on Grizedale’s Millwood Trail, which begins at the newly revamped Grizedale visitor centre.

The sculpture consists of a 9 metre long walkway, which winds its way through the trees adjacent to the stream in the Millwood.

Made from galvanised steel, the sculpture takes its inspiration from structures found in agricultural settings and leads the viewer through the trees in the Millwood.

Hayley Skipper, Arts Development Officer from The Forestry Commission at Grizedale, says:

“We’re absolutely delighted to be showing Keith Wilson’s innovative work on one of the sculpture trails at Grizedale. Keith’s work is often playful and subtly humorous and ‘Boat Race’ is no exception.

“As you encounter it the piece creates a dynamic relationship with your sense of the forest and brings a new experience of sculpture to the trail for the public to enjoy.”

‘Boat Race’ in the woods

Wilson’s work explores the capacity that sculptures have to mean different things according to their context. This is the first time that ‘Boat Race’ has been shown in a woodland environment. This work is ‘performative’, engaging visitors by inviting them to physically interact with it.

Keith Wilson’s work is held in many public collections including the Contemporary Art Society; Leeds City Art Gallery and the Saatchi Collection and his ‘Periodic Table’ work is installed permanently at the Wellcome Collection in London.

This new installation is part of Grizedale’s sculpture trails.

The Commission’s forest based art programme aims to inspire and engage people with the development of public art in Grizedale Forest and forge new links between contemporary visual art, sculpture and the forest environment.

Grizedale was at the forefront in the development of art in the environment in the 1970s and the Forest is home to over 60 sculptures including works by Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Harris and David Kemp.

Grizedale has something for everyone with a wide range of walking trails, waymarked paths, forest roads, tracks and bridleways, plus superb views of Coniston Water, Windermere and the Grizedale Valley.

More information about Grizedale Forest can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/grizedalehome