Ahead of the BBC’s major forthcoming series Wild Isles, presented by Sir David Attenborough, the Wild Escape project invites museums to work with artists inspired by native wildlife in their collections. Funded by The Art Fund, and supported by Arts Council England, over 500 museums in the country are taking part.
Kiplin Hall & Gardens was delighted to receive £2,700 in funding to work with artist, Shane Green, aka The Yorkshire Carver, to create a new sculpture trail which is now open to visitors. The meandering lakeside paths at Kiplin Hall serve as the backdrop to a series of timber sculptures, carved by chainsaw, inspired by the biodiversity and natural environment in the gardens and grounds.
Many visitors to Kiplin are surprised to learn that the serene appearance of the large lake has not always been so. The lake is a relatively new addition to the 400-year-old estate, created in the 1990’s as the result of gravel extraction! Income from the gravel quarry paid for the restoration of the historic house, saving it from dereliction and demolition, turning it into a museum.
Today the lake and surrounding woodland provides a habitat to numerous species of native wildlife. Wild geese, swans, and heron are a daily sight. Fish, frogs, and insects populate the water. Foxes, rabbits, and deer are more elusive but are often seen at dusk and dawn.
Inspired by this diverse habitat, the sculptures depict all that creeps and crawls, slithers and swims, flaps and frolics at Kiplin. The trail is now open and offers the ideal motivation to stretch those legs and get some fresh air. (Kiplin is open 6 days a week, closed on Thursdays.)
The Yorkshire Carver will be back at Kiplin on Saturday 22nd April in celebration of Earth Day, for live demonstrations of his carving techniques. Family Fun Day activities are taking place on Saturday 1st, 15th and 22nd April. On these days we are delighted to offer free entry for children*, aged under 15, visiting with a responsible adult. Find detail on the event information HERE
As part of The Wild Escape project we’ve made three short informative films about the habitats at Kiplin. The Lakeside, Parkland and Woodland. Thank you to our Eco Volunteers for all of their hard work on these videos.
The Lakeside
The Parkland
The Woodland
The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund.
*Terms & Conditions
- Applies to children aged 15 years old and under
- Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult in possession of a valid day or annual ticket.
- Offer valid on these dates only – Sat 1st, 15th and 22nd April.
- Offer valid on day tickets only.
- Children must be supervised by their responsible adult at all times and during craft activities.
