Monument on Peddar's Way
This red stone monument has been erected alongside the footpath that forms part of Peddar's Way running from the top of Beach Road to the old windmill at Ringstead.
Artist Liz McGowan and storyteller Hugh Lupton created this project, which has involved placing works of art along the route and creating songs and stories to reveal the changing history of the Peddar's Way. The stone was made by Tom Perkins of Ely, and the words on the stone are taken from a poem by Hugh Lupton. The Peddar's Way is a 45-mile Roman walkway and it has deeply inspired both artist and writer. The inspiration for Liz and Hugh's project is their fascination with the Aboriginal idea of a Songline, which is the belief that the landscape must be sung into existence and that every feature of the landscape has its own story which has to be kept alive by storytelling. Liz McGowan is an artist working with sculpture, drawing, installation and photography. Walking is the starting point for all of her work. She began a project on the Peddar's Way with her partner, writer Hugh Lupton, three years ago - placing her sculptures and stones with his writing etched upon them along the Peddar's Way. She has taken photos and he has created stories which echo the walk. In their own words: "As you walk the Peddar's Way you find yourself becoming more and more aware of all the others who have trodden the same ground, whether they be Stone Age hunters, Roman soldiers, Saxon settlers or medieval pilgrims. But remember that you, walking in your time, are as much part of everything that surrounds you as any other traveller has been. All the past that has led to your moment in time is held like a great secret in the landscape that surrounds you. The question is... what happens next?" Links: The Artists
|
Top of Page