Sunday 28th July 19, my husband and I went to visit Stone Lane Sculpture Gardens in Chagford. Stone Lane Gardens are a spectacular 5 acre woodland and water garden... read more on the edge of Dartmoor National Park that enchants and inspires in all seasons of the year. It is famous for its National Collections of Birch and Alder trees. Stone Lane Garden is threaded with pools and streams, while gleaming tree bark in a myriads of shades are enhanced and complemented by a varied tapestry of shade-loving plants. Stone Lane Garden started life back in 1971, as a place for Kenneth Ashburner to start planting the birch and alder trees he was starting to acquire on his trips abroad as well as trees given to him by other collectors. Over his life Kenneth collected more seeds and as the plants outgrew his nursery, so he planted them out in the garden. Kenneth’s gradual and artfully planned landscaping created the framework of the garden you see today. It is a garden crammed full of unusual and beautiful trees, many of them rarely seen in the United Kingdom. Stone Lane Garden is not just a National Collection; it is a reminder of a world too precious to be ignored. Stone Lane Garden is also a sculpture garden, and every year they hold a ‘The Mythic Garden’ Sculpture exhibition, this year was its 27th celebration. It is an important showcase for West Country artists,... Sunday 28th July 19, my husband and I went to visit Stone Lane Sculpture Gardens in Chagford.
Stone Lane Gardens are a spectacular 5 acre woodland and water garden on the edge of Dartmoor National Park that enchants and inspires in all seasons of the year. It is famous for its National Collections of Birch and Alder trees. Stone Lane Garden is threaded with pools and streams, while gleaming tree bark in a myriads of shades are enhanced and complemented by a varied tapestry of shade-loving plants.
Stone Lane Garden started life back in 1971, as a place for Kenneth Ashburner to start planting the birch and alder trees he was starting to acquire on his trips abroad as well as trees given to him by other collectors. Over his life Kenneth collected more seeds and as the plants outgrew his nursery, so he planted them out in the garden. Kenneth’s gradual and artfully planned landscaping created the framework of the garden you see today.
It is a garden crammed full of unusual and beautiful trees, many of them rarely seen in the United Kingdom. Stone Lane Garden is not just a National Collection; it is a reminder of a world too precious to be ignored.
Stone Lane Garden is also a sculpture garden, and every year they hold a ‘The Mythic Garden’ Sculpture exhibition, this year was its 27th celebration. It is an important showcase for West Country artists, and is held annually at the gardens within the beautifully landscaped National Collections of Birch and Alder trees.
Amongst groves of trees, pools and streams, individual sculptures can be seen within their own natural ‘frames’. The gardens create a magical setting for this exhibition, and are a photographer’s paradise. My husband and I took loads of photographs, as the sculptures are tucked away around every nook, cranny and corner all around the gardens and are a joy to discover and find.
Whilst all sculptures were good my favorite was St Ethelreda a bronze statue of a woman with a dove and my husbands was two wooden ‘face’ sculptures one of a healer and one of a warrior, which looked liked two of his characters in his book that he is writing.
The 2019 ‘Mythic Garden’ exhibition showcased twenty artists from Devon, Surrey, Hampshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. It showcased work as diverse as clouds suspended from the trees to cast marble barn owls in media ranging from manmade materials to wood and stone. My husband and I spent most of the morning wandering around this wonderful and creative garden. It even inspired me to write a poem here called ‘Magic Lives Here’.
This inspiring garden is well worth a visit if you are in the area. More
Beautiful gardens with a fascinating collection of Birch trees. Wonderful hidden pathways and sculptures to explore. Great for nature photography.
OscarMilne
Wendy E
