New Sculpture Trail Takes Flight

A sculpture trail encouraging people to spring into action is due to open at Hengrove Park on Saturday the 28th of March.

The ‘Get Active’ sculpture trail will provide a much-needed missing link between Hengrove Park, Hengrove Mounds nature reserve and Whitchuch Lane, and forms part of Bristol City Council’s Wild City initiative to get more people connecting with nature.

Starting near Hengrove play park, the path will be hosting this Saturday’s Take Flight opening event from 2pm to 4.30pm.

There will be activities for all ages at the opening, from making bird boxes, paper planes and bug kites, to  wildlife flag printing, musical propellers and a Spring Wildlife guided walk.  A special procession will take place along the new trail at 3pm.

The project has been made a reality thanks to the generousity of Travelwest’s Active Neighbourhood Transport grant fund, which aims to promote sustainable transport initiatives across the Westcountry.

Year three pupils from Perry Court Primary School have been working with community sculptors Paul Gulati and Peter Margerum to create metal way-marker sculptures that are positioned along the new path.

Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods Cllr Daniella Radice said: “I welcome the opening of this new trail.  It’s wonderful to see so many different people come together to create something for the benefit of the whole community.

“Connecting with nature, other neighbourhoods, and walking, are so important for our health and wellbeing. This project shows how the council is working to introduce improvements across the city, and as European Green Capital we plan to continue this approach.”

Martina Michard, a year three class teacher, said: “The project has given us a fantastic outdoor learning opportunity, followed by a very exciting and valuable creative experience which the pupils would not normally get in the classroom.”

Pupils from the Creative Communications course at South Bristol Skills Academy have been involved in designing and distributing posters.

They also worked with community artists Ruth Worsley and Peter Margerum in creating temporary artworks on the theme of flight which will be on display at the event.

The next stage of the project will see the installation of a welcoming gateway feature at the Whitchurch Lane entrance as well as panels containing the stories of the site’s rich history and wildlife.