Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is launching a new nature art trail, which combines two of the nation's passions - art and the great outdoors. The art trail is along the 153-mile stretch of the stunning North Downs Way National Trail. Named The Great ARTdoors, this art trail will take visitors from Surrey to Dover in Kent, as they track down nine sustainable sculptures - designed to entice visitors to stop, rest and enjoy the stunning scenes along the trail.

Each newly commissioned piece of artwork reflects the special characteristics of each beautiful location, making them iconic and unique. The artworks are made from sustainable materials and act as sculptural seats to allow visitors to sit, reflect and relax surrounded by wonderful and inspiring art, history, and nature.

The nine sculptures include:

'Optohedron' By Will Nash - Will Nash is an artist with a fascination for geometry and patterns in nature “The Optohedron sculpture is inspired by the act of viewing, thinking about 'seeing' as the fundamental interface between the person and the world. Whilst exploring this idea, Nash investigated optics, the science of light, which took them to an ancient instrument, the Kaleidoscope.”

'Radius' By James Tunnard - Made from locally sourced oak, the undulating curves of this sculptural seat reflect the shapes of the surrounding hills and valleys, as well as the radial symmetries of growth found in trees and other plant life. James Tunnard is an artist and designer working across a wide range of disciplines and materials. 

'Coccolith' by INSTAR - Inspired by the very creatures that, 65 million years ago, formed the foundations of the North Downs Way, 'Coccolith' invites visitors to take a seat and immerse themselves in this rolling and quintessential landscape.  Artists Trish Evans and Nick Humphrey produce multi-disciplinary artwork inspired by the natural world, from the oceans to the uplands, the urban to the rural.

'Feel Our Voice' By Kezia Cole - Kezia's work is based on participatory practice with communities to co-create live audience experiences. Kezia explored how visitors experience rest and contemplation by creating a bench made from laser-cut/CNC router-cut slices of wood from recycled apple crates from local Rickard's farm.

'Coppice Oratory' By Tchonova + La Roi - This four-metre-high wooden sculpture is a key lookout point on the North Downs Way, a space for reflection for modern-day pilgrims travelling along the route through King's Wood, near Canterbury and Ashford. Positioned in the 1,450-acre King's Wood above Godmersham at the point where Canterbury Cathedral becomes visible to walkers. Matthijs la Roi and Simone Tchonova are the eponymous architects of Tchonova + la Roi, a London-based architecture practice. Their collaborative design process focuses on responding to distinct site-specific elements from the historical, political, cultural, social, and natural surroundings. 

'Sedile Francigena' By Polysemic - Located on the Via Francigena, Sedile Francigena is an incredible piece of engineering and a beautiful work of art, which in Latin translates to a seat or bench. Christopher is the director of Polysemic, an interdisciplinary design studio focused on the creation of places for performance and the technical and cultural infrastructure that supports them.

'After the Black Gold' By Channel – This artwork is inspired by the local mining heritage of Woolage Village. The structure invites walkers on the North Downs Way to sit, rest and consider the layers of human intervention in this landscape. On one side there are beautiful views looking out towards the colliery and on the other side the houses and play area of the village.

'Monumenta Romana' By Charles Holland Architects - The Monumenta Romana sculpture is fabricated from salvaged timber that has been recycled from flooring, barrels and even sea groins, which all form an open-framed dome surrounded by an octagonal timber seat. Providing 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape to walkers on the trail, the piece re-imagines the cupola that was originally intended to go on the roof of the Belvedere. The artwork refers to a history of architectural fragments and objects brought back from foreign travels as well as a history of wayside chapels and shrines that populate pilgrimage routes. Charles Holland Architects is an international architecture and design studio, their work is multi-disciplinary in scope and includes buildings, exhibitions, public art, and urban design as well as teaching and research.

'We are all Winners' by Alma Tischlerwood - This sculpture forms a winner's podium in the shape of a bench with the engraved words “we are” in Latin, created as a modern monument and homage to pilgrimage. Alma Tischler Wood studied with Guenter Fruhtrunk at the Munich Academy and briefly Philosophy at the Goldsmiths University of London. 

The Great ARTdoors can be experienced any time of the year with the ever-changing landscapes. Visitors will discover history every step of the way: there are eight castles, three cathedrals, three archbishops' palaces and numerous stately homes and gardens close to the Trail. After a day of exploring, you can sample English ales flavoured with Kentish hops at traditional English country pubs and inns.  

If you're feeling inspired by the sculptures, why not try out some of the nearby creative activities? From a Family Mini Survival Adventure in the woodlands with Natural Pathways, where you'll build shelters, and campfires and cook your own food on a campfire, to learning the ancient art of mosaic with Mosaic Mum, exploring nature and making your very own piece at an old game cottage, nestled on the edge of ancient woodland belonging to the Chevening Estate in the famous Kent Downs AONB. There is so much to see and do in the surrounding landscapes.

This open-air gallery is free for everyone to enjoy and allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of pilgrims on an inspired journey through landscapes, nature and heritage, that spans woodlands and open hilltops down to the coast. Other highlights include ineffable works of art including domes with 360-degree views and sculptural seats that reflect the shapes of the surrounding hills and valleys.

Nine new inspirational travel guides have been developed to accompany each sculpture, highlighting everything from family-friendly things to do, to the nearest pint! There is also an audio soundbite from the artist available as well as a newly created Instagram filter to allow visitors to take shots of themselves whilst exploring The Great ARTdoors.

The art trail is part of the Experience Project which aims to develop and promote sustainable natural and cultural experiences to specifically extend the visitor season and promote new off-season tourism offers.

Peter Morris, North Downs Way Trail Manager quotes “The Great ARTdoors trail is a fantastic addition to the North Downs Way. We have created an open-air gallery for the public, which has been designed to add to the overall experience of the North Downs Way and promote its special characteristics, whilst also bringing art to an audience who might not normally step into a typical museum space.  We want to encourage visitors to enjoy the landscape and the area, whilst exploring the artworks and surrounding areas, The Great ARTdoors can be explored in sections, and you do not need to be a die-hard rambler or hiking enthusiast to enjoy it.”

The art trail aims to bring art into non-traditional art spaces in the form of its landscape and to bring non-traditional audiences into the landscape to enjoy the art where neither Gortex nor a degree from Goldsmiths is required.

According to the BCA BDRC Visit Britain's sentiment tracker (Jan 2023) for the UK, domestic breaks spring intenders are more likely to be interested in 'walking, hiking, rambling' whilst enjoying local food and drink and visiting cultural attractions. Walking in the countryside and going for a walk, hike or rambling are the two main contributors to Outdoor Leisure Pursuits, collectively contributing 38% of all visits

The North Downs Way offers some of the most beautiful countrysides in England, with rolling hills, lush greenery, and stunning views of the countryside. The route passes through two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs. The trail has a rich history with many historic sites along the way, allowing visitors to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims. These include Neolithic burial chambers, Roman roads and Norman churches, charming villages and tiny hamlets, England's premier cathedral city and its busiest ferry port. There are literary connections with Jane Austen, Dickens, Joseph Conrad, George Meredith, and JM Barrie – among others. Discover Shakespeare's Cliff from King Lear just outside Dover and step back into a moment of history at Watts cemetery, where you will find Aldus Huxley's grave.

Easily accessible from London and other major cities in the southeast of England, The North Downs Way art trail is a great destination for a day trip or a weekend getaway.

For further information about The Great ARTdoors please visit:

 https://kentdowns.org.uk/art-trail/

For FAM trips or to arrange an interview with the artists – please contact Kathryn.hearnden@kentdowns.org.uk

EDITOR NOTES   

About the EXPERIENCE Project 

Improving access to the North Downs Way National Trail and Kent Downs AONB is part of the €24.5m EXPERIENCE project to promote off-season experiential tourism and sustainable economic growth. It is co-funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme under the Natural & Cultural Heritage objective. Of the €24.5m ERDF committed to the total project, €3.6m is allocated to Kent County Council who invests in countryside access to support wellbeing, tourism, and an understanding of biodiversity, landscape, and natural beauty. 

About the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and aspiring Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark 

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an exceptional landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so precious that they are safeguarded in the national interest. The Kent Downs AONB is the eighth largest of 46 AONBs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland which cover one-fifth of the UK.  

The Kent Downs offers dramatic views, vibrant communities, a rich historic and cultural heritage and diverse wildlife and habitats making it a worthy landscape for national protection. It is home to the North Downs Way National Trail which stretches 153 miles from Dover into the Surrey Hills AONB via the ancient pilgrim route, The Via Francigena, and the historic city of Canterbury. The Kent Downs offers a wealth of opportunities for people to explore, enjoy and benefit from this outstanding landscape. 

The Kent Downs AONB Unit works in partnership with many organisations on the ground across the AONB to conserve and enhance the landscape, as well as support a sustainable local economy and the health and wellbeing of its residents and visitors. It champions positive, proactive, and urgent nature-based approaches for climate change mitigation and adaptation which support the landscape character and ecosystem of the AONB. 

The Kent Downs is working to secure Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark status for the Kent Downs AONB together with neighbouring protected landscape in France; the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d'Opale. The AONB forms a key part of the geodiversity and natural and cultural heritage of Kent. It is also a special part of England.  With one of its best-known natural icons being the White Cliffs, we are currently seeking recognition as a UNESCO Geopark. Together with the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d'Opale which sits on the opposite side of the English Channel in France, both areas are joined by the layer of chalk that traverses the famous stretch of water between the two coasts.