8 April 2009
School children help create an exciting new trail in the
Beeches
Exploring Burnham Beeches has never been a more ‘Sensory’
experience! Staff at the City of London's Burnham Beeches have
joined forces with local artists and school children to create a
new ‘Sensory Trail’, to increase the variety of ways for visitors
to learn about the Reserve.
The trail includes tactile and acoustic sculptures, carved on
site out of green oak, improved seating, a trail leaflet and, for
the first time, an audio guide that can be downloaded from the
Burnham Beeches web site. The artwork was created by artists
Daniel Cordell, Gina Martin and Nick Garnett using oak from trees
that had fallen in storms, or had to be cut down as part of the
Reserve’s pollard restoration project.
60 talented year 6 children from Farnham Common Junior School
(FCJS) worked with artist Duncan McAfee to record the audio guide,
which includes details about the history and wildlife of the
Reserve as well of some of their own poetry, inspired by a visit to
the site.
Chris Morris, Information Officer at the City of London's
Burnham Beeches said:
“Over the years we have worked on various projects to improve
visitors' experience at Burnham Beeches. We hope that the new trail
will meet the needs of our blind and partially sighted visitors. We
have put in easy access path and boardwalks for wheelchair users.
There is also an all terrain electric buggy (Tramper) which any
elderly, disabled or less mobile visitors can borrow, for free,
allowing them to explore areas otherwise inaccessible to them.”
The trail, which was funded by the City of London’s Access team
and was supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council
England (ACE), was co-ordinated on behalf of Burnham Beeches by
Outdoor Culture, a recently formed company specialising in the use
of the arts, learning and play to connect people to the
landscape. The funding from ACE also allowed for the
purchase of equipment which will be loaned out to visitors wanting
to listen to the guide and for the ‘Sonic Installation’ which
played poetry created by the school children.
Ends
Information for editors
The City of London have owned and managed Burnham Beeches since
1880 and the site was purchased under the Epping Forrest and Open
spaces Act.
A pollard is a tree that has been cut repeatedly, at just above
head height, over a period of years, with the wood harvested often
being used for firewood.
The trail is now a permanent fixture at the Beeches. The Tramper
is available for FREE loan from the Burnham Beeches Office, Monday
to Friday between 10.00am and 4.00pm; to make use of it you will
need to book a minimum of 24 hours in advance and will be asked to
leave a small, refundable deposit of £25 at the Burnham Beeches
Office.
Further information:
For media enquiries, please contact Loretta Lui on 020 7332
1528