A lovely afternoon at a beautiful venue – by Trish
On Saturday 29th June twelve SBC members visited Nature in Art (Wallsworth Hall, Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PA) and enjoyed all that venue offers its visitors. The weather was kind, the sunshine (but thankfully without the oppressive heat) reappeared after an overcast morning.
The grounds are a combination of natural growth divided by grass pathways that invite exploration, with beds of formal planting including spectacular displays of vividly coloured hollyhocks. There are also sculptural pieces, both large and small – I particularly love the owl, carved out of a tree trunk that resides in front of the building. All of this was enhanced by sightings of a resident moorhen family – a mother taking her brood of tiny chicks for an afternoon walk.
The visit began with an introductory talk from the Director, Simon Trapnell, who explained how the idea for a venue dedicated to the artistic inspiration relating to nature was first mooted by his father and then the many years of work (and challenges) that followed in creating the collection that can be enjoyed today. It was an impressive and inspirational story to hear that something like this can be borne out of nothing but an idea and a passion – and plenty of dedication!
There are galleries both downstairs and upstairs, the latter reached by an impressive staircase – there is also a lift so that all visitors can access the upper floor. My favourites were the Otters, a circular sculptural piece on the ground floor gallery and a lovely Moorcroft vase in an upper gallery. After the introductory talk we visited the Studio to meet the artist in residence, a sculptor, whose work included pieces large and small, both animals and birds, and the one that stood out for me was the peacock.
The afternoon was rounded off traditionally with a cream tea (cake also available) and lots of chatting. I heard some of the group, locals who live closer to Gloucester, commenting that they had no idea that this lovely venue existed and that they (as well as others who live further away) intended to return. I certainly will, the atmosphere of peace and beauty is very restorative.