Enjoy 70 days of sculpture – from 2 September to 10 November 2019 – to celebrate the 70th birthday of Harlow Carr
To celebrate 70 years of its development as a garden, RHS Garden Harlow Carr is hosting Seventy Days of Sculpture (2 September – 10 November 2019). The outdoor exhibition features pieces created in a range of mediums, from wood and wire to stone and metal, created by sculptors from across Yorkshire.
Visitors can follow a self-guided map to discover the sculptures in iconic locations around the beautiful 58-acre garden, including Streamside, the Queen Mother’s Lake, Kitchen Garden and Alpine Lawn.
All sculptures are available to purchase – we ask that purchased sculptures kindly remain in the garden until after 10 November 2019. To buy an item, please contact the sculptor directly using the contact details displayed next to their work.
The exhibition is included with normal garden admission.
The history of Harlow Carr
Harlow Carr owes its existence to the mineral springs in and around Harrogate. The garden was once the site of a Victorian health spa, complete with bath house and hotel, and the first pleasure gardens were laid out around the site in 1844.
When the Northern Horticultural Society sought a northern counterpart to RHS Garden Wisley, it chose a 30-acre site of mixed woodland and rough pasture containing the dilapidated bath house and stables at Harlow Carr. Development of a northern trials garden began in 1949 and the gardens opened to the public in 1950. In 2001, the Northern Horticultural Society merged with the RHS and Harlow Carr became an RHS Garden.
Over the years, Harlow Carr has grown into a garden of immense charm, with features that evoke the surrounding Yorkshire landscape, including water features, dry stone walls, woodland and wildflower meadows.
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Exhibiting sculptors include:
David Iredale
West Yorkshire stone sculptor David Iredale specialises in figurative sculptures that celebrate the human form. He prefers to work in Ancaster limestone and marble, and his work is inspired by photographs, life drawings and life itself.
David Watkinson
Leeds-based David Watkinson’s passion is kinetic art. His works explore nature using cutting edge techniques to play with materials, colour, form, balance and movement through space.
James Wilkinson
James is an artist blacksmith based near Helperby in North Yorkshire. Having had a rural upbringing, his designs are predominantly influenced by the glorious natural surroundings in his native North Yorkshire.
Jim Milner
Jim carves stone sculptures in his Yorkshire cottage garden. Much of his work is traditional, with more recent abstract pieces. His sensual hand-made sculptures are a delight to both see and touch.
Karl Barker
A chainsaw carver based in the heart of North Yorkshire, Karl uses a chainsaw to create bespoke, wooden sculptures from locally-grown renewable pines and hard woods.
Linda Thompson
Linda lives and works in North Yorkshire and is a founder member of the Yorkshire Sculptors Group. Some of her work is derived from the rocky landscape around her, while other pieces are figurative.
Liz Grundy
Liz is an experienced stone carver and sculptor who lives and works in South Yorkshire. Her work is influenced by luminaries such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, as well as her travels around the world.
Mark Irwin
East Yorkshire sculptor Mark creates bespoke wire sculptures and curios for the home and garden. He works with stainless steel, copper and mild steel wire taking inspiration from nature in all its forms.
Shane Green
Shane is a Yorkshire artist and sculptor based in Otley and the man behind large scale sculptures including the 30ft high Calverley Angel and nine timber sculptures on the 2.5km Otley Chevin Sculpture Trail.
Steve Blaylock
The metallic designs of Steve Blaylock are forged in his smithy in Harrogate. Hand-made pieces come in diverse subjects and sizes, from life-size dragonflies to spiders that are big enough to carry you off.
Plan your visit to RHS Garden Harlow Carr