Six of the best
Sculpture Gardens
From contemporary sculpture in Norfolk to the National Sculpture Prize contenders in north Devon, Rhiannon Batten reveals the best places to immerse yourself in art and nature
Houghton Hall
One of Norfolk’s grandest buildings, Neo-Palladian Houghton Hall is also home to one of the county’s most majestic gardens; both were designed for British prime minister Robert Walpole in the 18th century. The parkland was originally laid out to a plan by garden designer Charles Bridgeman and, while his twisting wilderness paths and formal hedging remain intact, if 18thcentury visitors were teleported to the gardens today they might be surprised to find them not so much the star attractions, as botanical backdrops to striking works of contemporary sculpture by Richard Long, James Turrell and Rachel. Whiteread. houghtonhall.com
Yorkshire Sculpture
Park While some sculpture gardens focus on the works of individual artists, this 500-acre institution is an excellent one-stop shop if you’re keen to see a wider range. Part of the 18th-century Bretton Hall estate, it’s been going since 1977 and cleverly blends contemporary works with older inhabitants of the parkland, such as follies and ice houses. Long-term installations include works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Eduardo Paolozzi, David Nash and Andy Goldsworthy, while a programme of temporary works means there’s always something new to see; this year heralds the first UK sculpture exhibition by American artist Robert Indiana. ysp.org.uk
Asthall Manor
The childhood home of the Mitford sisters, this Jacobean manor house sits among romantically wildedged gardens in Oxfordshire’s Windrush Valley. Home to distinct woodland, meadow and kitchen garden areas, and peppered with artworks, the Julian and Isabel Bannerman-designed gardens are worth a visit on the garden’s occasional open days. Every other year, Asthall also hosts an On Form ticketed outdoor exhibition featuring hundreds of sculptures (onformsculpture.co.uk). Highlights this year (12th June–10th July) will include Tania Mosse’s powerful natural forms, Joshua Locksmith’s leaf carvings and William Peers’ fluid marble pieces. asthallmanor.com David Burton/Alamy Stock Photo; lowefoto/Alamy Stock Photo; Peter van den Berg/on form Andrew Lawson, Little Sparta; New Art Centre; Broomhill Estate Sculpture Garden
Little Sparta
One of the more unexpected attractions of Scotland’s central belt is this whimsical garden, hewn out of South Lanarkshire’s Pentland Hills from the 1960s onwards by the late artist, poet and ‘avantgardener’ Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife, Sue. The name is a retort to Edinburgh’s nickname as the Athens of the North and there’s a cerebral, philosophical foundation to the five-acre site. Poetry, sculpture and water are tightly choreographed through the landscape and, with even the grass shaped into sculptural forms, every visit is a sensory treasure hunt. Playful eye-lines, scented plantings and the sounds of wind and water are put to great use. littlesparta.org.uk
New Art Centre
Beginning life as a London gallery, the New Art Centre moved to Roche Court in Wiltshire in 1994. While the site includes some indoor art spaces, outdoor sculpture is the major focus. Throughout the gardens and woodland of the house, originally built in 1804, you’ll find pieces by Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Gertrude Hermes, Conrad Shawcross and Camilla Løw. It’s also one of the best places to see works by Barbara Hepworth (beyond the artist’s Cornish sculpture garden) since the centre represents her estate. This year’s exhibitions include a survey of British Sculpture from 1960– 2000 and a display of large works by Anthony Caro. sculpture.uk.com
Broomhill Sculpture Garden
This garden in north Devon is organised across two different areas: in the valley in front of the house are a mix of permanent outdoor sculptures and works for sale, while the lower river meadows accommodate the National Sculpture Prize, each year hosting 150 or so pieces by established and emerging artists. There’s often a slightly surreal feel to the surroundings, and to the sculptures in situ. Meander through the verdant grounds and you’re as likely to come face-to-face with Zhu Tian’s supersized, upturned teacup as Dorcas Casey’s mythicallooking beasts (actually domestic textiles painted with jesmonite). broomhill-estate.com