Sculpture at Doddington Hall

A few miles from where I live is a beautiful Elizabethan house called Doddington Hall.  The gardens are full of interest no matter what time of year you visit and for the past few weeks have been host to a sculpture exhibition curated by David Waghorne and featuring the work of over 80 national and international sculptors. There is also a sizable indoor exhibition as well.  

The artists range from ceramicists to blacksmiths and everything in between .  Out of so many pieces of stunning art it's hard to choose favourites but here's a few that caught my eye.

Herd of deer by Simon Hempsell.  Steel.

Every park should have a herd of deer and this group of highly stylised beasts complete with stag were somehow very convincing.

Emergence by Jo Taylor.  Ceramic

I'm not sure about Emergence but I've selected it because the negative space is so important and I'm about to become heavily involved in negative space.

Leaping Hare by Penny Hardy. Mixed media.

It's unusual for me to choose animal subjects but I'm surprising myself.  This hare was so full of life he was hard to resist.

Winston Churchill by Stephen Kettle.  Slate

This is an amazing bust made of small pieces of slate and glue.

In the garden is a folly called The Temple of the Winds built as a memorial to the parents of Antony Jarvis who is the father of the Hall's present owner.  Jarvis was an architect before his retirement and has built another folly to coincide with the sculpture exhibition.  It is called The Pyramid and set a kilometre from the house beyond the ha-ha and can be viewed from the rear of the house..

The Pyramid designed by Antony Jarvis.  Re-cycled concrete.

This folly is designed to provide shelter for walkers and a home for bats and owls.


This exhibition is a real snip at just £6 but far more expensive if you want to buy.