Updated 4 March 2020 - four years on, I look back and think what a special experience this was. In 2016 while in Cornwall we had the chance to explore the sculptures of Terence Coventry in a series of meadows overlooking the sea. Read on as I share that story.
It was thanks to a recommendation by Jo at the YHA Coverack that Matthew and I found out about a free sculpture park in walking distance to the hostel.
We had listened to the directions in the way that we do, we smiled and nodded and hoped that the other one was taking it in. This is where we tend to go wrong. We have history of getting lost and needing more directions; and that is exactly what happened when we couldn't find our way to the promised Sculpture Park. It didn't help that it wasn't sign posted, at all.
Luckily, after stepping outside to go seek we met some other guests staying at the YHA and after mentioning where we were headed the look on the lady's face convinced Matthew that we really had to find it.
Further on and thanks to a second lot of directions and the fact that the park was very close by, we found the right path, next to a perfectly manicured front lawn of a bungalow. Continuing along the left-hand side of a caravan park we walked onwards through a little section of woodland, passed a field with an electronic fence and into a second section of woodland.
At this stage, alone on the path, there were no clues that we were heading in the right direction. I was convinced we were nowhere near, but Matthew said we should carry on and so we did. A moment later, the wooded area suddenly gave way to meadow land and we found a notice on a gate that showed us we had arrived.
The note read as follows:
THE SCULPTURES IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS ARE BY
TERENCE COVENTRY
WWW.TERENCECOVENTRY.COM
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
PLEASE RESPECT THE SCULPTURES WHICH ARE EASILY DAMAGED AND DO NOT ALLOW OR ASSIST CHILDREN TO CLIMB ON THEM
THANK YOU
The Sculptures in the Sculpture Park
We had arrived and without knowing which way to go first we had decided to head into the north field just as the sun was beginning to disappear.
To the left and right of us stood sculptures surrounded by grasses and plants in greens, russets and browns.
Composed in concrete and steel, the sculptures were a mix of colours from white, black and russet to concrete grey.
The sculptures seemed in perfect harmony with their setting, matching the colours in nature, as if growing out of the land.
As the low light of early evening shone through the trees the sculptures were lit with a light that cast long shadows. No indoor gallery could compete with this setting.
Despite the static nature of a sculpture and perhaps enhanced by the long grasses and trees surrounding them, these sculptures seemed full of life. The birds looked ready for flight, the horse just about to flinch and the seated figure deep in thought.
I was prompted to revisit this blog post when the Terence Coventry Instagram account popped up in my notifications.
Follow them @terencecoventrysculpturepark
and go to their website to find out about the sculpture Park at terencecoventry.com.
Click on the link for more Cornish Tales.
