A medieval visitor attraction is sculpturing a unique chapter in its 600-year story, with a series of new land sculptures created by internationally-renowned artists.
Coventry’s Grade I listed Charterhouse, which reopened this month following £12 million of restoration work by Historic Coventry Trust, will be the home of two new land sculptures co-created by master craftsmen James Brunt and Jon Foreman.
The land sculptures are being built over two days in Charterhouse’s walled garden on Thursday 6 April and in the archery field on Friday 7 April. Both sculptures will be inspired by the spirit of place at Charterhouse Heritage Park and made using natural materials found across the venue’s 70 acres Heritage Park.
James Brunt, from South Yorkshire, is a land artist who uses natural materials to create exhibitions across the UK and beyond, including an inspired reinterpretation of ITV’s logo.
And Jon Foreman, from South Wales, is a land artist and online viral sensation, with his Instagram account ‘Sculpt the World’ boasting hundreds of thousands of followers and posts of his land art receiving millions of likes.
Charterhouse is only a short walk from Coventry city centre and the only Carthusian monastery in the country to survive with intact interiors. The building features three restored wall paintings of national importance, displays charting the site’s long history and a relandscaped monastic inner precinct that is now a beautiful walled garden.
Visitors can visit to the attraction from 11am to 3pm on both days and will be able to drop-in and take part in the creation or watch the sculptures come to life as well as explore the landscape, building and historic interiors that influenced the project.
A third sculpture will also be crafted for visitors to discover at the nearby Paxton's Arboretum in London Road Cemetery.
James said: “Although I come from a fine art background, it was only when I spent time working outdoors that I discovered a creative practice that really spoke to me. Since then. my work has been heavily inspired by the natural world and when creating sculptures, I like to use natural materials I discover from my surroundings.
“Charterhouse is such a unique space and beautiful setting which will provide a wonderful canvas for our work and I am really looking forward to working with Jon in Charterhouse’s wonderful landscape, meeting visitors, and seeing what interesting pieces we create.”
Sarah Allen, Education and Engagement Manager from Historic Coventry Trust said: “It is great to collaborate with world renowned sculpture artists James Brunt and Jon Foreman for this exciting project as we start a new chapter in Charterhouse’s story.
“We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to the building and grounds across the Easter weekend, with visitors having the opportunity to see the master craftsmen at work and learn more about Charterhouse’s history.”
Over the Easter holidays, Charterhouse is holding a range of events and activities inspired by the house and its history for all to enjoy, including an exciting Easter egg hunt through the Charterhouse garden between 10am and 12pm on Sunday 9 April, where visitors can receive a chocolatey reward for finding the lost eggs.
Acclaimed mural artist Katie O will be at Charterhouse on Saturday 8 April from 11am to 3pm, hosting an arts session inspired by the house’s beautiful and historic interior walls, whilst on Easter Monday, guests can travel back in time with a special series of talks by local historian James Rose on the property’s Elizabethan wall paintings, between 12pm and 3pm.
Charterhouse is open from Thursdays to Sundays as well as Bank Holiday Mondays and Wednesdays during the school holidays from 10am until 4pm. The sculptures will be crafted at Charterhouse’s walled garden on Thursday 6 April and archery field on Friday 7 April.
Tickets for admission into Charterhouse are needed to see the garden sculpture, no tickets are needed to view the sculptures in London Road Cemetery or Charterhouse’s archery field.
To book tickets please visit historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/charterhouse. Tickets give visitors re-admission for 12 months and there are discounts for Coventry residents who have GoCV passes. Essential carers and children aged four and under are free.