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Take a walk among stunning sculptures in beautiful surroundings along the North Downs Way Art Trail. The trail starts in Surrey and stretches for 153 miles to Dover in Kent, track down the nine sculptures and soak up art in the great outdoors or as we like to call it, the GREAT ARTdoors!

We’ve created a substantial open-air gallery for everyone to enjoy for free, follow in the footsteps of pilgrims on an inspired journey through landscapes, nature and heritage, that spans woodlands and open hilltops down to the coast. Highlights include otherworldly works of art including domes with 360-degree views and sculptural seats that reflect the shapes of the surrounding hills and valleys.

 

‘After the Black Gold’ By Channel

• Section: 12 – Canterbury to Shepherdswell
• Nearest postcode: CT4 6SJ
• What 3 words: ///fault.wicked.cabbies
• Where to start? Snowdown Station or Woolage Village Green
• What to expect: Low hills, valleys and villages

Full route: This sculpture is on section 12 of the North Downs Way from Canterbury to Shepherdswell 10.5 miles (16.8km) for more details, visit the North Downs Way website.

In a hurry?
It’s just 1.1 miles from Snowdown Station.​

Take your time…
Challenge yourself on the first steps on the road to Rome, part of the Via Francigena, load up your backpack and hit the trail. First off spend time exploring the three sites of historic Canterbury that make up its UNESCO World Heritage Site, then follow the North Downs Way towards Dover.

The Via Francigena
The ancient Pilgrimage Route between Canterbury and Rome is classified as a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe.​

Make a day of it 

• Eat & drink: The Two Sawyers a traditional country pub set in the tiny hamlet in Woolage Green or The Jackdaw in the village of Denton which was used as a setting for the famous Battle of Britain film.
• Explore: Canterbury, Patrixbourne, Shepherdswell, East Kent Railway
• Travelling with Mini-Explorers?​  Explore the sculpture and play on the nearby recreation area.

• Natural Pathways Bushcraft Skills
• Family Mini Survival Adventure
• Spoon Carving and Green Woodworking
• Capture Kent (Dover Cliffs)

Other points of interest: Woolage former mining settlement

‘Optohedron’ By Will Nash

How to get there

• Section: 2 – Guildford to Dorking
• Nearest postcode: GU4 8SE
• What 3 words: ///apron.tolls.short
• Where to start? Nearest Car Park is on Drove Road, Albury, GU4 8SE. Newlands Corner Car Park GU4 8SE
• What to expect: Epic views, woodland walks and open valleys

Full Route: This sculpture is on section 2 of the North Downs Way from Guildford to Dorking 13 miles (21km) for more details, visit the North Downs Way website.

Other routes:

• Silent Pool walk: A 6 mile scenic walk around the North Downs, Sherbourne Pond and Silent Pool, which are fed by springs.

In a hurry?
It’s just 2.8 miles from Gomshall or Chilworth station.

Take your time…
Soak up more of the Surrey Hills AONB and start the North Downs Way from Farnham, which is 15 miles away, there’s enough in this market town to keep you busy with its Georgian streets, historic buildings and craft heritage.  Also, nearby to the sculpture are the towns of Guildford and Dorking, both have plenty to experience whatever time of year you visit

Make a day of it

• Eat & drink: Check out the local food scene at Silent Pool Gin Distillery, Mandira’s Kitchen Albury Organic Vineyard and Norbury Park Cheese – it’s a real artisan hub with something for every appetite.
• Explore: Newlands Corner, an iconic park, the site of an Agatha Christie stunt in 1926, Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, see the Martian and HG Wells sculptures in nearby Woking which pay homage to the H.G. Wells and his classic ‘The War of the Worlds.’
• Travelling with Mini-Explorers?​ Look through the Eye of the Sculpture and sketch the landscape beyond.

The Story Behind the Sculpture​
Located near Newlands Corner in Guildford and takes inspiration from the faceted structure of an insect’s eye. Constructed from weathered steel and locally sourced hazel, the spaces between the logs create homes for wildlife while the embedded kaleidoscopes allow visitors to view the landscape in new and beautiful ways. The name Optohedron is derived from the ancient Greek: optikos, “of seeing” and herd “raised seat.”

About the Artist
Artist and sculptor Will Nash was born in Bangor, North Wales, in 1973. He studied Multimedia Fine Art at Middlesex University and gained an MA in Design by Project from the University of Brighton. At the centre of Will’s practice is a concern with form, structure and quantity.

His sculptures and installations are the results of ongoing explorations of mathematical forms and the relationships they have with one another.

Nearby experiences

• Mosaic Makers in Nature
• Soul Setting Journey

Other points of interest:

• Chilworth Gunpowder Mills
• Aldous Huxley Grave, Watts Chapel, Puttenham

Photo Credit : John Miller

 

‘Coccolith’ By INSTAR

How to get there

• Section: 5 – Oxted to Otford
  
• Nearest postcode: TN16 2JT
• What 3 words: ///taken.juices.simple
• Where to start? North Downs Way opposite Clarks Lane Farm, Tatsfield, TN16 2JT
• What to expect: Rolling hills, valleys, woodland and farmland trails

Full route: This sculpture is on section 5 of the North Downs Way from Oxted to Otford 12 miles (19km) for more details, visit the North Downs Way website.

In a hurry?
It’s just 0.9 miles from Oxted Train Station

Take your time…
Bordering between Kent and Surrey there’s plenty to experience close by in both counties, Titsey Place in Oxted, is a must see, an impressive manor house with beautiful gardens set in the stunning countryside of the North Downs or explore the ancient heathland and woodland of Limpsfield Common.

Make a day of it 

• Eat & drink: Titsey Estate & Tea Rooms, Botley Hill Farmhouse, the Estate Deli at Squerryes Wine
  and the new Titsey Brewery brewhouse and taproom.
• Explore: Emmett’s National Trust Garden which was featured in the film “A Room with a View”, wine tasting at Gaysham Vineyard (Squerryes Wine Estate) and the charming town of Oxted with its beautiful Tudor-style timber-framed buildings and surrounding scenic countryside.
• Travelling with Mini-Explorers? Create your own ancient creature inspired by the designs on the seats of the Coccolith.

The story behind the sculpture
Inspired by the very creatures that, 65 million years ago, formed the foundations of the North Downs Way, ‘Coccolith’ invites visitors to take a seat and immerse themselves in this rolling and quintessential landscape. This ‘Inspiring views’ commission, is built using traditional dry-stone wall techniques, using a hand-picked selection of local ironstone rock excavated from the Titsey Estate along with ‘clunch’ chalk. In ‘the round’ a set of 5 cantilever stone style seats provide the perfect spot to take the weight off and absorb the valley and ‘Inspiring Views’, offering a restful, connecting and playful engagement en route to the next destination. The seats are engraved with the words ‘BUILT UPON TIME AND TIDE’.

About the artists
Artists Trish Evans and Nick Humphrey produce multi-disciplinary artwork inspired by the natural world, from the oceans to the uplands, the urban to the rural. Their portfolio includes commissioned public art, exhibition design, installation, engagement and creative interpretation.  Working collaboratively, their partners have included The National Trust, National Forest and The Wildlife Trusts.

Nearby experiences

• Mosaic Makers in Nature
• Soul Setting Journey

Other points of interest

• Chartwell – Home to Winston Churchill
  
• Biggin Hill
  
• Down House – Home to Charles Darwin

The North Downs Way team have created a Google map showing the art trail sculptures and nearby accommodation options, food and drink venues and points of interest.