Grizedale Forest Sculptures

Grizedale Forest is a 24.47 km2 area of woodland in the Lake District of North West England, located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead. It is made up of a number of hills, small tarns and the settlements of Grizedale and Satterthwaite. It is owned and managed by Forestry England and is a popular tourist destination with waymarked footpaths, mountain biking, an aerial assault course, a 16-bed hostel, and a visitor centre with a children's playground, education centre, café and shop. The car-parking of Grizedale Forest Visitors Centre is situated on the site of the former Grizedale Hall where its remains can be still seen.

Scattered throughout the forest are approximately 50 sculptures, often made from naturally occurring materials such as stone and wood. The project to place sculptures in the forest was started by the Bill Grant OBE who formed the Grizedale Society in 1977, along with help from Peter Davies of Northern Arts. The sculpture trail was awarded the 1990 Prudential Award for the Arts in 1990 “In tribute for a leap of imagination that has enriched our perception and understanding of art in the landscape”.

Over 250 sculptures have been sited over the years, being constructed of natural materials they have slowly returned to the forest. Unique to Grizedale's Sculpture Trail was a residency programme for the artists, allowing them to work on-site for 6 months to create a sculpture inspired by the location. Notable sculptors have included David Nash, Sally Matthews Andy Goldsworthy, Robert Koenig, Walter Bailey and Michael Winstone.