Heritage Meets Hip

Words: Robyn Powell

CARVING A CREATIVE CORRIDOR across Britain, the route encompasses sites of artistic innovation, some old and some new, but all steeped in Britain’s creative heritage.

London’s art scene has been well documented and, for centuries, writers, painters and composers have gathered here. At the other end of the Great West Way, Bristol and Bath are home to some of the grandest neoclassical architecture in Britain. The oldest continually-functioning theatre in the English-speaking world is the Bristol Old Vic and yet this is also the hometown of Banksy, the anonymous graffiti artist whose internationally renowned work grew out of the local underground scene.

The Mild Mild West mural by graffiti artist Banksy

The city now hosts Upfest, a festival of street art, and some of Banksy’s best street art has been combined into a self-guided walking tour of the city.

Pictured left-right: An artist at Bristol’s Upfest street art and graffiti festival

Between these two urban ‘poles’ are countless artistic gems, waiting to be unearthed or rediscovered. We can only offer a small selection to whet your appetite.

Before leaving London, a must-do for lovers of the 60’s pop music revolution is a visit to the new Eel Pie Island Museum, in Twickenham, where the area’s creative connection with superstars like Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart is brilliantly celebrated. Moving westwards, the village of Cookham has been commemorated by the visionary artist Stanley Spencer (1891–1959) whose paintings interpreted the whole world through the prism of his birthplace. Spencer referred to Cookham as “a village in Heaven” and in his biblical scenes, fellow-villagers are shown as their Gospel counterparts. Spencer was a unique talent in Britain and feted around the world. His works continued to be influenced by the landscape in which he grew up and lived.

Today if you visit Cookham you can view his paintings at the Stanley Spencer Gallery and see nearby the landscape where he imagined the resurrection and Christ carrying the cross through Jerusalem. Nearby, at Pangbourne, is the ultra-hip Modern Artists’ Gallery, where works of contemporary art are on permanent display, for viewing or purchase.

The area around Reading and Bracknell has become ‘home’ for today’s high-tech creators, finding digital solutions for industry as wellas fast-moving computer games for leisure time. While in the town, take time to tour the Abbey Galleries and relax among the ruins of Reading Abbey, founded in 1121 by King Henry I and site of his (as yet undiscovered) burial-place. Oscar Wilde enthusiasts may prefer the opportunity of a tour around that literary giant’s temporary residence, at Reading Prison. A short detour to the south is rewarded by the remarkable Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village, near Guildford, where a moving experience of the passions of some of Victorian England’s most influential artists, painters and sculptors awaits. Head west to Newbury for the altogether different vibe at Arlington Arts, a centre for aspiring artists to present their talent, whether creative or performing. Opened by KT Tunstall in 2006, it attracts growing numbers of aspiring musicians and painters, all eager to impress.

Out in the English countryside some of the oldest art in Britain is to be found carved into the ancient chalk hills of Wiltshire. The famous White Horses can be seen from many miles away because the grass around the huge chalk incisions is regularly cut, weeds removed and the images cleaned. In a small area between Marlborough and Devizes are a collection of six examples, near Marlborough, Hackpen, Cherhill, Alton Barnes, Pewsey and Devizes. Were they originally pagan symbols or tribal markings to say this was the territory of the White Horse people? We can’t know why they were created but the impact of their highly-stylised designs is unforgettably dramatic and surprisingly modern.

West of Devizes, Lacock Abbey is another example of how British creativity continues to evolve. Parts of the medieval complex were incorporated into a grand manor house and, in the 19th century, it became the home of one of the pioneers of photography, William Henry Fox Talbot. The immaculately-conserved village of Lacock is also associated with one of the most successful British artistic ventures of modern times. A number of scenes in the first two Harry Potter film series were shot at the abbey, its cloisters and side rooms transformed into the classrooms at Hogwarts School. Harry’s discovery of the Mirror of Erised was also shot at Lacock, and a house in the nearby village was chosen as the cottage where Harry’s mother Lily was killed by Voldemort. As if to shake off the ancient and adopt the modern, the nearby country town of Corsham hosts another modern arts hub, The Pound Arts Centre, bringing together artworks, theatre, film and dance.

Parkside House, Corsham High Street

The exquisite city of Bath, whose roots are firmly in the age of the Roman invasion, became a haven for society folk wishing to escape London in the 18th/19th centuries and the UNESCO-listed architecture is breathtakingly beautiful. The National Trust’s Bath Assembly Rooms were often frequented by author Jane Austen during her highlyproductive years in the city. They are now home to Bath Fashion Museum which holds a world-class collection of contemporary and historic dress.

For US visitors, the American Museum and Gardens is an irresistible draw, housing the only dedicated collection of American decorative artefacts outside the United States, and located in Sydney Pleasure Gardens is The Holburne Museum, home to fine and decorative arts. The short hop to Bristol takes you to another world. Formerly a great port city and industrial centre, Bristol has been revitalised and its two universities ensure that the creative engine will never stop turning. Among many ventures, we recommend Spike Island, a public art space, near the docks, hosting the workshops of more than 70 contemporary artists, providing workspace for budding designers and wallspace on which to exhibit. Heritage and Hip go hand in hand in contemporary Britain.