Celebrating the first 70 years
GUIDEline boundary word image by Malcolm Pointon (aged 11)
The Peak District National Park marked its 70th birthday in April last year. Cultural Heritage Manager ANNA BADCOCK describes some of the ways in which it was celebrated
W
e celebrated our momentous anniversary as the first UK National Park with numerous events and activities. Our ‘70 people 70 Years’ programme has featured a range of people who have been involved with the National Park since its conception – from wardens to fell runners, commissioners to campaigners – including our very own ACID editor Roly Smith. Mark Gwynne Jones’ ‘Voices from the Peak’ project has created a series of audio journeys through the wonderful landscapes of the area – take a listen and lose yourself in these atmospheric soundscapes. Two 70th anniversary projects with a particular heritage focus were the GUIDEline boundary arts project and
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ACID | 2022
Vestiges, a celebration of life and discoveries of the antiquarian Thomas Bateman (last year was also the bicentenary of Bateman’s birth, see ACID 2021). The GUIDEline project is being delivered by artists from the Buxton-based Glassball Studio. GUIDEline is exploring the nature of the National Park’s boundary, creating a greater understanding of the how the boundary was created and, through a series of collaborative public artworks, responding to the complexities of what a boundary is. The project is providing innovative creative engagement opportunities for residents and visitors alike to discover and share personal responses to an emerging story at a seminal point in the Park’s history. Did you know that the legal definition of the National Park boundary is not just a map but the written description of its route? Words taken from the description were 3D-printed, and laser-cut from plywood, and sent out to schools as part of the ‘Boundary Words’ activity. Families were encouraged to explore their local area and use the words to interact with the boundary. In collaboration with artist
