Many of you ask us how you can get involved with Devon Sculpture Park (DSP) online or in-park. And we’ve noticed these requests growing since the UK announced the first phases of reopening post Covid-19 lockdown.
There are a number of ways that you can get involved whether you’re an environmentalist, artist, gardener, arts enthusiast, wildlife supporter, company or lover of things Devon.
We recommend that you start by subscribing to DSP Online. DSP Online members not only enjoy valuable discounts visiting the park but also get priority booking and invites to special events.
We try and spend as much time as possible recording and communicating our daily experiences and learnings at DSP Online – via narrated videos, photo-tips, articles, interviews, recipes from the wild kitchen and online Q&A’s. Visitors can also message the team direct with their questions.
DSP Online was designed for anyone to visit the park as often as they want from just £3 per month – at home, in the office or on the move. It also serves our far flung supporters and those with accessibility issues. Given the discounts offered to DSP Online members, much of the monthly pledge can be paid for with special offers on visits to the park.
As an artist we recommend getting to know the park via DSP Online or a visit in-park as we are quite a different kind of art park. If you are an art collector we will soon be launching the Robert Adam Gallery online so you can browse and purchase selected environmental art from your home. Art bought from DSP is truly environmental, not just because it comes from leading environmental artists with environmental practices, but because you can rest assured that proceeds go towards rewilding projects and environmental art programmes.
We have a growing number of experts and organisations wanting to partner with DSP. These include wildlife trusts, educational groups and arts institutions. Also art teachers, wellbeing practitioners and yoga and meditation experts wanting to set up practices at DSP or special one day retreats. If you would like to partner with DSP email us at hello@devonsculpturepark.org.
The Coronavirus pandemic has made us all rethink our priorities and we thank you for wanting to get more involved with us in tackling climate change. We would also like to thank you for your patience through this process. We were early into locking down the park and will be cautious about re-opening. But the safety of our guests and that of the wildlife, plant life and team at DSP will always come first.
Devon Sculpture Park was established to tackle climate change – as a rewilding park for environmental art. We have worked hard to become one of the UK’s leading supporters of wildlife and art. This also means we have plenty of experience with healthier living – diet, wellbeing, eco-habits, eco-arts, exercise, nature, wildlife, green spaces and carbon sequestration. All vital to understand and celebrate as we go forwards.
We created the park as a place that could, first and foremost, be enjoyed online. Numbers have always been very limited in-park so as not to disturb the wildlife or damage the unique habitats and to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum. The in-park experience is intimate – private, immersive and relaxing. Always guided by experts. Your very own wildlife haven and creative retreat. The online experience is equally enthralling. Join us today at DSP Online.
At DSP, it seems a day does not go by without people asking us what they can do to help with the climate change crisis. During the Covid-19 lockdown these requests have become more of a stampede. The most common question we get asked is ‘what simple steps can I take to do my bit to reduce global warming and help nurse the planet back to health?’ It got us thinking.
Given that DSP is ALL about highlighting and tackling climate change and we have had the privilege to meet and work with so many experts in and around the environmental, wildlife, wellbeing, environmental art and healthier living spaces we thought we should try and come up with a simple little 10 step plan. A plan that if enough people followed it could make a considerable combined difference to reducing global warming.
The good news is that if enough of us follow, as much as we can, this simple 10 step plan WE CAN help reverse global warming while improving our lives, our health and wellbeing, the wildlife and this planet – but most importantly we, the human race, might also get to survive!
We have tried to keep this 10 step plan as simple and achievable as possible. Each step is backed by science and each one has been selected to make the biggest difference possible to reducing global warming. None of these steps is too hard for any of us to do. Over the coming weeks and months we will be writing more in depth about each of the 10 steps at DSP Online so that we can better understand why they are so critical and how, specifically, we can make them happen. We will also try to highlight some of the companies and government organisations that are leading the way on climate change solutions.
We have adopted the 10 steps and they work. We have also created a centre of excellence for climate change and climate solutions, environmental art and healthier living on the outskirts of Exeter in the UK’s southwest. Visit us at Devon Sculpture Park or join us today at DSP Online.
Here’s our ’10 Step Plan for Solving the Climate Change Crisis’:
1. Eliminate waste – eliminate all unnecessary waste with the ultimate goal being zero waste. It includes food waste, plastics and energy waste. Shop locally and try to shop at stores that allow you to pack your own food so you take as little single use plastic as possible home with you. This also means shopping more diligently and frugally, eating everything you buy and getting better at freezing, composting wasted food, recycling metals, clothing and other materials and doing everything you can to remove household energy waste including heavier curtains over windows, all LED lighting and improved insulation.
2. Shift to more of a plant based diet – move to a plant based diet and at a minimum try to become a flexitarian eating meat only in the evening at dinner. Make your own little kitchen garden, indoors or outdoors, so that you can eat your home produced fruit, vegetables and herbs. It’s cheaper, more fun, it’s convenient and reduces your travel emission footprint. As much as possible try to buy locally sourced food and pasture fed livestock.
3. Use renewable energy – switch to renewable energy sources including electric, solar, wind and possibly biomass boilers. In the short term transition to electric heating, water and cookers plus outdoor solar lights then start looking into solar panels or roof tiles and mini-wind turbines for your garden. The UK electric grid has made strong progress shifting to predominantly renewable energy sources and away from fossil fuels – particularly coal so electric energy from the grid in the UK is cleaner than most fossil fuel heating systems.
4. Shop differently – how we shop and what we shop for dictates how products and services are designed. By shopping differently we dictate whether manufacturers and service providers adapt their offerings to become more environmentally friendly. So insist on eco-friendly products and services whether it’s eco-friendly clothes, shoes, food (whether in shops or restaurants), contractors and repair services. There are already plenty of them. For example insist on a gardening service that uses rewilding gardening techniques and electric gardening tools.
5. Rewilding your garden – rewild your garden, terrace, courtyard, verges and more. Lobby your school, neighbours, churchyard, office green spaces, commons and local parks to rewild their green spaces. Learn about wildlife gardening techniques. Rewilding is the most holistic method to make your soil an effective carbon sink, to restore habitats for wildlife and to nurture natural, diverse plant growth.
6. Change your approach to travel and transport – try and travel less after lockdown. Do you really need to shop by car for food or other essentials more than once a week. Try to walk or cycle to the local shops, to work or school. Home work as much as you can while insisting on virtual meetings wherever possible. When you change your car buy an electric vehicle or an electric hybrid at a minimum. Try to reduce flying for leisure to just one flight a year and holiday locally and whenever possible at eco-resorts.
7. Elect environmentally responsible politicians – choose politicians and leaders in general that make solving the climate crisis their number one priority. There is no longer any excuse for any government, business or farm not having a clear, deliverable net zero carbon plan to be achieved by 2030. Hitting zero carbon by 2040 could be too late. At DSP we are currently developing a 10 step climate change plan for businesses.
8. Be more frugal and balanced in your life – consume less, exercise more, spend time in nature, read more, spend more quality time with family, friends and in your local community. Make things that are eco-friendly whether it’s DIY, hobbies, projects, community initiatives or the arts. Support environmental art and artists.
9. Work for environmentally friendly companies – you get to choose who you work for so choose companies that have clear, achievable net zero carbon plans and that let you work from home unless you’re in walking or cycling distance of the office. Push them to provide more environmentally friendly products and services, workplaces, warehousing and supply chains. Get them to rewild any of their green spaces.
10. Stay healthy and adapt your lifestyle – with Coronavirus lockdown we have had a unique opportunity to change the way we live and work. We have already been forced to do a number of of the things required to reduce global warming and to solve the climate crisis. We have seen a sizable reduction in global emissions. So just keep doing much of what you’re doing but in a more sustainable way. And if you go beyond this and become a more rounded pro-environment citizen you will not only do your bit to save the planet but you will also develop skills and experiences that could qualify you for the next big global industry – the climate solution industry.
At DSP we help individuals and organisations to become more climate friendly and adopt healthier living approaches. We offer a cost effective online app, DSP Online, to help you better understand how to become environmentally conscious with simple actionable techniques gleaned from the day to day activities and learnings at DSP’s center of excellence in the UK southwest. Sign up to DSP Online today – CLICK HERE.
This week we all get to celebrate Earth Day and figure out how in the world we do something about the climate crisis given the Coronavirus lockdowns. But, you see, Earth Day could not be more relevant given the Covid-19 pandemic. Because, if we do not act very soon to reverse the effects of global warming, we could well recover from the Coronavirus public health crisis only to step into an even bigger one with the climate crisis.
Given that DSP is all about doing something about climate change we thought we would share our 5 pledges for Earth Day.
Pledge 1: To become a place that not only focuses on the environment – environmental art and natural solutions to the climate crisis – but also becomes better at making the link to healthier living including less waste, healthy eating and healthcare. Also, to develop art installations and projects that highlight health issues, including Covid-19, and health workers and care heros.
Pledge 2: To accelerate the development of our wild kitchen gardens so they can provide an increasing amount of the food for the estate.
Pledge 3: To push ourselves to produce ever more digital content about our daily activities and insights at DSP so that we can educate audiences more widely about climate issues and practical, mass audience solutions to the climate crisis (see DSP Online).
Pledge 4: To use our rewilding project to accelerate plantlife growth beyond our walls by making our seeds, plants and tools for wildlife gardening more widely available.
Pledge 5: To help DSP’s inspiring group of environmental artists to become more widely known and more influential in environmental circles as well as the art world. To help us to better understand their art and how it communicates and challenges us on climate issues. To educate and inform wider communities of artists about sustainable and environmentally sound practices and approaches.
We’re excited to launch DSP Online, our new virtual visitor app. Starting at just £3 per month you can enjoy going behind the scenes at Devon Sculpture Park from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. Bring our wildlife haven and creative retreat into your life and your home. Learn about smaller-scale rewilding and environmental art. Support a project doing something about climate change. Check out DSP Online today – CLICK HERE.
Rewilding provides a daily stream of changes to nature, our learnings and insights. DSP’s landscape, vistas, habitats, gardens, wildlife, environmental art and artists are special. You asked us for a way to tap into this as though you were a daily visitor – to experience what our team on the ground experience day in day out. So we’ve equipped and trained the team to record digitally while they go about their daily business.
We’ve worked hard over the last few months to launch DSP Online for the elderly, students, families and those with accessibility issues plus our growing number of supporters from across the UK and abroad. We also wanted to create an app for visitors to our ‘physical’ park who want to continue their education and journey with us. With Coronavirus lockdowns becoming more widespread we decided to accelerate our plans.
DSP Online is a rich multimedia virtual visitor app sharing photo-tips, narrated video, articles, recipes from the wild kitchen, audio, online Q&A’s, live-stream chats and interviews. Contributions come from DSP’s team, our experts, specialists, artists and more. Each tier offers you deeper insights, more impactful support and greater interaction.
If you want to help us in our fight against climate change, support DSP Online–CLICK HERE.
We continue to offer a safe environment for our visitors to get their exercise and recreation surrounded by wildlife, environmental art and an inspiring rewilding park.
It’s so important for our wellbeing to get out into nature, enjoy wildlife and art, and experience moments of peace and tranquility.
Bring the wonders of DSP to your home. From the comfort of your sofa, enjoy DSP Online.
Also, the Lakehouse at DSP is available for short breaks and staycations.
We work hard to keep our wildlife and sculpture park safe. Few visitors, private, socially distanced and more magical than ever. Expect some wonderful new environmental art and a wilder place then ever!
As always, most of our time at DSP is in the outdoors. Toilet facilities are available. Devon Sculpture Park is a really safe place to enjoy a Garden Safari in the wilded Capability Brown gardens, or one of our guided walking tours across DSP’s 100 acre wildlands. Guests can also pre-book a workshop. We take all the necessary precautions to safeguard the welfare of our team and our guests but some of the challenges ahead are down to us as individuals – our judgment and our common sense.
The Sheds salon gallery is featuring Terry Howe’s online exhibition ‘Looking for Clues’. The Sheds gallery opens for private viewings. Face coverings must be worn and only one household group can enter at a time.
Visitors are strictly limited, few and far between. If you would like to pre-book a safari or workshop please do so online. We suggest booking as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Go to www.devonsculpturepark.org.
The wild kitchen offers a catered GOURMET PICNIC SERVICE for certain safaris and workshops. The pre-booked picnic is made available from a table on the terraces at the Robert Adam Orangery. Tables, chairs and benches are spread out for safe distancing and scattered around the park. There are a number of covered seating areas in case it rains.
Social distancing and hygiene are of the utmost importance so we would appreciate it if you could bring hand sanitiser with you. Please follow social distancing and government guidance when you visit. If you’re showing any of the symptoms of coronavirus, or if you’ve been in contact with anyone that has the virus in the last 10 days, please don’t visit.
We look forward to welcoming you, please look after yourselves and others. And join us at this vital project doing something about climate change. Find inspiration at a very private estate retreat.
Please note: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. By visiting The Devon Sculpture Park, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19
As a centre for healthier living we strive for the highest standards in health and wellbeing. Thank you to all our friends and supporters and remember you can follow what’s happening in the gardens and across the park at DSP Online.
The Lakehouse at Devon Sculpture Park is the perfect retreat for a staycation in Devon. The Capability Brown lake is mesmerising, situated at the top of the ancient cascade gardens, hidden by a beautiful horseshoe of trees that hang over the water.
The Lakehouse at Devon Sculpture Park is the ultimate retreat. Rejuvenate in this magical rewilded estate
The Lakehouse is available to stay in year round. Book a weekend get away or a mid-week break off season or a week long stay in the holiday period. Starting at £200 per night. Minimum 2 night stay.
Sleeps up to 6 people with a master bedroom and 4 bunks. There is a large living area overlooking the lake with dining area, comfy seating, kitchen and a long island with stools. Outside enjoy the covered deck hovering over the lake, chaise lounges, benches with barbecue and a boat.
Relax and renew at DSP surrounded by nature, wildlife and art. You don’t have to take one of our safaris to stay here, and you don’t have to stay here to take a safari – though naturally we hope you’ll be tempted to combine the two.
The Lakehouse sleeps 6 with a master bedroom plus 4 bunks. It has a large main room with dining, living and kitchen overlooking the lake. You even get a boat.Lakeside life come rain or shineFresh in the summer, cosy in the winter. The secret is underfloor heating! There are a number of idyllic seating areas around the lake, connected by natural, covered walkways. The ultimate place to get away from it all.
Devon Sculpture Park is based at Mamhead Park (South), Mamhead, Exeter EX6 8HE. It is 3 hours from London and 15 minutes from Exeter.
Sat Nav will get you most of the way but let’s you down at the final stage so please print off these directions so you don’t miss the turning that Sat Nav believes doesn’t exist!
Mamhead Park (South) is just above Mamhead and Ashcombe, a few miles South of Exeter. From Exeter or the M5 heading South take the A380 and exit at Old Haldon Hill. From Newton Abbot or Torquay take the A380 North and exit at Mamhead taking the 2nd right turn over the flyover.
Follow the road signed Mamhead & Dawlish for 3/4 mile and make sure to take the first right turn to Ashcombe. Go straight over the cross roads and continue on the lane for 1 mile, passing Mamhead Woods & the Obelisk on your left. At the bottom of the hill turn left at the junction signed Mamhead Village Hall. The entrance to Mamhead Park South (which hosts DSP) is on the left after 300 metres. You will see a thatched gatehouse signed Dawlish Lodge and a sign for Mamhead Park (South) at the entrance to the estate’s drive.
If you find yourself in Mamhead village pass the village hall on your left and at the first crossroads turn right up the hill. Continue for 1 mile and you will see the entrance and thatched gatehouse after a right bend.
Follow the estate’s private drive and continue to the signed ‘PARKING’ area just before the church. Parking is free. All visits are pre-booked and guided so you will be met by one of the team in the car park.
Whichever way you come you can only enter the sculpture park from the southern entrance to Mamhead Park.
The nearest train stations are:
– Starcross 3.5 miles
– Dawlish 4.5 miles
– Exeter St David’s 9 miles
Bus services in our area are woefully inadequate. This is something we’re taking up with the local council.
Several years ago we embarked on an experiment: the rewilding of our estate in Devon. We’re trying to ensure the restoration of natural ecological processes and the recovery of flaura and fauna.
Rewilding the land is an important new discipline for environmentally conscious people. See how our project has progressed. See the changes to the pastures, scrub and woodland and increases in animal, bird and insect life as we work to improve our soil and introduce a healthy balance of animals to rejuvenate the land.
Visit a sculpture park tackling climate change – where art, rugged seascapes and wildlife collide. Expect contemporary, conceptual, challenging art from environmental artists. Settle into a restorative, rewilded retreat where time stands still. Enjoy the unexpected.
A place for pre-booked day visits, guided tours, workshops and creative retreats.
Visit the open-air exhibitions plus two indoor exhibits. We recently opened the Robert Adam Gallery with an exciting mix of artists including Tracey Emin, Speyer, Wells, Dingle, Porter, Howe, Knowlden, Carroll, Murless, Marshall, Rigby and Letts. Select artworks for sale.
Book our featured Rewilding Tour Tour – CLICK HERE.
THE PLACE
If you’re planning to visit please follow the link to our directions in the website footer.
We host a diverse programme of art exhibitions and events. Like our Facebook page for invites to exhibition openings and events. Settle into this uniquely restorative creative retreat.
And FYI we’re a park tackling Climate Change so the art, gardens, verges and grasslands are wilded. Nature leads withhabitats returned to ancient times.
This is not an ultra-manicured, traditional estate. If you’re not open to new ideas in art, or experimental sculptures. If you’re not open to truly wilded gardens, slow cooked healthy cuisine, or simply retreating for a few hours, this might not be for you.
LUNCHES & TEAS AT THE ROBERT ADAM GALLERY
Pre-booked visitors and guests can enjoy fresh, organic lunches and teas inside the Robert Adam Gallery year round and on the terraces overlooking the sea and gardens when the sun’s out.
GUIDED TOURS & GROUP VISITS
We host a number of guided tours including a 2 hour Rewilding Tour of the Wilded lands (£35pp) with a Rewilding expert plus an all day Rewilding tour of the Rewilded lands and the Wilded Capability Brown gardens, lunch included (£85pp). To enquire email hello@devonsculpturepark.org.
We also offer guided art tours of the main exhibitions and the permanent collection. Book a Guided Art Tour – CLICK HERE. To arrange a group or school visit contact hello@devonsculpturepark.org.
EVENTS
Like our Facebook page for invites to exhibition openings, music sessions and workshops.
THE SHEDS INDOOR GALLERY
‘STREET’ a celebration of street art and underground street artists showing until August 2020.
Visit the Open Air permanent art collection in the historic parkland overlooking the sea. Book a Guided Art Tour –CLICK HERE.
Stay at the Lakehouse including free passes to the Sculpture Park.
Companies, charities and public sector organisations can join us for team retreats. We host meetings, workshops, private viewings and more. To enquire contact hello@devonsculpturepark.org.
DSP’s online exhibition ‘Looking for Clues’ by Terry Howe can be viewed online until 31 May 2021. Terry’s show is a playful yet thought provoking display of conceptual environmental art.
We believe that environmental art on rewilded lands challenges and educates us about natural solutions to the climate crisis.
We host a diverse programme of online art exhibitions and events. Like our Facebook page for invites to private openings and events.
Last year we opened our second private salon gallery, the Robert Adam Gallery, with an exciting mix of artists and sculptors – most established, some emerging. Select artworks are for sale online.
‘ART WILDED’, by Philip Letts, is in the lower Capability Brown gardens. ‘Bridges’ by Dartmoor-based Matt Dingle is in the inner gardens. Watch Exeter’s Chris Speyer building the last of his large-scale ceramics in The Paddock opposite the church. Enjoy Colin Porter’s minimalist environmental art nestled in the inner gardens.
Experience our rewilding landscape, wildlife, wildlife gardening and the environmental art from the comfort of your home – subscribe to DSP Online.
The ‘ART WILDED’ installation, by international artist Philip Letts, is a conceptual sculpture installation examining key environmntal issues including waste, plastics abuse, climate change and deforestation.
Philip’s art challenges urban consumer culture and its destruction of community and environment. He uses found objects and environmental discoveries from around the Rewilded estate alongside static, robotic, disconnected mannequin-like fibreglass figures defining ‘man VERSUS nature’.
‘Bridges to Nature’ is a collection of Matt Dingle’s sculptures around the terraces and inner gardens. Dartmoor’s Matt Dingle describes himself as sculptor and blacksmith. Most of his works are in galvanised steel.
His collection of sculptures and structures portray bridges to nature. He imaginatively creates shiny, reflecting steel sculptures finished with branches and leaves. Two of his structures are literally Bridges. One is a thirty foot leat carrying water plants in the summer and shimmering water over galvanised steel trays in the winter.
‘Flux’ by Chris Speyer is an installation of of large-scale environmental ceramic sculpture. It includes a trio of sculptures that examine our soil and its critical importance in helping solve the climate issue.
Two sculptures have been fired and one is being built on-site using Devon soil and estate rocks.
‘STREET’ is a celebration of street art and underground street art in the park. Wood panels blend into ancient woodland.
‘STREET’ centres around Letts’ early abstract photographs of gritty, ephemeral street art and the artists in the back streets of London and Paris. The installations include works by often anonymous underground street artists who have produced striking, political art on weathered wood panels.
OPEN-AIR PERMANENT COLLECTION
The Open-Air permanent collection comprises dozens of environmental artworks across the park and gardens. Some have been here for centuries and some just a few months. It includes sculptures and artworks from leading international artists as well as a collection of Letts’ environmental art.
Enjoy the extraordinary park, its rewilding and environmental art online.
If you can’t get to the park, let us bring the park to you. From as little as £3 per month, subscribe to DSP Online.