Exploring the Beauty of Yorkshire Sculpture Park

On a lovely autumnal day at the end of October I went off to explore the largest sculpture park in Europe, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). Despite studying art for years in Manchester, I've never visited YSP before and I already can't wait to go back. Close to Wakefield, the huge park is set in the 500-acre, 18th-century Bretton Hall estate. When I visited, the sun still had a bit of warmth in it and the crispy burnt orange leaves made the whole trip very cosy.

In my monthly newsletters, I usually talk about my two big loves; my creative practice and mooching about outside. So visiting YSP was the perfect combination of walking, viewing art and a good old picnic thrown in for good measure (cheese and pickle bagel).

Starting the day with good intentions and a paper map of the site, I crunched through the leaves and did lots of finger pointing in various directions. The plan quickly faded into 'ooh what's that one over there?!' as a new sculpture slowly revealed itself from behind the one I was heading for. Let's say the plan took more of a fluid approach as a more leisurely, wandering aim took over.

The park is large enough to place many of the sculptures in their own environment to avoid clashing and to give each piece of work it's own contemplation area. There's a great mix of natural works that almost make you question if they are made by human or nature and there are some contrasting, brightly coloured works that show off their manmade qualities.

As a gallery with so much space, scale can be used to change perspective in new ways. Every change in the weather will also bring new light, shadows and elements such as wind and rain to contend with.

The adventuring artist's tool kit:

I've put together a little list of things I used when I was visiting YSP

• Comfy shoes. Sturdy trainers would be fine for this trip, a lot of the routes have good paths but you may want to get closer to some of the works and this would involve going on the grass - which might be wet. I wore my Doc Marten boots and they were fine.

• Check the weather (it's Yorkshire!). The day I wanted to visit had yellow warnings for rain, so I rescheduled for the day after which had much brighter skies. A lot of the park is exposed and would cut your trip short if the wind or rain is particularly bad.

• Stay hydrated. Plenty of water stations to refill your bottle and places of places to grab a coffee. I took a big flask of Green tea to keep me warm whilst out.

• Take snacks. You will be moving around outside and you may be so involved with the work that you forget to check the time and miss the cafe opening times (who would do such a thing?). Walking about burns more energy than you might think, keep yourself energised.

  
  

  

  
  

Extra things I like to take with me on walking/art trips.

• Battery pack - charge your phone on the go to ensure you can carry on taking photos, using maps and learning more through the park's handy QR codes.

• A 'sit mat' - a little foldable outdoor cushion or mat that stops your bum from getting cold and wet on benches

• Mechanical pencil - avoids the need to sharpen your pencil while you're out

Hydra vs Bear, 2023

A bronze sculpture by Jordy Kerwick

After a wonderful day in the sunshine and on a meander back to the car, I spotted this sculpture of a double headed bear and Hydra, the water serpent from greek mythology. Of course the sculpture containing folklore, hybrid creatures and with a playful approach was going to catch my eye. Who wouldn't love a boxy shaped two-headed bear?

I'd really recommend a day out to YSP if you can make it in the nice weather, it's a lovely day out!

Some extra shapes and textures from my day out, just for you.