Life’s simple pleasures are in abundance in Sussex. Great food and drink, wonderful landscapes, and (in my opinion at least) sculpture. There is nothing quite so captivating as an unexpected or unusual form, a sleek line, or a rough curve, and sculpture can be enjoyed on so many levels. And so I am always excited when I come across a new sculpture/s like I did at Borde Hill recently.
A quick recap
For those that don’t know, Borde Hill is a 2,300-acre Estate just outside Haywards Heath in West Sussex. It’s been owned by the Stephenson Clarke family for 130 years. Although records of the estate date back to 1534, the Tudor house was built in 1598 by a Stephen Borde. When he later acquired the estate, Colonel Robert Stephenson Clarke planted the gardens and woodlands. The house is not open to the public but the gardens are and are described as “a nationally important English country garden with magnificent views over the 383 acre Grade II heritage listed parkland.”
Borde Hill Garden became a registered charity in 1965. The grounds include a series of garden rooms, and at the moment some impressive sculptures too.
Simon Gudgeon
Simon Gudgeon is a leading contemporary sculptor. He works mainly in bronze and his style is described as smooth, minimalist, and semi abstract capturing movement and emotion, influenced by nature and the natural world. He is the creator of Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset and four of his works will be on display at Borde Hill until December 2024.
Luna
Starting big, in front of the house, Luna is an abstract bird based on an ibis. In Egyptian mythology, the god of the Moon was often depicted with an ibis head.
Pelicans
If the Italian Garden is your favourite, presided over as it is by the ‘Welcoming the New Year’ statute of a naked lady, then you’ll love it at the moment.
In Chinese history, pelicans are lucky, as is the watery and enigmatic number eight.
Parallel Passé
Modelled by a ballerina from Berlin, this Parallel Passé dances quietly in the shade of a tree.
Possibly my favourite for her sheer imperceptibility, she is all too easy to miss and changes according to the whims of the dappled shade.
Fruit Platter
Fruit platter is fun, and ever-changing in different lights. Designed to provoke thoughts of more mindful eating and admiring the form not just the flavour of fruit.
Aphrodite
Installed in the rose garden in August 2020, Aphrodite is not by Gudgeon but is always worth a detour. Sculpted by artist Brendon Murless, she is a life-size copper figure studded with roses and holds a bouquet from which the water bursts. Although not when I was visiting.
Top tip. Arrive early and enjoy the gardens pretty much to yourself. I arrived at spot on 10 am on a Thursday and I enjoyed time at each piece of work on my own.
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