Woodland Springs’ Stone Lane Garden Sculpture nursery

Tranquil Parks Woodland Springs.

Woodland Springs Touring Park is the only 5-star adult only caravan park and campsite in the beautiful Dartmoor National Park in Devon. Its delightfully peaceful, central location is ideal for exploring Dartmoor, Devon and the South West. Owners, Chris and Jan offer guests a warm welcome with high-grade facilities, all maintained in harmony with the lovely countryside and wildlife habitats that surround the park.
Tranquil Parks Woodland Springs is home to some fantastic attractions and things to see & do read more below for their latest attraction news.

Stone Lane Gardens, Chagford 

Stone Lane Gardens is an enchanting 5-acre woodland garden, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park near Chagford, Devon. Famous for its National Collections of Birch trees and Alder trees as well as the annual ‘Mythic Garden’ sculpture exhibition.
The late Kenneth Ashburner, a modern day plant hunter who travelled the world collecting rare and unusual birch and alder trees, created the garden over 40 years. Kenneth used his unique approach to landscape gardening to turn 5 acres of Dartmoor fields into a beautiful, tranquil combination of woodland, ponds and streams.

Planted mostly in naturalistic copses with interesting underplanting, trees are mostly grown from seed of wild trees throughout the northern hemisphere. With examples from far flung place ranging from Canada to Japan; Iceland to Iran, they show the varied nature of these pioneer species. The importance of the collection has been recognised by achieving National Collection status.
With tactile peeling bark and varying in colour from the ghostly white Himalayan birch, through pinks and oranges to dark chocolate brown, Birch especially are delightfully attractive trees. The delicate trees only cast lightly dappled shade, providing a peaceful and inspiring atmosphere, enjoyed by both adults and children alike..
Kenneth’s artist wife June, began siting sculptures within the gardens in 1992. Since then, every summer the Gardens have hosted The Mythic Garden Sculpture Exhibition. This year’s theme of ‘Folklore’, has been widely interpreted and features pieces from established artists, as well as some by students from Plymouth & Falmouth Arts Schools. Discovering the sculptures, carefully placed within copses or around the ponds, makes the artwork even more enjoyable to behold.

This summer we also have a number of local artists showcasing their work in The Barn Gallery. Running from now until mid September, local artist Bryan Sentence has an exhibition comprising of pieces inspired by his love of the Cornish coast and landscape. His bright and cheery paintings depict the rugged Cornish landscape and the characters within it. The two tone ceramic plates utilise Bryan’s knowledge of world crafts, from which he has written five books on crafts from different cultures.

Bryan’s attention to detail carving and painting his driftwood birds is fantastic. Produced from the vast amount of driftwood he has amassed in his shed, these beautiful sculptures are small, but perfectly formed. From little kingfishers and tufted ducks to impressive cormorants and grey herons, they celebrate his love of our native wildlife. For more information about his work, please visit www.bryansentance.com.

From mid September to the end of October the Pottery Group from Stallcombe House, Exeter will be displaying their beautiful ceramic and textile creations. Stallcombe House is a residential centre for adults with severe learning difficulties and ‘The Weavery’, where the Pottery Group work are based, is just one of the opportunities offered to enrich the lives of the residents. From felt work and rugs to ceramic pots and mosaics, the pieces they create are inspired by the plants and wildlife in their extensive gardens.
The Gardens are open from 2pm to 6pm everyday, year round and the Barn Gallery Exhibitions are happening alongside the summer sculpture exhibition. All pieces are available to buy. For more information please visit www.stonelanegardens.com

National Collections of wild-origin Birch and Alder trees.

Hosting the “Mythic Garden” summer sculpture exhibition.

Stone Lane Gardens, Stone Farm, Chagford, Devon. TQ13 8JU Tel: 01647 231311   www.stonelanegardens.com

Charity number 1141252