Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is brilliant, ’cause it’s in Yorkshire.

I could end this post here, after that zealous statement, but I’ll endeavour to extol a few more virtues of a jaunt to this idyllic artistic paradise.

YSP is near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, (which is where I’m from, if you hadn’t guessed).

It has gazillions of acres of parkland, gardens, lakes, woods and buildings to roam around.

You’ll see works from the likes of Damien Hirst, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Andy Goldsworthy, Sophie Ryder, Robert Indiana, Antony Gormley, Vanessa de Silva, Ai Wei Wei and tons more.

It has a lovely cafe and gift shop, but you can take a picnic if the weather’s nice.

You have to book online so have a look at their website (links above). I only paid six quid! As under 18s are free. (I went with my daughter.) Parking is included in the entrance fee.

Not only is it a veritable feast for your peepers, being in all that nature is good for your mental health too.

Anyhoo, here are a few examples of the delights I got to see. I missed quite a few too. I could’ve easily spent another couple of hours there so allow yourself plenty of time.

Plus, on top of all that, did I mention it’s in Yorkshire! What more could you want?

Lola was feeling left out. She’s a work of art in my book.

Getting ready to play Pooh sticks with the young ‘un. (I lost.)

I actually wrote a blog post about YSP in 2014 which is here if you want to compare and contrast.

για τη δέκατη μούσα μου

#102/365 – Yorkshire Sculpture Park

David Nash

I love the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I’ve been many times now with my family and although my kids may not appreciate the subtleties of modern art, they do love a good run around and a clamber over seemingly randomly placed rocks.

There are permanent works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Antony Gormley, Andy Goldsworthy and Sophie Ryder amongst others.

Elisabeth Frink

 

People dressed as ants for some reason…

 

Andy Goldsworthy

 

Antony Gormley

 

Niki de Saint Phalle

 

Peter Liversidge

David Nash

YSP is a pretty unique place. Set in vast grounds, (if you want acreage you can look on their website), it’s just as much fun going for a stroll around the park, worrying sheep and enjoying a picnic as it is perusing the indoor galleries.

It’s free in, but parking’s £7.50 for the day, £5 for two hours or £2.50 for one hour. They have a cracking gift shop full of all manner of unique and quirky crafty things and the restaurant serves fantastic food, though the prices are a tiny bit steep for my liking. (Well, I am a Yorkshireman, after all.)

It’s somewhere between Wakefield and Barnsley in south, West Yorkshire and north, South Yorkshire. Er… I’d Google map it if I were you. We go over from sunny Stocky which is a lovely jaunt over the Woodhead Pass, then up the M1 for a junction, and Bob’s your uncle.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. If you like art, you’ll love it. If you like nature, you’ll love it. If you like great food, you’ll love it. If you want to buy an original gift, you’ll love it. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love it. If you like oxygen, you’ll love it.

Very unworried sheep

Sophie Ryder. (The sculpture, not my daughter.)

Barbara Hepworth

Henry Moore

Henry Moore?

Sophie Ryder

Sophie Ryder

David Nash

David Nash

Things I am grateful for #27/365

Yorkshire.

The largest, (and greatest), county in England.

And the place of my birth. (Lucky me.)

And the birthplace of the last legitimate English monarch – Richard III. (Not that I would advocate a monarchy now, of course.) An independent Republic of Yorkshire, maybe.

Feast your eyes…

Beverley

Druid temple

Yorkshire Dales

More dales

Limestone crags

Bolton Abbey

Middelham

Malham Cove

Whitby

Richmond

Even more dales

York

Fountains Abbey

We have a lot of dales

My daughter giving Sophie Ryder’s work the once over at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Well, I’ll be…

Knaresborough

Castle Howard

Ooh look, another one.

Staithes

Knaresborough

Haworth

Scarborough

Saltaire

York

Knaresborough

York

Not another one

 

Top Withens, Haworth. Courtesy of Ian Howard.

 

Top Withens, Haworth. Courtesy of Ian Howard.

 

A Kestrel for a Knave

Just a pile of rocks?

David Nash

“Don’t climb on the statue,” I said to my eldest daughter.

“It’s just a pile of rocks, Daddy,” she replied.

Now, it sounds like I’m going to write a post dissing modern sculpture. But I’m not. I love the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I’ve been many times now with my family and although my kids may not appreciate the subtleties of modern art, they do love a good run around and a clamber over randomly placed rocks.

There are permanent works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Sophie Ryder amongst others. They also have an exhibition on at the mo by an artist called David Nash. He works mainly in wood and his sculptures are very organic.

 

David Nash

YSP is a pretty unique place. Set in vast grounds, (if you want acreage you can look on their website), it’s just as much fun going for a stroll around the park, worrying sheep and enjoying a picnic as it is perusing the indoor galleries.

It’s free in, parking’s four quid and they have a decent gift shop and cafe. Though, my one criticism would be that, even though the food is lovely, the prices are a tiny bit steep for my liking. Well, I am a Yorkshireman, after all. It’s somewhere between Wakefield and Barnsley in south, West Yorkshire and north, South Yorkshire. Er… I’d Google map it if I were you. We go over from sunny Stocky which is a lovely jaunt over the Woodhead Pass.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. If you like art, you’ll love it. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love it. If you like oxygen, you’ll love it.

Very unworried sheep

Sophie Ryder. (The sculpture, not my daughter.)

Barbara Hepworth

Henry Moore

Henry Moore?

Sophie Ryder

Sophie Ryder

David Nash

David Nash