A Bike Ride to Quarley & Project Workshops

With this glorious weather and the Eldest’s arm out of plaster, we have been back out on our bikes without any more catastrophes.  This weekend we cycled to Quarley and visited the Project Workshop’s Open Day.  From the end of Cattle Lane, we ride down

On our way to Quarley
On our way to Quarley

the hill into Monxton and then managed to cycle up the steep hill out of the village and along the old Roman road before taking the turning on the right towards Quarley.  This stretch of the ride is breathtaking at the moment.  The road is little more than a single track, either side lined with glorious swathes of cow parsley and the fields full of deep green crops.

The perfect Hampshire countryside
The perfect Hampshire countryside

It is quite blissful coasting along the road under a clear blue sky, not a car in sight.  We cycle through Quarley and find the Project Workshops, a group of renovated farm buildings, on the left.  We first visited Project Workshops before it expanded to its current size when the stonemason, Henry Gray, did some work for us.  He is no longer based there, having moved to the Chalke Valley just south west of Salisbury, but the Tribe still remember his powerful work, ‘Angel and Wretch’ that he was working on at the time.

The Project Workshop buildings
The Project Workshop buildings

The current resident artists are of similar ilk; there are painters, potters, sculptors,a furniture designer, a letter cutter amongst many more.  The Tribe love the ceramic animals by Elaine Peto; the Littlest particularly loves the foxes (‘What does the fox say?’!).

Watching the glassmaker at work
Watching the glassmaker at work

The glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill are fascinating to watch and the Tribe are enthralled as they watch the techniques, time and patience it takes to blow one exquisite glass.

The glassmaker's precision work
The glassmaker’s precision work

 

Almost finished
Almost finished
The powerful War Horse and Trooper
The powerful War Horse and Trooper

One of the most impressive exhibits is the life size War Horse and Trooper that Amy Goodman is still working on – it isn’t only the Tribe whose eye is caught by this particular piece.  It will eventually be situated at the entrance to Romsey Memorial Park as part of the WW1 anniversary.  Beautiful and intricate metalwork and jewellry by Marek Woznica includes stunning designs around themes of magic and alchemy which rather appeals to all the Tribe;  a Welsh dragon rather catches my eye.  Before taking a break, I manage to pop in to see Marc Johnson’s jewellry; I will definately have to return with FotT alone – his work is beautiful – contemporary and simple.

The beautiful Courtyard Garden with sculptors
The beautiful Courtyard Garden with sculptors

Before leaving we wander around the rather beautiful Courtyard Garden which is shown off to perfection on this magnificent May day.  There are a number of striking sculptures including one that shoots more than 20 feet in the air and sways gently in the breeze.

The pond with sculpture
The pond with sculpture

Despite the Littlest stepping into the pond and getting soaked almost up to her waist (she didn’t realise that it was water and wanted to get closer to the penguin sculpture!), there are no tears and it is time for us to cycle home and marvel at the county (and country’s) glorious nature at its best.

Project Workshops, Lains Farm, Quarley, Nr Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8PX  Telephone: 01264 889889                                           www.project-workshops.co.uk

 

Author: Mother of the Tribe

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