Clockwork Forest

Greyworld – Ridding Wood Trail – 7th October 2011

Material: Wood

Trail: Ridding Wood Trail

Theme: Sound

Form: Realism

Maps Featured on: 2013 – 2020

Status: Still in situ – majority not working March ’24

Continuing the tradition of musical artworks on the accessible Ridding Wood Trail. The clockwork forest, seven large key winders that go through the trees on the first half of the trail. These are interactive, when wound enough they play a lullaby type tune from a speaker nearby.

In 2011 a grant was awarded Grizedale to install this artwork. Sadly, seemingly part of the agreement was to remove almost all the other sculptures on the trail, despite the key winders only being on the first portion of the trail.

Photographs taken 2013

There are also two more winders in the canopy (which are best viewed from the high level bridge) that don’t produce sound (below). The interactive winders seem to all produce a different tune, last time I visited I tried them all (6 in total that can be wound), only two were still working (though I have never seen them all work, even when new).

Photograph Taken August 2019

The clockworks have recently (2021 ish) had an overhaul with the round ends having changed, they are much louder now and although I only tested 1 it worked, so I presume this revamp was to fix the issue of them constantly breaking.

Last visit March ’24 none we tested were working but they will be repaired soon I’m sure.

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Artist’s Website: greyworld.org

Page last updated March ’24