Photo by Bill Grant
This page gives an overview of the history of the forest and how it has changed and developed over a century, using photos, maps and leaflets I have acquired over time.
Photo bought of ebay 2024 unknown photographer, showing the sign as you leave Grizedale on the way to Hawkshead
Grizedale Hall
In the area that now forms the main car park a large hall used to be sited. The house in the photographs below was built in 1905 by Harold Brocklebank after he tore down the previous hall. This was in fact the third hall that had stood on this site.
Brocklebank sold the Grizedale Estate to the Forestry Comission in 1937. During the Second World War the hall had been used as a prisoner of war camp for German Officers. In 1957 this hall was also demolished, leaving only the front terrace just above the car park.
Historic Maps & Nature Guides
Postcard showing Juniper Tarn and ducks taken by Bill Grant
1965 Ridding Wood Guide
Created in 1961, the Ridding Wood Nature Trail was the first in the forest. Following only a slightly different route than the trail does today crossing the field before returning to the Visitor Centre. The trail leaflet lists various points of interest, mostly tree species. At this time the visitor centre also contained the Deer Museum which opened in 1956 and a Nursery.
The Ridding Wood Trail wouldn’t feature sculptures until 1991. The creation of an accessible trail for children and less mobile visitors was possible by using money from the £100,000 prize money winnings from being awarded the Prudential Award for the Arts. The money was spent on a new high level bridge, accessible seating along the length and the early sculptures.
1960’s Wildlife Guide
This guide below was all about the wildlife in the forest. This guide doesn’t have a date, but reading it I believe its from a similar time to the one above, mid 60 to early 70s. It explains how special observation hides were located around the forest for wildlife watching. They were 12-15ft off the ground and had to be booked into in advance. One such was called Treetops which opened in 1964, a photograph of which can be seen here.
1970 Map
The oldest map I have is from the 1970s and shows basic information. At this point before the sculptures were installed the forest was popular for watching wildlife.
1970’s Millwood Trail Guide & Field Studies Guide
In 1974 the Millwood Trail was created, the second trail in the forest after the Silurian way in 1973. This is a guide for the trail. It doesn’t have a date but looks to be around the mid 1970s. Presumably there was a map to go along with this guide as it lists points to look out for, such as hides and old pot ash sites.
Published at a similar time (post 1975) was this Field Studies Guide as they share a front page photograph. This guide if extremely in depth looking at the history, geology, climate etc of Grizedale.
1990 Silurian Way Map
Another map I recently acquired which looks to be from around 1990, focuses on different aspects of the Silurian way, the long distance path that circumnavigates the forest. The trail was created in 1973 as recreational walking in the forest was becoming more popular.
1990 History Map
This map also from around 1990 marks points of interest around the forest, including old historic remains. Photos of some of which I have included below.
Historic Remains in the Forest
Pot Ash Pit
This is the old Pot Ash Pit at Bogle Crag restored in the late 1980s by Forest Enterprise.
Photograph Taken 2008
Charcoal Burners Hut
This is the remains of the replica charcoal burners hut near Dry Stone Passage. It was still standing in the mid 1990s. Below is a sketch from ‘South Lakeland’ Book’, a postcard photograph of it and my photograph of how it looked in 2018. Only the wall remains and is very overgrown.
Fire Watch Towers
Fires were a constant worry with a forest and in the 90s I remember constantly seeing fire beaters (sticks with square rubber ends) alongside fences in Grizedale. There was until 1995 a fire watchers hut perched on top of Carron Crag. (Another on Brock Crag see below). It blew away in a storm. Below is a sketch of it. It was manned in dry weather.
Brock crag fire watchers hut, photo taken from newspaper clipping. Unknown source & Date.
Ships Funnel
One item not listed on the map above is an old ships funnel which is positioned high on the hill near Grizedale Tarn. Harold Brocklebank, Cunard Shipping magnate bought the estate in 1903. This chimney is a funnel from one of his ships. In ‘South Lakeland’ by Aileen & Brian Evans they explain its use as a flag pole. Now it is obscured by trees but can be reached if you know where it is.
Photograph Taken Dec 2017
Brocklebanks legacy lives on as some of the plantations in the forest are named after places his ships visited. Harold died in 1936 and the estate was sold to the Forestry Commission by his son.
Recreational Maps & Guides
1989 Orienteering Map
One of the recreational pursuits in the forest is Orienteering. This map originally from 1983 but updates in 1989 shows the orienteering routes on the east side of Grizedale. It does mark on some of the sculptures at the time.
1991 Map
This is a map dated 1991 which accompanies the sculpture guide and also has more information about the forest, trails, recreational activities and arts.
1998 Map
This map is the same as the one above but made in 1998.
Picnic Benches and Rest Stops
Up to the 00s there were many benches and picnic sites maintained around the forest. These have long since all fallen into disrepair and some picnic locations completely gone from the forest. Now there are very few benches at all sadly. There used to also be a lot of sculpture benches which have also now mostly gone. The one above does still remain (as of summer 2021) a weird bus stop like shelter at Farra Grain.
Trail Markers
I never thought to photograph the trail markers until I saw they lying in a pile. These are the old markers, the new ones are square.
Photograph taken Dec 2020
Square marker photo taken July 2021
Art in the Forest
Theatre in the Forest
Photograph from Cumbria Magazine 1995
The Theatre in the Forest was established in 1970 and was award winning.
It remained hugely popular up until the late 90s. This is an old advert for it showing the line up of events.
The Theatre closed in 1998, around the time Bill Grant retired, claiming funding was the issue. In an article in Cumbria Magazine, Bill says how “He believes that ‘amputating’ the theatre from the other branches of the arts would be disastrous for Grizedale. He disputes the way figures have been presented and believes that money has been spent unnecessarily during the last year while changes to the programme have alienated audiences.” It did close permanently as Grizedale Arts took over Grizedale.
Timeline
This image was taken from the archive list displayed in The Yan. It gives a brief overlook of the history of art in the forest and people involved. This is important to see the various stages the art goes through. 1977-1999 the excellent Grizedale Society years. 2000 – 2003 Grizedale Arts inaccessible ephemeral artwork. 2004 – now Forestry Commission works.
Sculpture Advertisments
Adverts for Grizedale Sculptures featuring in Cumbria magazine over the years.
Around the Visitor Centre
Photo by Bill Grant
This room features the sculptures of the 1980’s dotted around the walls. I don’t know when or where in the centre this was.
The Wild Life Centre
Set up in 1956 as a Deer Museum for training staff in the techniques of deer control and conservation. “Recently (1965) it has been extended so that it is now a place where visitors may learn something of the deer and other animals which inhabit the forest.”
In 1968 a new wild life centre was extended onto the museum. It contained different animals species you would find in the forest “grouped according to their habitat, and shown against characteristic backgrounds photographed in the forest. A taped commentary includes many of their calls.”
As a child I remember an animal museum in the 1990s. I can only remember the end of it which was a small round room with glass tanks full of stuffed wild animals (described above?). I can’t imagine there are many photos of this sadly but it was really interesting to me as a child.
It is described in the 1998 guide map “Take a trip through the exhibition and discover Grizedale’s unexpected history. Step into the spaceship to see forests of the world; turn the wheel of life to start the “Forest food chain”, or sit in the wildlife hide to experience the sights and sounds of the forest from dawn to dusk.”
Photo by Bill Grant
“A magnificent diorama shows some of the plants and wild creatures (you might see in the forest).” – Preview of Lakeland 1990
Nursery
Prior to 1987 where the playground now stands was a research Nursery “The main work carried out is the research into tree breeding and the techniques of seed selection and grafting. In addition a small area is maintained to demonstrate the normal methods of sowing and transplanting young trees for forest use.”
Gallery in the Forest
The redundant saw mill at Grizedale was converted in 1988 into the ‘Gallery in the Forest’ and craft workshop. It had exhibitions of sculpture, paintings and macquettes. Above the gallery was a studio for painters. This is a photo of how it looked, with noticeable artworks by Andy Goldsworthy & Sally Matthews.
In the mid 00s this became a bike rental shop. There is once again a gallery at the visitor centre, in the newly renovated area by reception. Rather than featuring permanent artwork by artist it holds exhibitions for a few months at a time.
Read more here!
Description of facilities around the Visitor Centre in 1999
_ 3 pay and display car parks (including parking for users with disabilities)
_ Public toilets (including baby-changing facilities)
_ The Forest Shop and Information Centre
_ An Exhibition about the forest, its wildlife and history
_ A forest Discovery Centre/Classroom for hire to schools or other groups
_ The Forest Tea Room serving a variety of meals and snacks
_ A unique children’s play area with a wildlife theme
_ The Gallery in the Forest (displaying the work of Sculptors and Artists in Residence)
_ A covered picnic area for groups or individuals
_ The Grizedale Hostel – available to rent by groups of all natures.
Memorial
Up at Goosey Foot Tarn, underneath the boughs of a beach tree is a stone bench in memory of Bill Grant. The words on the plaque reads:
“Bill Grant OBE 1919 – 2002 His achievements in wildlife conservation, recreation, the arts and his love of the forest will continue to inspire those who follow.”
Photos taken July 2021
Modern History
Photo taken July 2021
Photo taken 2017
Since the millennium the forest has focused more and more on recreational activities. Cycling has become ever popular with an increase of mountain bike trails. Segways can be rented to ride through the forest, and in 2003 Go Ape high wire course was installed, which continue to expand throughout the forest.
Grizedale re vamp
Archive space
After Forestry Commission was put in charge of the sculpture trail in 2004, they re-vamped the Visitor Centre. Two new exhibition spaces were created.
At this point an area was also created to house the “Grizedale Arts” Archive (aka The Grizedale Society Archive) and that items from this would be rotated and placed on display. I assume this area is now the small room adjacent to the Gallery space and the reception. One of the Gallery in the Forest Wild Boars was housed in this area up until recently. There is also photographs of the old Grizedale Hall and information on Grizedale’s history.
I moved away around this time so didn’t visit for a few years. I do wonder if there were more items from the archive that were displayed at this time, perhaps other artworks that came out of the Gallery in the Forest.
If there were more archive items they haven’t been rotated for a while now. Any archive items that exist would by this point presumably only relate to sculptures that are no longer in the forest or at least not listed on maps anymore.
Photo taken 2017
Coronavirus 2020 onwards
Photograph from Cumbria Road Police Twitter
The coronavirus affected Grizedale. While lockdown was in place the forest was closed to prevent people travelling to other areas and spreading the virus. The staff were presumably also put on furlough at this time.
Afterwards when lockdown lifted in the summer 2020 the Lakes were inn-undated by visitors, including a large number of people who are not used to the countryside, who’d never been before (as foreign travel was not possible). A section of these people not understanding where you can walk often just went into people’s private gardens, down private roads etc. Which will be why the locals en route to Grizedale created this sign to direction visitors in the right direction…
Storm Arwen aftermath
Storm Arwen hit in November 2021. It severely damaged the forest causing numerous routes to be closed to the public for a long period, due to trees felled by the 80+mph winds. The winds were extremely powerful and damaging due to the direction. Trees are used to a south westerly wind and thusly grow with the most strength on that side. The north easterly Arwen winds toppled trees, especially where they were exposed on the edges of the forest. The Millwood Trail was home to extremely tall specimen trees. It is also exposed to the north east by fields, meaning when the wind hit there was no protection and they fell like a pack of cards.
Photo above taken from the road showing the damage to Millwood Trail, 15th December 2021. Below photos from August 2022 showing the trail now, and sign displaying closed parts of the forest including the Silurian way, the main trail (10 miles long) around the forest.
Checkpoint sculpture was sadly destroyed when a tree fell on it. One of Ruup’s megaphones inexplicably survived a tree crashing next to it. Mea Culpa, Sound of Running Water and presumably numerous others had lucky escapes too.
Grizedale Forest Sculpture An Unofficial Archive 