Steve Messam – Various – 2009
Don’t Look Down
Photograph Taken July 2019
Material: Metal
Trail: Millwood Trail
Theme: Modern Life
Form: Realism
Maps Featured on: Individual Map 2009
Status: (Possible 1 remains) August ’23
Quote from the Artist: “Signs of Adventure was commissioned by Cumbria Tourism as part of their Capital of Adventure campaign. The client wanted to show the variety of outdoor activities across the county whilst branding the Lakes as an exciting and forward-thinking place to visit. The signs have subsequently been given to Art Roots at Grizedale Forest to create a new route around the Forestry Commission land.”
This artwork consists of 11 road signs with altered images and text relating to the countryside, dotted around the forest in the Moor Top area. Below is a map showing their locations.
These signs were originally sited across Cumbria as part of a separate larger artwork, they were subsequently given to Grizedale for the sculpture trail. Created by William Smiths of Barnard Castle who make the official road signs for the North of England. There were 11 in total, positioned at the side of tracks.
- Don’t Look Down
- Climbing
- Paddling
- Paragliding
- Hot Air Balloon
- Mountain Biking
- Adventure Playground
- Thrill
- Horse Riding
- Not Just Elderly People
- High Street
Two other signs are listed on the map ‘Spaghetti Junction’ and ‘Artists at work’. The former, I believe refers to Meeting and Greeting a similar artwork as it’s listed in the same location. The latter was meant to be created as the result of a competition explained on the back of the map (see below). “The winning sign will be made into a real sign and added to the “adventure signs trail” here in Grizedale ready for next summer.” This never came to fruition.
Climbing
Photograph courtesy of Steve Messam taken 2009
Paddling
Photograph Taken by Karl & Ali June 2013. Original Image Location Here.
Paragliding
Photograph courtesy of Steve Messam taken 2009
Hot Air Balloon
Photographs Taken July 2019
Mountain Biking
Adventure Playground
Thrill
Horse Riding
Photographs courtesy of Steve Messam taken 2009
Not Just Elderly People
Photograph by Graham Horn, 2011. Original Photograph Location Here.
High Street
Photographs Taken 2017
High Street was the only sign not around Moor Top, instead it was just above the visitor centre besides Nigel Ross Bench.
By 2019 all but 3 signs had gone. Due to them being attached to trees, as the trees growth the metal bands supporting the signs come undone and the signs either were removed or fell off. Several weren’t on trees but were on posts, one is gone, I assume due to vandalism, this may also have been the cause for the disappearance of the others, we’ll never know. The last three remaining as of 2019 were High Street, Don’t Look Down and the Hot Air Balloon.
High Street was gone by June 2021. Don’t Look Down is gone as of August 2023.
The only one still possibly remaining is Hot Air Balloon.
Artist’s other work in Grizedale –
Intrastellar – 2021
Artist’s Website: stevemessam.co.uk
Page last updated August 2023
Grizedale Forest Sculpture An Unofficial Archive 