New exhibition opens showcasing Stockport's ancient landscape
In a town as built-up as Stockport, it's easy to forget how many layers of ancient history we actually sit on.
Fortunately, a new exhibition aims to showcase just how rich the marrow of the earth really is in this part of the country.
The exhibition - Scientific Rambles - is based at the Arc Centre, adjoining the Hat Museum. It opened earlier this month.
It's been developed by four artists, with the aim of telling the story of the ancient land around us.
Granite hills and sandstone plains, lost barrows and stone monuments, rushing watercourses, trackways where woad-wearing warriors once ran - all this and more is brought to the fore in this exhibition.
It's not so much an attempt to demystify the ancient past and landscape - rather a chance to showcase it as is, with all the magic and mystery that suffuses it.
The four artists are:
- Iain Davidson, a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice includes printmaking, ceramics and mixed-media installations
- Alisa Holland, an award-winning poet and artists, whose poetry and photographs are on display.
- Becca Smith, who works with drawing, painting, printmaking and textiles.
- Martyn Stonehouse, a digital artist and composer working with a range of audio-visual mediums.
We spoke to Becca Smith, who explained a bit more about the ideas behind the exhibition, and what visitors can expect.
"The underlying thread is the book Scientific Rambles Round Macclesfield", Becca explained.
"I've always been interested in the ancient landscape, and that was a book that kept getting mentioned and cited by lots of other authors."
The book is by Victorian antiquarian and geologist JD Sainter, and explores the landscape around East Cheshire.
Becca added: "The geological map of the area, up to Bramhall and down to Leek, made complete sense to me as it was how each area seems to feel different - the granite hills seemed more wild and exciting than the sandstone plain, the coal seams had a different feeling too, darker and more secretive under foot."
The exhibition, then, showcases what is often overlooked in the environment and its history.
And, as Becca explains, that can be interesting for many reasons.
"There's something really enigmatic about the bronze age and prehistoric past", Becca said.
"I hope people visiting get a better sense of place, and what's below your feet", Becca explained.
"I'd encourage people to go and find some of these ancient places themselves. There's nothing like going to a place, especially if you've had a bit of adventure to get there - that sense of 'let's go and find it!'"
The Scientific Rambles exhibition is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am-4pm, and Saturdays 11am-3pm until September 13th.
Enter for free at the Arc Centre (Hat Works, Wellington Mill, Wellington Rd S, Stockport SK3 0EU).
Find more information on the Scientific Rambles website here.
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