Flamborough Heritage Trail
17 August 2005
17 August 2005
After following the path away from the clifftop, we continued to follow the obvious trail through a more wooded area, thinking that we'd perhaps seen all the sculptures by then, and were heading back to the car park. For more information on this walk, see the foot of the page.
Then we found this amazing bridge across a beck. At first, I noticed the names stamped into the curved steel supports. And noticed the beautiful curves of the barriers on the sides. It is of course based on the skeleton of a whale - as whales have washed up on local beaches - and crossing it is rather like being inside one - (though rather more comfortable, I imagine).
Later
I discovered that this is known as the 'Bridging the Gap' bridge. The information
on the Flamborough
Community website says that it replaced an old wooden bridge, which
had become unsafe.
Rather than replace the bridge with another boringly functional one, the
Young Roots project designed for the community this inspired creation.
It says 'Northern Star', and though I guess this was the name of one of the fishing boats, it made me think of all the 'northern stars' who made this bridge.
This rather intriguing structure, on the edge of the path after we left the bridge, is a bird viewing station, and on the other side of it are bird tables and feeders. You can look through the slots to watch the birds. (Or if you're nosey, like me, have a peek around the edge as well).
There's then a more open grassed area, with picnic tables, and these interesting
sculptures on the trees - this one made from old horseshoes.
Back in my schooldays, hundreds of years ago in the 1980s, I don't remember us ever doing anything as interesting as this. Girls in particular. We had to do cookery and needlework, rather than the woodwork and metalwork I would have preferred. Making things from wood and metal means making things that last - something that couldn't be said about soggy toad-in-the-hole.
That women can become accomplished in traditionally 'male' skills is emphasised in comments by Eloise Mummery, in the report on the project on Flamborough
UK: 'I love welding, I love being able to do things men think women
can't do, I can also mix cement now as well'.
This rotund object looks rather cute, until you realise that it's an old sea mine. Now unarmed, thankfully, and with a small plaque that says that these mines were 'a major danger to shipping in the surrounding waters during World War II.'
This
image is out of sequence - it's from the wooden totem pole sculpture shown
earlier on page 1. I've
included it here, as it shows the inscription 'Young Roots 2003',
and I wanted to thank everyone who worked on this project, for creating
such a beautiful sculpture trail.
To anyone who is feeling down about the state of the world, and feels that there's
no respect for the past, and no hope for the future, I recommend this heritage trail. It's a very inspiring walk.
Distance: 1 mile approx
Route: The 'official' trail is shown on the Flamborough
Community Website. (We didn't find this until we returned home, and
realised we'd gone round the other way, as described here, and also missed
a couple of the sculptures near the South Landing bay.)
The Flamborough Community Website - information
on the Young Roots Heritage Trail project