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The Tiffey Trails Project is supported by Wymondham Arts Forum. For more details please contact Barbara Randall on 01953 601939.
Tiffey Valley gets second observation tower
 Caption - tower builders - work in progress to get the Toll’s Meadow tower ready for the launch on Saturday 16 February |
At noon on Saturday 16 February the Mayor of Wymondham, Councillor Len Elston,
will open a new observation tower on Toll’s Meadow, the town’s
local nature reserve. Local nature enthusiasts will put on a display about
the work which volunteers do to maintain the reserve, and the volunteer warden
Ann Roberts will be there to talk about the reserve and its contribution to
the ecology of the Tiffey Valley. Musical entertainment will be provided by
Top Brass.
The 3.5-metre (12-foot) high green oak tower is nearly completed
on site. It has attracted interested comments from local residents and walkers
who regularly visit this 4 acre wetland nature reserve within a few hundred
yards of the town centre, and also from station users parking in the adjacent
Cemetery Lane car park. It has a gentle ramped access with no steps, and is
easily accessible from Cemetery Lane. It offers an extensive panoramic view
of the nature reserve, with the Abbey’s twin towers and the roofs of
Wymondham in the background.
Constructed
by English Heritage Buildings using traditional techniques of mortice, tenon
and peg construction in green oak, the tower will add to the interest and enjoyment
of the many local people and visitors who come to walk on this peaceful open
space near Wymondham town centre. Decorative carvings on the struts which support
the viewing platform were inspired by the carvings on Wymondham’s historic
Market Cross, a short walk away in the Market place.
Wood carver Andy Hibberd from Bunwell researched, designed and carved
the intricate patterns. His work may already be seen on benches installed along
the valley since last summer.
Tiffey Trails group chairman John Wood said: “This tower will be another
focal point for the many walkers and family groups who enjoy exploring the
five miles of trails along the valley. Like the first valley tower on the Lizard,
which we opened last May, it gives a fine view of the Abbey, but our new tower
at Toll’s Meadow tower incorporates structural features and wood carvings
inspired by the Market Cross. Our woodcarver Andy Hibberd has done a wonderful
job in designing the carvings and making them come to life on the structure.
This is another notable landmark for the Tiffey Valley.”
The Lizard tower
project was devised by Wymondham Arts Forum’s Tiffey
Trails group and supported by Wymondham Town Council which owns the land at
Toll’s Meadow. The main source of funds was landfill tax money from Waste
Recycling Group (WRG), administered and distributed by Waste Recycling Environmental
(WREN). Other funding was provided by the Norwich Town Close Estate Charity
and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
May 2006
Musical launch for Tiffey Trails project Wymondham’s Tiffey Trails
project was formally launched with the first performance of a specially
written work at a concert in the Music Room at Kimberley Hall last Friday
12 May.Invited guests, including representatives of eight different bodies
which have pledged grant aid and many local organisations which are partners
in the project, heard the first performance of an original new work ‘Tiffey
Song’ which celebrates the history and natural surroundings of
the river Tiffey and its valley. Afterwards they celebrated the project
launch on the terrace overlooking Kimberley Park.‘Tiffey Song’ was
written by Wymondham poet George Szirtes and composer Ken Crandell from
nearby Deopham. With gentle humour it places the Tiffey in the context
of world rivers, and traces its history through the lives of those who
have lived in the valley. It was performed by two narrators and a chorus
of three singers, representing the river’s song.
 On the terrace at Kimberley Hall are (left to right) Joe Mooney, Wymondham Town Mayor, John Wood, Chairman, Wymondham Arts Forum and Bob McClenning, Chairman, South Norfolk Council. |
Formally launching the project, South Norfolk Council chairman Bob McClenning congratulated Wymondham Arts Forum for devising and carrying out the Tiffey Trails project. He also praised Wymondham people for the quality of their volunteer activities and strong sense of direction. “Wymondham continues to lead the way with its imaginative projects and wide community involvement,” he said. “The town should be proud of what it has achieved, and continues to achieve, through good leadership and the commitment of so many local people.”Wymondham Arts Forum chairman John Wood thanked the organisations which had provided support in grants and services worth over £80,000 to make the Tiffey Trails project possible. He said: “We have been planning the project for more than 18 months, and our team of volunteers is now 20 strong, but we have also had splendid support from so many local clubs and societies.“Tiffey Trails will encourage more people to appreciate the valley and enjoy their visits, and it will help to preserve and protect this area of Wymondham’s heritage. The project will also encourage local artists, craftspeople, writers and musicians to produce work inspired by the Tiffey Valley. ‘Tiffey Song’, written by two talented local people, is a fine example of what can be achieved, and will surely be performed again in the future here in Wymondham.” The Tiffey Trails group has published a free guide to the valley incorporating notes on its history and wildlife and a map showing footpaths and access points. Copies are available from the Tourist Information Centre in the Market Cross, the library and the Town Council offices.The next Tiffey Trails event is the ‘Valley in the Making’ day on Saturday 20 May. This will include craft demonstrations, nature and history exhibitions, a craft workshop, street theatre and live music.
The Tiffey Trails heritage project is led by Wymondham Arts Forum and
further details are available from Barbara Randall on 01953 601939 or email st.edmunds@onetel.net
Wymondham family event to focus on Tiffey Valley
Wymondham's innovative Tiffey Trails project is staging a unique community event with a focus on heritage, nature, arts and crafts in the Tiffey Valley. 'Valley in the Making' will take place next to the river Tiffey at Becketswell, near Wymondham Abbey, on Saturday 20 May from 10 am to 4 pm. The event draws its inspiration from the crafts and trades which have formed the town of Wymondham over the centuries, the natural environment of farmland, water meadows and parkland and the heritage of the town's ancient buildings. There will be demonstrations of traditional skills of weaving, wood-turning and wood carving, an exhibition by Wymondham Photographic Society of photos inspired by the valley, and historical displays from Wymondham Heritage Society. Information leaflets about the Tiffey Valley and events in the Tiffey Trails programme will be available. There will be a strong focus on nature in the valley, with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust information trailer and displays by local Nature group WyNG. Children will be invited to make badges and build tiny towers in a craft workshop led by Mark Goldsworthy and sponsored by South Norfolk Council.
There will be live music from vocal group 'Rough at the Edges' and other musicians, and performances from street entertainers Carpet Man and Lino Boy arranged through Wymondham High School's community arts programme. A prize draw will link the event to the Farmers' Market being held in town that day. Arts Forum secretary Barbara Randall said: "This will be an original and entertaining event, strongly linked with the Tiffey Valley and the contribution it has made over the years, and is still making, to the quality of life in Wymondham. There will be something for all the family, and the beautiful valley setting at Becketswell is looking its best at this time of year." "We encourage people to walk down from town and spend an hour or two with us. There will be a picnic area and ice creams, and the added attraction of the Mid Norfolk Railway's steam trains running alongside the event." She added: "We were delighted at the success of our community arts day in the Central Hall last month, and 'Valley in the Making' is another event in the lively and varied programme we have arranged through out the summer. Making people aware of the importance of the valley to Wymondham will help to protect it from possible development in the future." The Tiffey Trails heritage project was devised and is led by Wymondham Arts Forum. For more information about 'Valley in the Making' please contact Barbara Randall on 01953 601939 or email st.edmunds@onetel.net
Tiffey Valley captured in sound
Visitors to a Community Arts day in Wymondham will be transported through the Tiffey Valley by means of a quadraphonic sound presentation.The Eddie Botolph Room at Central Hall will be converted to a sound auditorium during the event, which takes place between 10.00am and 3.00pm on Saturday, April 22. The eight minute mixture of wildlife and natural sounds has been produced by recording enthusiast Scott Taylor, with narration by Jon Tooke. Mr Taylor said: "It's a shortened version of a much longer feature that is being planned."The Community Arts day is the first in a series of events to be arranged as part of the Tiffey Trails project, initiated by Wymondham Arts Forum. The opening ceremony will be performed by the Town Mayor, David Fletcher, with music provided by the Upper Tas Valley Orchestra. Static displays by the town's Photographic and Art societies will be supplemented by live demonstrations on digital photography, wood carving, basket making, patchwork and quilting and 3d fabric flowers. There will be a talk on the wildlife of the Tiffey Valley by Wymondham Nature Group (WyNG) and the riverside experiences of Wymondham residents Matthew Wood, Fred Jenkins and Barrie Sullivan will be featured in a special audio presentation. There will also be contributions from pupils of Ashleigh First and Browick Road Infants schools and a display of work by participants in a digital photography master class arranged by the Community Arts officer at Wymondham High School, Kay Southgate.Co-organiser of the Community Arts day, Sue Clarke said:"We have tried to involve as many art forms as possible, whilst maintaining the theme of the Tiffey Valley."
For more details contact Sue Clarke on 07880 550 852.
Schedule of Presentations Community Arts Day - Wymondham, Saturday, April 22 2006
| 10.00am | Opening ceremony by Wymondham Town Mayor Upper Tas Valley Orchestra |
| 10.30am | Storytelling |
| 10.45am | Digital Photography Demonstration |
| 11.00am | Nature talk |
| 11.15am | Storytelling |
| 11.30am | Flower arranging |
| 11.45am | More Tiffey Tales |
| 12.00pm | Wood carving Demonstration |
| 12.15pm | 3d Fabric Flowers Demonstration |
| 12.30pm | Basket making Demonstration |
| 12.45pm | Digital Photography Demonstration |
| 1.00pm | Dragon banner parade |
£48,000 Heritage Lottery award for Wymondham’s Tiffey Trails project
Wymondham Arts Forum has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £48,600
for its innovative Tiffey Trails project. The grant will help encourage
people to explore the Tiffey Valley, and offer them a varied programme
of events and activities to discover its heritage.The Lottery award is
by far the largest grant secured for the project which will use the arts,
crafts and music to highlight the attractions of the five-mile stretch
of river valley which runs through the parish, passing within a few hundred
yards of Wymondham’s historic town centre.img Funding from 14 different
sources totalling over £70,000 has been secured and with support
offered ‘in kind’ the whole project cost is £81,000.
This will enable the Arts Forum’s 20-strong team to undertake every
aspect of the project they had originally planned. These include
- improving the valley infrastructure – footpaths, bridges, stiles and fences
- renovating and installing signposts and waymarkers on the main footpath routes
- installing benches, interpretation boards and other ‘field furniture’
- employing local craftspeople to decorate and ‘brand’ suitable items
- erecting two small viewing towers, at Toll’s Meadow and the Lizard, with the possibility of a third further down the valley
- organising a season of community arts, music and educational events
- publishing a ‘valley guide’ leaflet with environmental and historical information and a valley map.
Most of the work on the Heritage Lottery Fund application was done by Arts Forum secretary Barbara Randall. She said: “This is by far the most ambitious grant application we have ever attempted, and it was pretty daunting at first. However, the application process has really helped us to identify exactly what we want to do and how to go about it, and I’m sure the Tiffey Trails project will be all the better for it.”
The Tiffey Trails group have just published an events leaflet listing 40 activities taking place in the valley this year. These include guided nature walks, concerts, exhibitions and educational events. The formal launch of the project will take place at a concert in Kimberley Hall on Friday 12 May with the performance of a specially written work ‘Tiffey Song’ by local composer Ken Crandell and writer George Szirtes.
For more information please contact: John Wood, chairman 01953 602051 or Barbara Randall, secretary on 01953 601939
Progress report - January 2006
Where have we got to?
It’s well over a year now since Wymondham Arts Forum approved our proposals for using the arts to help promote and appreciate the natural environment of the Tiffey Valley. Those early ideas have crystallised into a major heritage-based project which will use the arts, crafts and music as the principal means of delivery. As we intended – but perhaps even more than we expected – the project has gathered momentum, and the level and breadth of interest and support is very encouraging. The project is now truly cross-cutting, involving many areas of local life, organisations and individuals. This paper outlines some of the major developments since that first meeting in October 2004.
Good team in place and working hard
Wymondham Arts Forum has set up an enthusiastic steering group of artists and representatives from local groups, schools and councils, which has been meeting monthly to work up the initial ideas. The first half of 2005 was spent in defining the scope of the project, identifying the partner organisations and individuals who would be involved and thinking how to establish a distinctive Tiffey Trails ‘brand’. The second half of the year has been driven by the need to secure funding. The process of drafting 15 different grant applications has been exhausting, but helpful too in making us think about every aspect of what we want to do. Already nearly £27,000 of over £80,000 required has been secured, in grants or offers of services, and by March 2006 we shall know if we can go ahead with more ambitious and imaginative elements such as the Tiffey Towers.
Consultation
We wrote to all the major riverside landowners to explain the project and invited them to a meeting last June to talk about it. In July we held a well-attended public meeting with presentations about improving the valley infrastructure, promoting the environment with nature trails, competitions and other events and finding opportunities for major public art. We have also talked to many members of the public whilst doing an audit of current users. We have encountered widespread support.
Heritage under threat
In the light of recent pressure by government to build more houses in the Wymondham area it has become increasingly vital that we identify and protect the Tiffey Valley. The section of the river which runs near the town centre is well known, but over the entire five-mile stretch within the parish are landscapes displaying a wealth of flora and fauna and evidence of our local heritage. Housing development may also threaten Wymondham’s historic built environment. We have worked to raise public awareness, foster a sense of local pride in our valley, and also to encourage visitors to Wymondham for the economic benefit of the whole community.
Access for all is the key
The first priority in making the valley more accessible to all is to strengthen and improve its infrastructure. We are already working closely with Norfolk County Council’s Countryside Access Team to achieve this. We shall be involving local artists and craftspeople to help with branding the project as a whole and with field furniture and way-marking of footpaths. A local woodcarver has been researching the wooden decoration of some of the town’s historic buildings, and has plans to replicate these themes and motifs on viewing towers and at other sites along the valley.
However, access is not just about the physical business of getting somewhere, it is also about stimulating interest and curiosity. We aim to make people want to visit somewhere new or revisit a familiar place and see it from a different perspective, and to continue and develop the interest thus aroused. We expect this to be reflected in increased visitor numbers, and in new members for the various clubs and societies involved.
Activities for everyone
A diverse activities programme is already drawn up for 2006. On Saturday 22 April a community arts event will showcase the work of local arts and crafts organisations and individuals with a valley theme. Our ‘flagship event’ will be at Becketswell on Saturday 20 May 2006 called Valley in the Making. It will be a day to find out more about the heritage and wildlife of the Tiffey Valley, join in with various arts and craft activities, visit the Norfolk Wildlife Trust trailer and set out on walks up and down the valley. And on Friday 12 May the Music Room at Kimberley Hall will be the setting for a concert featuring a special composition ‘Tiffey Song’ with music and words by distinguished local writers.
These launch events will set the scene for a summer of activities which will extend, open ended, into following years. Culture, history and heritage will be represented by art exhibitions, drama at Kimberley, a ‘found art’ workshop, a public arts project linking the five South Norfolk festivals, an archaeology day and an astronomy event. Nature trails will offer more than a dozen guided walks in the valley, showing its flora and fauna over the spring, summer and autumn months. Music events will be held in Wymondham Abbey, Kimberley Hall, the newly refurbished cemetery chapel and in the open air beside the river. The public interest raised by the project should draw many visitors to the town, to the benefit of established tourist attractions and the wider local economy.
Funding has now been secured so that promotional material can be prepared for widespread distribution. A programme of events will be delivered to homes in Wymondham, and a full-colour leaflet and map describing the valley and its features will be commissioned. We expect to launch these before Easter 2006.
Looking forward
Our experience in organising other major events in Wymondham shows that a great deal of hard work is needed before tangible results of any kind are achieved. The new year now sees us looking forward at last to delivering a project in which we have all invested heavily with our time and effort, and which we are confident will succeed. Definitely something for everyone to look forward to!
John Wood, Chairman
Tiffey Trails Steering Group
January 2006