Lost

About

This is a new body of work for the start of my Provisional PhD, the work follows a pattern of investigatory research based on paths, walking and drawing, with an outcome of three paintings and a set of accompanying prints.

To contextualize, the path that I am investigating is not a designated path, but non the less it was a path that had been in existence for over a hundred years ferrying workers from cottages at North End and latterly a small council cul-de-sac to Freemans Yard timber merchants which opened in the 1875, I found it interesting to note that in the 1851 Census, 155 Cheriton men and boys were employed as farm labourers. This was about 85% of the local, male workforce (Culpin, 1999) to consider that people found employment where they lived or lived where they could find employment demonstrates how much life has changed, Culpin goes on to say by the turn of the century, it (Freemans Timber Yard) was the main source of employment so already a shift in the workforce 100 men in Cheriton worked for the firm. Before the advent of the petrol engine, there was a large demand for farm carts and wagons. These were built in great numbers at Freemans especially before the First World War, and included Hampshire wagons, scotch carts and contractors’ carts. The company employed wheelwrights and blacksmiths.

Write about the war years     

In 1992 the business went into receivership, eventually the land was sold and bought by a development company, then followed a campaign to stop the development of houses, and after years of wrangling and negotiation, nineteen houses were built with four houses set aside as housing association for residents local to the area. The houses are built in the vernacular with a mixture of thatch and slate, flint and brick, but the scale of the non-housing association houses is executive with prices to match.

Freemans Timber Yard ceased trading years ago, but the path I am researching remained in regular use, to the point that when a Millennium path was put in to link North End to the center of the village, a gap in the fence was deliberately built to let walkers through.

The land that the path is on belongs to one of three sisters, whose father divided his land into three to create Scrubbs Farm, which is a sheep farm and is the location of the Battle of Cheriton, Middle Farm a dairy farm and North End Farm which is equine.  

The new residents in Freemans Yard, whose homes bordered the footpath took umbridge against strangers walking so close to their properties and it suited the owner of North End Farm to block the path by first putting barbed wire across the path, which was soon trodden down as well as wrapped with duct tape, the owner then erected a substantial fence with the obligatory keep out and finally piles of brash was dumped at every entrance point, the locals where I live were determined to keep the access open, I did talk to the Parish Council, where one of the sisters was secretary, but was told that because it wasn’t a designated path there was nothing I could do.

I have always had a niggling doubt in the back of my mind that I should have done more and that sociologically there was so much more going on, more than the mere closing of a path, but a political agenda about wealth, entitlement and fear of the other. Having started this new body of work I revisited the path and can see how locals have slid down the bank into Freemans Yard to presumably walk up through the estate to the countryside or down into the village, I also noted a professionally made white sign saying PRIVATE no public right of way.  

I have also rekindled conversations with some of my neighbor’s about the path and the residents in Freemans Yard, who are now petitioning to get control of the rest of the land that was once part of the timber yard and is now in constant use by dog walkers and children as it is wild scrub, with old paths still remaining, one of my neighbor’s told me that the resident who put up the PRIVATE sign also told the children to stop playing on the green area, one of the children was his grandchild from one of the housing association houses. 

Starting the conversation has been good, fellow artists have suggested ways for me to make interventions, which made me laugh as well as see how futile and sad the situation is. It is clear by looking at old photographs of the village, how enclosed everywhere is now, high hedges and fences compared to open views right across the village. It seems that the wealthier the villagers became the more enclosed their physical lives (Openreach broadband has widened their global lives, if they can afford Superfast). I have the feeling that the villagers like the idea of a village and play the village games with fetes, cricket, flower and produce shows so long as everyone involved is from the same socioeconomic class.

Tom Whyman a writer and philosophy lecturer at the University of Essex wrote what some might consider a harsh article for the New York Times about my local town, three miles away and where my kids went to school (one of them in Tom’s year) that I believe sums up where I live perfectly Hell is Other Britons I should also mention the article didn't make him very popular, but it does articulate perfectly my now obsession with boundaries and the importance of keeping a path alive and well.  

Corralling communities seems to be happening at an astounding rate particularly for new home owners living in the numerous compact/infill housing estates popping up close to major arterial routes, these new estates are built with no paths or lanes to take residents out into open landscapes or even towns or villages, and with no local shops, pub or church, residents only way in or out of the estate is by car, therefore many are trapped in a cycle of home-car-work-car-home.  Young Couples Trapped in Car Dependency 

Fieldwork

Evidence the path is still in use
(secret evening visit)

Millennium path, gap in the fence  

original path access point, now covered
in brash with a substantial fence (note
the animal desire trail)

Point where locals slip through
the fence 

Access behind Freemans Yard

The path would have gone along the side of these
houses. The hedge in the distance, is the one
blocked with brash

Freemans Yard advertising

Freemans Yard 

The Pastures council estate, where the path originates 

Experimentation

For this series, I was given a set of glow in the dark pens, because I wanted to draw at night, but have decided to use them to make ghost marks for my lost path. To begin with I went out drawing in my sketchbook, but decided to ignore the buildings and draw in, where the paths should be. Back in my studio, I have prepared the surface with egg tempera and frozen egg tempera which separated when freezing (I didn't know that would happen), I then laid the egg tempera ice cubes into the shape the path would have taken.  I often use ice in my drawings as I find it ephemeral and unpredictable, which is perfect when articulating loss, through drawing.