Meet the couple who turned a commercial fishery into a multi-award-winning sculpture park that is in Trip Advisors top 10% attractions worldwide
When Simon and Monique Gudgeon moved to Pallington Lakes, near Dorchester, they had no idea of the profound effect this 26-acres of Dorset countryside would have on them – or indeed the extraordinary impact they would have on it. Some 15 years later, this beautiful blank canvas has been transformed by Simon the sculptor and Monique the horticulturalist, into a multi-award-winning sculpture park and gardens, as well as a haven for nature.
Open year round, Sculpture by the Lakes hosts exhibitions, workshops and talks, alongside wellbeing, art, and food festivals. However, back in 2007 the couple were simply looking for a house with an acre of land and a barn where Simon, a world renowned sculptor, could work on his pieces. Pallington Lakes was a commercial fishery which came with 26 acres, four lakes, a river and a frighteningly large mortgage. Regardless, they fell in love with the place and moved in two months later.
The genesis of the sculpture park
Initially Simon and Monique kept the lakes as a working fishery, installing a few of Simon’s larger sculptures so potential buyers could view his work in an outdoor setting where its scale would be in proportion with the surroundings. This revealed the true potential of the location, and their vision for Sculpture by the Lakes - a place where art work would enhance and merge with the Dorset landscape - began to crystallise.
‘If one had rationally gone through the amount of time and money it would take to realise that idea, no sane person would have started,’ says Simon. ‘Thankfully we didn’t – although sometimes I do question our sanity!’
Gradually, more of Simon’s sculptures were placed within this vast outdoor gallery when they had the money to cast them. Monique’s extensive knowledge of plants proved invaluable when it came to creating a natural setting for Simon’s pieces to shine. Over a decade later, the gardens she created are as much of an attraction as the art contained within.
Sculpture by the Lakes opened to the public in 2011 - a two-week trial with ticket sales going to Help for Heroes. ‘I remember standing with Monique in the middle of all these visitors,’ recalls Simon. ‘I could hear them phoning friends on their mobiles saying, “you’ve got to come down here, it’s fantastic”, that was an amazing day.’
Comments written in the visitors’ book back then, and now online, consistently highlight the ‘peaceful’ and ‘tranquil’ atmosphere, describing it as ‘inspirational’ and even ‘magical’.
‘That response reaffirms our belief,’ adds Simon. ‘We want Sculpture by the Lakes to be an immersive experience of art and of nature. To create a place where people can leave their worries behind. To take time to relax and to respond to the art, and everything else they see, hear, and feel around them.’
A curated paradise
Hundreds of hours of planning and planting have made Sculpture by the Lakes a multi-award-winning venue. The landscape has been transformed with the introduction of more than 5000 trees, shrubs, woody plants, and herbaceous perennials. New areas have been created, including the Rose Garden, The Karikome Garden of undulating clipped hedging, the Fern Garden, and the Silver Birch Wood. There’s also the Kitchen Garden, run on no-dig organic principles, which supplies the onsite café with fresh seasonal produce.
‘We continuously work towards increasing biodiversity across the park, creating a beneficial habitat for the native fauna and flora,’ explains Monique. ‘We have worked closely with Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) on a number of projects, including targeting wildflower species to encourage native bees, such as the nationally scarce yellow loosestrife bee. DWT is also conducting a biodiversity audit of the park recording insect life, birds and mammal species.’
Since 2019, Monique and her team have also been working to amass what will be the National Collection of the under-appreciated genus Forsythia.
Expanding its appeal
Simon and Monique have always seen Sculpture by the Lakes as a holistic endeavour that also supports other artists. And The Gallery, which represents an impressive array of local and international artists, hosts a wide variety of exhibitions. The opening of the café in 2017, followed by the building of four secluded venues for private hire – The Retreat (used as a location for the BBC Two series Your Garden Made Perfect), The Pavilion, The Island and The River Keeper’s Hut – added more revenue streams.
2022 saw the addition of a magnificent outdoor kitchen on the banks of the Frome, ingeniously made by Simon, where he can share his passion for fire-cooked food at their Fire and Food evenings. And in the autumn The Store and The Pantry opened their shop doors.
Over the last few years there has also been a growing programme of workshops, events, and annual festivals. The first of these was Wellbeing by the Lakes, in 2019, which embraces all the restorative benefits of this tranquil landscape, combining practices such as yoga and forest bathing, with healing therapies, creative workshops and talks.
The inaugural Dorset Arts Festival in 2020, overcame the challenges of the pandemic to showcase the work of more than 40 artists and makers. It’s set to return as part of the Summer Festival in 2023, a celebration of alfresco living and dining.
2021 saw the first FORM sculpture exhibition, featuring some 100 works by 30 leading contemporary sculptors, installed around the grounds and gallery. The event returned in a larger format in 2022, winning Tourism Event of the Year in the Dorset Tourism Awards. Thanks to this collaboration, there are now more than 130 large scale and monumental sculptures by an array of leading artists to admire across the site.
There have also been many notable accolades for its creators, including the Five Star Trade Stand Award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2015, 2016 and 2017, where Simon’s sculptures were integrated into planting schemes created by Monique. The sculpture park and its events have received multiple tourism awards, and it won the Trip Advisor 2022 Travellers’ Choice award, placing Sculpture by the Lakes in the top 10% of attractions worldwide featured on the site.
Looking forward
The end of 2022 saw a major rebranding, splitting into The Sculpture Park, with access to the 26-acre site and in-situ art works (day ticket £14.50 pp), and The Makers Yard (free entry) with The Kitchen, The Store, The Pantry and The Gallery.
Events planned for 2023 include The Plant Fair (June 3 – 4), The Summer Festival (June 28 - July 2), Wellbeing by the Lakes (September 6 - 10), and Fire and Food nights on selected dates between May and September.
‘To be able to create something that has such a positive, even transformative effect on those that visit Sculpture by the Lakes is an incredible privilege,’ says Simon. ‘And that’s something we hope to continue doing for many years to come.’
Free entry to Sculpture by the Lakes with Dorset magazine January edition
Buy your copy of the January edition of Dorset magazine, on sale now, to enjoy free entry for two (worth £29) to Sculpture by the Lakes between January 3 and February 28, 2023. This multi-award-winning attraction, just east of Dorchester, comprises of The Sculpture Park with its extensive gardens, woodlands, lake and riverside walks, dotted with more than 130 large-scale contemporary sculptures. There’s also the free-to-enter Makers Yard which includes The Gallery with its exhibitions, The Kitchen with a seasonal locally sourced menu; The Store, brimming with creations from 80 artists and makers from around Dorset and beyond; and The Pantry with its range of food and drink from artisan makers.
Let’s book: Sculpture by the Lakes is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am - 5pm during winter. Tickets to The Sculpture Park are £14.50, entry to The Makers Yard is free. More details at sculpturebythelakes.co.uk.
Terms and conditions: Free entry voucher, only in Dorset magazine January edition, is for two adults to The Sculpture Park at Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset, subject to availability, from January 3 until February 28, 2023. One voucher per pair for one visit. No photocopies of this voucher or phone pictures will be accepted. The voucher has no cash value and cannot be used more than once. Please note: no children under 14 (including babies), well behaved dogs on leads allowed by the lakes but not in the garden.
