There is a variety of public art to see in The Walks – including two ‘chainsaw art’ carvings created by Suffolk based artist Mark Goldsworthy in 2009. They depict a family enjoying a stroll, with the father giving his daughter a piggyback and the mother swinging her daughter. The figures represent the Suiter family from Ingoldisthorpe. The work was commissioned by the Borough Council with funding assistance from the Heritage Lottery and Dow Chemicals and is one of a number of pieces of public art that mark the route of National Cycle Route 1 as it passes through King’s Lynn.
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The mammoth near the bandstand is called ‘Big Top’ and was designed by artist Sophie Li Rocchi. Sponsored by BCKLWN in 2022, it was part of a trail of sculptures across Norfolk that were auctioned for the charity Break (which supports children who are leaving the care system).
Alongside the Broad Walk, adjacent the football ground, there are a number of 18-inch square tile mosaics depicting out solar system. These were created by local schoolchildren under the direction of artist Carolyn Ash in 2014. The mosaics are numbered 1–8 in relation to their distance from the sun. The number of days each planet takes to orbit the sun is also featured. The installation was conceived as a learning resource to support science and maths learning and involved Howard Junior, Eastgate, St Martha’s, St Michael’s, Southery Junior and Highgate Infants schools.
The mosaics are now 10 years old and had started to look a little weathered, but volunteers have been helping to clean and restore them.
Click on the thumbnails for a larger image
There are interpretation plaques, including facts about each planet, alongside the Broad Walk. The spacing of the plaques demonstrates the relative distance of each planet from the sun, giving a visual representation of the solar system.
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Would you like to see more art in the Walks? Some parks have a seasonal public art show. Do you think this would be appropriate for the Walks?
