The Tour de France kicks off in West Yorkshire countryside shortly. Being regular visitors to Yorkshire we were delighted to discover that the savvy farmers there have turned their fields into living works of art. This is a double hit for visitors and the cyclists as not only will they see the breath taking Yorkshire hills and valleys, their view will now include 65 miles of art that integrates seamlessly with the landscape.
Oxenhope is the home of this outstanding exhibition which was created by sowing, feeding, cutting, white line marking and wearing by cyclists who followed each design as a track.One of our favourite pieces, entitled “The Leap”, was designed by local artist Louise Lockhart and represents the freedom that the bicycle gave to women when it was invented in the Victorian era. The Leap is one of 12 installations under the working title “Fields of Vision”. The hope of “Welcome to Yorkshire’s” CEO, Gary Verity, is that this will put Yorkshire on the map globally as a holiday destination as millions of viewers will be tuned in to watch the race.
Such a clever concept, the Yorkshire topography is perfectly suited to the artworks as they are all tracked into the hillside. The locals put in a huge amount of effort with the original idea being put forward by the Worth Valley Young Farmers. It was then co-ordinated by the rural regeneration organisation Pennine Prospects. Even the local school children got in on the action by cycling the route around the artwork for a full 4 hours (not easy on a hillside) to embed it into the landscape. This event was filmed for the BBC’s Countryfile with presenter Ellie Harrison also cycling around The Leap.
Another one of our favourites is the installation by artist Simon Mansfield. “One Man and his Dog” which shows a farmer with his hands outstretched towards his dog. By the time the Tour de France gets here, live sheep will have been penned in, appearing as a flock in his hand. A lovely tribute to the original farming programme “One man and his dog” which followed the exploits of sheperd’s and their sheep dogs herding sheep along meandering routes into various incredibly difficult pens. (You’d never know I was a country girl at heart!)
This is surely the best lesson in Branding yet and it’s come from a rural community. The entire community came together to bring the concept to life and a result local and national media picked up the story, broadcasting it to millions, before the Tour de France even kicks off. It just goes to show what’s possible when people work together with a common aim.
The main viewing point for The Leap is outside the Waggon and Horses pub which is in Hebden Bridge Road. You can find out further information including the best vantage points from www.fieldsofvision.org.uk or festival.yorkshire.com.
