Staverton Park Exhibition Project
The Arborealists with Dr George Peterken OBE
The Minories Gallery
Colchester
5 March - 3 May 2026
Privately owned Staverton Park, of 240 acres and near Woodbridge in Suffolk, is one of the largest areas of ancient, pollarded oak trees in Europe. Of Saxon origin, the park is one of a handful of British medieval parks to have a continuous history from its establishment to the present. It is home to some rare and special fauna and flora and was one of the very first Sites of Special Scientific Interest to be established.
Environmental campaigners believe that the majority of the population feel unconnected to nature and that there is no simple solution to this problem. We have become divorced from our primordial roots and our once instinctive reliance on the cycle of life of our native flora and fauna. Many of us do not see ourselves as part of nature and so we do not understand or even care that we depend on the health of the natural world for our survival. It is recognised that doom and gloom reports of wildlife extinction and the destruction of vital environments can have the opposite effect to that intended. We readily accept a depleted state of nature as a baseline that continues to creep; biodiversity is slipping away without being noticed. We refuse to accept or digest the evidence and we bury our heads in the sand.
There is a consensus however that fostering some kind of personal connection to nature is vital in order to awaken and mobilise a largely urban population and that this could include spirituality and the arts as well as science. This exhibition will draw directly on this premise. The Arborealists will visit Staverton Park in different seasons and make new work especially for this exhibition over 2 years from the Autumn of 2023. The exhibition will be staged in partnership with Suffolk Coasts & Heaths Area of Outstanding Nation Beauty.
The aims of the exhibition will be:
1. To present an emotional and artistic response to the woodland as a unique environment.
2. To explore the life cycle of oak trees and their relationships associated with centuries of
human interaction in this historic woodland.
3. To disseminate and promote the related ecological research of many decades through the
content of the show and accompanying texts.
.
4. To celebrate the history and legacy of this unique site.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue and a related events and talks
programme.
The Minories: Colchester's oldest gallery
Colchester born Clarence Victor Batte-Lay was an avid collector of paintings and furniture. After the death of his wife in 1955, the VBLF was established with the instruction that ‘An ancient building of antiquarian or archaeological interest’ be bought in her late husband’s memory, to house and exhibit his collection ‘for the benefit and advantage of the inhabitants of Colchester’.
74 High Street has long been an essential part of any visit to the town centre, and in the warmer months it’s secluded garden is a particular delight. To discover its peace and calm for the first time is a memory that certainly seems to remain in many visitors’ hearts. Inside, in the galleries and reception rooms, elegant spaces can be found ideal for quiet, visual contemplation.