At Fermyn Woods and Sudborough Green Lodge

Lots of things are happening again in the woods this year! Below is an outline of the main activities so far – these will be regularly updated.

The Sudborough Green Lodge cottages are currently been renovated by the Forestry Commission for our partnership projects with them. Based at these cottages will be an exciting programme bringing professional artists to Fermyn Woods to create new works, undertake research, explore new ideas, and lead on education projects. The cottages will create accommodation and working space once they have been restored by this summer.

Fermynwoods Contemporary Art’s interest in the environment (both rural and urban), engagement with the community and contemporary practice will develop in our new venue.

Fermynwoods Offsite Programme 2009.
Our offsite programme is primarily based on nearby Forestry Commission land within Fermyn Woods. The renovated site of Sudborough Green Lodge Cottages will this year include a new built which will house our education activities and become the hub of our offsite delivery programme. We have invited a series of International artists to undertake residencies at the site where some will work with local school and community groups to inform their work.

The following artists will be working with us:

Jacques Nimki

Artist Nimki whose work is inspired by weeds - searching for the ‘outsiders’ of the plant world which may thrive in neglected places, will be developing his own drawings and paintings and transforming the extensive garden area at Sudborough Green Lodge. The garden will be gradually restored to something of its original state (a functioning kitchen/herb garden) with the introduction of botanical plants, as well as leaving wild area to grow unrestrictedly. Local schools and community groups will help create this resource and the project will be developed in conjunction with the YMCA young people from Northampton and Kettering.

Claudia Fährenkemper

Known for her pristine, greatly enlarged photomicrographs of flower seeds and insects, German based photographer Fährenkemper, uses a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to create striking images. At Fermynwoods she will study and develop an understanding of the local environment from a unique perspective, exploring how seeds and plants develop in a particular environment and how the effects of climate change will alter the local environment on an intimate level.

Alex Metcalf

Artist Metcalf, product designer and tree listener, will explore new ways of engaging the public with the internal working of trees. His creation of a ‘Tree Listening Device’ can be used to listen and record a tree anywhere. By placing the device against the bark of a chosen tree you hear water being pulled up from the roots to the leaves through the xylem tubes. Metcalf will also undertake a series of workshops that excite and explore the uniqueness and importance of native tree species in Rockingham Forest.


Alex Metcalf: Tree Listening
From 1st May – October 2009

Tree Listening device is free to use between 9am - 5pm

Fermynwoods is proud to present Alex Metcalf: Tree Listening at Fermyn Woods Country Park. Artist Metcalf, product designer and tree listener, will explore new ways of engaging the public with the internal working of trees. His creation of a ‘Tree Listening Device’ can be used to listen and record a tree anywhere. The device is an educational experience that links both science and art by engaging the public with what happens inside a tree.

You can visit the site and take part by placing on the headphones hanging from trees branches and listen to the water moving up inside the tree, through the Xylem tubes from the roots to the leaves.

The ‘Tree Listening Installation’ travels around the world for both temporary and permanent events.

To coincide with the exhibition Fermynwoods will be running a series of workshops from the Fermyn Woods Country Park that excite and explore the uniqueness and importance of native tree species in Rockingham Forest. Come and meet the artist and take a walk onto our outreach venue at Sudborough Green Lodge cottages and discover more about the native trees while en route.
Visit the Courses and events for more details

Martin Prothero

Artist Prothero will continue to develop his interest in the outside world through his nationwide reputation as a skilled outdoorsman and passionate advocate for the natural world. He will particularly be studying the trees and developing his skills in interpreting the tracks and signs of animals by studying the ones found in Fermyn Woods and offering workshops in these areas.

Activities in 2008
To date an inspiring schedule of artists has been drawn up, including Richard Woods who covers buildings in daring retro designs, and who will be wrapping the cottages and Jacques Nimki, who researches plant life and will be investigating the most wonderful array of weeds currently inhabiting the cottage gardens and the SSI wild flower meadow. He will also be working with children from Woodnewton School in Corby.

The work by Richard Woods ‘Stone Clad Cottages’ will be ready to see on 18 October – 2 January 2009.

You can reach Sudborough Green Lodge cottages by walking from Fermyn Woods Country Park along public footpaths. The walk takes approximately 50 minutes (2 ½ miles) and a map can be picked up from Fermynwoods Country Park, Fermyn Woods Contemporary Art or printed off this website.

Please print off both maps.
If walking from the Country Park our signs keep on being removed beyond the point where you come out of the first wood. So the following instructions and the second map should help – sorry for the inconvenience

1. Cross the ploughed field.

2.Turn right and walk along the forest road which takes you into Souther Woods.

3.At the first junction turn right.

4.Continue along the forest road, and turn right where the bridleway to Sudborough carries straight on.

5.At the second junction turn right again, and follow the track across the meadow to the cottages.

Site Map 1. for the walk click here

Site Map 2. for the walk click here

The installation is available to view during daylight hours only.

Please be aware that on the following days there will be pheasant shoots taking place within Fermyn Woods. Enter at your own risk.
1, 15, 22 November 2008
6, 13, 27 December 2008


Installation Photographs: Kenneth James Martin

Private View photographs: Jenny Wilson














Hansel and Gretel MP3 audio walk
Photoghaphy: Jenny Wilson














Also German artist, Laurenz Theinert, will be in residency this Spring and delivering events involving light, performance and sound.- Look at our ‘Courses and Events’ page

Each project and residency programme will involve artists running educational activities.

The projects aim to provide opportunities for a wide range of groups, from schools and students in higher education to those who are disadvantaged and socially excluded, local communities and visitors to the county. Anyone who would like to be involved, please do contact us

For further details about the events and workshops please look at our Courses & Events page on this website or contact us.

Last year 2007:

From 25 June until 15 July five artists, Sam McGeever, Nick Horrigan, Chrystel Lebas, Jo Coupe, and Oliver Bancroft made installations in the woods at Fermyn Woods for a project aimed at school visits. There were also two family walk days -see images at bottom of this page
This is funded by RNRP.

For further information about the artists click the names below:
Sam McGeever, Nick Horrigan, Chrystel Lebas, Jo Coupe, and Oliver Bancroft.

The Northamptonshire artist, John Harper did a years research in Fermyn Woods which will come together as our first exhibition and publication in 2008 at the Water Tower. This funded by Arts Council England.

Laurenz Theinert from Stuttgart, Germany was awarded a three month residency based at Fermyn Woods through
Fermynwoods Contemporary Art. This is part of the International artist programme funded by the Arts Council, England. He will do a couple of events in early 2008.

We also organised an Art Treasure Hunt on the 9th September 2007:

April 2008
Rescheduled Light Night
Laurenz Theinert’s LIGHT NIGHT on the evening of 29 March had to be cancelled at the last minute due to very strong winds. We apologies for the inconvenience caused by this – especially to those we did not manage to contact before you set out to come to the event.
However we are pleased to announce that Laurenz is keen to try again and he will come over from Germany on the rescheduled date of 13 September.


More details under EXHIBITIONS and COURSES & EVENTS page or ring the gallery on 01536 373469