Freshfield, Formby, Merseyside, UK. 8th August, 2015. Local artist Simon Archer's sculpture _ Busy Day in the pine woods as all access roads to the Beach at Formby became jammed with holidaymakers heading for the beach. Tourists visited the Formby Squirrel Reserve to see the red squirrels in their natural environment & enjoy miles of coastal walks on a glorious summers afternoon.
The National Trust project, which was several years in the making and partially funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Trail itself circuits the property passing both historical and active asparagus fields and includes an array of interpretation points along the way that include life-sized wooden carved statues, listening points and photograph-rich information boards. The Trust has based much of their information on the local recollections among the community who farmed the asparagus and local artist Simon Archer's sculptures are intended to connect people with the landscape and its history. at the height of farming here in the 1920's and 1930's over 200 acres were cultivated and Formby asparagus could be found in likes of Harrods, Covent Garden market and aboard Liverpool luxury ocean liners. Yet this highly labour intensive crop, with its short harvest period (traditionally from St George's Day on the 23 April to the summer solstice about 6 weeks later) and fairly small yields, was in serious decline by the 1950's. Only a very small number of farmers still grow asparagus in Formby but the trail passes by some of the fields of Larkhill farm, which has been cultivated by the Brooks family for several generations.
Size: 2400px × 3600px
Location: Freshfield, Formby, Merseyside, UK.
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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