We have developed a sound and sculpture walk at Aston Rowant NNR in Oxfordshire, in partnership with Natural England and in collaboration with local schools and community groups. The Talking Trail uses wind-up listening posts, integrated with sculptural forms constructed with green wood, mostly from the reserve itself, to make the hidden heritage of this special place more accessible to visitors. 

Local people learned about the site’s wildlife and history with experts from Natural England, the Chilterns Conservation Board and Chiltern Woodlands Project, and worked with artists Nick Garnett, Pippa North, Ben Willis and Duncan McAfee to create the installations.  Supported by Heritage Lottery Fund and Natural England.

To find out more about the heritage of the site, download the Aston Rowant NNR Talking Trail Resource Pack.pdf.  The Talking Trail is now open:  more details and visitor info here.

You can also download the project’s evaluation report as a PDF.

Visited the Talking Trail?  Tell us about your experience here