SIX new walking trails around areas of north Devon will be launched by Beaford Arts this summer — including a trail at Hatherleigh.  

Inspired by previously unseen photographs from the James Ravilious and Roger Deakins collection, the trails have been mapped out through a year-long project bringing together eight primary schools, six artists and organisations including Devon Libraries and Devon Wildlife Trust. 

Starting with the photographs of the local areas — Hatherleigh, Woolacombe, Appledore, High Bickington, South Molton and Chulmleigh – Beaford Arts ran workshops with primary schools in each area, asking them to consider what had remained the same since the photographs were taken and what had changed.  

An excursion with Devon Wildlife Trust encouraged the pupils to explore the natural landscape depicted in the photographs and then, through workshops with professional artists, the children created their own trails marking out areas of specific interest and significance to them. 

Each trail is uniquely presented and many include new works of art created by the children with the artists attached to their school. 3D printed sculptures made at Devon Library’s Fab Lab will be seen in High Bickington and a giant cob horse created with artist Alain Pezard will be seen in Hatherleigh. 

There will be public launch for each trail with an open invitation to anyone who wishes to trace the scenes depicted in the Ravilious and Deakins photographs and use the new trail maps to discover more about our landscape now.