Art and the environment

YSP has a strong connection to its landscape, history and native habitats, which help to make it such a special place. From the historic residents of Bretton Hall who made their mark on the landscape by creating our lakes and planting trees, to the team who care for the site today, the environment is a key part of YSP.

We have always sought out artists that create work in an environmentally conscious way, from David Nash, who reduces any harmful impact on our surroundings by utilising nature itself to create his work, to Leo Fitzmaurice, who draws our attention through clever use of language and form.

Some of these sculptures may not be instantly recognisable, blending in to the landscape and changing with it over time. Some, like Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds, have been designed to evolve across their lifespan. Many, like David Nash's Seventy-one Steps, are site specific and appear simply as practical solutions.

These artworks complement our natural environment seamlessly. Use our guide and spot them all while exploring.

People walking on a series of wooden steps cut into a hillside. Trees are in the background.

David Nash: Seventy-one Steps

Map reference D6

David Nash is an environmental sculptor who uses natural materials to make his work. Seventy-one Steps is a permanent sculpture at YSP and was created to provide a practical solution as it functions as a route up to YSPs highest point - Oxley Bank - as well as being an artwork. Nash intends Seventy-one Steps to evolve and change over time, solidifying its connection to the landscape.

Tania Kovats: RAVINE

Map reference K7

Tania Kovats uses sculpture to explore our relationship with the environment. Kovats created RAVINE from cast concrete to demonstrate how water can weave a path through land without human intervention. Bodies of water are of particular interest to Kovats as she describes water as a ‘sculptor of the land’. Her sculpture at YSP is situated in the ideal location – right beside the Upper Lake, offering a seat for visitors to rest and contemplate the landscape.

A group of white sculptures in the shape of dog-poo bags, on grass

Leo Fitzmaurice: Litter

Map reference F11

Easily viewed from the YSP Visitor Centre, Litter can be an initially shocking sight, as at first glance the sculpture looks like bags of waste which have been dumped in the landscape. Contrasting YSP’s rural landscape, Litter makes us think about human presence in natural spaces. Sometimes first seen as white rabbits, Fitzmaurice makes us reconsider our original perceptions.

A dead tree, suspended between two dry stone walls.

Andy Goldsworthy : Hanging Trees

Map reference F4

Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Trees are permanent sculptures at YSP. Made from naturally found materials - stone and wood - they can be easily mistaken for farming enclosures. Goldsworthy’s is interested in boundaries, especially those found in nature. He chose Oxley Bank as the site of the sculptures for this reason, seeing the border between these two agricultural spaces inspired his work.

A white road sign with ARCADIA in black letters, outdoors near to some trees

Leo Fitzmaurice: Arcadia

Map reference H10

Leo Fitzmaurice’s ‘Acadia’ immediately allows us to imagine an idyllic untouched space. Playfully adding this word to traditional motorway signage Leo Fitzmaurice refers to YSPs beautiful landscape while also alluding to the fact that much of it is man-made. Fitzmaurice might also make his audience consider human presence and environmental impact.

A roofless wooden pavilion surrounded by trees.

Heather Peak and Ivan Morison: Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds

Map reference H7

Commissioned by the Oak Project, Silence is a sculptural space made of all natural materials which circles a group of birch trees. Over time, the work will become part of the landscape as the weather contributes to its decomposition. Take a moment to listen to the sounds within the work and connect with the natural world.

Three large stones, with trees growing behind them

David Nash: Three Stones for Three Trees

Map reference H11

Planted in the early 1980s next to three large sandstone blocks from Barnsley quarry's, a sycamore, an oak and a beech tree have been growing in the YSP landscape for 40 years. Part of Nash's series of ‘coming’ works, the trees continue to grow in a constantly evolving relationship with the stones.

A large tree, enclosed by a circular dry stone wall

Andy Goldsworthy: Peter's Fold

Map reference I3

Peter's Fold is a permanent outdoor artwork that was created to mark the retirement of YSP Founding Director Sir Peter Murray CBE. A dry-stone wall circles a common lime tree, protecting it from nibbling cattle and creating a hidden space below the tree. When the tree is in full bloom, it looks as if it is hovering in the landscape.