
Tony Wade: Keepers of Time
– YSP CentreAbout Tony Wade: Keepers of Time
Made up of a series of intricate drawings, Keepers of Time celebrates the majesty of trees, spanning time beyond our lifespans, embodying mindfulness and nature’s connectivity. The works were created over the last year as part of Wakefield-based artist Tony Wade’s project documenting ancient and veteran trees for the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory. This inventory is a record of the oldest and most important trees in the UK, and the Woodland Trust ask people to contribute by populating the map.
Returning to YSP throughout the different seasons in 2024, Wade has created finely detailed digital drawings of the oldest trees within the Park, both with and without their foliage. The trees captured - some of which date back 300-400 years - include an ancient ash, veteran common sycamores and beeches, and an ancient field maple.
This is a project that is very close to my heart and I am delighted to be returning to YSP and introduce Keepers of Time to a new audience. I want the works to invite us all to take a moment to notice the remarkable and sometimes unsung beauty that surrounds us.
- Tony Wade

Based in Wakefield, Wade studied Fine Art at Bretton Hall College in the 1980s and currently has a studio at The Art House. Through painting, sculpture, drawing, light and music, his practice celebrates the everyday local environment and focuses on details that are often overlooked.
Wade often works within communities to facilitate access to art and spark moments of individual and group creativity. As part of the creative process for Keepers of Time, Wade worked with the Wakefield-based Appletree Ladies Group to explore and document trees within the local area and at YSP.
Keepers of Time Walking Tour
Designed exclusively for Bloomberg Connects, follow the self-guided walking route through the Park to discover the Keepers of Time trees. While you wander, tune into your surroundings and take in the beauty of the natural landscape, and look out for the yellow tree markers as you explore.
Difficulty level: Moderate, with elevations. Walking through livestock areas.
Distance: 1.8km
To begin the route, start at The Weston and open the Bloomberg Connects app, or scan the QR code in the exhibition to get started.
Tony Wade Events
- Event
YSP Patrons and Friends: Talk and Tour with Tony Wade
To coincide with Tony Wade: Keepers of Time, meet the artist and explore the landscape and trees which inspired the exhibition. - Event
Journey with the Trees: A Mindfulness Walk at YSP
–Join holistic wellness practitioner Amy Charles for a guided mindful walk inspired by the Tony Wade: Keepers of Time exhibition
Tony Wade Products
Browse the Tony Wade collection at YSP Shop.
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- News
Artist Editons available from YSP Shop
13 December 2023 - Art Outdoors
Sean Scully: Wall Dale Cubed
Made for YSP, Wall Dale Cubed uses 1000 tonnes of Yorkshire stone from a local quarry and was constructed over many weeks. Importantly to the artist, this colossal work is built in the same way throughout, which connects to ancient stone walls in Ireland, so that ‘when looking at the outside of the block, one can feel the inside without being able to see it’. - Event
YSP Patrons and Friends: Talk and Tour with Tony Wade
To coincide with Tony Wade: Keepers of Time, meet the artist and explore the landscape and trees which inspired the exhibition. - Event
Journey with the Trees: A Mindfulness Walk at YSP
–Join holistic wellness practitioner Amy Charles for a guided mindful walk inspired by the Tony Wade: Keepers of Time exhibition