INDOC. Documentation centre about Art and Nature

Yorkshire Sculpture Park: the United Kingdom's leading open-air gallery

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is also an art gallery, museum and non-profit foundation devoted to modern and contemporary art. The park occupies over 200 ha on what was formerly the Bretton Estate, originally designed as a private pleasure ground.

The landscape of the estate has been gradually reshaped over the years. Thousands of exotic trees were imported and planted on the hills of the estate. Split up in the late 1940s, the estate has in recent years been brought together and restored by YSP, which is committed to ensuring a harmonious relationship with the natural environment and preserving the essence of this historic landscape. This task involves working with architects, farmers, foresters, gardeners and artists.

YSP offers a wide range of activities:

·         Year-round exhibitions featuring works by eminent artists

·         An artist-in-residence programme

·         Projects for artists

·         Exhibitions at the Longside Gallery

·         Special events

·         Educational programmes for school children, university students and the general public, including guided tours, workshops, sculpture courses with artists, and more

The park includes a visitor centre, opened in 2002, which is also the gateway to the park and houses the shop, information service and restaurant, with wonderful views of the Country Park. Bothy Gallery and Garden Gallery (located on Bothy Hill) are both used for temporary exhibitions. There is also the 18th-century Formal Terrace & Garden and the Underground Gallery, located between Bothy Gallery and the Formal Terrace, which opened in 2005 with the William Turnbull Retrospective 1946-2003, an exhibition of work by one of Britain's foremost sculptors.

Rolling hills, two lakes and the open countryside present a scene that is constantly changing over the four seasons. At least 40 works are exhibited outdoors at various locations. The Access Sculpture Trail is an interweaving network of paths, plants and sculpture designed to be enjoyed by families and the disabled. The Longside Gallery – located just a 10-minute walk away from the YSP Centre – is shared by YSP and the Hayward Gallery of London. In addition to serving as an exhibition space, the gallery offers spectacular views of the park.

Opening hours

·         Park: summer, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; winter, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

·         Galleries: summer, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; winter, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

·         Longside Gallery: summer, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; winter, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Access

Admission is free of charge.

How to get there

·         By car: 1.5 km from Junction 38 of the M1. Take the A637 towards Huddersfield.

·         By coach: From Wakefield, Leeds, Barnsley or Huddersfield

·         By train: Wakefield Westgate (11 km), two hours from London King’s Cross

·         Airports: Leeds, Manchester or London

More information and contact

Yorkshire Sculpture Park
West Bretton Wakefield WF4 4LG
United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 (0) 1924 83 26 31
Fax: +44 (0) 1924 83 26 00

E-mail: info@ysp.co.uk

·         Yorkshire Sculpture Park web site
 

Source: texts – CDAN, based on material provided by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park; photos courtesy of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

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