Pause, Notice, Reflect

Stourhead, Wilshite

The brief

How do you create interpretation that’s durable enough to last three years in the outdoors, while also befitting of a world-famous, Grade 1 listed garden?

Pause, Notice, Reflect comprised a collection of totems displaying extracts from classical texts exploring the impact of place on personal well-being. These were complimented by over-sized leaves displaying sensory prompts and questions, inviting visitors to pause and contemplate their connection to the natural world around them.

Outcomes and achievements

Exceptional value and longevity

The durability and quality of the materials meant the interpretation lasted for three years, offering exceptional value for money.
Visitor behaviour change

Observational evaluation found that visitors stopped to read and observe the landscape for longer, sometimes sitting to meditate or discuss their thoughts.
Exemplifying best practice

Pause, Notice, Reflect was promoted within the National Trust as an example of best practice in well-being programming and outdoor interpretation.

“No-one should accuse an organisation of dumbing-down that offers quotes from Milton along the way.”

sandy nairn, Director, national portrait gallery

CAMILLA’S APPROACH

CREATIVE PRODUCTION

I wrote the creative brief for the interpretation, working with designers and fabricators to develop collateral that balanced durability with aesthetic appeal. Stourhead is a Grade 1 listed Palladian landscape garden. I was careful to choose materials that would allow the spirit of the place to shine through, including oak sourced from the wider estate.

VOLUNTEER RESEARCH

I collaborated with a team of research volunteers, who explored literary texts said to have inspired the design of the garden. Their brief was to compile a series of extracts about the impact of place upon personal well-being, from which I developed the interpretation content.

MITIGATING RISKS

I mitigated operational risks, like visitor interaction and inclement weather, through the design process. Materials including oak, steel, and toughed glass were chosen to minimise risks of injury and breakage over time.

CURATORIAL OVERSIGHT

I curated the placement of the series throughout the garden, selecting locations where the interpretation content would prompt visitors to look and think differently at the natural space around them.

The sensory prompts were exactly what I needed. 'Pause and listen'—such a simple instruction, but it completely changed how I experienced the garden. I noticed birdsong, rustling leaves, details I would have walked right past.
Visitor comment, TripAdvisor