It’s been months coming and now it’s just around the corner: an eight day residency on two stretches of the railway tracks which have been known for decades as the ‘Tracks of the Iron Masters, so called because their significance in the iron, steel and mining industries on the West Cumbria coastline.
So what’s going on and what do the residencies involve?
The aim of the residencies is to consult with local communities along the West Coast of Cumbria to find out how the heritage of the tracks can be better interpreted and communicated; and how everyone can be included in their future development and use. We’re especially interested to hear about the views of families and young people and what the tracks means to future generations of users of the tracks.
We’ll be ‘in residence’ on the tracks on the following dates:
WORKINGTON BASED RESIDENCY
Sunday 23 August – Seaton Hall
Monday 24 August – Burrow Walls Roman Fort
Tuesday 25 August – Uplands, Camerton – including a mass walk from 2pm: finishing with food, cooked under canvas
CLEATOR MOOR BASED RESIDENCY
Wednesday 26 August – Mirehouse East
Thursday 27 -August Moor Row
Friday 28 August -Phoenix Bridge, Leconfield Industrial Estate –
Saturday 29 August – High Leys National Nature Reserve – including a mass walk from 2pm with food, cooked on site.
Sunday 30 August – Yeat House Quarry
EACH DAY HAS 3 SESSIONS:
10am – 1pm Come and introduce us to your local communities.
2pm – 5pm Come and join us explore the tracks.
6pm – 8pm Come and join us end the day relaxing at our mobile soup kitchen!
You don’t have to stay for a whole session –just drop by at any point for as long as you can!
WHAT CAN I DO IF I COME ALONG?
You can come along by yourself, with friends or with a group. We’ll involve you in lots of different activities such as:
Sharing your knowledge of the histories of the tracks and and hopes for the future
Enjoying a conversation over a cuppa on the tracks,
Helping create a photographic survey with guidance from Art Gene artists
Exploring the ‘hidden assets’ of the tracks
Learning surprising things and share home cooked food with us all!
Preparing the food, cooking and providing refreshments for our visitors,
Managing the visitor experience and the mass walks,
Collecting stories, photos and other memorabilia,
Making the residencies a memorable experience for everyone…
If you’d like further information, or book a place, or book a group, please get in touch with me at the address below.
But for today it’s about packing up your old kit bags, watering the laundry and dry cleaning the garden. Or something like that.
Now, where did I put those residential galoshes?
Tracks of the Iron Masters is being run by Art Gene and funded by sustrans.
drnickombe 