French flavour coming to the Walks

A project linking King's Lynn to a city in France has led to a new landscape in The Walks as French artists create installations in the park.

The cross-channel Arts, Cities and Landscapes Project has created a link between Lynn and the city of Amiens in the north of France which now sees a cultural exchange taking place.

Parisian landscaping company Sensomoto has created one of the pieces in the Lynn park. Landscape architects have erected a number of mounds, near to The Walks management building, which will eventually be covered in native grasses with a spine of ornamental grass.

Landscape architect Sarah Kassler said: 'Our main goal is to benefit the people who use the park. We want to improve under-used spaces. We want it to be useful, it should be beautiful in the summer and people will be able to come and sit here.

'We've been really impressed with how friendly everyone is, we've had a really warm welcome. People have been taking an interest and asking us what we are doing.'

Sylvain Delboy, the landscape architect who designed the piece, said: 'The park itself is really loved, everyone uses it and it belongs to everyone.

'We wanted to do something that blends in but also stands out, so we're trying to use native plants to keep with the surroundings.

'We like to work on public spaces as the design is for the benefit of everyone.

'It's nice to not just design the space but also to come and make it. You don't always get the chance to get your hands dirty and the team here have just been fantastic.

'The project is about supporting young artists. The cultural exchange adds a really nice aspect to it.

'The garden is inspired by King's Lynn's relationship to water. The sculpted earth mounds reflect spontaneous islands that naturally form in rivers and link to the area's past floodplains.'

Elizabeth Nockolds, West Norfolk Council's cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: 'It has been an absolute delight working with the French artists and landscape architects. Their work has a different feel to it and will certainly create some additional areas of interest for people to enjoy.'

The borough council and the Maison de la Culture in Amiens have joined forces to develop their cultural heritage through the efforts of professional French and English artists. The project, which has received EU funding, will also see installations at the Inner Purfleet and Baker Lane.