Great West Way® Travel Magazine | Issue 01

for aspiring artists to present their talent, whether
creative or performing. Opened by KT Tunstall in 2006,
it attracts growing numbers of aspiring musicians and
painters, all eager to impress.
Out in the English countryside some of the oldest art
in Britain is to be found carved into the ancient chalk hills
of Wiltshire. The famous White Horses can be seen from
many miles away because the grass around the huge
chalk incisions is regularly cut, weeds removed and the
images cleaned. In a small area between Marlborough
and Devizes are a collection of six examples, near
Marlborough, Hackpen, Cherhill, Alton Barnes, Pewsey
and Devizes. Were they originally pagan symbols or tribal
markings to say this was the territory of the White Horse
people? We can’t know why they were created but the
impact of their highly-stylised designs is unforgettably
dramatic and surprisingly modern.
West of Devizes, Lacock Abbey is another example
of how British creativity continues to evolve. Parts of
the medieval complex were incorporated into a grand
manor house and, in the 19th century, it became the
home of one of the pioneers of photography, William
Henry Fox Talbot. The immaculately-conserved village
of Lacock is also associated with one of the most
successful British artistic ventures of modern times.
A number of scenes in the first two Harry Potter film
series were shot at the abbey, its cloisters and side
rooms transformed into the classrooms at Hogwarts
School. Harry’s discovery of the Mirror of Erised was also
shot at Lacock, and a house in the nearby village was
chosen as the cottage where Harry’s mother Lily was
“Corsham
brings together
artworks,
theatre, film
and dance”
Pictured left-right: An artist at
Bristol’s Upfest street art and graffiti
festival; and Parkside House,
Corsham High Street
killed by Voldemort. As if to shake off the ancient and
adopt the modern, the nearby country town of Corsham
hosts another modern arts hub, The Pound Arts Centre,
bringing together artworks, theatre, film and dance.
The exquisite city of Bath, whose roots are firmly in the
age of the Roman invasion, became a haven for society
folk wishing to escape London in the 18th/19th centuries
and the UNESCO-listed architecture is breathtakingly
beautiful. The National Trust’s Bath Assembly Rooms were
often frequented by author Jane Austen during her highlyproductive
years in the city. They are now home to Bath
Fashion Museum which holds a world-class collection of
contemporary and historic dress.
For US visitors, the American Museum and Gardens is
an irresistible draw, housing the only dedicated collection
of American decorative artefacts outside the United
States, and located in Sydney Pleasure Gardens is The
Holburne Museum, home to fine and decorative arts.
The short hop to Bristol takes you to another world.
Formerly a great port city and industrial centre, Bristol
has been revitalised and its two universities ensure that
the creative engine will never stop turning. Among many
ventures, we recommend Spike Island, a public art space,
near the docks, hosting the workshops of more than 70
contemporary artists, providing workspace for budding
designers and wallspace on which to exhibit. Heritage and
Hip go hand in hand in contemporary Britain.
14 GreatWestWay.co.uk