- Sculpture by the Lakes, based near Dorchester, are quadruple winners at this year’s Dorset Tourism Awards.
The popular Dorset destination won the bronze award in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable category, silver for Small Visitor Attraction, silver for Tourism Innovation, and silver in the Festival of the Year category.
The 26-acre site has been a haven for those looking to enjoy the outdoors and be amongst stunning scenery, a feeling which has increased massively amongst visitors in 2020 according to Simon Gudgeon, the owner of Sculpture by the Lakes. Simon is a world-renowned sculptor, with pieces owned by rockstars and royalty alike, and has over 30 of his pieces installed at the park.
Despite national lockdowns, Sculpture by the Lakes safely welcomed many visitors in 2020, making it one of their most successful years since opening to the public in 2011. They were able to remain open during the second lockdown and hold various events over 2020 thanks to various precautionary measures and the ease of social distancing at the outdoor attraction – all adding to their case for the Small Visitor Attraction and Tourism Innovation awards.
The sculpture park also held one of the first major events to take place in the UK after lockdown, Dorset Arts Festival. The three-day event in June attracted over 1,800 visitors who came to browse the work of over 50 Dorset makers and artists – all of whom were offering live demonstrations of their work. The event was praised for the unique element of seeing artists create their work, and the stringent health and safety measures introduced to protect visitors from COVID-19.
Simon Gudgeon said:
“What a way to mark a successful year at Sculpture by the Lakes. We’re thrilled to have won these awards as a true reflection of all the hard work the team has put in over 2020.
“We’ve got a very exciting year ahead of us with plenty of exciting developments, fully stocked galleries, interesting partnerships, and big events. Hopefully, next year we can come back and win even more awards!”
Since buying the former fishery in 2007, Simon, along with his wife and Head Gardener, Monique Gudgeon, have strived to make a positive impact on the environment. Aside from encouraging wildlife and forestry growth whilst using sustainable gardening methods, Sculpture by the Lakes has vastly expanded its Kitchen Garden to provide enough fresh produce to meet the on-site cafe’s needs.
Sculpture by the Lakes is now looking ahead to the end of March when their largest exhibition to date takes place in the grounds. More than 30 of the UK’s leading sculptors will exhibit their pieces across the park for ‘FORM – The Sculpture Exhibition’. Some 200 pieces will feature from 30th March – 16th May 2021, expecting to safely draw thousands of visitors.
For more information on Sculpture by the Lakes, visit: https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/
PLEASE SUPPORT US FOR JUST £2 A MONTH
