Springwater Park: History Beneath Our Feet

How can walking, observation and drawing allow us to connect with hidden local histories?

An exploration into how walking, drawing and observation can enable us to discover fragments of history and in turn, through illustration, how we can connect with our past. This was the Final Major Project for my Illustration MA.

Springwater Park is now a nature reserve, but was the site of heavy industry for almost 100 years, including bleachworks, dye works and calico printing. Nature has reclaimed the land, but remnants of the buildings remain. I explored how illustration could be used to bring awareness to (and connect with) the wider community.