A new community art project for Hilperton and Paxcroft Mead

The fields of Hilperton and Paxcroft Mead have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and were of enormous importance to the local population for local food producers. By the 18th century all of them had even been given individual names.  Perhaps your house has been built in the old field of Ferris’ Leaze, or Great Upper Freeze or on Painter’s Mead?

hEdges is a public art project for Hilperton and Paxcroft Mead which has been developed by artist Alex Murdin of ruralrecreation for Hilperton Parish Council, Paxcroft Mead Residents Association, Wiltshire Council, Curo Housing with the involvement of lots of other people and groups from the area.  Over the coming months Alex and community volunteers will be asking new and old residents to get creative in rediscovering the hedges and fields of the past and looking at ways of continuing to grow and nurture plants and wildlife in and around today’s new village and homes.

hEdges has the aim of supporting local biodiversity and making up for hedgerows which were lost – we’ll be hoping to plant some edible wild plants in public spaces with local volunteers. We’ll also be trying to discover what residents are now growing on the old fields, in their gardens or even inside their homes. All of this will feed into some new artwork for southern Hilperton and Paxcroft Mead’s public spaces.

So why not enter our Over the hEdge photo competition and win £100 to spend at Palmers Garden centre ?

Alternatively volunteer for some “guerrilla gardening” in the Autumn around southern Hilperton and Paxcroft with our hEdge Planters   – get a new limited edition hEdgey Gnome.

Or perhaps you could just share some your old hEdgerow Recipes with the rest of the community, sloe gin, a wild Wiltshire Pudding or nettle beer ?