Perhaps the most significant contribution of the Romantic Poets was their invention of the idea of “landscape” as something to be appreciated and understood at an emotional and spiritual level, rather than thought of only in terms of financial or military value. They were amongst the first and most influential to describe what we now call “sense of place”.

This project was a way for school pupils to explore what the poets’ ideas mean for us today. It centred around a school engagement programme that got pupils out on the hills, feeling the wind and getting mud on their shoes.

We worked with a mix of schools in the project area and surrounding towns. The programme included visits to the Quantock Hills and classroom based activity for students aged 7-15, as well as a film by Feral Practice made in partnership with students from Pyrland School. Both aspects were celebrated at Hestercombe Gallery from the 20th July 2024 to the 23rd February, 2025, as part of ‘What Stories Make Worlds’, an exhibition that focused on our relationship with the landscape and the environment at a time of change.

Our delivery partner co-ordinating all this work was the arts education charity SPAEDA, who are based at Hestercombe in Somerset. You can find out more about the charity and the project ‘In the Footsteps of the Romantic Poets’ here https://www.spaeda.org.uk/for-all-our-futures . The QLPS team and QHNL rangers provided guided site visits and talks at class and whole school assemblies.

“It was brilliant the children loved it even the week after they were talking about what they had done with the
artist” Charlie Mallender – Early Careers Teacher Kingston St Mary School

• 203 children between the ages of 7-15 directly experienced the landscape through school
trips to cultural sites and classroom based activity.
• A further 202 children learnt about landscape change through talks and assemblies in school.
• The project introduced 60 school staff to new resources on nature based learning, critical
thinking and landscape change.
• 9 education settings made new arts and cultural partnerships and over 5400 people engaged
through online and face to face exhibitions and events.

To deliver the outcomes SPAEDA, engaged staff, students and families from 9 education settings:
• 6 Primary schools (Upper Key Stage 2 aged 7-11 years), a mixture of local village schools and
schools in disadvantaged parts of Bridgwater and Taunton
• 1 Secondary school (Key Stage 3 aged 12-14 years) – learning digital skills, producing a film
with Feral Practice
• 2 Specialist settings for students (Key Stage 3-4 aged 11-16 years) with additional needs or
not in mainstream education

“It was an amazing experience with nature and the wilderness experts” Yr 9 Student Pyrland School

“The exhibition was a gift, enabling the children to experience the Romantic Poets and to appreciate where they
lived within the Quantock area.” Penny Philips – Art Teacher Crowcombe School