Art and heritage of the Hythe

According to Colchester's Courier magazine, a group of artists have been working with the community to create an art trail for the Hythe area. Here's some text from the magazine (which can be viewed as a pdf online here.) The route passes through some surprising parts of town, each with their own stories and character, which inspired the themes of the artworks. The Town to Sea Trail is part of the wider regeneration of East Colchester. Starting in the town centre the trail heads down East Hill, past the East Bay allotments, through the Moors, to Haddon Park, finishing at the Hythe Quayside, where it links with the Wivenhoe Trail. Artists Andrew Rowe, David Mackie, Becky Adams and Heather Parnell have been working with local schools, groups and the wider community on design ideas to link the trail together. More than 100 walkers joined a Test the Trail day in the spring, and added more ideas before the designs were finalised. A touring exhibition is now visiting local venues, allowing people to view some of the work produced by the community and the artist’s proposals for the trail. Visit www.visitcolchester.com for dates and venues. The permanent artwork along the trail should be completed in the autumn. Bob Bunn, chair of the Hythe Residents’ Association, said: “The trail goes a little way towards raising the profile of this area, and hopefully it will spark further improvements where they are needed.” Funding has come from the European Union's Interreg IIIB North SEAfaring Programme and local developers.
Some of East Colchester’s historic buildings and vessels will be be open to view for the first time at this year’s Hythe Heritage Day. The event takes place on Saturday 8 September, with a vintage bus offering a shuttle service to from the town centre, plus music, entertainment and guided tours. For more information contact 863998. Take the following link for a report on a "test the trail" event earlier this year.