An exhibition on the custodians of the Dee Valley goes on display

As part of the Our Picturesque Landscape, National Lottery Heritage Funded project in the Dee Valley, Artists in Residence, Jessica and Philip Hatcher-Moore have interviewed and photographed local caretakers of the landscape.

Jessica has written vignettes about each person while Philip has taken portraits of them. These have been combined on exhibition boards to be displayed in the landscape.

Five of these boards were displayed at Wenffrwd Nature Reserve throughout October 2021 and now the full exhibition of ten boards are on display along the footpath between Berwyn station and the Chain Bridge, Llangollen.

The Railway would also like to feature the exhibition at its launch event in Corwen when the station opens formally later in the year. The exhibition will be displayed at other locations within the Dee Valley in the coming months.

This partnership working will allow more people, both locals and visitors to the area, to engage with the images and stories curated by the Hatcher-Moores during their residency.

Jessica Hatcher-Moore said: “I think wherever you live there is going to be an extraordinary cast of characters around you, but that feels particularly true here in the Dee Valley. As our stories show, the dramatic landscape of the area has been inspiring people for centuries, and it’s been such a joy to explore the impact it continues to have on people today.

“The biggest thing that emerged for me from these stories is how the community spirit is very much still alive in the Dee Valley – and how the landscape, with its rich social and natural history, supports it.

We are very hugely grateful to the Our Picturesque Landscape and National Lottery Heritage Fund for giving us the opportunity to explore these stories”.

Philip Hatcher–Moore said, “Exhibiting these photographs outdoors, in the landscape in which they were shot, adds another dimension to the work, with the interplay of light and shadows dancing across the images.”

Phil Coles, Chairman Llangollen Railway Trust said: “The Llangollen Railway is very pleased to be helping the local AONB in this project and we hope this helps tourists to the area to understand more about the beautiful Dee Valley.”