Commons Stories – A Labour of Love exhibition opens

An exhibition of ‘Commons Stories’ is now open at the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes until Sunday 8 September. Labour of Love: Life, land and nature in England’s Upland Commons, is the work of Kendal based writer Harriet Fraser and photographer Rob Fraser.

For the past two years, the pair have been visiting four upland regions of England – the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria’s Lake District, the Shropshire Hills and Dartmoor – as part of the project.

They’ve met many people involved in managing or working on common land. And these insights, as photographs, short films, audio snippets and poems, are available on the Foundation for Common Land’s website.

And now, for the first time, some of their work form an exhibition in the Museum.

As Rob and Harriet explain: “England’s uplands are at a crossroads. They are affected by climate change, biodiversity decline, and shifts in UK environmental policies; and while there are many threats, there are also opportunities. The exhibition shares insights into farming, wildlife and conservation, and perspectives on how to move forward collectively in ways that protect and enhance the landscape and its communities.

“Over the past two years, we’ve been taken around these special parts of England by people who are passionately committed to a positive future for upland commons and have generously shared their time with us: farmers, landowners, conservationists, heritage specialists, ecologists, scientists and others.”

The exhibition also includes a small selection of work by Yorkshire artists, and artefacts from the museum. For opening times and location, visit the Dales Countryside Museum website.