Polesworth is a large village in North Warwickshire on the river Anker. Sites of significant interest around the village include Polesworth Abbey and Pooley Country Park.
Abbey Green Park in the heart of the village and is frequented by families and dog walkers. The park has a nature reserve and hosts features of the well-loved Polesworth Poets Trail, as well as several walking trails that encourage children to engage with nature.
In the summer of 2022, You Belong Here landed in Abbey Green Park. The installation was designed to be alien within its landscape and was interpreted by the local community in many ways, enjoying use as a stage, a spaceship, a hangout area and also as a photo location for local dogs! It was enjoyed by many residents but has been subject to repeated incidents of Criminal Damage. In the autumn of 2023, the decision was made to decommission to ensure the balance between public safety and cost could be managed. The project team will continue to build links with local community safety leaders.
Whilst it was a difficult decision to remove the structure early, the project has left many legacies for the village. These include two new community-based poems, which feature local voices. These poems are products of a fun pop up art installation which engaged over 300 residents. The brightly coloured ‘Home from Home’ installation was hosted at Polesworth Library and Birchwood Primary School in the winter of 2022. The words gathered at these events were crafted into poems for Polesworth by the Young Poet Laureate for Warwickshire in partnership with Warwickshire Library Service.
The poems can be seen in Polesworth Library and downloaded here:
The project team will continue to with local groups to support projects which enable the village to continue the traditions of local poetry and storytelling.