Bruton, Curry Rivel, Langport

I've had a weekend of going back to the past with visits to family and friends in Somerset and some of the places we lived when I was a teenager. I've also visited Bruton to see Hauser and Wirth Somerset and Bruton Museum which has a display of work by the sculptor Ernst Blensdorf. The drive to Somerset provided views of Stonehenge and Glastonbury Tor.

All Saints Langport, built mainly in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, stands on a hill near the River Parrett, overlooking the remains of a Benedictine abbey. Its bold, pinnacled west tower, covered with gargoyles known locally as 'Hunky Punks', is a local landmark. The church's special treasure is its east window, containing the largest collection of medieval stained glass in Somerset. The saints are shown in gloriously coloured robes with both animated and serene expressions.

St Andrew's Curry Rivel was built around 1500. The entrance to the church is a handsome two storey porch, on either side of which are windows with superb tracery. The church has a battlemented roofline on which are carvings including people playing musical instruments such as bagpipes, fiddles, bagpipes and horns. There is an ornamental frieze across the front and the portcullis family badge, pointing to Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of King Henry VII) who held estates nearby. Carved figures (grotesques), known as ‘hunky-punks’ look out from each top corner of the tower (rebuilt 1861). There is a peal of eight bells, tuned to E flat. The oldest is from 1610; the heaviest is 15cwt.

The inside of the church is full of interest, the oldest part being the 13th century north chapel, which has a tomb thought to be of Sabrina de Lorty, the chapel's founder. Behind railings, and under a semi circular canopy, are the beautifully made effigies of Marmaduke Jennings and his son Robert, and these date from the early 17th century. Recesses in north wall contain effigies. There is carved woodwork from the 15th and 16th centuries includes bench ends, two screens and the roof of the north aisle. In the nave is a hamstone arcade, pulpit with Byzantine colonettes and lovely carved ends on Victorian pews. The northeast window has Victorian glass, some older, depicting three kings with local connections: Ine (King of Wessex); Alfred (hid at Athelney) and Arthur. The east window has roundel 12th century glass from Canterbury Cathedral, a gift from daughter of Dean Farrar. The window on the south side of the altar has panels engraved 1987 by Laurence Whistler. The window near the late Victorian 2-manual organ is by CE Kempe and from 1913.

Occupying a former farmstead in Bruton, Hauser & Wirth Somerset is home to a vibrant program of exhibitions, events, learning activities and artists’ residencies, which connect with the local community and landscape. Since the inaugural exhibition by British artist Phyllida Barlow, more than 250 artists have been brought to Somerset to create solo and group exhibitions in their galleries, including ‘Henry Moore. Sharing Form’ in collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation, ‘Alexander Calder. From The Stony River To The Sky,’ ‘Unconscious Landscape. Works from the Ursula Hauser Collection’ and ‘Eduardo Chillida’ in collaboration with Chillida Leku Museum.

Piet Oudolf, the internationally renowned landscape designer from the Netherlands, designed the landscaping scheme for the entire site, including Oudolf Field—a large perennial meadow situated behind the gallery. Carefully shaped and planted, the garden echoes the tradition of classical gardens, but the variety of species and combination of plants creates a looseness, softening the formality of its appearance. Known for his use of perennials, Oudolf Field has visual interest year round. At the top of Oudolf Field sits the Radić Pavilion. Designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić, it was installed at Hauser & Wirth Somerset in 2015, following its unveiling the previous year as the Serpentine Gallery 2014 Pavilion.

Current exhibition ‘An Uncommon Thread’ features 10 contemporary artists living and working in the UK. The group exhibition highlights the transformative power of unconventional mediums in evoking personal and collective memories. Each artist demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the integral role materials and techniques play in their creative process; employing unexpected painting surfaces, adapting formal craft traditions and repurposing discarded products into compelling works. Through individual investigations of identity, tradition, nature, fantasy and the environment, the artists invite viewers to engage with the rich stories woven into each work.

Bruton Museum aims to tell the story of the Saxon town of Bruton in Somerset, what was here before the town and what came after its medieval heyday as an important ecclesiastical centre. Spectacular fossils, masonry from the site of Bruton Abbey, the unique sculptures of WWII German refugee, Ernst Blensdorf, and the writing desk used by the American writer John Steinbeck, who lived in Bruton in 1959, are among its many highlights. Their changing display CASESPACE is where they show contemporary art and collections. The current Casespace artist is Dorcas Casey.

German-born sculptor Ernst Blensdorf (1896-1976) worked in Somerset for 35 years producing a unique modern style utilising the swirling patterns of Somerset elm. He came to Somerset in 1941, after seven years in Norway, as a refugee from Nazi Germany where he had been denounced as a degenerate artist. His highly expressive work ranges from the 'totemic' style of his earlier and monumental pieces to the free-flowing, near abstraction of his later work. His works range from monumental pieces such as the larger than life-size 'Abraham's Sacrifice'(Downside School) to semi-abstract works which exploit the swirling grain of the elm such as 'Dance Rhythm' (Southampton Art Gallery). 'Last Work' (Somerset County Museum, Taunton), a poignant, unfinished piece on which he worked to within a few days of his death.

'Crucifix II' was purchased for St Mary's Church in Bruton by some local residents. The sculpture was made from a sycamore tree from the garden at Blensdorf's home near Bruton. I first encountered his work at St John's Church, Glastonbury, which has two large early carvings, each from a single elm tree, the 'Madonna with Child' and the 'Resurrection Christ'.

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