Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire has its first writer in residence, who has been recruited by the National Trust to create works inspired by the “mysterious and awe-inspiring rock formations”.
Natalie Anastasia Davies, who is Yorkshire-born and of Grenadian descent, will in her new role explore themes of cultural identity and the climate crisis, as well as connection and memory.
She will be in the post until October, creating and running workshops for the public, and working with local primary schoolchildren to help them write their own thoughts on Brimham Rocks.
The residency will culminate in a public event at which budding nature writers will be able to share their work.
Davies said: “As a writer and human being, I believe that connection with the natural world is integral to our sense of meaning and wellbeing.
“It is a rare thing in our bustling lives to have time in nature; to be, realise and create. I feel privileged to be chosen as the first Brimham Rocks writer in residence and plan to fully embrace this opportunity.”
Brimham Rocks, north of Harrogate and close to Pateley Bridge, is a collection of large dramatically shaped rocks, spread across 20 hectares (50 acres) of moorland. Their history dates back more than 340m years.
Made from millstone grit, the stones are of geological significance and some of the rocks have attracted nicknames over time, such as “druid’s altar”.
The site is popular with hikers and climbers, as well as daytrippers from Yorkshire and beyond.
The residency comes after the Yorkshire-born poet laureate Simon Armitage was commissioned last year to write a poem inspired by Brimham Rocks. His work, Balancing Act, celebrates the site and why it is an important place for people and nature.
“It was a chance to get reacquainted with the rocks. I’d explored them as a child and in my memory, they were almost mythical or pieces of an alien landscape,” Armitage said at the time.
“Coming back to the area as an adult, and a poet, they were no less fascinating and mysterious but carried new messages connected to the environment, the precarious state of nature and the importance of wild spaces to our wellbeing.”
The National Trust partnered with Word Up North, a literature development organisation, to create the new residency, which offered a writer from the Yorkshire and the Humber region “a paid opportunity to develop their creative practice and offers visitors, local communities, young people and aspiring writers the chance to engage more deeply with Brimham Rocks”.
Jen Taylor, the visitor operations manager for National Trust Brimham Rocks, said: “The intention is for the writer in residence to get to know Brimham Rocks, the people who visit and to really engage with the place and the opportunity it presents to create a conversation about nature and climate.
“The workshops will provide participants with an opportunity to engage more deeply with the site, its ecology, geology and social history through creative writing workshops, walks and other associated activities.”
Erica Morris, the director of Word Up North, said: “We are thrilled to see the enormously talented Natalie Anastasia Davies appointed and look forward to seeing the playfulness she’ll bring to her work with both children and adults through her workshops and work with local schools.
“Her particular interest in responding to the people at Brimham Rocks – especially its visitors – and exploring how local details can illuminate global issues make us incredibly excited to see what she creates in response to the site,” she added.
Davies said: “It’s such a pleasure to collaborate with the amazing team at the National Trust and Word Up North and I look forward to sharing this unique experience with communities and developing writers”
