Engaging schools and community groups in the production of vibrant silk flags that reflect the heritage, landscape, biodiversity, people and stories of Cranborne Chase.
Flags have long been an important way for people to express their identity. We have worked with communities to create 15 colourful, beautiful silk flags, led by Wiltshire-based artist Nicola Davis.
These flags are used throughout the life of the Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership Scheme at a range of activities and events, and beyond the end of the scheme by schools and communities and at Cranborne Chase National Landscape events.
Project achievements
Flag 1
Cranborne Chase Community Flag
In response to the Covid-19 lockdowns, the Chase & Chalke team reached out to people across Cranborne Chase to learn what inspired them about the landscape. Using words and inspiration, Nicola created our first flag.
Flag 2
Coombe Bissett Primary School
60 children from this school on the eastern limit of the Chase & Chalke area joined us to create 98 drawings for the design of their flag. Coombe Bissett is a small village primary school with 4 mixed age classes, nestled in the countryside.
Flag 3
Chettle Village Community
Chettle village is a small village on the southern extent of the Chase & Chalke area in Dorset. This flag was designed and painted in a series of workshops hosted at the village hall, where the community came together to take part.
Flag 4
1st Woodcutts Cubs
This flag was designed and painted by the Arctic Wolf Cub and Timber Wolf Cub packs from the 1st Woodcutts Scouts group based in Sixpenny Handley.
Flag 5
Seeds4Success
Seeds4Success is a youth work charity based in Mere, Wiltshire. The group provides opportunities for personal and social development for young people living in southwest Wiltshire, such as practical skill development, education, nature conservation and community development.
Flag 6
Abbey Primary School
70 children from the Abbey Primary School in Shaftesbury came together to design and create their flag during two workshop sessions.
Flag 7
Home Education Family Groups
The Chase & Chalke team invited families from the North Dorset and Salisbury Home Education groups to join us on Martin Down National Nature Reserve for a day of inspiration. 31 children and their families explored the landscape and joined us over two sessions to create drawings and paint their designs on the flag.
Flag 8
In Jolly Good Company
In Jolly Good Company are a dementia-friendly group based in Wimborne St Giles in Dorset. The group created designs for their flag during a workshop with Nicola.
Flag 9
Wilton Thursday Club with Wimborne St Giles Primary School
A group of rural Cranborne Chase retirees that meets in Wilton on Thursdays created their designs with Nicola. This was augmented with sketches made by pupils of Wimborne St Giles Primary School.
Flag 10
Cranborne Middle School
One of the students, Lily, learned the silk painting techniques during the creation of the Chettle flag. She led her class of 25 in the design of the school flag and 180 pupils were involved in the painting process.
Flag 11
Logos
This flag shows the logos of the Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership Scheme, Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Flag 12
The Dorset Cursus and Archaeology
Designed with the Chase & Chalke team (along with flags 13, 14 and 15) this flag shows a LiDAR image of the Dorset Cursus area and some of the archaeological finds from the vicinity.
Flag 13
History of Cranborne Chase and Martin Down
Queen Matilda was given ownership of Cranborne Chase by her husband William the Conqueror. Nine centuries later General Pitt Rivers inherited the area and due to his investigations became known as the father of modern archaeology.
This flag also features a phrase from a young visitor’s writing, “The bench has had many visitors”, Artist Residency sketches, Roman soldiers marching along Ackling Dyke, a lark’s nest, green-winged orchid and other chalk grassland wildlife.
Flag 14
Mrs Ridout at Coombe Bissett
Mrs Ridout and her Donkey Express features in local history as an early delivery service between Salisbury and the Chalke Valley. The design shows music and larks, yellowhammer, hawthorn, orchids and species typically found at Coombe Bissett Down.
Flag 15
Cranborne Chase National Landscape Logo
With all the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty being rebranded as National Landscapes, we created a new flag designed to include the updated logo as well as Cranborne Chase wildlife.
Nicola Davis
Nicola Davis is an award-winning entrepreneur and artist. Nicola specialises in creating bright and colourful silk artworks and leads workshops in which she works with others to produce silk paintings and scarves.
Nicola has been working with groups from within and around Cranborne Chase to create the vibrant flags, each reflecting the identity of the group involved and their relation to the heritage, landscape, biodiversity and stories of Cranborne Chase.