I’ve been a fan of Henry Moore for years, possibly since Dad, on driving us past the newly installed Knife Edge Two Piece, in front of the Houses of Parliament, dismissed it with a scathing grunt as ‘modern art.’
I was at that age when everything one’s parents say is complete rubbish so automatically I strove to like it. And I still do, so thanks, Dad. Having been to a major retrospective at the Tate a few years ago and to an exhibition of Moore’s works at Kew Gardens, it was with excitement that I planned my trip to Hertfordshire with a competent map-reading friend.
It takes a while to find Perry Green, the tiny hamlet where Henry Moore lived. When you get there, you feel like you’ve dropped through time, to an era before technology ruled the world; a peaceful, slower time, where people stopped to pass the time of day. The sort of place where a whistling butcher’s boy rides past on an old bicycle and the bus comes once a week. There are no shops, but there is a telephone box, which, on closer inspection, is a tiny exhibition gallery called the Red Cube. The Hoops Inn, tucked away behind a hedge, provides a further clue that this is no ordinary village: the size of their car park suggests they expect a crowd.
Hoglands, Henry Moore’s delightful house, is part of the Henry Moore Foundation, a registered charity founded in 1977 by Moore himself to encourage public appreciation of the visual arts. The garden and adjacent fields are home to many of Moore’s finest pieces, the setting complementing both the structure and form of his sculptures. Opposite the main house is a little cottage which doubles as the ticket office and coffee shop. We were advised to book a time to see the interior of the house as only a few people are let in at once. This is well worth clock-watching for as inside the house there is a real feeling of the artist’s presence – as if he and his wife have just popped out to the nearest town and will be back any minute.
The garden is informal with hedges and plantings masking the next treasure. At the far reaches of the garden are the sheds and barns HM used for creating, and these too, are open for inspection – some are as he would have left them; one is an indoor exhibition of his work and another, The Aisled Barn, has an exhibition of tapestries designed by HM and woven at West Dean College in West Sussex.
Beyond these buildings is the sheep field where some of his largest pieces can be seen, magnificent against the landscape, yet completely at home with the animals resting against them.
I’ll finish with a few more images from my day at Hoglands. Henry Moore’s home is most definitely on my top-ten-places-to-visit list.
If you decide to go, be prepared to spend the whole day there and book a table at the Hoops Inn – the food is good but they do get extremely busy.
Hoglands is open until 27 October 2013, Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays 11am – 5pm.
Header picture shows Large Reclining Figure, situated on a mound in the far corner of the sheep field: an imposing sentinel.
Perry Green sounds wonderful! I found this link to its website: http://www.henry-moore.org/pg
Re. your Dad’s comments, I was reminded of a former student who returned to school triumphantly some years later to specifically taunt me with the fact that he had got a place on a course at Art College, despite me advising him previously that I didn’t think he was good enough. I’ve often wondered to what extent being negative about something actually inspires and motivates children to prove us wrong!
Dad was a traditionalist: as an antique dealer of beautiful old clocks and fine jewellery his appreciation lay in things past. Growing up, we took these things for granted as the house was full of precious things in transit – clocks on test, pieces due for repair or auction. Modern art provided a fresh look at an old theme – craftsmanship in a different guise.
Now, as a parent, I know that anything I suggest will be scoffed at – but I also know that eventually my suggestions will be given fair consideration!
I loved reading about Henry’s garden, Jenny! The pictures are lovely, especially Henry’s home…beautiful!
Thanks Jill. The house is splendid, isn’t it – I think it was originally two cottages, but even so, it remains a fairly modest home and you get the feeling once inside that it was a happy one.
Thanks for your post – a great read! 🙂
Glad you liked it – have I tempted you to make a visit?!
Would love to! 🙂
Looks wonderful! Now the inn…never mind the food, what’s the beer like? If I have to wait might as well make the most of it 🙂
Apologies for the tardiness of response to this most serious of questions but I’ve been doing a bit of research on your behalf and have come up with the following answer to the beer probe:
The Hoops Inn sells Meantime London Lager and Adnams Bitter on draught, also Old Speckled Hen, Saffron Blonde and Broadside in bottles as well as standard bottles of Peroni, Corona, Stella, Leffe Blonde and Hoegarden.
For those lovers of beer who will most definitely be parched after thrashing around the garden opposite their establishment I think that between us we have done the Hoops a favour, as there is no mention of ale of any description on their website…
🙂
You have done the Hoops a great service. Knowing the quality hops that Hoops hawks makes me hanker for honey hued ‘holesomeness 🙂
You sure you haven’t been at it already? 😉
You make a delightful travel guide, Jenny!
I love the sculptures, but Hoglands, his home, is charming and kept me coming back to smile at it again and again. Excellent!
Thank you, Marylin. The inside of the house is wonderful – unfortunately we weren’t allowed cameras, but his living room is a comfortable mixture of 50’s furniture and bits and pieces he collected on his travels as well as items from nature – pebbles, feathers, animal skeletons – which all inspired his sculpting. There is also his office – an ordered untidiness – just like my own father’s, which of course I found endearing!
Somewhere to put on my list. I have seen the odd tv programme on it – usually a gardening programme. I also recommend the Barbara Hepworth in St. Ives.
Oh yes, so do I! Would also be on my top ten.
I do love the way you write Jenny, it really captures me. As Marylin said above, you really do make a great travel guide!
Sherri, thank you. I’d never thought of being a travel guide but imagine the advantages – I’d get in to all these places for nothing – my newly purchased art pass would be superfluous!
🙂
I agree with Sherri ^ – loved reading your article even though I’d rather stay in The Hoops rather than be bemused by the works of art. I rather agree with your father 🙂
Ha Ha! That’s you and Maurice in the pub, then!
I concede that Henry Moore is probably like Marmite – love it or hate it – although I have an American friend who, having lived here for many years, has learned to enjoy the occasional Marmite sandwich…
Very interesting post. I am very exited, HM has been a favourite of mine since the early 1960s. We are visiting England in October and will be there before the house closes for the year.
It’s number 1 on my list!
Just goes to show Father doesn’t always know best
I’m so pleased you will be in time to see Hoglands, and even more pleased that I have found a fellow fan.
Plus, you’ll be able to take some fabulous photos which I will look forward to seeing 🙂
Only taking the ‘light’ camera on the trip – wish me luck. Just read your response to Roy. Are there people who don’t like Marmite?? Goodness, what a sobering thought.
[…] Imagine my delight when I found out that we would be staying just an hour from Henry Moore’s house and not only could we wander among his sculptures in the extensive grounds, but there was also a Rodin/Moore exhibition there this fall. Even more of his pieces and seven of Rodin’s. My thanks to Jenny at charactersfromthekitchen who wrote about this amazing place in Henry’s Secret Garden. […]
That’s so kind of you to link it through. I can’t wait for your next set of pictures 😉