Arbor Low

One of the most thought provoking places I have visited during Derbyshire research is Arbor Low, a Neolithic henge monument, often referred to as the "Stonehenge of the North." Standing within its great circular earthwork, surrounded by the limestone stones, I was struck less by the monument itself than by the landscape that holds it. The nearby barrow, the expansive views across the Derbyshire moorland and the quiet openness of the site create a powerful sense that this was once a place of gathering, ceremony and shared experience.

Arbor Low is more than a collection of ancient stones; it is part of a ritual landscape shaped by generations of people. Walking slowly around the circle, I found myself imagining how this place might have been experienced thousands of years ago. Before roads and field boundaries, before modern settlements, what did this landscape mean to those who came here? What stories were told, what rituals were performed, and what made this particular place worthy of such careful and monumental construction?

During my visit I became aware of my own presence within this ancient landscape. Using my shadow as a temporary intervention, I created a series of shadow portraits across the stones and grass. These fleeting self-portraits leave no physical mark, yet they acknowledge that I too become part of the ongoing story of this place, however briefly. The shadow acts as a quiet trace—a reminder that landscapes are continually inhabited, remembered and reimagined.

Photography allows me to record these encounters as visual notes. The images capture moments of observation, reflection and connection, becoming part of a wider archive of research that informs my work in the studio. Together they explore the dialogue between past and present, permanence and transience, and our enduring relationship with the landscapes that shape our sense of belonging.

As this body of work continues to grow, I hope these visits will deepen my understanding not only of Derbyshire's prehistoric monuments but also of the ways landscape carries memory across generations. Places such as Arbor Low invite us consider carefully and to imagine ourselves within a much longer human story.