A STORYTELLER will take visitors on a short walk through Hindhead’s history on Thursday in association with Haslemere Museum and Surrey Hills Arts.
Jon Mason will lead a mile-long circular walk on even ground from the Devil’s Punchbowl, stopping at points to hear fascinating insights and folklore from ages past to the present day.
He will weave forgotten tales of highway men, farmers and peasants with mysterious mythical figures and looks at how we have shaped this landscape over time.
The walk ’Footprints – humanity and the environment in Hindhead’s past’ will take place at 11am and 2pm on Thursday, July 29, as part of Hindhead Archaeology Day, itself part of Surrey Hills Arts’ month-long Festival of Archaeology.
Jon Mason, a professional storyteller and PhD researcher, has investigated and retold stories in response to the Surrey landscape and will interpret and share these at three locations in the Surrey Hills, drawing on myth and folklore and working in collaboration with a community archaeologist.
The stories reflect on how human activity has shaped and continues to shape the landscape, uncovering layers of Surrey’s history from as far back as the Stone Age, and looking to the future.
Combining his research and performance skills, Jon is leading ‘story walks’ as well as creating podcasts to enhance visitor’s experiences of the hills.
Jon (www.jonthestoryteller.com) said: "We make sense of the experiences we have of the world around us by creating stories about it and sharing those with other people.
"Stories are all around us and a vital part of our culture.
"Through this placement I aim to give an insight into the relationship between human society, landscape and climate, with the potential for making positive changes to future behaviour."
For more info on this project, contact: Ali Clarke, Surrey Hills Arts, [email protected]