The Folly in the Meadow brings together two of the UK’s leading artists in the creation of a new public artwork for Ushaw Historic House and Gardens in Durham.  The Folly in Meadow will extend the park area of Ushaw and act as an additional visitor attraction for people from the local area, nationally and internationally.

The pavilion ‘folly’ will be designed by award winning artist Lubaina Himid CBE RA (Venice Biennale 2026, Turner Prize; Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize; Maria Lassnig Prize), and it will sit in a meadow designed, developed and planted by Rebecca Chesney (Gasworks International Fellowship, CONA Mumbai India; Lucas Artist Fellowship to Montalvo Arts Centre in California, USA).

The pavilion will be based on the Jelly Mould Pavilion that Himid produced for the Folkestone Triennial 2017.  The pavilion will be placed in a meadow that will be created by Rebecca Chesney. Chesney’s previous commissions to create large scale planting schemes include Landlife (Liverpool), Super Slow Way (east Lancashire), Avant Gardening (Blackpool) and Peak with the Canal and River Trust (Pontypool).

The Folly in the meadow was the original idea of Richard Bliss, who has worked with the artists and the team at Ushaw to bring the project into being .  

The first phase of the project is provisionally entitled; Take Some Time.  In this phase of the project Rebecca is working in collaboration with local community groups and Ushaw’s team of garden volunteers to transform the Clock Quadrangle, (plans and images above).  An ambitious and appropriate planting scheme is taking place. Bulbs, herbs and perennial flowers are being planted, configured within geometric parterres, bordered by low lavender hedges.  Following a residential research visit, Chesney drew inspiration for the scheme’s layout from important works in Ushaw’s Library collection.  The Grammar of Ornament (1856) by Owen Jones, highlighting a range of design motifs from a broad span of countries, was particularly influential. Chesney’s plans also reference some of the design elements in Ushaw’s built environment. Many of the buildings’ architectural features and stained glass include floral and botanical motifs, easily overlooked, within a larger design scheme.

The planting programme was completed in June (2026). Thereafter, the display will flower annually from spring to autumn.

Take Some Time is a precursor to a more extensive planting scheme Chesney will undertake developing the meadow and orchard to the south of Junior House and the Chapel of St Aloysius. Here, Chesney’s environmental intervention in the landscape will create a natural backdrop to the newly commissioned 'folly',  by Lubaina Himid.

Work by Chesney and Himid, including preparatory designs in relation to the project, will be displayed in an exhibition in Ushaw’s William Allen Gallery from November 2026.

This phase of the project has been supported by The Arts Council through a National Lottery Project Grant.