Lindow Season 2024, a series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the finding of Lindow Man, Britain's most famous bog body, has been hailed as a huge success.
The aim of the Lindow Season 2024 was to encourage people to discover and enjoy Lindow Moss and its unique ecological, archaeological and historical heritage. From May until early November, a series of events and activities involving hundreds of local people attracted thousands of visitors to the area.
The Lindow Season was organised by Transition Wilmslow, Friends of Lindow Moss and supported by a partnership of local organisations. It included a series of art and photography exhibitions, performances and talks, guided walks, courses and workshops.
A temporary art trail on Lindow Moss itself, titled Window on Lindow, featured art installations created by students from local primary schools and Wilmslow High School, alongside local artists. Residents, nature enthusiasts and experts also took part in a BioBlitz to identify and record the variety of species of wildlife, trees and plants living in the habitats on the moss. This information will be used to develop a plan to ensure that Lindow Moss is a place where people and wildlife can thrive.
Earlier this year a programme of work began at Lindow Moss to conserve, restore and interpret this important landscape for the benefit of nature, climate, and people. The wider landscape recovery project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot programme and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is overseen by the Lindow Moss Landscape Partnership; a group of community organisations, landowners, local authorities, academic and charitable organisations.
As well as celebrating the area's cultural heritage, the project will support nature conservation and work to improve carbon capture and storage, which will benefit the environment. It will also engage with local businesses and provide opportunities for people to develop new skills through nature-based training and improve their health and wellbeing.
Izzy Cook, Groundwork's Lindow Moss Community Project Officer, said: "Events like these are important for raising awareness of Lindow Moss. This historic site is not
only significant because of its past, but also for its potential to benefit future generations both environmentally and socially. By working together, we can restore this unique landscape to support the fight against climate change and harness its potential to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community."
Lead artist, Phil Barton, has been delighted with the positive reception for the Window on Lindow Art Trail: "It has been a real pleasure speaking to the many local residents, families and visitors who have visited Lindow Moss over the past twenty weeks and hearing about how much people have enjoyed the trail. All good things come to an end, however and despite pressure to extend the trail, we are closing it as planned but will leave some of the works on site until next year for people to continue to enjoy."
