Sign to the birthplace.
Clive Arnold and Jon Miles (from Elstow Parish Council) are arranging to install new signs on Bumpy Lane, Harrowden, directing pilgrims to the site of John Bunyan's birthplace.
Southill estates (Whitbread) are kindly providing a new, metal, post and the local farmer, David Hall, has volunteered to install the post in Jan/Feb 2021. Alasdair Bright has generously adapted the Elstow 'Pilgrim' sign, to form the artwork for the sign plates (see below).
We are still seeking a sponsor for the cost of printing the sign plates and for the fixing brackets. But, regardless of the sponsorship situation, this project will definitely go ahead as Clive has underwritten the cost.
Clive Arnold and Jon Miles (from Elstow Parish Council) are arranging to install new signs on Bumpy Lane, Harrowden, directing pilgrims to the site of John Bunyan's birthplace.
Southill estates (Whitbread) are kindly providing a new, metal, post and the local farmer, David Hall, has volunteered to install the post in Jan/Feb 2021. Alasdair Bright has generously adapted the Elstow 'Pilgrim' sign, to form the artwork for the sign plates (see below).
We are still seeking a sponsor for the cost of printing the sign plates and for the fixing brackets. But, regardless of the sponsorship situation, this project will definitely go ahead as Clive has underwritten the cost.
Interpretation board.
On Tuesday 5th January, Elstow Parish Council agreed to Clive and Jon's proposal that they adopt a second project - to install an 'interpretation' board at the actual birthplace site.
The local farmer has agreed to let us do this and we are currently awaiting Southill Estate's approval. Given how helpful they have been regarding the new sign on Bumpy Lane, we are optimistic they will also give us permission for this installation.
The idea of putting an interpretation board beside the commemorative stone is to provide a little reward for those stalwart pilgrims who have made the effort to walk to the site.
In the centre of the board will be a drawing of the Bunyan's End cottage, with a short description about how this 'End' was actually the start of so many things. This centre section will be linked to surrounding pictures of about a dozen other sites that were significant to Bunyan. There will explanatory text to explain how each site inspired Bunyan, spiritually and with ideas for his written works.
John would have walked from Bunyan's End to all of the locations. He also undertook many other journeys on foot, both as part of his work as a tinker and as a preacher. So all the sites depicted on the board will be linked, graphically, to the centre - the birthplace - by means of footprint trails.
On Tuesday 5th January, Elstow Parish Council agreed to Clive and Jon's proposal that they adopt a second project - to install an 'interpretation' board at the actual birthplace site.
The local farmer has agreed to let us do this and we are currently awaiting Southill Estate's approval. Given how helpful they have been regarding the new sign on Bumpy Lane, we are optimistic they will also give us permission for this installation.
The idea of putting an interpretation board beside the commemorative stone is to provide a little reward for those stalwart pilgrims who have made the effort to walk to the site.
In the centre of the board will be a drawing of the Bunyan's End cottage, with a short description about how this 'End' was actually the start of so many things. This centre section will be linked to surrounding pictures of about a dozen other sites that were significant to Bunyan. There will explanatory text to explain how each site inspired Bunyan, spiritually and with ideas for his written works.
John would have walked from Bunyan's End to all of the locations. He also undertook many other journeys on foot, both as part of his work as a tinker and as a preacher. So all the sites depicted on the board will be linked, graphically, to the centre - the birthplace - by means of footprint trails.