Ethel - Created for the Stoney Middleton Well Dressing 2025
This tribute to Ethel Haythornthwaite (1894-1986), environmental campaigner, activist and poet was designed by local artist, Si Homfray of Park Designs and painstakingly recreated by the local community in Stoney Middleton - 1600 hours of work.
The well dressing tells a story of how important the Peak District was for Ethel – and how the park is for all of us.
Ethel was pioneer of the countryside movement that went on to become our beloved Peak District. Her tireless campaigning ensured a greenbelt around Sheffield and led to the formation of the Peak District National Park in 1951.
In designing the piece, Si took a great deal of inspiration, not just from Ethel’s life but also from Helen Mort’s book, ‘Ethel’. This beautifully written biography, and the moving and heartfelt introduction from Fiona Reynolds, former head of the National Trust, eloquently explains the importance of Ethel’s work, now more than ever.
Read more about how this piece came about and the well dressing by clicking here.
The highly coloured view of the landscape and the naïve style are representative of the artists’ optimistic outlook and his love for this area of the world.