Riverside art installation celebrates chalk stream

Hundreds of bottles of water have been made into an art installation to celebrate a county's chalk streams.

River Droplet has been created alongside the River Frome in Frampton, near Dorchester in Dorset.

It consists of 500 bottles of water and chalky sediment taken from the river.

The artwork has been created by artist Lorna Rees and architect Amanda Moore and was commissioned by the Dorset National Landscape.

It is the first installation for the Sitting Spaces project which aims to encourage people to visit the countryside by creating temporary structures to sit and enjoy the qualities of the area.

Ms Rees said: "The water is very special and unique, nationally and internationally.

"There's an amazing eco-system we are telling the story of with this artwork."

Ms Moore said the bottles "make a suspended droplet in a wave formation".

"It's taking the river and bringing it to the forefront so people can see how special the place is where they live," she said.

Dorset's chalk streams support the production of watercress which is shipped around the UK and the world.

Visitors can sit inside the installation and listen to recordings or just enjoy the sights and sounds of the River Frome.

A number of events are also planned, including an Equinox talk and sunset storytelling.

Dorset National Landscape manager Tom Munro said: "The River Frome is a chalk stream which is incredibly rare nationally and globally and yet so many people don’t know about it.

"It is a real gem to have on our doorstep and well worth exploring."

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