Horsham District Council Chairman Cllr David Skipp was on hand to officially mark the start of the Shelley Memorial Project sponsored walk – Walking in the footsteps of Shelley - on Saturday 12 August at St Mary’s Church, Horsham.
The walk was to raise funds for a permanent, public memorial to the great Radical and Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Members of The Shelley Memorial Project team were joined by members of St Margaret's Church, Warnham who are fundraising for the restoration of the church's Shelley family plaque.
The nine-mile circular walk started and finished at St Mary's Church, Horsham, where Shelley's family are commemorated. The route took walkers through areas of the beautiful Sussex countryside which Shelley would have known well, and passed key Shelley sites including; St Margaret's Church Warnham, where Shelley was baptised, Warnham Nature Reserve, where he fished and sailed boats with friends, and Horsham Park, the proposed site for the Memorial.
The funds raised by The Shelley Memorial Project will contribute to the commissioning of a public artwork to be installed in Horsham Park to commemorate Shelley's life and work and celebrate Horsham's literary heritage. The project group aim to achieve a high-quality artwork that will provide inspiration and enjoyment to residents of and visitors to the town most closely associated with Shelley's family and early life.
Horsham District Council Chairman Cllr David Skipp commented:
I am really excited to be supporting the creation of a bespoke memorial to celebrate the life and works of Shelley, one of our most significant poets who is world renowned and such a significant figure for our District.
To have a dedicated memorial to Shelley in the centre of town in Horsham Park will be very special and will ensure that it will be enjoyed by many. Please do give as much as you can to support the fundraising project.
Sponsorship contributions for the Shelley Memorial Project team can be made on their fundraising page.