Help tell the story of 300 year old tree at RHS Garden Bridgewater
In the historic grounds of RHS Garden Bridgewater, a majestic sweet chestnut tree - believed to be over 300 years old—stands as a silent witness to centuries of change. This summer solstice (Saturday 21 June at 11am) the public is invited to help imagine and honour its story through a unique participatory event led by acclaimed artist Yan Wang Preston.
Picture caption: Lily's Gift - Leaf Wrap with Sweet Chestnuts - Yan Wang Preston
Memory Keepers is a rare opportunity to contribute to a new artwork that will be part of a major exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 2026/27.
The event is part of OFFSHOOT, a collaborative project between the Royal Horticultural Society, University of Salford Art Collection, and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool.
It has been generously supported by Arts Council England through National Lottery funding. Three socially engaged photographers will work alongside Yan Wang Preston and local groups at RHS Bridgewater to explore themes of nature, wellbeing, and climate change.
The Memory Keepers event will begin with a conversation between Yan and RHS arboriculture expert Josh Corbett, offering a rare glimpse into the roles of artist and arborist in shaping and preserving landscapes.
Then, participants will take part in a unique creative raffle: each person will receive a random year between 1720 and 2025 and be invited to write a short story inspired by that moment in time—real or imagined, personal or historical.
Each participant will receive a beautifully designed folder containing a creative brief, photographs of the tree and a return envelope addressed to Salford Museum and Art Gallery. Submitting a story is optional, but all contributions will help shape a poetic and artistic tribute to time, nature, and collective memory.
“Trees are the ultimate memory keepers,” says Yan Wang Preston. “Through this project, we’re not just imagining the past—we’re weaving together a tapestry of shared human experience, rooted in nature and community.”
Yan is an internationally acclaimed photographer, whose stunning and ambitious photographic projects highlight the relationship between humans and the natural world. She won First Prize in the Professional Landscape competition, Sony World Photography Awards in 2019 and her work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery (2024).
The event is ideal for anyone with an interest in art, photography, nature and the environment, local history and storytelling. Whether they are a gardener, writer, artist, historian, or simply curious, attendees will have the chance to become one of the 300 Memory Keepers and help tell the story of this very special tree—and of us all.
Tickets to Memory Keepers at RHS Garden Bridgewater on Saturday 21 June 11am to 1pm are £5.00 for both RHS Members and non-members and can be booked here
Picture caption: Sweet Chestnut Tree at RHS Bridgewater - Yan Wang Preston
Sweet Chestnut Tree at RHS Garden Bridgewater
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