Cavalier & Roundhead Route
Welcome to the Cavalier & Roundhead Route
The routes was part of a Public Art Project that will result in 3 trails around the town. The first trail, already implemented, is ‘The Peculiar Pot’, this is the second trail – a sculpture trail cited predominantly within Lea Park.
The locations of each piece of art are shown below, followed by more information about the process that led to the creation of the trail.
The trail starts from outside Thame Town Hall. Dive straight in using the link below, or scroll down to learn more about the process involved in creating the trail.
More about Public Art in Thame
Public Art in Thame is funded through ‘Section 106’ funds, that are secured from property developers by South Oxfordshire District Council. As well as including money towards infrastructure, these funds also include money that can only be spent on Public Art, and if it is not spent it is returned to the developer.
To avoid the installation of various pieces of art that had little significance to Thame, the Town Council drew together a Public Art Working Group which included local artists, business owners, a school teacher, members of Lea Park Residents Association, other members of the community, Thame Town Councillors and an SODC Arts Officer. This group created a Public Art Strategy which determined that, wherever possible, Public Art funding should create pieces of art that aim to meet other community needs, and that are created by engaging the community in the design process.
Project 1: Art leading wayfinding
The first project to be implemented aims to improve the wayfinding around Thame with the creation of 3 trails across the town. These trails can be enjoyed as an activity in themselves, but also play a role in helping people to better navigate across town using the footpaths and infrastructure already in place. The hope behind the project is that the trails will encourage people to leave their car at home more often, bring an element of fun to journeys, and provide the opportunity to learn more about the town’s heritage and history. The trails include:
- ‘The Peculiar Pot’: A story trail (from Thame Meadows estate on the Oxford Road into the town centre – installed in March 2023)
- ‘The Cavalier & Roundhead Route’: A fun fact trail, that Barley Hill School pupils, and Lea Park Residents Association have both played a part in developing. This leads from the town centre across Lea Park Estate, helping connect the town centre with locations such as the skate park, football stadium and rugby club.
- A poetry trail (this is a future project that will connect the town centre to the new housing estates on Wenman Road)
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Starting panel for the Railings Artwork
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Cyanotype images created as part of a workshop delivered in Barley Hill School with Year 3 pupils in 2022.
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A version of the completed ‘logo’ for the trail, created using images made by pupils in Year 3 of Barley Hill School in 2022.
The design process
In July 2021 Thame Town Council appointed public artist, Nicola Henshaw to lead on the ‘Art leading Wayfinding’ project. Find out more about her here: https://nicolahenshaw.co.uk.
Nicola’s designs for the Lea Park Fun Fact Trail were influenced by
- work completed by the Public Art Working Group when developing Thame’s strategy,
- community engagement workshops in 2021 (including two Barley Hill Students and representatives from Lea Park Residents Association).
- a day of workshops delivered in June 2022 with Year 3 pupils at Barley Hill School at which Nicola delivered some cyanatope lessons and a fun game of ‘Civil War Consequences’ that resulted in the images now displayed on the railings of Barley Hill School, when you approach it through the alleyway from the Cattle Market Car Park, North Street, through to the Lea Park estate. Please do go and see the art work, and if you live in Lea Park – try to find your street name and learn who/what it was named after.
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Initial designs for The Moats
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John Hampden vs King Charles
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Horses vs Dragoons
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The Fish Bench
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QR code
Other elements of the trail
As well as the railings artwork and signage there is also a bench installed in 2024, and 4 pieces of art positioned in and around Lea Park that were installed in early 2025.
Piece of Art – Way Markers
The original designs are shown here, with the final pieces of public art positioned in key areas around Lea Park. The style of these were influenced by those already established through the first story trail – The Peculiar Pot. They have been made from a variety of substances including Corten, galvanised steel, vitreous enamel panels and cast aluminium. Each way marker includes a QR codes that links to a webpage where you can find out more about Thame’s heritage and history depicted in the way markers themselves.
A bench situated on North Street
The cattle market car park on North Street has a crucial link to the Lea Park Estate – specifically to ‘The Moats’, the green area found on Denbigh Road. This area is actually an historical monument. Scan the QR code you can find at one end of the bench, as well as on the way marker positioned at The Moats to find out more.
We hope you enjoy the trail.