Gill has been blind since a car accident in her teens. Join her on a walk through West Norfolk in this beautiful film
This story is part of our Tales from a Slow Way series, funded by the Pilgrim Trust. Each Tales award includes a contribution to the organisation in addition to the project fee to the creative. The contribution for this project went towards funding the guided walking tour at Wild Ken Hill for blind and partially sighted people.
This story is by the film’s producer Ruth Dillon
“We join Gill on a walk with a companion. It’s late summer, the air is warm, you can feel the sun on your skin and the smells and colours of the season are appearing all around us. As we accompany them on their walk, we begin to understand a little more what it’s like to journey through a landscape with our focus on our other senses. Our route journeys through woodlands, wetlands and coastal habitats. The descriptions of what they are hearing, experiencing and feeling while on their walk tell a deeply personal story of what walking through countryside and connecting to the natural world means to them.
“We hope the piece inspires and encourages as many people as possible to come out and walk in the landscape. Building community and offering unique experiences in nature is key to the work of Wild Ken Hill. And as part of the guided tours programme there will be a walk for partially sighted and blind people and their guests who wish to come and experience the landscape with a guide. The experienced guides will be on hand to help with species identification and give insight into the conservation and rewilding work taking place. The hope is that this will encourage people to come together and walk together more often. Details of the guided tour will be posted here.
“The Slow Ways route that Gill walked is a section of the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton route, through the Ken Hill Woods and the coastal path near Heacham.”
The team
This project is a collaboration between filmmaker Pete Naylor, curator and programmer Ruth Dillon, and Wild Ken Hill.
Pete Naylor is a director and DOP based in North Norfolk. His work focuses on creating emotive lifestyle-based imagery, often inspired by the natural world and the adventures that can be found within the great outdoors. Wild coastal landscapes and a sense of adventure have had a huge influence on his work and the way he tells stories.
Ruth Dillon is an artist, curator and programmer. She works with writers, performers and creatives to engage audiences with landscapes, history and conservation. She directed the Gathering festival at Wild Ken Hill in 2023, of vibrant discussion, Q&A, readings, workshops, and performances. Check out her new artistic collaboration We Are Witch Quilt, honouring those tried as witches in East Anglia.
Wild Ken Hill is a family-run farm in coastal West Norfolk comprising areas of regenerative farming, rewilding and traditional conservation. Its mission is to fight climate change, restore nature, and provide benefits to the local community. Engagement and education are at the heart of what they do. This is delivered through a programme of events, tours, schools visits, volunteering opportunities and open days.