Springfield Mill
Celebrating heritage and fostering pride with a flagship new development
Redrow Homes appointed FrancisKnight to produce a Public Art Delivery Plan for Springfield Mill, a new residential development of 295 new homes on the edge of Maidstone Town Centre, including the retention of a Grade II listed building, the Rag Room, Chimney and Grade II listed beam from the 1806 Boulton and Watt beam engine.
Springfield Mill was the first papermaking mill to be successfully powered solely by steam and was founded in 1805 by William Balston. The Public Art Delivery Plan will help discharge Planning Conditions for a Heritage Trail and Public Artworks that will sympathetically highlight and reinterpret some elements from the site and embed them into the new development.
FrancisKnight appointed and collaborated with Lead Artist Kerry Lemon to contribute and develop ideas for both the Heritage Trail and Public Artworks. Kerry has spent time researching and exploring the history, culture and landscape of the site, reading books, articles and visiting the local museum and archive collections.
Engagement has included conversations, site visits and a papermaking workshop with interested individuals, local historians, papermaking experts and ex-employees from Springfield Mill.
Take a look at the two films below which record Kerry’s initial thoughts for artworks onsite through to concept, fabrication, installation and unveiling of the paper sculptures.