Beauty through the seasons at five West Suffolk Parks

01 May 2025

The natural beauty through the seasons at five West Suffolk parks, is captured in a free exhibition which is to open at The Apex Gallery later this month.

The Abbey Gardens in the heart of Bury St Edmunds town centre, Nowton Park, East Town Park in Haverhill, West Stow Country Park and Brandon Country Park all feature in the exhibition.

Entitled, ‘Rhythms in Colour - A Seasonal Stroll Through West Suffolk Parks’, this exhibition brings together a collection of forty images taken between 2020-2023 by West Suffolk photographer Geoff Price.  

Geoff said: “These images or – ‘paintings with light’ – illustrate the changing seasons and seek to express an often-hidden natural diversity in celebration of the wonders of these public spaces on our doorstep.  I love capturing the dark and light, the changes in the seasons, all reflecting the natural beauty of these parks. From the flowerbeds of the Abbey Gardens to the canopies of the Giant Redwoods at Brandon and the wild, lovely meadows and lake of West Stow – each park brings its own individual identity and is a place that is loved and enjoyed.” 

The five parks are all managed by West Suffolk Council which also manages The Apex. All five fly the Green Flag having achieved national standards in being clean, green and well looked after. And all five help deliver the council’s strategic priorities for Thriving Communities, Environmental Resilience and Sustainable Growth.

Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure at West Suffolk Council said: “I’m proud of the work put in by council staff and volunteers to keep our parks not just beautiful and attractive, but clean and a place that people can go out and enjoy."

“Our parks are important to people’s physical and mental health – whether it’s going out for a walk, a run, a day out, or a lunchtime walk or as somewhere to take children or grandchildren to safely play. "

“We also support and encourage biodiversity within our parks, helping the environment while the Abbey Gardens alone records over 1.3million visits a year reflecting our parks importance both to local residents and to wider tourism appeal of West Suffolk."

“I am delighted that some of that natural beauty and appeal has been captured in these photographs which I’m sure people will enjoy and of course, with the weather improving I’d encourage everyone to get out and enjoy our wonderful parks.”

Exhibition opening hours:

Wednesday 21 May – Sunday 15 June 2025
Mondays to Saturdays - 9am to 5pm and Sundays 10am - 4pm

Place: The Apex Gallery 1 Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3FDThe Apex Gallery is situated on the first floor. Drinks bought from the café in the foyer can be taken upstairs, so feel free to relax on the sofas with a drink and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Occasionally, the art gallery is closed to the public. If you are travelling specifically to see an exhibition, please call the box office on 01284 758000 before your visit.

The vast majority of works on display are for sale. For further information, please ask at the box office.

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