Social History / Martin Parr
Martin Parr’s photos of Chew Stoke to be exhibited for the first time in 30 years
30 years ago, in 1992, Martin Parr was commissioned by The Telegraph Magazine to undertake a year-long project, documenting the Somerset village of Chew Stoke.
Selected partly due to its proximity to Bristol (where Parr was resident), Chew Stoke seemed ideally placed for such a project, being in possession of those key facets that often figure so largely in village life: a shop, village hall, pub, post office, church and schools.
The results were published over 16 pages in the magazine the following year, alongside an exhibition at the village hall.
is needed now More than ever
However, the vast majority of Parr’s images from that time – given that he used 329 rolls of film over the lifespan of the project – remain unpublished.
A photobook published in 2022 showcased a new edit of the collection, and now, Martin Parr Foundation is set to stage a major exhibition: A Year in the Life of Chew Stoke Village, drawing upon the extensive archive, and featuring not only a substantial number of images from the project, but a wealth of material illuminating the story behind the project.
In living room at home.
Mowing the lawn.
Celebrations.
During his visits to the village, Parr was often accompanied by journalist, Robert Chesshyre. The pair became ingratiated with life in Chew Stoke, affording them invitations to attend and capture weddings, plays, community events and sporting fixtures.
But beyond the special occasions, Parr’s creative preoccupation – both then and still now – was to document the rhythms of daily life, from the mundanity of the school drop-off to a weekly keep-fit class.
In 1992, with pressure from Bristol commuters inflating house prices and consequently pushing some villagers out, the tensions provided a fascinating social canvas for the project that resonates, three decades on.
Harvest Home, annual celebration held on the first Saturday in September. Raffle.
Baby clinic which has been happening in the Village hall since 1961. Mrs Ashley Hall weighs babies and brings biscuits!
Car polishing.
The village has a cherished place in most English hearts,” writes Chesshyre. “We carry a warm mental picture: timeless, unspoilt, sunlit; roses at the cottage door; cricket on the green; a stream flowing through frosted fields; lingering evenings in a village pub; carols in a country church.
“There is an alternative image: of young people forced to leave because scarece housing has been taken by commuters and the retired; of failed village shops and non-existent buses; of isolation and the wagging of gossips’ tongues…
“Which of these notions does the modern village match? Between Chew Stoke and Bristol rises Dundry Hill, over 600ft high and as total a barrier between town and country as there can be in Britain. Throughout 1992, Martin Parr and I crossed that frontier regularly. This is our report from the other side.”
New Year’s Eve barn dance in the Village Hall
Harvest Supper
Martin Parr: A Year in the Life of Chew Stoke Village is at Martin Parr Foundation from January 19-April 9 (gallery opening times are Thursday to Sunday, 10.30am-5.30pm; closed Monday to Wednesday). Entry to the exhibiton is free. For more information, visit www.martinparrfoundation.org.
All photos: Chew Stoke, 1992 © Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
Read more: Tessa Bunney’s new photography exhibition documents Somerset cider makers
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