top of page

Magical tales in fabulous places, Christopher Jelley’s Storywalks are story trails with a difference.



To access the tale you must walk in the artists footsteps, as each chapter is triggered through use of your devices’ GPS (Satellite) receiver. The Story can only be read in the set location.

​

Once a chapter has been read you are then given the directions for the next stage of your journey.

 

Like a bread crumb trail the tale and track will lead you through the woods. So choose a tale, and follow the trail...​​​

They enjoyed the tale so much that they encourged Christopher to share The Winding Charm with a wider audience and the Storywalks involvement with Somerset Art Works began. Since then new locations have inspired new tales and new walks created for you to enjoy.​

 

Getting the tech to work has been a labour of love and a frustrating journey especially when advances in digital technology evolve so quickly.

​

Christopher was fortunate to work with Martin Joiner whose combination of computer skills and his fine art mind made him a great partner to help develop and push the background tech that is required for the Storywalks to function. The user can access the stories in areas that are 'off grid.' Which is essential as many of these walks are located in wooded valleys far from WiFi and mobile phone reception. 



Support from Somerset County Council (CIDF) and Somerset Art Works (LARC) enabled Martin and Christopher to trial the initial storywalk engine concept. Since then the potential and diversity of projects and applications continues to grow.

Together with his wife he also opened Number Seven in Dulverton which is renowned for it's fabulous selection of children's picture books. Selecting these books fuelled their love of storytelling and inspired Christopher to continue writing his own tales. But what to do with them and where to take them? Walking with his children often involved making up family stories, the first Storywalk was written as a present for his wife and two sons. 

Parallel to his teaching career in art and design Christopher has always been a storyteller and spent some years performing in schools and at various folk festivals, but like many performers he found that coping with nerves always seemed to get the better of him and teaching gradually took more and more of his time.

IN THE BEGINNING...

bottom of page