At the top of Dover Hill, just before the Valiant Sailor pub, turn left onto Crete Road East (North Downs Way). After a small set of houses on the right hand side there is a gate / entrance to farmland. The hay structure is located there on the left hand side.
Andrej Polukord
Andrej Polukord recently completed an artistic residency in Folkestone, supported by Creative Europe’s Magic Carpets platform. For centuries, hay shelters have provided natural protection for travellers. When hay is moistened, fermentation generates heat, sometimes reaching 45°C, a phenomenon used by ancient travellers to survive cold nights during long journeys.
These hay shelters also offered refuge from storms. Travellers seeking shelter could form alliances or, occasionally, become enemies. In 1917, Vladimir Lenin reportedly used a similar hay shelter near Lake Razliv, outside Saint Petersburg, as a temporary hiding place. Such shelters provided not only warmth but camouflage for those on the run.
During his residency, Polukord recreated a traditional hay shelter through workshops with local school children. Located on Crete Road East, a path frequently used by hikers, this structure offers temporary protection from storms. True to the tradition of bivouac culture, those who use the shelter are encouraged to leave it as they found it, or even improve it for the next person in need.
The shelter, though functional, is fragile, constructed from local hay and branches. Nearby grazing animals, unaware of its purpose, may dismantle the shelter while feeding on the hay, driven purely by instinct.
Accessibility: The sculpture is on grassy ground 5 meters from the main road. There is a track that leads from the road into the field where the sculpture is located.
Photo credit: Tristan Boers (IG: yourstrulytristan)
