Reverse Sod Swap 2024
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Mike Perry marking out turf circle at Ffynnonofi farm, W Wales 2024
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Reverse Sod Swap. Measuring turf circle at Ffynnonofi, West Wales, April 9th 2024
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Wildflowers emerging from Springfield Park turf at Ffynnonofi, West Wales. June, 2024
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Hackney turf at Ffynnonofi farm, West Wales, Reverse Sod Swap, Aerial photograph, June, 2024
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Close up of wildflowers in Urban turf at Ffynnonofi Farm, June 2024
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Springfield Park turf circle fenced off from sheep at Ffynnonofi farm, West Wales. Reverse Sod Swap project, 2024
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National Botanic Garden of Wales surveying flora species at Ffynnonofi farm, 2024
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Species of flora recorded in urban turf circle installed in Wales.
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Preparing to exchange turfs at Springfield Park, Hackney, April 2024
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Taped off, Reverse Sod Swap, Springfield Park, Hackney , London, April 2024
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Welsh turf circle outside Springfield House, Hackney, June 2024
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Welsh turf circle at Springfield Park, Hackney, August 2024
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Grid over Springfield Park site, Part of mapping exercise to establish annual plant movement, 2024
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Reverse Sod Swap, Springfield Park, Hackney, July 2025
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Welsh turf circle at Springfield Park, East London, Reverse Sod Swap, Drone photograph, September 10th, 2024
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Flora Species found in farmed Welsh soil in turf installed at Springfield Park, East London
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Mapping Organic Matter, Reverse Sod Swap, Springfield Park, Inverted Drone Photograph, 2025
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Welsh turf circle at Springfield Park, Hackney, September 2024
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Reverse Sod Swap, Ffynnonofi, February 2025
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Urban turf marked out to aid cutting, Ffynnonofi, Wales, spring 2025
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Marked Up, Reverse Sod Swap, East London turf at Ffynnonofi, Wales March 2025
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Maintenance, checking integrity of circle at Ffynnonofi farm, 2025
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Long grasses, Reverse Sod Swap, Ffynnonofi, Summer 2025
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Fixing Rabbit netting to protect urban turf, Ffynnonofi, 2024
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Harvest Moon September 18th 2024, Ffynnonofi, Wales
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Reverse Sod Swap, 12 months at Ffynnonofi farm, West Wales 2024/5 130cms x 90cms
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Reverse Sod Swap, 12 months at Springfield Park, Hackney, 2024/5 130cms x 90cms
An exchange of turf between West Wales and East London
In 1983, land artist David Nash transplanted a piece of rough North Wales countryside (8 m turf circle) into the lawn of the Serpentine Gallery as part of The British Sculpture show. He took the pristine circle of London grass back to Wales where he continued to mow it for several years. He was bringing a bit of the rural environment to the city and vice versa. He called it ‘Sod Swap’. A botanist counted 27 species in the Welsh turf and 3 species in the London turf.
In 2024, with David Nash’s support, Perry transplanted a circle of wildflower meadow from an East London Park into a sheep grazed field in West Wales. The Welsh ‘sheep mown’ turf went to East London (Springfield Park) where it was mown regularly. He called it ‘Reverse Sod Swap’. Botanists counted 39 species in the Hackney turf in Wales, whilst only 4 species were visible in the Welsh turf in London. Mike took a piece of inner city ‘wildness’ to the countryside and brought a piece of farmed countryside to the inner city. He wanted to compare the impacts of enlightened ‘wilding’ of our inner city parks with the degrading impacts of monoculture farming in our National Parks, areas of so called ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’.
To see how it is progressing see here.