Free Woodland Sound Walk comes to Esher on 10 September

A free Woodland Sound Walk Experience will take place at Garsons Farm in Esher on Thursday 10 September 2026. Elmbridge Borough Council is offering a short walk at 10:30am and a longer walk at 1pm. Advance registration is required, with only 15 places available for each session and priority given to Elmbridge residents.

The gentle guided walks are intended for residents interested in supporting their wellbeing through nature and creative activity. The council says the experience may be particularly beneficial for people living with a long-term health condition, those affected by cancer personally or as a carer, and anyone who would welcome an accessible outdoor activity with others.

Listening to the woodland and recording plants

Award-winning composer and sound artist Dr Helen Wilson will lead participants through the woodland. The group will be encouraged to slow down and listen mindfully to the sounds around them while taking part in a community arts project.

Participants will also help create a distinctive soundscape by recording electrical signals produced by plants. This makes the walk more than a listening exercise: material gathered by the group will become part of an artwork developed beyond the event itself.

After each walk, there will be time for reflection and refreshments. The council describes both sessions as gentle and accessible, although it has not published more detailed accessibility information for the venue or route.

How the recordings will become an installation

Sounds collected at Garsons Farm will be transformed into music for a special installation at Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in February 2027. Participants from both walks will be invited to an exclusive private viewing of the completed installation as a thank-you for contributing.

The project therefore has two confirmed stages: the woodland recording sessions in Esher on 10 September, followed by the public artwork at Riverhouse Barn the following February. Those attending the walk will contribute directly to the source material used in that later installation.

Choosing a walk and registering

Both sessions are free, but places cannot be secured without registration. Applicants must choose between the short walk beginning at 10:30am and the long walk beginning at 1pm when completing the Sounds Walk Registration form linked from the Elmbridge Borough Council event notice.

The council has not stated when either session will finish and has not supplied transport information. Prospective participants should allow for those gaps when deciding which walk suits them. With registration capped at 15 people per session and Elmbridge residents receiving priority, the practical next step is to select one walk and submit the council’s form.

Source: Elmbridge Borough Council