QR Code Poetry along the Coleridge Way

The school motif.

Mr Jelley and Mrs Mash were working with Timberscombe and Cutcombe schools this week on a Coleridge Way poetry project. Last year they worked with three other local schools creating poetry which was re installed along the trail in the form of QR codes. (Square bar codes)

Word harvesting

The first part of the day is called word harvesting, the pupils, all aged under nine, were asked to write down everything they could hear, feel, see, touch etc. They journeyed to a major Oak tree a little way from the village, which is represented on the school logo. Last year's poetry was all about snow, ice, numb feet and aching limbs. On Monday they expected the words to be more about flooding, water, rain and wind, but amazingly the sun shone and they had rather an excellent day.

The Oak is approximately 600 years old, so it would have been 400 years old when Coleridge walked this way, something the children found really interesting. Timberscombe has had a school for 300 years and over that time it has been a regular walk for the pupils, exploring and understanding their unique countryside.

An acorn cup

When the word harvesting was complete and the pupils had mud swilling from every welly boot, it was time to head back to the class to then take these words and craft them into some poetry.

At the Major Oak Tree

The final pieces when finished will be laser etched into slate then re installed along the Coleridge Way trail, most likely on finger posts, continuing the work started last year.

Children joining hands around the trunk

If you see any of the QR codes along the trail then they are easily de-coded with a free scanning app (lots to choose from) and the best thing is that they require no data connection so they work in the most remote places on Exmoor.

Pupils at the tree

Mr Jelley and Mrs Mash will be working with two other schools during March, and will be installing this second phase of poetry along different stretches of the trail ready for the summer.