Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has welcomed the new ‘Hats Off to Denton’ Sculpture Trail, which launches on Saturday the 19th of February.
The free trail, which has been organised by Tameside Council, will run until the 13th of March 2022 and aims to celebrate Denton’s unique hatting heritage.
The 15 hat trail, 5 of which are giant, will be exhibited across Denton town Centre between Saturday 19th February and Sunday 13th March. Each will have a unique design hand painted by a local artist, with themes inspired by the town or a local community group.
Denton has been making hats for over 300 years, and by the early 20th century was the centre of hat making in the United Kingdom. Back in 2013 Gwynne – a self confessed history buff – helped uncover the only known surviving example of a two-story hat planning shop and bow Garrett.
Commenting on the trail, Andrew Gwynne said:
“This is such a fantastic idea, and I’m so pleased that Tameside Council have chosen to recognise Denton’s unique hatting history in such a fun and engaging way.
We should be really proud of our local history, and there’s nothing more thrilling then connecting with the heritage of your local community.
I’ve had a sneak peak at some of the hat designs, and they are absolutely brilliant. I’d encourage anyone in and around Denton to make the most of this one-of-a-kind sculpture trail while it lasts!”
To find out more about the Hats off to Denton sculpture trail click here.