Green Woman Hazel in her new surroundings in Tyrrels Wood, in south Norfolk.
If you go out in the woods today you may be in for a big surprise.
Peering out from behind a mottled screen of leaves in Tyrrels Wood near Pulham Market in south Norfolk, a new inhabitant lurks, waiting to be found by unsuspecting walkers.
The traditional Green Woman was constructed in just one day from woodland materials found in the area by local artist Jo Hammond from Holbrook near Ipswich.
The significance and origins of the Green Man figures are mostly lost to time as they have been around since pre-Christian days, but they are thought to represent the cycle of growth and renewal of nature.
Hazel, as the sculpture has been playfully named, because she was made partly from hazel branches, was commissioned by the Woodland Trust to replace the similarly crafted Green Man who sat in Tyrrels wood for several years. The previous sculpture disappeared naturally, succumbing to wind and weather over the seasons.
Artist Jo Hammond weaving branches to make the Green Woman. The sculpture was made in a day using material from the surrounding woodland.
The Woodland Trust held an open day in October to celebrate the construction of the new figure, including craft workshops where more than 70 people, including 35 children, tried their hands at making decorations, toys and jewellery from woodland materials in a similar style to the traditional Green people.
Only Jo, woodland officer Mike Ryder and a photographer know where Hazel is and she will be moved around over the coming years.
“It will be down to luck whether visitors will come across her during their walks” said Mike.
