Gardens · Scottish Lowlands
Little Sparta
In or near Carnwath.
Little Sparta — Public artwork by Ian Hamilton Findlay;Sue Findlay.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2.5 h
- Best time of year
- Spring & summer (Apr–Sep)
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Little Sparta is located in central Scotland, with the postcode ML11 8NG. There is no nearest railway station mentioned, and specific details about entry fees or accessibility are not provided.
About
Little Sparta is a place of interest in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "Public artwork by Ian Hamilton Findlay;Sue Findlay.". Coordinates: 55.7243°, -3.5087°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the Wikipedia article
Little Sparta is a garden at Dunsyre in the Pentland Hills in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, created by artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife Sue Finlay, since 1966. The five-acre (two-hectare) Arcadian garden includes concrete poetry in sculptural form, polemic, and philosophical aphorisms, together with sculptures and two temples. Altogether it includes over 275 artworks by the artist, created in collaboration with numerous craftsmen and women.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The garden was first established in 1966 and was originally named Stonypath. Finlay lived there until shortly before his death in 2006. Finlay chose the name "Little Sparta" in 1983, in response to Edinburgh's nickname, the "Athens of the North", and playing on the historical rivalry between the Ancient Greek cities Athens and Sparta. Little Sparta survived numerous disputes, or "Wars" as Finlay termed them, regarding the rating and status of the Garden Temple; including tax disputes and government seizures. The wars are documented in the papers of Graeme Moore, landscape artist who worked with Finlay, held by the University of Pennsylvania's Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.7243, -3.5087
- District
- South Lanarkshire
- Postcode
- ML11 8NG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Sources
- osm: w911358162 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Little Sparta (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Little Sparta - Apollon Terroriste.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Easthills
Mountains & hills · 0.9 km
Left Law
Mountains & hills · 1.3 km
Tower House, Westhall Farm
Literary houses · 1.7 km
Dunsyre Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.7 km
Dunsyre Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.8 km
Mid Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.9 km
Mid Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.9 km
Horse Law
Mountains & hills · 1.9 km
Dunsyre Parish Church
Historic churches · 2.0 km
Dunsyre
Villages · 2.1 km
Bleak Law
Mountains & hills · 2.7 km
Greens Moor Long Cairn
Burial mounds & barrows · 3.1 km
Nearby
📷 5Mountains & hills · Scottish Lowlands
Easthills
Easthills — mountain in scotland central. Elevation: 300 m.
📷 5📷 5Literary houses · Scottish Lowlands
Tower House, Westhall Farm
Tower House, Westhall Farm — a literary house museum in scotland central.
📷 5Mountains & hills · Scottish Lowlands
Dunsyre Hill
Dunsyre Hill — a hill or mountain in scotland central.
📷 5📷 5Where to eat & stay near Little Sparta
Places to stay
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Bowmuir Farm Holidays
Bowmuir Farm Holidays — a campsite in scotland central.
📷 7Hotels · Scottish Lowlands
The Elphinstone Hotel
The Elphinstone Hotel — a hotel in scotland central.
📷 5Campsites · Scottish Lowlands
Biggar Caravan Park
Biggar Caravan Park — a campsite in scotland central.
📷 7
📷 5Caravan parks · Scottish Lowlands
Newhouse Park Farm
Newhouse Park Farm — a caravan park in scotland central.
Campsites · Central Scotland
Hilly Cow Wigwams
Hilly Cow Wigwams — a campsite in scotland central.
Places to eat & drink
📷 6Historic pubs · Scottish Lowlands
74 Main Street, Carnwath
74 Main Street, Carnwath in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · Scottish Lowlands
The Clydesdale Inn
The Clydesdale Inn in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
📷 4Historic pubs · Central Scotland
Livingston Inn
Livingston Inn — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 7
📷 7Historic pubs · Central Scotland
Craigiebield House Hotel, 50 Bog Road, Penicuik
Craigiebield House Hotel, 50 Bog Road, Penicuik in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · Scottish Lowlands
The Bridge Inn, West Port, Peebles
The Bridge Inn, West Port, Peebles in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Little Sparta?
- Little Sparta is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode ML11 8NG).
- What is Little Sparta?
- Little Sparta — Public artwork by Ian Hamilton Findlay;Sue Findlay.
- How do I get to Little Sparta?
- Drivers can use postcode ML11 8NG.
- How do I get to Little Sparta?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode ML11 8NG. It sits within the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale parliamentary constituency.