Our Story

Our story spans two continents and brings together the beautiful Grade I Listed English gardens located in West Sussex and the love of art, poetry and sculpture of renowned South African artist, Anton Smit. 

The collaboration between Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens and Anton Smit began in late 2019 and flows from a long-standing professional relationship between Smit and Leonardslee owner, Penny Streeter.

The unique woodland gardens breathe life into the sculptures for art lovers, visitors and collectors alike to enjoy as a journey, an exhibition titled, ‘The Walk of Life’.

One of the largest sculpture parks in Europe by a single artist, the exhibition comprises over eighty individual, monumental works made from bronze, resin and steel, thoughtfully placed in harmony with the gardens, creating new vistas across the valley and our seven lakes. Including a selection of Smit’s signature colossal heads, human figures and masks, the showcase allows visitors to experience the artist’s extraordinary practice in the stunning setting of Leonardslee.

A poet as well as an artist, he offers further meaning to the works with verse of his own and others, including Thomas Hardy and William Carlos Williams, which are featured alongside the sculptures.