Crowborough’s Secret Stones

Crowborough Secret Stones are proving a great success in getting Crowborough residents out walking and exploring their local area. Not only are residents in and around Crowborough finding beautifully painted stones by fellow residents, but we’re also taking part in a collective arts project!

It’s a national craze that is sweeping the nation, with many groups being set-up in local towns and villages. The idea is simple, just decorate a stone and hide in your local area (or in another location). If you find one, then take a picture, post in the Facebook Group and re-hide for someone else to find.

Crowborough Families were lucky enough to host free workshops for the local community over Easter. All thanks to Millbrook Garden Centre, The Amazing Craft Company and Artytime, who kindly donated stones, paints/tools and man power to get the community painting. We had over 80 families take part and it’s been great seeing people share their stones painted and ones found in the ‘Crowborough’s Secret Stones’ Facebook Page which is open to anyone wanting to join.

How to get involved:

Anyone can take part, you just need to paint a stone and hide it in and around Crowborough.

How to decorate your stone:

Pebbles/cobbles are the best as they are normally smooth
Acrylic paint or sharpies work really well and don’t need to be sealed
Don’t decorate with stickers, gems, foam shapes or 3D eyes. Wildlife are eating these off the stones and causing lots of distress/complications as a result️
Write ‘Crowborough’s Secret Stones Facebook’ on the back with a sharpie – for those who’ve not heard about the craze!

How it works:

Hide them around the local area. E.g. next to a signpost, near a landmark or park, just as long as they can be found by someone walking by.
When you’ve found a stone, take a picture (you can be in it too!) and share it on the Facebook page.
Once you’ve enjoyed your secret stone, simply re-hide in a new location for someone else to enjoy (give a hint if you like).
Special Stones: If you find a special stone that says Heatherview on it, then you can return to Heatherview (next to Morrison’s petrol station). The kids get a sweet and might get to meet the person who painted it. It’s a great idea from Artytime and is all about connecting the community.
Use #crowboroughssecretstones if you post on Instagram or Twitter.