March 2026
An outdoor photography exhibition exploring England’s seaside culture will launch in Poole town this spring. England-on-Sea, by photographer Brent Jones, will be displayed across Falkland Square and Kingland from Tuesday 17 March to Sunday 14 June 2026, offering visitors a striking visual portrait of life along the English coast.
The project is drawn from a nationwide tour of the English coastline. Travelling and living out of a Ford van, Brent Jones spent several years journeying to every corner of the English coast, documenting how people interact with the seaside landscape — and with each other.
Jones’ connection to the coast began in childhood.
“I was brought up in the late sixties in the coastal village of Fawley and spent my childhood sinking into oily mud, picking my way across shingle and rock pooling. It was with these childhood memories that I returned to the seaside to discover how it is changing economically, socially, and culturally.”
England-on-Sea explores the seaside as a place deeply embedded in the nation’s psyche and identity. Focusing on the collective rather than individuals, the images capture English eccentricities, humour, and the quieter, everyday moments of seaside life.
Created in the aftermath of the pandemic, the series also documents a moment of national transition.
Brent Jones said:
“Against the backdrop of Brexit, COVID, the climate emergency, and economic recession, I felt this was a particularly pertinent moment to record our nation at leisure.”
The ‘road trip’ and the coast have long inspired documentary photographers and artists both in Britain and abroad. Jones cites figures including Stephen Shore, Simon Roberts and L. S. Lowry as inspirations.
“My approach was to decide the composition, set up the camera with a fixed viewpoint, and settle down for the great British public to populate the scene.”
The exhibition features twenty images from the wider England-on-Sea collection. More photographs from the series can be viewed at
www.brentjones.co.uk/England-on-Sea.
The exhibition has been commissioned by Poole Business Improvement District (BID) and is kindly supported by Dorset National Landscape.
Jacqui Rock, CEO of Poole BID, said:
“We’re delighted to bring Brent Jones’ England-on-Sea exhibition to Poole town. As a historic harbour town with a strong relationship to the coast, Poole provides the perfect setting for a project that explores how people connect with seaside places. Outdoor exhibitions like this help bring culture into our public spaces and encourage people to see the town, and its coastal identity, in a new way.”
Poole’s history as a harbour town has long connected it to wider cultural and creative influences. Home to Poole Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world and often cited as second only to Sydney Harbour, the town has a deep relationship with the sea. The exhibition draws on that heritage, using England-on-Sea as a lens through which to explore Poole’s identity and sense of place.
Dorset National Landscape, the new name for the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, covers over 40% of Dorset, making it the fifth largest National Landscape in the UK. It is home to ancient landscapes, outstanding wildlife, rich culture and the awe-inspiring Jurassic Coast.
Many photographers have captured Dorset’s beautiful landscapes and seascapes, but often something essential is missing — people.
National Landscapes are not only places for wildlife; they are also places where people live and work, a natural health service for everyone to enjoy.
Organisers hope England-on-Sea will encourage visitors to reflect on what they love about the coast, what makes it special, and how we can all play a role in its future.
To explore more of the Dorset National Landscape and discover 50 outstanding places to visit, go to dorset-nl.org.uk.
