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LUC was appointed by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to prepare a master plan to initiate the renaissance of Priory Park, a 17th /18th century landscape park in the historic heart of the town, which became a public park in the mid 20th century.
Our approach was to preserve and restore existing remnants of the 18th century landscape whilst reintroducing “lost” features from that period. We also aimed to restore the late 19th century Pleasure Grounds forming the immediate setting for the Priory, to engage contemporary park users.
Using contemporary landscape techniques informed by the park’s history, our scheme delivers a landscape design of exceptional quality where previously there was a tired park with poor facilities. The scheme works with, not against, the existing qualities of the site, clearing away eyesores and restoring elements of delight for 21st century site users. New features include a cafe, large play area, a skate park, sports pitches and extensive drought tolerant planting.
This project, which opened in 2008, is an excellent demonstration of LUC’s sympathetic and intelligent approach to the restoration and redesign of public parks via the use of extensive historic research, public consultation and careful design detailing. LUC also helped with preparation of the Management & Maintenance Plan and the Park was awarded Green Flag status in Summer 2009.
For more information, visit: www.landuse.co.uk
An example of a failed restoration attempt by the BLM. Just one of hundreds, if not thousands of such fruitless attempts. This area was burned, in a large fire, and the BLM seeded it afterwards with crested wheatgrass- primarily for the benefit of the cows. Although the endangered species act includes protection for the habitat of rare species- apparently it doesn't include unoccupied habitat. In the center of this are mini-playas- habitat for an endangered plant- Lepidium papilliferum. These playas are formed by fine clay soils which trap any water that falls on the surface. The clay that provides habitat for rare plants, is also what lead to the downfall of most "restoration" attempts- most plants do not grow well in clay. Even if you plow it up.
The only thing growing now, after the fires burned it, the cows ate it, and the range-cons "restored it" is Salsola kali- Russian thistle- the famed tumbleweed of the west. Which is from Russia by the way and should never be used by ignorant people in cowboy poetry or bad country songs. It doesn't deserve that much prestige, and it isn't even Western. It's Russian.
Pre-digital photo taken during the restoration of the south-east apse window in 1996 by Norgrove Studios.
The apse windows by Chance Brothers of Birmingham, 1851, parts of which were shown at the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace prior to their installation here. Perhaps as a result of this the windows were originally installed with an outer layer of plain quarry glazing (effectively double-glazed), which was most likely installed first to keep the weather out while awaiting the stained glass. Alas this had the effect of making the windows significantly darker as dirt collected on all four surfaces over the years (which being so tall and high up were impossible for cleaners to reach).
The windows were restored in stages from the mid 1990s onwards by Norgrove Studios, beginning with a piecemeal light-by-light approach to the south east window which dramatically transformed it for the better (especially noticeable while there were still unrestored sections vividly showing the contrast). It was during this process that I joined the team and was involved on all three windows.
The glass was especially dirty on the inside so cleaning made a huge difference, but also removing the outer layer of degraded plain glazing when reinstalling the stained glass further enhanced the difference and meant for the first time the windows could be viewed as originally intended, without an obscuring secondary layer outside. Following the success of the first window the next two were each restored in a single campaign, removing all the glass at once but leaving the plain glazing in (which saved boarding up!) until work was complete.
It was a privilege to be involved in this major project (despite a few vertigo inducing moments high on the scaffold!) and a huge transformation, remembering how dingy and obscured by dirt the windows were before. Now the colours sing again as they were designed to do.
Target Range Restoration Project, Brodsworth Hall, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
This area wasn't always totally lawn. There used to be crazy paving winding through shrubbery and bedding areas. The paving is still generally intact underneath the lawn. The paving was exposed from under the grass in September last year. This stage is removing the rest of the grass to create flower beds between the paving.
As a garden volunteer, my job for the day was lugging wheelbarrows overladen with turf un a steep hill. I needed my Radox Muscle Soak Bubble Bath that evening.
This is the second set of progress shots in a 'work in progress' to be continued during 2019.
Another view of the always busy restoration bays at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskawin, Alberta, Canada.
The restoration is the first full cleaning and repair in the Colosseum's history. The first stage is to clean and restore the Colosseum's arcaded façade and replace the metal enclosures that block the ground-level arches. The project plans to create a services center and to restore the galleries and underground spaces inside the Colosseum.
History
Restoration House was originally two medieval buildings (1454 and 1502–22) with a space between.
They were joined together in 1640-1660 (tree ring data from roof) by inserting a third building between the two, to create a larger house.
The first owner of the completed house was Henry Clerke, a lawyer and Rochester MP. Clerke caused further works in 1670, the refacing of the entrance facade, the Great Staircase and other internal works.
The house was then bought by William Bockenham. It was owned by Stephen T. Aveling in the late 19th century, and he wrote a history of the house which was published in Vol. 15 of "Archaeologia Cantiana".
The house was purchased for £270,000[7] by the English entertainer Rod Hull, in 1986, to save it from being turned into a car park; and he then spent another £500,000 restoring it.
It was taken by the Receiver in 1994 to cover an unpaid tax bill.
The current owners over the past decade have uncovered decoration schemes from the mid 17th century, which reveal the fashionable taste of the period, much influenced by the fashions on the continent.
Charles Dickens
According to the biographer John Forster, the novelist Charles Dickens, who lived nearby, used Restoration House as a model for Miss Havisham's Satis House in Great Expectations; the name "Satis House" belongs to the house where Rochester MP, Sir Richard Watts, entertained Queen Elizabeth I - it is now the administrative office of King's School, Rochester.