Cumberland Piazza Heritage Statement

7/31/2019 Cumberland Piazza Heritage Statement

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Improvements to

Cumberland Piazza Hotwells, Bristol

Heritage Statement

Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association

July 2012


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Cumberland Piazza ImprovementHeritage Statement page 2

Heritage Statement1. Scope of study 3

2. Context within the wider landscape 43. A brief history of Hotwells 54. Understanding the heritage 7

5. Assessment of Heritage Significance 106. Alterations made to Cumberland Piazza

since 196512

7. Current condition of the Heritage 148. Assessment of impact 17

9. Conclusion 17

Acknowledgement

This analysis draws heavily on the research of Caroline Perkins, as part of hercoursework for an MSc in the Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural

Landscapes at Bath University, produced in consultation with the Cumberland

Piazza design team in 2011. The diagrams and and illustrations are part of her

work unless credited otherwise. However, Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community

Association accepts full responsibility for the accuracy and interpretation of any

material published here.

We are also indebted to Emma Jones for use of her Conservation Statement pro-

duced in 2005 for additional material concerning the assessment of the Heritage.

Most of the archive photos and Sylvia Crowe plans originate from BCC Records

Office.


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1. Scope of studyThis proposal is concerned with the area of approximately 3 hectares to the North of the

Entrance Lock , which is part of Hotwells and owned by Bristol City Council.

This was a small part of a much larger landscaping

scheme designed by Dame Sylvia Crowe in 1964 as part

of the development of the Cumberland Basin road

scheme, that extends south to Ashton Gate.

Designations

The site was designated part of the Bristol City DocksConservation Area in 1979. Its immediate surroundings

to the north are part of the Clifton and Hotwells

Conservation Area. The Piazza itself has no further

designations, although it is surrounded by Grade II and

II* listed buildings and structures.

OwnershipThe site is owned by Bristol City Council and managed

by their Highways Asset Management Department as

property that is land-highway/pavement/path. It doesnot have public park status.

Plan showing site of

Cumberland Piazza

Aerial view of Cumberland Basinroad scheme (Google Earth)


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2. Context within the wider landscapeHotwells is one mile west of Bristol city centre on the north bank of the River Avon as it enters

the Avon Gorge, connecting the Bristol docks to the sea. The Cumberland Piazza stands at the

apex of a gateway into the City for vehicles converging from the A370 and routes from N.

Somerset and from the A4 Portway from Avonmouth and the M5 motorway. It is also a

walking/cycling hub, with connections to several traffic-free paths.

The adjacent Entrance Lock and nearby Cumberland Basin and Junction Lock form an

assemblage of structures with significant heritage importance for the City.

Hotwells has a population of around four and a half thousand. Within this area there is one

designated park; a small space with play equipment at Charles Place about 300m from the

Piazza. Although Cumberland Piazza has no designation as an open space, the area

surrounding the adjacent locks and basin which is part of the Docks estate is designated as

informal green space in the recent Area Green Space Plan proposals although its primary

purpose is to service the working harbour.

Parks and open spaces around Hotwells (source BCC Area Green Space Plan 2011)


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3. A brief history of HotwellsHotwells derives its name from a warm spring that emerged from the River Avon. Although first

recorded in the fifteenth century, it was not until the seventeenth century that people began to

visit the spring for its curative properties.4 By the second half of the eighteenth century, the

area had become part of the fashionable

spa circuit, along with Bath. It boasted a

pump room, hotels, assembly rooms, river

gardens, elegant houses, shops, a library

and theatre. The spas popularity declined in

the early nineteenth century despite

attempts to revive it with a new pump room

in 1822. By this time, Clifton had become a

wealthy suburb of Bristol and, on its lower

slopes, Hotwells became incorporated into

the industry of the docks.

By the 1750s, Bristol was the second largest

port in Britain. However, its large tidal rangemeant that ships were often stranded,

causing overcrowding. Towards the end of

the century trade began to be lost to other ports with greater capacity. Between 1804 and

1809 the existing harbour was remodelled by the engineer, William Jessop, to create a non-

tidal, impounded dock: the Floating Harbour.

At the Hotwells riverside, the half-tidal Cumberland basin was created to store larger ships,

passing through to the Floating Harbour via entrance locks. This feat of engineering gave

Bristol a new lease of life as a major working port and, situated at the gateway to the Floating

Harbour, Hotwells became home to dock industries and workers in tenement buildings.

the first Hotwell pump room on what is now thePortway, demolished in 1822

Ashmead map of 1828 showing extent of buildings associated with Hotwells Spa (sourceBCC Know Your Place


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1930s slum clearance and Second

World War bombing destroyed

parts of Hotwells and, with larger

docks built at Avonmouth and

Royal Portbury, industry at the

Floating Harbour slowly decreased.

The City Docks closed tocommercial traffic in 1975. Today,

Bristol City Docks have been

redeveloped as an area for leisure,

r e t a i l a n d r e s i d e n t i a l

developments.

The Cumberland Basin road schemeThe Floating Harbour and New Cut formed a barrier to north-south road communication. There

were only three possible road crossing into central Bristol from the south. The Cumberland

Basin was the most westerly and it attracted both long-distance and local traffic. As car

ownership increased during the 1950s and 60s, there was immense congestion at peak times,

exacerbated by the opening of the Junction Lock swing bridge to allow shipping through. A

solution to provide a constant free flow of road and river traffic was sought. The result was an

elevated dual carriageway system above the entrance locks of the Cumberland Basin that

incorporated a swing bridge for shipping access. The complex arrangement of roads and ramps

enabled traffic to be routed to whichever bridge was not being swung at the time.

Construction was completed in1965. The site was chosen with, regard to minimum spans and

least interference with existing structures, land and dock users. However, at the northern end

of the scheme, the Dock

Masters house and its clock

tower were demolished at

the Entrance Lock and 59

houses, the former 18th

century Assembly Room

from the Hotwells Spa and

18 commercial buildingswere destroyed at the site

of the Piazza., The area was

also divided by heavy

traf f ic which now

negotiated a gyratory route

around the neighbourhood

rather than travelling

directly towards the City

centre via Junction Lock

bridge and Merchants Rd.

view of Entrance Lock and Cumberland Basin c1841/2.Illustrator: William Henry Bartlett. Engraver: S. Bradshaw.

Hotwells about 1940 showing area demolished to build road scheme (HCCA)


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4. Understanding the heritageAs part of the engineering works associated with the Cumberland Basin road project, a well-

regarded landscape designer, Dame Sylvia Crowe, was asked to devise a scheme to mitigate

the impact of the new road layout. Her proposal (Cumberland Basin bridges Landscape Report,

Sylvia Crowe, 1964) was accepted and largely implemented. It is clear from this proposal that

the part of the scheme that she called Cumberland Piazza was envisaged to function as a

park for the benefit of local people and visitors passing through the City:

The piazza and its surroundings have been designed to lead people naturally to the footbridge

and underpass which will have gentle gradients and attractive approaches. A pattern of

dragons tooth paving is proposed where access is to be prevented.

The central feature of the piazza is a pool and fountain, which will throw up a jet at the apex of

the open space between the elevated roads and will bring light down into the shadowed space

beneath the arches. The fountain, a Swiss invention known as the Butterfly, has a central jet and

eighteen nozzles which produce a series of water displays of changing form and colour.

Lighting and containers of flowers will also enliven the area. It is hoped that the space will be

used for open air sculpture exhibitions and the display of paintings. Flower stalls and aninformation kiosk would also help to impart gaiety and life. There might be a column to display

advertisments of events in the City of Bristol near the entrance to the subway.

A mural is suggested for the wall which screens the public conveniences..

..A childrens playground to replace that displaced by the road works, is placed in a sunny

and sheltered position. Part of it extends under the shelter of the road for use in wet weather.

A low fence of a simple design, separates the playground from the road.

..A caf with space for tables in the open air is suggested adjacent to the childrens

playground, giving views over the river.

Both here and in the space south of the car park, seats are provided from which to watch the

shipping.Visual continuity is planned down Hotwells Road from Dowry Square to the piazza, while the

elevated footbridge will lead pedestrians naturally into the piazza. (Cumberland Basin Bridges

Landscape Report, Sylvia Crowe, April 1964)

The central Piazza was surfaced with red asphalt, patterned with concrete lines and curves.

Crowe created banks in the southeast section to smooth out the conflicting slopes and sharp

angles normally associated with road works.

The trees chosen for the landscaping were limes, Norway maples, nyssa, horse chestnuts,

willows, birch, robinia and wild cherries. Large specimen trees were planted in the Piazza area

to give an immediate effect. Crowe used drifts of shrubs such as cotoneaster, elaeagnus,

juniperus and viburnum to separate traffic from pedestrians and clothe banks. Bedding plants

in concrete containers provided colour and there were small areas of grass around the

playground, subway and northeast of the fountain.

Crowes aim was to exploit attractive views northwest towards Clifton and the Suspension

Bridge and southwest to Rownham Park. She intended visual continuity between the Piazza

and eighteenth century Dowry Square to the north. Benches were deliberately positioned to

exploit views of the shipping.


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left -playground & caf withview to Clifton SuspensionBridge 1966

abovethe fountain and pool

leftbenches facing Entrance Lock andcaf 1966

rightpool & fountainand dragons tooth pat-tern in paved surface1966


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Lan

dscapePlanforCumberlandPiaz

zapreparedbySylviaCrowein1964


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5. Assessment of Heritage Significance'Dame Sylvia Crowe was a pioneer in the field of landscape design. She was one of Britain's

most distinguished landscape architects and is well-known for the variety of her work, from the

landscaping of forests, power stations and roads to the courtyards of New College, Oxford. She

was President of the Landscape Institute from 1957 to 1959, helping to give recognition to the

relatively new profession of landscape architect in the field of planning, and from its inception

had been involved in the International Federation of Landscape Architects. By 1960 she was

already recognised in the sphere of public building for her work at Harlow and Basildon with Sir

Frederick Gibberd, and as a writer of several key works on landscape design.

Influences & Design Principles

The Festival of Britain in 1951 promoted better quality designs in British development and was

particularly innovative and influential in establishing a new aesthetic in landscape design. It

also showed Britain how landscape architects could contribute to public spaces. Throughout

the site, there were subtle surprises and dramatic contrasts, an echo of eighteenth century

Picturesque theory. Influenced by Scandinavian style, the designers used new materials, bold-

shaped plants, curves of water, sculpture, murals and concrete planters set into pebbles.

This aesthetic can be seen in the Sylvia Crowes designs and in the shaping of the Cumberland

Piazza. Influenced by contemporary artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, Crowe

was interested in landscape contours and strongly believed that designs should be adapted to

the context in which they are located. She strove for simplicity and harmony between man and

nature. Her designs were very simple and plain. They tended to be light and open, often

contained water, glass, new metals, concrete, bare grass and simple planting. Trees and banks

were used for screening hard-edged or unsightly objects.

On her projects, Sylvia Crowe was intent on persuading planners, architects and engineers totake views, local character and landforms into consideration when imposing their structures on

the landscape. She believed that new roads should follow the existing contours of the land and

be planted with indigenous species in a natural style. As landscape consultant to the Forestry

Commission, Crowe was extremely influential in improving the visual and ecological impact of

commercial forests. In all her work, she showed an awareness of the need to provide pleasure,

beauty and recreational space for people.

Sylvia Crowes work at Cumberland Basin

Sylvia Crowes landscaping plan for the Cumberland Basin bridges scheme was produced at the

height of her career and reveals many signs of the spirit of 1960s optimism about communal

urban life with its emphasis on public spaces. Intact landscape designs exhibiting these

qualities are becoming increasingly rare

Sylvia crowes design was not completely realised. Significantly, at Cumberland Piazza, the site

was to be reached via a footbridge from Hotwell Road (see plan overleaf), This would have

meant cutting into the Lady Haberfield Almshouse gardens. The residents and trustees

objected and eventually prevented it from being built. This left two points of entry at less

useful locations; the subway leading from the eastern side or by footpath and stairs leading

down from the overhead flyover. Also the mural envisaged for the outside wall of the toilet

block was never commissioned.

In later years the site experienced a period of steady decline and many of the original featureshave now been lost and changes made that detract from the original vision:


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Archaeological evidenceThe foundations of the buildings on the site before the 1960s demolition are probably just

below the surface with rubble filling any old basements. The construction of the roads, piling

on the site for the flyover and the installation of services drainage, water, electricity, gas and

communications are likely to have caused destruction of any remains pre-dating 1964.

this section through a trench dug in 2011 showsthe tarmac and concrete cover is approximately10 cm thick with pulverised building rubble be-low, to an unknown depth. (Ray Smith)

(the trench has been partly backfilled with newmaterial brought to the site)


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Remainingfeature

Condi-tion

Details

Red asphalt/concrete surface Poor The surface is cracked or broken in several places. Weeds havebeen left to grow through cracks and moss covers the surface,especially under trees. Underground work has been carried out inplaces and the surface replaced unsympathetically.

Toilet block Moderate Although closed and without water or electricity, the structure ap-pear to be in sound, dry condition.

Railings Good The original curved railing around the former playground ispainted green and, along with all other railings, well maintained.

Former play-ground area,

Poor The foundations of the former caf remain, crumbling and weed-covered. The surface is uneven where playground equipment hasbeen removed. Brambles extend outwards from the borders.Two original benches remain, in moderate condition.

Faraday Roadsubway

Good/Moderate

The structure is sound, although there is some graffiti under thearchway. The approach paths are covered in leaves and moss.

Car park Good This area has been well maintained. Recycling bins have beenput on the western side, slightly reducing the number of spaces.

Soft landscap-ing,

Moderate Original trees are now mature but in good condition. Shrubs andtrees have experienced minimal basic maintenance, being cut

back when intruding on vehicle or pedestrian space.

Views Moderate Some have been obscured, particularly the view west to the AvonGorge and Suspension Bridge because of tree growth and theaddition of the pedestrian footbridge from Granby Hill. Others re-main as intended; northwards towards Clifton and southwardsover Cumberland Basin. The intended visual continuity towardsDowry Square is no longer apparent.

Flyover Moderate The overhead flyovers are now over forty-five years old. Thereare cracks in some columns.

Lighting Good Overhead lights have been well maintained.

perimeter stones Poor Added to control access but unsympathetic to original design

7. Current condition of the Heritage(letters refer to location plan on p15 overleaf)

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K


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A

B

D

C

E

F

G

H

I

P

lanshowinglocationoffeaturesdescribedintableonp14

(HCCA)

K


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Cracked surface & recent planting

Bench & rocks to prevent vehicle access

Caroline Perkins, 2011

Faraday Road subway

Playground, brambles & caf foundations

Toilet block

Current condition of site

A D

E

B

K

Planting and damage from mowing

G


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8. Assessment of impactThe landscape and structures created in 1964 are now much degraded and to attempt to re-

create these in their original form, apart from being very costly, would only replicate a formula

that failed in the 1960s as a viable public space and seems very likely to fail in the 21st century.

Instead, our approach has been to try to identify new uses for the site in consultation with

potential users and achieve these, as far as possible by reinforcing the existing landscape

elements rather than adding new structures.

the following are retained in the proposed masterplan scheme:

1) All of the original planting, especially trees. Other planting may have been modified by

subsequent generations of parks maintenance policy.

2) It would retain the walls of the pool . The aim is to create a similar but more practical

focus for the site by using the pool as the site for a large sculpture that reflects the

heritage significance of the site (for example a part of the old timber entrance lock

gates).

3) It would retain the railings and the hard area within the former playground and possibly

the renovated drum base of the former caf as part of an informal adventure play area/art installation using materials like boulders of local stone.

4) It would retain the hard landscaped area to the north of the Bennett Way ramp (leading

from The Portway) but soften the overall feel of this area with some additional trees,

inserted through the existing tarmac and concrete paved surface.

5) It will retain the open vista to the south, gently sloping to the entrance lock as a natural

focus for the site, this will include some reinstated public seating but not necessarily in

the same locations. Most of the seating from the original scheme has been destroyed

and the dockside environment is very different from when the harbour operated as a

commercial port. Visits by large ships are comparatively rare and the draw for the

public to visit and sit and watch ships coming and going is much less important.6) The subway could be retained if means can be found to maintain it properly. At

present, the impression is that it is little-used, partly because of the intimidating degree

of dereliction and partly because there is no reason to visit the space on the other side

of the road.

7) The heritage both of the Sylvia Crowe landscape and the pre-1964 condition of the site

will be enhanced by information boards and public art that interpret its history.

9. ConclusionSylvia Crowe saw the value of the piazza as an important gateway to the City, a role that was

less appreciated in later years by those responsible for maintaining it. This view has morerecently been corrected as the Cumberland Basin area is now identified by the Bristols Core

Strategy as a regeneration area where continued improvement will be promoted (Policy

BCS2).

Crowes plans also clearly show that the intention was to create a place of recreation for the use

of local people. Perhaps a conscious response to the appalling price paid by the community in

terms of homes lost and intrusion of traffic generated by the new roads. Whilst retaining

respect for the surviving elements of the original design it is the success of any improvement

scheme in responding to new recreational needs and being adopted by local users and

visitors that will ultimately ensure its survival and the preservation of as much as is practicable

of the heritage asset.

Cumberland Piazza Heritage Statement

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