Here we are at the Landscape Agency in the middle of a heatwave in July, still busy as ever, although we might be persuaded to down tools for a few moments if anyone would care to treat our hard-working team to an ice cream!
Whilst mopping our brows and dreaming of a cool breeze, we have won several interesting new commissions recently, the most notable being:
Bridlington Spa Environs Design Competition. We were approached along with other members of the Yorkshire Forward Design Framework to put together an initial proposal for a design competition to refurbish the Spa Leisure Complex and South Promenade area of the town in order to create an exciting, inspirational and high quality seafront. Along with three other practices, we have now been shortlisted to work up conceptual design proposals to present to a jury panel from East Riding of Yorkshire Council in early August.
Wyevale Nurseries. We have been commissioned by LXB Properties to assist them in re-developing the site and facilities at Wyevale Garden Centre in Worcester. As part of this commission, we will review the landscape character of the site, undertake tree and ecological surveys, and review public rights of way, subsequently working up a new masterplan for the site. Originating as a local nursery in the 1930s when plants were sold bare-root by mail order only during the dormant season, Wyevale now has over 100 garden centres around the UK and the company prides itself on offering a large selection of gardening products and over 28,000 varieties of trees, shrubs and bedding plants annually.
We continue to work on several projects relating to parks and open spaces in London, such as the re-design of Primrose Hill on behalf of the Royal Parks, the restoration of Strawberry Hill gardens in Twickenham and implementation of a children’s play strategy for Regent’s Park. We have now been approached by Brent Council to prepare a landscape masterplan for Barham Park with the aim of submitting our proposals for consideration under the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Parks for People scheme in the autumn. Barham Park is a popular and well-maintained park, not far from the new Wembley Stadium, which has retained much of its Victorian character. The park is named after George Barham who as owner of the family estate, developed the park as ‘pleasure grounds’ during the 19th century, including a rose garden, walled and ornamental ponds. Barham was owner of the Express Dairy Company, inventor of the milk churn and the man responsible for developing methods of chilling that ensured that London’s milk supply was fresh and clean. It was Barham’s profits from his company that enabled the family to donate the park to the people of Wembley in the 1930s.
Our Warwick office has recently been instructed by Carter Jonas to undertake a Landscape and Visual Appraisal of land at Oakham, Rutland in order to assess its suitability for development and to prepare conceptual masterplans and land budgets in response to landscape and visual opportunities and constraints identified. This work will form part of the promotion of the site for development as part of the emerging Rutland Local Development Framework.
Elsewhere we have been approached to work with Sheppard Robson Architects to help landscape a series of new buildings at Hadlow College, Kent. Initial masterplanning and design will take place during the second half of the year. Hadlow College is one of the top three land-based colleges in the UK offering a range of courses in Equine Studies, Countryside Management and Agriculture over three campuses throughout Kent, of which Hadlow is the largest.
An interesting project for a private client sees us currently working with architects Purcell Miller Tritton at Nyn Park, Hertfordshire. Following a devastating fire on Good Friday, 1963, only a small archway now remains of the 18th century manor house which once stood at the centre of the estate. The park that surrounds the house was planted with conifers in the late 1960s by the estate’s then owner but very little has taken place in recent years which adds to the charm and mystery that surrounds it. Our client has now secured planning permission to build a new country house on the site of the former house and our brief is to masterplan the estate, completely restore the park and create a new garden. The first phase of works will start in autumn 2008 with a programme of conifer removal. Landscape Agency arboriculturists are overseeing extensive forestry, woodland and individual tree works.
Work continues this month for the Royal Horticultural Society at Hyde Hall where we are part of a team implementing a new access road and 400 space car park. The latter is drained via a system of bioswales, feeding run-off into an existing reservoir, for eventual use in irrigating the gardens.
Our Tree & Woodland Division has recently produced a leaflet outlining our arboricultural services. If you would like one, do please contact us on enquiries@ and we’ll be happy to post one out to you.
In other news, we are delighted to announce the appointment to our Board of Directors of Alistair Baldwin, who took up his new position of Design Director at the beginning of the month. Alistair joined the practice in May 2007 having spent ten years lecturing in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design at Leeds Metropolitan University. Alistair will now be focusing on leading our design and masterplanning team and winning new business.
Two of our Landscape Assistants, Jane Winter and Stuart Postlethwaite, have both recently passed their Post Graduate Diplomas in Landscape Architecture with Distinction – a great achievement and a reflection of the huge effort they have both put into their studies over the past couple of years. Very well done, both of you!
We were quietly pleased to come 21st out of 36 local firms who took part in the annual York Dragon Boat Race on 13th July. Team captain, Jo Brehaut, who spends a lot of her free time in boats, somehow persuaded her colleagues to not only give up their Sunday lie-in, but agree to wear a fetching green and brown outfit, topped by a green wig, and to row for all they were worth in several qualifying heats of 200m down the river. Not only was the event lots of fun and a great spectacle to watch, but the team raised an impressive £800 in sponsorship to be split between Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Amazingly, nobody fell in and Jo even arranged for the sun to shine. Thanks for making us do it, Jo!
Whilst mopping our brows and dreaming of a cool breeze, we have won several interesting new commissions recently, the most notable being:
Bridlington Spa Environs Design Competition. We were approached along with other members of the Yorkshire Forward Design Framework to put together an initial proposal for a design competition to refurbish the Spa Leisure Complex and South Promenade area of the town in order to create an exciting, inspirational and high quality seafront. Along with three other practices, we have now been shortlisted to work up conceptual design proposals to present to a jury panel from East Riding of Yorkshire Council in early August.
Wyevale Nurseries. We have been commissioned by LXB Properties to assist them in re-developing the site and facilities at Wyevale Garden Centre in Worcester. As part of this commission, we will review the landscape character of the site, undertake tree and ecological surveys, and review public rights of way, subsequently working up a new masterplan for the site. Originating as a local nursery in the 1930s when plants were sold bare-root by mail order only during the dormant season, Wyevale now has over 100 garden centres around the UK and the company prides itself on offering a large selection of gardening products and over 28,000 varieties of trees, shrubs and bedding plants annually.
We continue to work on several projects relating to parks and open spaces in London, such as the re-design of Primrose Hill on behalf of the Royal Parks, the restoration of Strawberry Hill gardens in Twickenham and implementation of a children’s play strategy for Regent’s Park. We have now been approached by Brent Council to prepare a landscape masterplan for Barham Park with the aim of submitting our proposals for consideration under the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Parks for People scheme in the autumn. Barham Park is a popular and well-maintained park, not far from the new Wembley Stadium, which has retained much of its Victorian character. The park is named after George Barham who as owner of the family estate, developed the park as ‘pleasure grounds’ during the 19th century, including a rose garden, walled and ornamental ponds. Barham was owner of the Express Dairy Company, inventor of the milk churn and the man responsible for developing methods of chilling that ensured that London’s milk supply was fresh and clean. It was Barham’s profits from his company that enabled the family to donate the park to the people of Wembley in the 1930s.
Our Warwick office has recently been instructed by Carter Jonas to undertake a Landscape and Visual Appraisal of land at Oakham, Rutland in order to assess its suitability for development and to prepare conceptual masterplans and land budgets in response to landscape and visual opportunities and constraints identified. This work will form part of the promotion of the site for development as part of the emerging Rutland Local Development Framework.
Elsewhere we have been approached to work with Sheppard Robson Architects to help landscape a series of new buildings at Hadlow College, Kent. Initial masterplanning and design will take place during the second half of the year. Hadlow College is one of the top three land-based colleges in the UK offering a range of courses in Equine Studies, Countryside Management and Agriculture over three campuses throughout Kent, of which Hadlow is the largest.
An interesting project for a private client sees us currently working with architects Purcell Miller Tritton at Nyn Park, Hertfordshire. Following a devastating fire on Good Friday, 1963, only a small archway now remains of the 18th century manor house which once stood at the centre of the estate. The park that surrounds the house was planted with conifers in the late 1960s by the estate’s then owner but very little has taken place in recent years which adds to the charm and mystery that surrounds it. Our client has now secured planning permission to build a new country house on the site of the former house and our brief is to masterplan the estate, completely restore the park and create a new garden. The first phase of works will start in autumn 2008 with a programme of conifer removal. Landscape Agency arboriculturists are overseeing extensive forestry, woodland and individual tree works.
Work continues this month for the Royal Horticultural Society at Hyde Hall where we are part of a team implementing a new access road and 400 space car park. The latter is drained via a system of bioswales, feeding run-off into an existing reservoir, for eventual use in irrigating the gardens.
Our Tree & Woodland Division has recently produced a leaflet outlining our arboricultural services. If you would like one, do please contact us on enquiries@ and we’ll be happy to post one out to you.
In other news, we are delighted to announce the appointment to our Board of Directors of Alistair Baldwin, who took up his new position of Design Director at the beginning of the month. Alistair joined the practice in May 2007 having spent ten years lecturing in Landscape Architecture and Garden Design at Leeds Metropolitan University. Alistair will now be focusing on leading our design and masterplanning team and winning new business.
Two of our Landscape Assistants, Jane Winter and Stuart Postlethwaite, have both recently passed their Post Graduate Diplomas in Landscape Architecture with Distinction – a great achievement and a reflection of the huge effort they have both put into their studies over the past couple of years. Very well done, both of you!
We were quietly pleased to come 21st out of 36 local firms who took part in the annual York Dragon Boat Race on 13th July. Team captain, Jo Brehaut, who spends a lot of her free time in boats, somehow persuaded her colleagues to not only give up their Sunday lie-in, but agree to wear a fetching green and brown outfit, topped by a green wig, and to row for all they were worth in several qualifying heats of 200m down the river. Not only was the event lots of fun and a great spectacle to watch, but the team raised an impressive £800 in sponsorship to be split between Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Amazingly, nobody fell in and Jo even arranged for the sun to shine. Thanks for making us do it, Jo!
After all that, perhaps we do need a rest after all. Have a great summer holiday everyone and we look forward to updating you further in the autumn.
