Piers, Gates, Railings, Plinths And Steps To Hedgemead Park

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LONDON STREET (North side)

Piers, gates, railings, plinths and steps to Hedgemead Park

GV

II

Piers, gates, railings and plinths to south-east corner of Hedgemead Park, stepping steeply down approximately 300 metres from north end of Guinea Lane. Circa 1889. Possibly designed by TB Silcock who laid out Hedgemead Park (qv) in 1889.

MATERIALS: Limestone and cast iron.

EXTERIOR: Thick bull-nose plinth steps down in twenty-two steps to London Street, railing panels to each step have fleur-de-lys finials above two horizontal upper rails with short rails between main rails, vertical scrolled cast iron piers to left side of each panel have scrolled tops with urn finials. Guinea Lane pedestrian entrance has similar central panel to gate and panelled stone piers with cornices and square ogee-domed caps. Double gates opposite No.38 Paragon (qv), similar to pedestrian gate, have square plan cast iron panelled piers with spikes to large flattened spherical ball finials on blocks on cornices. Ten level panels along London Street are to left of stone entrance with shallow pediment, cornice and eared architrave, now blocked. One level panel to right terminates at tall stone pier with cornice and lintel frieze to base of long flight of steps at foot of path leading to Upper Hedgemead Road.

HISTORY: Hedgemead Park was laid out as public garden after several landslips, destroying some 135 houses on this site, had demonstrated the innate instability of this area for housing. The Hedgemead Pleasure Ground was opened in 1889, having been acquired by the Corporation.