Amongst Brunel’s lasting achievements are these two significant railway walls. Both have recently received attention that has had an impact on their original design. Sydney Gardens in Bath had some rickety temporary fencing in place, in response to sporadic trespassing, when I was last there. It looked awful but also seemed to have been there for ages. Brunel’s GWR had originally cut through the pre-existing Georgian gardens, in 1840. Network Rail has recently completed the upgrade to complement the concurrent National Heritage Fund improvements taking place within the public park itself.
The sea wall at Dawlish was opened in 1846 and has become an iconic venue for train watchers. As well as also being subject to occasional trespass, it has, more critically, always been susceptible to the power of the waves. Both these boundary walls are now restored - at Bath, with new railings on top of the balustrade, and at King’s Walk, Dawlish, where railings were already in place. The promenade here has been redesigned as part of extensive coastal defence work that is still ongoing. Photo opportunities may have become a little more challenging in both cases as a result, but they are still possible and I, for one, am extremely grateful for that, even if I don’t get back there any time soon. The photos are from July 1974 and July 1998.
No comments:
Post a Comment