In a blog of
December 2013 the observation was made that Westville Walk should be protected
to the same degree as Waterloo Gardens and Roath Mill Gardens [1].
Since then there has been active local engagement in the proposed works to alleviate
possible flooding and, in the light of
recent inundation, every likelihood that such works progress with urgency. It
is hoped that such works do not detract from the unique character of what is an
exemplary piece of urbanism.
The argument
that was put for the protection of Westville Walk was that it was created at the same time as the other parks, forms
part of the same conservation area and, to all appearances, remain very much of
a piece. Logically the criteria applied in the designation of the conservation
area could then be extended to that part of Penylan also created at the same
time. The attributes of the housing within the present conservation area are
identical to those of the adjoining streets built around the 1910's. These are
catalogued in the Conservation Area Appraisal for Roath Mill Gardens [2].
What is emphasised there is the exceptional degree of unity in the residential and other
development of that era and the strong sense of both public and private spaces
within the area. The frontages of the buildings consist of modest front
gardens, divided from the street by low boundary walls comprised of pressed red
brick some with iron railings. Many front gardens have hedges behind these
walls. The buildings have an inherent quality given by the use of a specific
palette of building materials and many architectural details that are
characteristic of the area.
There is an
overall architectural cohesion through a relatively uniform building height and
a roofscape comprising steeply pitched Welsh slate roofs, the substantial chimneys
of pressed red brick with red pots and large gables facing the street. There is
a variety in the ornamentation of those gables, some having half timbering,
stucco or the characteristic red hanging
tiles with a partial or full fish-scale pattern. Combined with overhanging
eaves and the polygonal double bay windows beneath the gables these create a heavy and
constantly changing shadow and rich texture to the elevations. These are
further enhanced by the recessed and open fronted porches facing onto the
street which have an abundant display of decoration. Externally they are
commonly surrounded with stonework and internally with tiled dadoes, often in
an Art Nouveau style. Many of the porch floors and front garden paths of many
buildings retain their original patterned encaustic tiles.
Whilst
appearing similar the buildings therefore reveal a variety of rich and interesting detail particular to that
period before WWI when Cardiff reached its relative peak of prosperity. The
cohesion and quality of such residential development was imposed by the landed
estates upon which such houses was built, in this case largely that of the
Tredegar Estate. The demand for suburban villas of such quality came from the
aspirant bourgeoisie of Edwardian Cardiff. It is very much of a piece with the
civic architecture of Cathays Park in
marking the apex of Cardiff's prosperity as a port. In this respect Penylan is as
unique as the celebrated developments of the Georgian or Regency periods elsewhere in being a product of its
time. It is, surprisingly, one of the
very few suburbs in Britain which retains such qualities and essential
character of the Edwardian suburb.
The case for the conservation of a much wider
area of Penylan is therefore the
retention of symbolic and cultural capital of the city. This is, essentially,
the same line of reasoning that supports the designation of Bath or Blaenavon
as World Heritage Centres. That is that the area has cultural significance and exhibits an important
interchange of human values on developments in town-planning and landscape design. It is an example of a type
of building, architectural ensemble and urban landscape which illustrates a
significant stage in the human history of the city and nation. Furthermore it
can be argued that it represents a cultural tradition and, perhaps, 'a
civilization which has largely disappeared'.
What
must then be considered are the measures to ensure that the area is not vulnerable
and subject to irreversible change. The debate should naturally concern those
of us who have chosen to live in the area. If we do not look after it UNESCO will not. In a local
context it is as important an area as Cathedral Road, Church Road, Whitchurch
or the later Rhiwbina Garden Village . A precedent has perhaps also been set by
the inclusion of late Victorian housing within the nearby Roath Park
Conservation area.
In such
engagement we might consider the position that we are not so much caring for
the past but the future. We could, for example, consider the Brundtland
definition of 'sustainable development' beloved of our sloganeering politicians as
that 'which meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.
If we permit the gradual erosion of the fine detail and
quality of an area of Penylan we deny our children's children beauty.
[1] http://rhcroydon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/troubled-over-bridge-water.html
[2] https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/resident/Planning/Documents/Roath%20Mill%20Gardens-A.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment