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BCD Special Report
Historic Gardens 2010
13
structures within the park landscape. This
work formed an integral part of the wider
planning application for the construction
of the state-of-the-art football stadium on
the eastern park for Liverpool FC. The
permission for the stadium was hard fought
and ultimately granted, but was conditional
upon the full restoration and regeneration
of the historic core of the park. LEP was
subsequently appointed by Liverpool
City Council to take responsibility for the
restoration of the many structures which
decorated Kemp’s landscape. These included
pavilions, bridges, the Gladstone Conservatory,
and a variety of other built elements.
The pavilions
These structures provided shelter along
Kemp’s formal terraces and framed the views
across the park to the distant landscapes.
Constructed in Liverpool’s signature red
sandstone, they adopt a simplified gothic style
with columns and arches supporting slate
roofs. The regeneration proposals included
plans for their full restoration in tandem
with the provision of new landscape features
based on Kemp’s original planting plans.
The restored central pavilion on the formal terrace: new cast iron gates and screens were added to prevent unwanted access when the park is closed.
Prior to the regeneration, the central pavilion had become
the focus for anti social behaviour which resulted in the
near loss of the building.
The bridges
Kemp’s picturesque landscape included three
lake areas crossed by a sandstone bridge and
four iron beam composite bridges. These
were in varying states of disrepair with the
sandstone bridge being shut to the public since
extreme vandalism had led to much of the
parapet walls being pushed into the lake. The
stone was retrieved from the waters and used
to provide templates for replacement stone.
The bridge was then carefully reconstructed
to match its original configuration.
The composite bridges were generally
in a better condition but it was necessary to
carefully dismantle the structures for restoration
to allow for the repair of the corrosion to
their iron beams. In due course these were
reconstructed with new stonework to match
the existing where this was required.
Other built elements
Other features of the park which were
identified in the regeneration plan included
the bandstand, boundary railings and walls,
the surviving masonry plinth of a long since
destroyed boathouse, and a number of smaller
Edwardian shelters used in conjunction
A view of the restored sandstone bridge following reconstruction of the guardings and refuge detail
A composite bridge with new resin bound gravel surfacing
Typical damage to the stonework baluster detail to the
abutments of the composite bridges