Friends of Page Park
> Update: 18th April 2018. New walls and railings
It is a positive signal of how dear Page Park is to the local community that there have been so many people saying that they have concerns about the appearance of the walls where the restoration work has started. We had discussed this with the Council project team at a steering group meeting earlier this week and they in turn had been talking to the contractor. Here is a further update on the situation from the project team:
South Gloucestershire Council appointed the contractors who are carrying out the works to repair and rebuild the walls at Page Park following a formal tender process. The contractors were appointed based on their price and experience.
There are some issues regarding the works which we are working with them to address. No section of the work is fully completed yet and where it is not satisfactory it will be rectified. The works will look untidy during the construction process but be assured that the final appearance will be a top priority for the project team and the contractor.
New Walls, Gates and Iron Railings
> Update: 5th November 2018. Railings
Today some of the Friends of Page Park went to look at a sample panel of the railings. They are in a raw state, still needing to be galvanised and painted black but you can get the gist of how they are going to look. Once the work starts (hopefully by December) it will then take about 3 months to add them around the park. Weather conditions could slow this down a bit so lets hope we have a mild few months ahead. Once the gates and railings are complete the park will then be closed at night and opened in the morning. Opening and closing times will be widely advertised.
> Update: 11TH December 2019
Lovely new black gates hanging from the pillars on the Clock Tower approach entrance.
> Update: 1st October 2018: Works to the park gates
As part of the improvements to the park, the first of our park gates have been removed and taken off site for renovation.
Our contractors have been appointed to rebuild sections where necessary, repair if possible and repoint in areas where it is required. They will not be working in areas where the existing walls are sound. They will be lifting and rebedding all of the coping stones to ensure they are flat and level.
Why are we doing this?
We will shortly be undertaking works to replace the railings on the boundary walls. This will emphasise the quality of the civic space and improve security to prevent vandalism and anti social behaviour in the Park. The walls and copings need to be level to take the new railings panels.
Will it all look the same?
This sample panel indicates the quality we are looking for where the walls are rebuilt, repaired or repointed. There will be areas where the new work will be beside the existing wall so it will not have a uniform appearance initially. Over time the walls will mellow and age so the difference will not be so obvious.
Can I see some photos of the finished wall sample?
You can - there are two photos below showing samples of how the walls should look when finished.
For more information contact the project team pageparkproject@southglos.gov.uk or by calling 01454 865858 or 01454 86 3250.
> Update: June 2018
Thank you to local photographer, Terry Graham, for this montage of the wall renovations and repair in Hill House Road. Great progress has been made and the works are ramping up. Please be careful around the areas which are being worked on.
> Update: 14th January 2019
More progress as our gates on South View are restored back to their former glory!
> Update: 8th May 2018: Works to Walls at Page Park
As part of the improvements to the park, we're really pleased that the railings which were removed during the war are finally to be replaced. It will make the park look even more beautiful and help with security.
Of course, new railings mean that the walls need to be in the correct condition. It's great that so many people have been passionate about the recent works, but there are some misconceptions about what is and isn't being done. The Page Park Project team and South Glos Council are keen to provide more information. Please read on...
The walls at Page Park are 108 years old. Railings which were originally on top of the walls were removed in the 1940s. Over the years the walls have moved a lot and due to tree roots and vegetation growing in them. It is clear that when first built the copings and the buttresses never lined up correctly. It is believed that the copings were pre-drilled to take the railing panels but that the buttresses were erected before the copings were fitted. The original copings did not align with the buttresses, but could not be adjusted because they had been pre-drilled to take the iron railing panels.
Original Walls: The left photograph shows a misaligned buttress. The right hand photograph shows a
more serious problem where the misalignment coincides with a change in coping height.