Essential safety work on iconic wall completed
Essential safety improvement work to the iconic low balustrade wall at Sydney Gardens in Bath has been completed by Network Rail.
The project has included the installation of railings to prevent trespassers from being able to gain access to the track.
The wall itself was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as a feature of the railway line, which cut through Sydney Gardens in the 1840s. The wall, which runs along the western side of the railway on the approach to Bath Spa station, is part of a group of structures within Sydney Gardens that are covered by a Grade II* listing.
Sydney Gardens is on Historic England’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, reflecting the historical importance of the site, the only surviving example of a ‘pleasure garden’ in Bath and the largest outside of London.
While working in Sydney Gardens, Network Rail also carried out emergency repair work on Brunel’s only remaining cast iron footbridge. Plants that had been disturbing the masonry were removed and a specialist
stonemason was contracted to work with the Bath stone.
Colin Field, Network Rail’s town planning and heritage manager, said: “Brunel intended for the railway to become a feature within the Gardens in its own right, and we’ve worked to respect that aspiration and stay true to his vision. Visitors will be able to safely enjoy the sight of trains travelling through the historic Gardens while the railway is protected from any trespassers, which is a win for everybody.”
Keith Rowe, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Sydney Gardens project manager, said: “The completion of the work to the railings through Sydney Gardens is extremely timely and has dovetailed nicely with the wider restoration of the park. The National Lottery Heritage Fund, in partnership with B&NES, have contributed over £3 million to conserve and rejuvenate the former 18th century pleasure gardens.
“It is great to bring visitors back to the railway line and see the trains very close up. We are also very grateful to Network Rail for funding the new railway path as part of the work to reinstate the ground at the end of their works.”
To keep up to date with this autumn’s calendar of events at Sydney Gardens, visit Bath and North East Somerset Council’s dedicated webpage.