Waterscape rescue
A£2.2 million project will see a dramatic Georgian waterscape rescued for future generations. The Grade I-listed series of lakes and dams that nestle in the valley at Prior Park, near Bath, will be strengthened and restored to recapture their original mid-1700s glory. The dams, one sporting a rare Grade I-listed Palladian bridge, one of only four in the world, were part of the landscaping work carried out on the 28-acre venue by Capability Brown in the 1750s and 60s for owner Ralph Allen, who helped develop the city’s world-famous buildings and streets. The Park, which runs down towards the centre of Bath, became one of the most influential in the emerging English landscape garden style. The National Trust, which has cared for the park since 1993, also plans to restore a small cascade, one of Allen’s original features, besides refilling the lakes once work is complete. The Trust hopes to start work in early 2019, once fundraising is complete. l Visit www.nationaltrust.org. uk/prior-park-landscape-garden.