Gardens past and future
Group want photos and stories ahead of £6 million restoration work
As part of the project to improve and restore Scarborough’s South Cliff Gardens members of the public are being invited to submit old photographs and and comments to help them build an archive of information.
As part of the project to improve and restore Scarborough’s South Cliff Gardens members of the public are being invited to submit old photos, postcards, general pictures, stories and comments to help them build an archive of information.
A series of heritage gathering events where people can share their memories and historic material will be held at Scarborough Library on Friday 9 and 16 December between 10am and 1pm.
All are welcome to add to the work already started by the friends group on unlocking the hidden secrets of the gardens.
Victoria Thompson, Heritage Lottery Fund project officer for the bid, said: “For those of us helping to restore the gardens, it is important that the project is driven by the community. This is your garden, it is Scarborough’s garden, and we cannot wait to hear all your stories and find out about the hidden secrets and social heritage. Without your valuable contributions we might not get a true understanding of the South Cliff and miss a really important part of its identity.
“As a passionate artist I’d also love to see any artwork that has been done of the South Cliff Gardens so if anyone has any paintings, drawings or photos please bring them along to the heritage events. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you there.”
The South Cliff Gardens, which are listed in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England, are held dear to the hearts of Scarborough’s residents and generations of visitors, but are in a fragile condition and in desperate need of improvement. Following a successful stage one bid and an award of £334,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund earlier this year, plans to restore and improve the gardens are under way.
The plans, being developed in partnership by the Friends, Scarborough Council and specialist consultants Southern Green, will include comprehensive repair and restoration of the historic gardens, as well as exciting new features to attract more people to the area. There will also be changes to the way the park is managed, a programme of training and community involvement and a range of events and activities.
The application for a full grant will be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in August 2018 and if successful, the £6.5m renovation works will start in 2019.
Simon Green, director of Southern Green, said: “The Friends have been responsible for some great projects in and around the gardens in recent years, but the scale of the park means that a much bigger level of investment is needed to restore deteriorating paths and shelters and to bring overgrown areas back into pristine condition.”