Roman Gateway Project
Roman Gateway Public Realm Works
The Roman Gateway project aims to
establish Carlisle as the must-see, world class western gateway to
the western and central sections of Hadrian’s Wall, as well as
enhancing its own role as a must-see frontier city. It
includes major investment in Tullie House Museum to create a new
Roman Gallery, together with public realm enhancements within Bitts
Park and the Historic Quarter of the City Centre.
English Landscapes Ltd has now been
selected by Carlisle City Council to deliver the public realm
element of the project. The company has considerable
experience of working within City Centre environments, namely
Merthyr Tydfil High Street and Municipal way, Crewe town square in
addition to large scale public realm schemes implemented at
Spriningfields, Manchester and Media City, Salford. For
further details see http://www.thelandscapegroup.co.uk/ (external
link)
Landscape Architects TEP who have
undertaken the detail design and planning of the public realm works
will be administering the contract on site on behalf of the Council
and will oversee the implementation works. For further information
see http://www.tep.uk.com/ (external
link)
Improvements will be delivered between
January and March 2011 involving surfacing materials, bespoke
street furniture, public art, way marking elements and information
boards in the following locations:
Castle Street
Works include resurfacing pavements, the
creation of high quality entrance spaces to Tullie House, along
with new street furniture, bespoke signage and surfacing
Interpretation depicting the line of Hadrian’s Wall and the key
locations along it.
Lazonby Sandstone will be used to resurface
the pavements and is being supplied by Cumbrian Stone sourced from
the Bowscar Quarry North of Penrith. For further details
please see: http://www.cumbrianstone.co.uk/ (external
link)
There will be two groundwork gangs and two
paving gangs working on opposite sides of the street installing the
new footpaths. Works will start at the Paternoster Row end of
Castle Street and move progressively north towards Annetwell
Street.
To allow the works to be completed safely
during the works, there will be limited disc parking between
Paternoster Row and Annetwell Street. As works are finished, car
parking will be opened up on completed areas.
For areas immediately in front of entrance
areas, metal ramps will be put in to ensure safe access to
individual shops / businesses during all stages of excavation and
completion. Some out of hour/weekend work will likely be required
to complete in the immediate vicinity of individual entrance
points.
Prior to works starting, staff from English
Landscapes will liaise with all businesses and residents within the
affected area of Castle Street in person.
A key aim of the design has been to retain
parking at the current level. This has largely been achieved except
for the loss of one parking bay outside the Tullie House entrance
on Castle Street. The proposals include facilities for
motorcycle parking with bays for 3 motorcycles located opposite
Tullie House, the first such bays in the City.
Bitts Park - Entrance
Works involve enhancement of the existing
entrance to Bitts Park including footpath improvements, seating,
signage and way marking. A bespoke red sandstone entrance wall with
welcome signage for Bitts Park will be constructed on the existing
flood bank on West Tower Street. Red sandstone entrance pillars in
a simple Victorian design reflecting the heritage of the park will
create a new formal entrance.
Five bespoke orientation posts and one
orientation beacon will create a strong visual link between Bitts
Park and Castle Way. This aims to guide users towards the Historic
Quarter of the City Centre.
Bespoke way markers to define the route of
the Hadrian’s Wall Path and the Hadrian’s Cycle Route as it passes
through Bitts Park will also be provided. Constructed from a
solid piece of stone by Cheshire based artist Stephen Broadbent the
design includes carved ‘LUGVVALIUM’ text and carved patterns of
Roman artifacts that wrap around the stone.
Bitts Park Orientation
Hub
A circular surfacing feature at the path
intersection in the centre of Bitts Park adjacent to the tennis
courts incorporating text and arrows will direct users to the City
Centre, Historic Quarter, Sands Centre and Sheepmount
Sheepmount
The design includes the creation of a new
formal entrance to Bitts Park at Sheepmount with high quality
sandstone entrance pillars and signage that define the Western
entrance to Carlisle on the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Swifts
A new formal gateway to Carlisle on the
Hadrian’s Wall Path will be created with high quality surfacing,
seating, bespoke signage, way marking and interpretation.
Works include a bespoke circular granite
feature together with an orientation beacon and a bespoke red
sandstone and granite interpretation wall, providing informal
seating. The low red sandstone wall depicts the line of Hadrian’s
Wall and includes interpretation of the Roman forts located along
the wall.
Project costs
Cost of the works amount to £703,000 and
are largely funded by the Northwest European Regional Development
Fund (£321,000) and Northwest Regional Development Agency
(£300,000). Carlisle City Council is contributing £82,000.
Programme
Site set up will commence week commencing 13
December 2010 with the location of the contractors site office
adjacent to the Rotunda outside Tullie House on Castle Street.
Works to the Castle Street North pavement
(Hoopers Side) will commence from the 4th January 2011 with the
south side pavement works (Tullie House side) commencing 2 weeks
later from 17th January 2011. The programme of work avoids overlap
with the current phase of Castle Street public realm works being
undertaken directly by the City Council and the Christmas shopping
period.
Works within Bitts Park starting at The
Sheepmount will commence 17th Jan 2011. All works will
be completed by the 31st March 2011.
The Roman Frontier Gallery at Tullie House has been
part funded by the European Regional Development Fund in the North
West.