DALBY SQUARE GARDENS

2016 - 2018

 

As part of the Dalby Square Townscape Heritage Initiative, a partnership of Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Thanet District Council, we were commissioned to research and propose improvements to the north end of Dalby Square, which had been a car park since the 1960s. The site had previously been an ornamental garden and tennis courts for the enjoyment of residents since the 1870s. In the 1970s the landscape was adopted by the Council for the public good.

The images illustrate the past, present and proposed redevelopment of the square.

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As part of the design process, we invited the local community to share their thoughts on how it could be changed in a positive way. We set up an exhibition of 35 large boards mounted around the square, 27 of which showed historic images of the various conditions and uses over time, sited in the position from which they were taken, and 8 showed various proposals we had drawn up, based on ideas received from the public. Seeing ideas drawn up as photo-collages makes them very tangible for people to feed back on.

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Works commenced on site in April 2018 and were completed in the summer, on time and under budget.

 

We also conserved three large Victorian houses around the square, 1895 Cecil Hotel, 1880s Terraced House, and 1870s House all substantially funded by the same Townscape Heritage Initiative.

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Landscape design: Sarah Morgan

Contractor: Blakedown Landscapes SE Ltd.

Engineer: Salluz Construction Consultants
 

Photo-collages, photographs and plans by Studio Sam Causer

and Sophie Jeffrey

Historic images from Margate Local History website