Top John Evelyn scholar backs Sayes Court Garden project

Mark Laird is Senior Lecturer in the History of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University and the foremost authority on John Evelyn. He has recently written to the Mayor of London from Harvard Design School with respect to the Convoys Wharf application and in support of the proposals from Sayes Court Garden CIC:

"It is impossible to overstate the significance of Sayes Court and the history of John Evelyn's life and work at the site that is under threat of irreversible development. Over the past twenty years, I have written three scholarly articles on Evelyn at Sayes Court. My forthcoming book, A Natural History of English Gardening (Yales University Press, Spring 2015) will open with a chapter on his significance as horticultural and technological innovator and as environmental policy maker. His Fumifugium (1661), Sylva (1664) and Acetaria (1699) laid the groundwork for a sustainable London of the 21st century – clear air, tree canopy, and food in the city.

"The Greater London Authority has shown leadership through policy documents (from London Biodiversity Action Plan and East London Green Grid Plan to the March 2012 report, London World Heritage Sites – Guidance on Settings). These documents are in line with the  new UNESCO Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape (HUL, November 2011), which seeks to integrate 'policies and practices of conservation in the built environment into the wider goals of urban development'. In the Foreword to the March 2012 GLA document, Boris Johnson reiterates the importance of London's built and natural heritage in benefiting 'our economy, culture and quality of life'. Sayes Court is the test case for his claim: 'How we manage this dynamic juxtaposition in ways that respect the past, while welcoming the future, will be a mark of our success in maintaining London as a really world class city'.

"The arguments in the 'Sayes Court Garden Programme and Analysis' report (February 2014) – and especially the modifications to P16 proposed in the 26 February 2014 statement – are built on very solid foundations. As you are aware, the Sayes Court Garden website features my own reconstructions of Evelyns's parterre and grove, which, until the better winter of 1683/4, lay immediately adjacent to his manor house. The archeaological site plan of Stuart Structures may look insignificant, yet the trace of the garden wall on the west side of the important vestiges of the manor house and the trace of the dockyard perimeter wall on the east side are absolutely critical to what I have reconstructed. The proposed P16 block would forever destroy and cover over these traces and vestiges and obliterate the core of Sayes Court – the manor house that was the intellectual home of Evelyn's environmental vision.

"Creating, by the modifications to P16, a new Centre for Urban Horticulture on the archaeological site of the manor house is precisely the accommodation of the old within the new that the Mayor sees as a measure of success and that UNESCO would deem a model for Historic Urban Landscape. The Centre would join other models of 'best practice' from around the world. Using the Evelyn cabinet of curiosity as a starting point for a modular and flexible layout of the garden spaces would unify the geometries of the blocks with the geometries of urban horticulture and forestry, mediciinal gardening, beekeeping and fruit growning, and greening technologies. The opportunity for local communities to benefit from learning about health and nutrition with environmental education at the primary school level makes Evelyn's teachings relevant now and for the future.

"The Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust have both identified an acute skills shortage in areas that Evelyn would have understood when writing his Directions for the Gardiner at Says-Court in the mid-1680s. A Centre for Urban Horticulture, while training a new generation of local youth as skilled gardeners, could also become a centre of excellence in the fields of landscape urbanism and ecosystems performance. It could advance natural and cultural heritage studies in cooperation with the World Monuments Fund, English Heritage, National Trust, the Council for British Archaeology and the Garden History Society. In this vision for the Centre, the four pillars of sustainable development identified in the UNESCO statements on HUL – economy, ecology, community and cultural resources – are integrated in an appropriately holistic way: [HUL] seeks to increase the sustainability of planning and design interventions by taking into account the existing built [and natural] environment, intangible heritage, cultural diversity, socio-economic and environmental factors along with local community values'.

"The international community of scholars and practitioners is watching the debate over Convoys Wharf and Sayes Court with great interest and some anxiety. Will the GLA's guidance in the debate feature positively in textbooks to come as it has in the past in books devoted to biodiversity and climate-change planning? I, for one, am putting my faith in the Mayor and the GLA to reach the only right decision."

Developer claims of 'significant concessions' on Convoys masterplan questioned by Deptford Is..

An article in Building Design last week had Convoys Wharf developer Hutchison Whampoa claiming to have made 'significant' concessions in its masterplan following a recent meeting with the GLA.

The article, which noted that the determination of the application by the Mayor of London was now delayed according to the original schedule, said:

“We have made further revisions to our masterplan to address issues raised by local groups,” a spokesman for the developer said. “By moving the school, creating new space for a John Evelyn horticultural centre, lowering the height of a building on the boundary adjacent to the listed Shipwright’s House and offering the wharf site for the Lenox project, we have made significant concessions.”

Unfortunately the developer's definition of 'significant' is at odds with our own understanding of the word, and the changes that have been made are either minimal, or in the case of the Lenox project, non-existent. None of the amendments are sufficient to offer real hope or properly support the long-term viability of either of the community-led schemes.

In truth, the situation for the Lenox project, despite Hutchison Whampoa's claim, is unchanged from the first public viewing of Farrell's revised masterplan. At the first public consultation in July 2012, a large ground-level model of the proposed redevelopment incorporated a model of a wooden ship on the protected wharf area. The model was labelled 'The Lenox Project'.

A verbal offer that the Lenox could occupy the protected wharf for '5-7 years' and then depart to somewhere else is still the only indication from Hutchison Whampoa that they have made any attempt to even consider this fantastic project. But as its promoters have made clear numerous times, a temporary presence on the site is entirely contrary to the central ethos of The Lenox Project vision.

Using the Olympia building for the Lenox would not only offer a tangible link to the history of this listed structure, it would provide a long-term future for the building at the heart of the site.

Although Sayes Court Garden CIC has persuaded the developer to make some adaptations to its masterplan, the implications of these changes for the developer are minimal and have been accommodated with no loss of floor space.

But in order for the educational aims of the proposed John Evelyn Urban Horticulture Centre to be achievable, further changes are required, in particular relocating the centre to a stand-alone building located on the site of the former Sayes Court manor house.

This stance is strongly supported by the National Trust and The Garden History Society. But although Sayes Court Garden CIC has demonstrated how such a change could be accommodated without compromising the developer's return or making significant changes to the masterplan, so far such requests have fallen on deaf ears.

After a recent meeting between the developer and its professional advisers, the Greater London Authority planners, deputy mayor Sir Edward Lister and representatives of the local community groups,  the Mayor of London's planners asked Hutchison Whampoa to make formal offers to both community groups as regards their options for a future presence on the site.

We will report back as and when such offers are received by the community groups.

Ancient mulberry tree in Sayes Court Park threatened by damage.

The ancient mulberry tree in Sayes Court Park on Evelyn Street, believed to have been planted by Peter the Great, has been put at risk by the loss of a large section of its trunk. Two founder members of the Sayes Court Gardens CIC, who are campaigning to have the park restored to its former glory as part of the Convoys Wharf redevelopment, came across the damage when they visited the site last weekend.

One large branch - about a quarter of the tree - has fallen off the prop which was supporting it, and broken fully away from the trunk. The tree is surrounded by a low fence which is supposed to protect it from damage, but visitors to the park climb on the low branches to harvest the mulberries.

The story was reported in the South London Press last week.

Updates: 22 August 2013

Sayes Court – London's Lost Garden
London's Lost Garden has posted about the Mulberry tree, with some interesting details on its history. Author Karen Liljenberg ends her post thus, "If the Deptford High St anchor symbolizes the area’s dockland and maritime past, you could argue that the Sayes Court mulberry tree is an icon of its land-based history. Despite the press headline declaring that the mulberry “faces the chop” and can’t be saved, with some well-deserved tlc, it surely can. Even so, with an eye to the future, and since it is easy to propagate mulberries, Lewisham Council really should see to that this autumn. Oh, and let’s hope they look after any cuttings better than the one planted in the adjoining border that died of neglect recently…"

Grasshoppers and Ghost Gardens
The Secret Garden Project (funded by Up Projects) recently staged some events in Deptford, led by artist Rebecca Beinart, who set out to explore the history and botany of Sue Godfrey Nature Park next to Crossfields Estate on Deptford Church St. The nature park was established in 1984 after a lengthy campaign by local residents, and named after one of those residents, who sadly died in a bicycle accident on Deptford Church Street. Rebecca's project included workshops on making clay medicine bottles to contain herbal remedies made from herbs and plants growing in the nature reserve. But firstly, she took participants on a walk from the food growing project on Crossfields Estate to Pepys Estate to discover "hidden pockets of green" in the area.

After viewing Convoys Wharf through the security gates, the walkers came upon Sayes Court Garden in Grove Street in a very timely fashion to find the Sayes Court Garden team at the 300 year old Mulberry tree, having just discovered its plight. The team explained to the walkers what had happened and what their project is about.

Malcolm Cadman from Pepys Community Forum then spoke about the Convoys Wharf redevelopment before leading the walkers to John Evelyn Community Garden on Pepys Estate, where residents are growing fruit trees and vegetables and honing their gardening skills and knowledge. Their gardening project was begun in 2005. The group were treated to a healthy wholefood feast around the garden's community table, courtesy of the Secret Garden Project, and the Sayes Court Garden team were pleased to find so much support for their project. Presently, they are included in the Hutchison Whampoa masterplan, but not all of their requests have been met. That would involve the developer making some adjustments to their masterplan to make more space for this important heritage scheme.

English Heritage urges reduction in density

English Heritage has urged Lewisham Council to seek further revisions in respect of reducing the maximum levels of development on Convoys Wharf, in its official response to Hutchison Whampoa's latest planning application.

The response has already been highlighted in the specialist press but we thought it would be helpful to publish additional extracts, to demonstrate the full extent of the comments.

The heritage watchdog's official response is formed of two letters; one from historic buildings & areas advisor Richard Parish, and one from archaeology adviser Mark Stevenson. The former addresses the impact of the proposals on the historic built environment, the latter the impact on the archaeology of the site.

In his introduction, Parish underlines the importance of Convoys Wharf: "As the site of Henry VIII's Deptford Royal Dockyard, Convoys Wharf is of major historic significance."

While he acknowledges the desirability of bringing the site back into use (as indeed does Deptford Is..) he says that EH "remains concerned that the overall scale of the development is such that the opportunity to create a distinctive sense of place which responds to local character, and provides an appropriate setting for designated and undesignated heritage assets, is lost."

Settings for historic buildings - a lost opportunity

He continues: "We would urge the council to seek further revisions in respect of reducing the maximum levels of development, particularly in respect of the immediate setting of the grade II listed Olympia Shed, and to seek further measures to safeguard its significance and secure its beneficial use."

Parish also suggests that the council seek further opportunities to reflect the historic character across the site, as well as ensuring that the tall buildings that are proposed 'offer an elegant and attractive addition to the skyline.'

In setting out the significance of the historic environment, Parish explains:

"Deptford Royal Dockyard was founded by Henry VIII in 1513 and by the mid-sixteenth century....alongside Woolwich Dockyard, was the most important naval dockyard in the Country. In terms of designated heritage assets the site reflects the extensive redevelopment of the late C20th which removed many earlier structures.

The surviving designated assets are the grade II Gateway, the centrally located grade II Olympia Building with its distinctive roof form, the scheduled Tudor Storehouse (scheduled ancient monument), the grade II* Master Shipwrights House, and the grade II* Dockyard Offices on the eastern perimeter (now outside the site boundary). The site also encompasses the remains of John Evelyn’s home, the medieval manor of Sayes Court (demolished 1930) and part of the site of its formal garden, from which it draws historic significance.

Investigations have shed considerable light on the evolution of the site, including the extent of remains of Sayes Court and its gardens, the Dry Dock, the Great Basin and Double Dock, and Mast Ponds. The River Wall is also currently under consideration for listing. As such we consider the site to demonstrate extensive historic and evidential value. It must also be considered to hold significant communal values through its association with John Evelyn and garden history, and maritime history and its proximity to the Greenwich WHS. This communal value has manifested itself in the popular movement to build a replica of Henry VIII’s warship the Lenox on the site."

His assessment of Hutchison Whampoa's plans for the site is unambiguous.

"We remain concerned that the overall scale of development is such that the opportunity to create a distinctive sense of place which responds to the outstanding historic legacy of the site has not been realised. "

In regards to the listed Olympia Shed, he says: "Whilst we acknowledge the reduction in height of the surrounding elements, we remain concerned that the proximity and massing of the feature buildings and 14 storey riverside block create a dominating scale around the listed building."

The link between the Olympia Shed and the river is a crucial one, he says, and the 'narrow, glimpsed view' that is included in Farrell's masterplan 'fails to make the best opportunity of this prominent and centrally-located heritage asset'.

'Unconvincing' visualisations

Parish also remains unconvinced by Farrell's proposals for the three tall buildings, and says that their location and arrangement risks creating a 'canyon' effect. Moreover he questions whether the towers will be sufficiently elegant and well-proportioned to contribute beneficially to the skyline.

"As the proposal is in outline and only refers to parameters of height, mass and location, to be undertaken in accordance with design guidelines. We are concerned that this may not result in this being achieved, and we are unconvinced by the visualisations."

In relation to the public realm works, Parish suggests that "further consideration be given to the design and associated landscaping of the school, to reflect the location of the Sayes Court Garden and the proposed Sayes Court Interpretation Centre."

He closes by reiterating that EH has overriding concerns about the proposals, and even goes so far as to say that "the overall scale of the scheme, including the tall buildings, will cause harm to the significance of designated and undesignated heritage assets."

Specialist press highlights English Heritage criticism of Convoys scheme

Specialist trade magazine Building Design has highlighted English Heritage's negative response to the revised masterplan for Convoys Wharf.

Under the headline Farrells' Deptford plan criticised by conservationists the story reads:

English Heritage has criticised Farrells’ £1 billion Convoys Wharf masterplan for failing to put the site’s history at the centre of the scheme. 

Developer Hutchison Whampoa wants to build 3,500 homes on a 16.6ha riverside site at Deptford which once housed Henry VIII’s naval dockyard as well as Sayes Court, the 17th century home of diarist and gardener John Evelyn. 

The plans, which include three towers rising to 40 storeys  [note: the towers actually rise to 48 storeys, not 40], were drawn up by Farrells after an earlier Aedas scheme was criticised as “monstrous”. 

Responding to the planning application, English Heritage acknowledged that the new scheme was a significant improvement and praised the developer for carrying out the largest archaeological investigation of an historic dockyard in the world. 

“The scale of work undertaken is a reflection of the importance of the site, the anticipated quality and quantity of archaeology and that the applicant recognised that a detailed understanding was essential in developing a planning application to redevelop this nationally important site,” said EH’s archaeology advisor Mark Stevenson. 

Yet the eight “overarching design principles” listed in the planning application do not include a consideration of the history of the site as an objective. “This would appear to be at odds with the expectation of heritage being a core element of the design approach alluded to in the heritage statement,” said Stevenson who complained recent archaeological discoveries were not incorporated. 

He urged Lewisham council to “seek further opportunities” to reflect the historic character in the design. A proposed Sayes Court interpretation centre should have been used as a design starting point to provide a distinctive character for the “Evelyn Quarter”, he said, recommending the reconfiguration of two buildings to this end. 

“The position and orientation of the Sayes Court sequence of building and associated space is lost within the proposed arrangement of roads and building blocks,” he said. “Also the inclusion of a garden city green strip along the centre of one of the routes in this area as the main landscape reflection of the John Evelyn legacy is on its own a disappointment.” 

He also recommended “serious consideration” be given to the retention of the 16th and 17th remains of the Navy Treasurer’s House. The site, recognised as being of national importance, was also once the subject of a Rogers Stirk Harbour scheme.

The story can be found via this link, although registration is needed to read it.

Naval Dockyards Society conference: 500 years of Deptford and Woolwich Royal Dockyards

The five-hundred year anniversary of the founding of Royal Dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich was the theme of the annual conference organised by the Naval Dockyards Society at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich this weekend.

To mark this historic milestone and draw attention to the plight of these sites that risk being forgotten, the NDS lined up a series of speakers who gave presentations on different aspects of the dockyards.

Local MP Joan Ruddock opened the conference, and voiced her support for the Sayes Court Gardens and Lenox schemes being put forward by Deptford Is.. to recognise the significant heritage of the site.

Chris Ellmers is president of the Dockland History Group and was instrumental in setting up the Museum in Docklands in 2003. His presentation examined the private shipyards at Deptford and how they related to Deptford Dockyard over the period from 1790 to 1869. He pointed out that attention is almost always focused on the Royal Dockyard, but that Deptford also has a very rich history of shipbuilding at private yards. Merchant sailing ships, innovative steamers and early iron ships were also built in these dockyards and during the Napoleonic War the private shipyards also built and repaired naval vessels.

Peter Cross-Rudkin from the ICE Panel for Historical Engineering Works spoke about John Rennie, who was effectively the consulting engineer to the Navy from about 1806 onwards. He was involved in planning and designing works at Deptford and Woolwich, as well as Chatham, Milford Haven and Sheerness. The dock gates and parts of the river wall at Convoys Wharf (above) were designed by Rennie.

Archaeologist Duncan Hawkins (above, at one of the open days on the site) who led the excavations at Convoys Wharf presented his findings so far. He noted that while few artefacts were found at the site, the nineteenth-century slipways, entrance to the Great Dock, and the Dockyard basin were in relatively good condition.

Mark Stevenson is English Heritage's archaeology adviser for national planning for South London, and he spoke about archaeology and development management in the context of the developments that have taken place in Woolwich Dockyard and those planned for Deptford.

Finally Chris Mazeika and William Richards (owners of the Master Shipwrights House) presented a paper on the Dockyards Officers Terrace at Deptford (above). Their presentation focussed on the Dockyard Officers' Terrace, tracing its early history from a WWII bomb damage map, plans from the 1930s and a photograph taken around 1900. By analysing these resources and comparing them with earlier naval records as well as further photographic and cartographic evidence, they established that a terrace was present as early as 1623 and survived in part until the post-war period.

This discovery prompts the question as to whether the terrace at Deptford is the first palace front terrace in a royal naval dockyard. 

They also showed a fly-through 3D model of the site showing the location of the former terrace. 

The Greenwich Industrial History blog has also published a report on the conference.

Convoys Wharf public exhibition

A public exhibition in Deptford over two days last week presented proposals for the redevelopment of the Convoys Wharf site, on the site of the former Royal Dockyard.

Representatives from Hutchison Whampoa and its team were present to answer questions about the proposals, and there was a new – yet much smaller – model offering a somewhat more accurate representation of the heights of the buildings in relation to those bordering the site.

Fundamental concerns
However Deptford is.. had fundamental concerns about the clarity and legibility of the display material and models on show. Once again the enormous low-level model was used as the central exhibit, with the result that many people came away with from the event unaware of the height and density of the buildings that are proposed. One local resident even mocked-up a block of polystyrene at the scale of the model to demonstrate the height of the larger towers – you can see this in action in a photograph on the Crosswhatfields blog.

The new model gave some indication of building heights

Consultation process

We believe that for a public consultation event to be successful and meaningful, it is of paramount importance that the public understand what is being presented. We also thought it would have been appropriate for someone from Lewisham planners to be present – if only to hear the questions and comments made by visitors, and the explanations that were offered by the developer’s team.

Members of Deptford is.. who visited the exhibition and spoke at length to the staff who were present, gained some encouragement from the fact that visionary projects it has been fostering - in particular Sayes Court Gardens and the Lenox Project - are slowly gaining acceptance. Both of these projects are based on ideas inspired by and relating directly to the rich heritage of the site.

However, many of the objections that we voiced after the public exhibition last year remain unaddressed, in particular those relating to the density and massing of the buildings, and the lack of public transport provision. 

Density and massing

Firstly the density: Hutchison Whampoa is still pushing for 3,500 units, but we believe that the burden of proof lies with them, to demonstrate a viable plan for this size of development. While the new architects may have done some good work on the masterplan, they have proved that it is not possible to build 3,500 units in this space and still have a liveable, sustainable environment. They may have reduced parking spaces from six to around four per ten units, but with this density, that’s still an awful lot of vehicles. The proposed use of podium parking blocks – since the remains of the dockyard prevent them excavating for underground car parks – will contribute to a ‘canyon’-type experience at street level.

Farrells has responded to objections from English Heritage by reducing the heights of the blocks proposed for the waterfront, and those next to the Master Shipwrights House and Watergate Street. But this is at the expense of the centre of the site, where building heights are now much higher and grim-looking chasms are being created.

Olympia shed - at the heart of the site but not the planning

Olympia building
At the middle of the site, there is still no real solution being offered for the Olympia shed. The current suggestion is for some kind of ‘Turbine Hall’ space hosting temporary events and ‘pop-up’ uses. But such a vision for Deptford is ill-conceived – it will never attract the number of visitors that frequent central-London venues such as Covent Garden or Spitalfields. The inevitable result would be an empty, ill-defined space for three weeks out of four. We believe that a coherent plan for the Olympia building should be formulated and agreed before the developer submits any planning application?

Transport

Only vague statements have so far been provided to back up the contention that this size of development will not have an adverse impact on local transport. They claim 10% of residents will use the riverboat, and yet state that of all those cars, the majority will not be driven in rush hour. There are no plans to increase capacity at local railway or DLR stations. According to the transport consultant, capacity on local trains will be freed up sufficiently to accommodate the Convoys residents in five years time when Crossrail opens.

Streetscape, affordable housing
No studies of the effect of the buildings on daylight or wind at ground level have yet been carried out. Despite ongoing pressure from the council, only 14% affordable housing is proposed - 500 units out of the 3,500 maximum.

Sustainability
Hutchison Whampoa proposes to create active frontage on all the podium block streets, for retail and leisure for these. We question whether Convoys will be able to sustain this amount and type of active frontage where other local developments have been unable to do so. The developer’s employment strategy is limited to construction, hospitality and retail; we believe there is the need for a proper analysis of what is required not only to service the new development, but in the local area as well.

Improved views
We noted some positive changes in the masterplan, however. The proposal for the route through the site from Sayes Court, up to the Olympia building and out across the (basin) to the river is a notable improvement. A wide avenue, approaching the Olympia building obliquely, will offer a unique view of the Olympia facade, and gives the chance for the cultural and heritage assets to imbue and feed into the rest of the scheme. The crowning glory of this view would be the great basin – a proper dock, not just a shallow water feature – perhaps even with a replica ship at anchor, preparing for her maiden voyage across the Channel?

John Evelyn Centre, Sayes Court Park and the Lenox

The masterplanners have accepted the suggestion that a John Evelyn Centre be created on the site of the former manor house; the existing Sayes Court Park is now shown extending across the boundary of the development to create a slightly larger public park, and a model boat representing the Lenox project was also present on the masterplan, denoting acceptance of what we believe could be a very exciting, visual and sustainable project with a direct link to the site's past. Such community-led ideas can only add to the value of the site, and if they are provided with the right conditions in which to flourish, will enable a truly heritage-inspired redevelopment and understanding of Convoys Wharf, while at the same time contributing to - perhaps even stimulating - the long-term success of cultural activities on the site.

Masterplan showing proposed layout

Archaeology
Meanwhile the report on the archaeology of the former Royal Dockyard site is expected to be published in May this year, and we await English Heritage's review of the site's significance. Last year the Department for Culture, Media & Sport asked English Heritage to review its decision not to schedule the dockyard once the full archaeology report was published. EH based its decision on earlier reports which had been published before the most recent, extensive excavations were carried out, and we know that the condition and extent of dockyard structures remaining on the site are much greater than was previously thought.

Objections
Comments will of course be invited during the formal planning process, however we urge readers to consider sending objections NOW to their local councillors, their MP, London Authority Member, the planning department at Lewisham Council and the planning section of the Greater London Authority.

You can find the details of your elected representatives by entering your post code on this site.

Lewisham planning department can be contacted at planning@lewisham.gov.uk and the details of the London planning team are here.

If you filled in a comment sheet at the open day, you may wish to ensure that the planners have the opportunity to read your feedback by copying your comments to them directly. You can do this by emailing planning@lewisham.gov.uk

We believe the most serious aspects of the application that HW intends to submit, and to which we are absolutely and fundamentally opposed, are the density and massing of the buildings proposed for the site. 

Other reports
Several other local sites and bloggers reported on the open days: Crosswhatfields, Deptford Dame,  and London's Lost Garden for example. All report little progress, and none are in favour of the development plans as they stand at the moment.

Sayes Court Garden on Gardener's Question Time

© londonslostgarden.wordpress.com/

Karen Liljenberg, local resident and expert on John Evelyn's Sayes Court Garden, spoke to Matthew Wilson today on BBC Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time about the garden and how it looked in its 17th century heyday – and what might happen in the future. The programme will be repeated on Sunday at 2pm or listen now on i-Player.

See Karen's blog Sayes Court – London's Lost Garden

Sayes Court Garden workshops in pictures

Some pictures taken at the schools workshops held in Sayes Court Garden on 22nd November. The model of the garden was there to inspire the children, and the team built a small tower to enable the kids to look over the boundary wall at the Convoys Wharf site. Various games ensured fun was had by all.

Sayes Court Garden Schools Workshop

Thursday 22 November 2012, 1.30-4.30pm
Sayes Court Park, Deptford SE8 3LN

The Sayes Court Garden project and Outdoor Children are excited to annouce the commencement of the first of their workshops engaging children in the fantastic Sayes Court Garden Project.

On Thursday, 22nd November, children and teachers from Grinling Gibbons Primary School and Sir Francis Drake Primary School will visit Sayes Court Park to participate in an afternoon of educational workshops designed to engage and stimulate whilst most importantly of all – having fun!

"Exploring, wondering, clambering, rummaging – there is so much for children to enjoy in our outdoor heritage, be it park, garden, countryside or urban scene. So why do we instead too often rely on a soulless prescription of plastic equipment, well-meant fact sheets and gift shop bribes?" LINDEN GROVES, OUTDOOR CHILDREN 

John Evelyn’s garden at Sayes Court was one of the most famous and revolutionary gardens of its time. This was the site of not only his innovative designs and experiments, but also where he wrote his many forward-thinking texts on horticulture including Sylva, Fumifugium and the copious notes for his master work, the Elysium Britannicum.

Evelyn’s many visitors included his friends Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren and even King Charles II himself. Towards the end of his life the house and gardens were let, and subsequently trashed(!) by Czar Peter the Great of Russia, who reportedly rode on a wheelbarrow through John Evelyn’s prize Holly Hedge, causing many hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

John Evelyn was constantly inquiring and ingenious, fascinated by the world in which he lived. We think he is a brilliant role model for children facing the exciting challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Outdoor Children – Children in the Historic Environment

"We need to stop using Health & Safety, budgets and asset protection as an excuse. Let’s shake our youngest stakeholders by the hand, engage our child visitors in our landscapes, and empower them to … enjoy!” LINDEN GROVES, OUTDOOR CHILDREN

Outdoor Children is managed by Linden Groves, a qualified landscape historian and mum-of-three with a determination to give the historic outdoors a small place in every child’s heart. Having worked for over a decade as a mainstream landscape historian, dealing with conservation issues and writing books, Linden’s experiences visiting parks and gardens with children have given her a passion for engaging the young with their outdoor environment.
 
Sayes Court Garden CIC

The Sayes Court Garden Community Interest Company’s aspiration is to create a public garden and research centre on the site of John Evelyn’s 17th Century garden in Deptford, SE London.

Sayes Court Garden fell into sad neglect shortly after Evelyn’s death in 1706, and through the vicissitudes of fate has come down to us today as a corner of the parcel of Convoys Wharf, where the current owners, Hutchison Whampoa, intend to build directly where the most innovative and influential parts of the garden lay.

Sayes Court Garden CIC is founded on the belief that this crucial piece of our national heritage is not only a once-beautiful historic garden, but also has a vital role to play in the success of the new development for the community at large.

Alongside their work with Outdoor Children on a series of fun but educational workshops for local primary school children, they will be seeking funding to roll out into a package of online resources, ongoing workshops, and celebratory events for the younger generation.

www.sayescourtgarden.org.uk
www.outdoorchildren.co.uk  

Deptford is.. reviewing recent progress

After something of a hiatus over the summer, this week members of the Deptford Is.. team got together to discuss progress since their last meeting.

At the Convoys Wharf public exhibition in July, the architects were confident that they would be holding another open day in September to show us the final masterplan that they intend to submit to the council as a planning application. With no contact from them at time of writing, we assume that progress has been rather slower than predicted.

Renderings from the previous scheme - little change was seen on the latest masterplan

The Build the Lenox team shared the exciting news that they have acquired two patrons for their Community Interest Company (CIC) - local MP Dame Joan Ruddock, and historian and broadcaster Dan Snow - lending the campaign additional gravitas and respectability that will no doubt stand it in good stead for the months ahead.

Having stepped up the marketing campaign by producing new postcard flyers to distribute in Deptford and environs, and having been featured in the South London Press and News Shopper newspapers, the campaign is starting to attract attention from a wider audience and the team is recruiting new volunteers and continuing to seek donations towards the costs.

They have also launched a Facebook page for the campaign and invite you to 'like' it if you have a Facebook account!

Meanwhile Sayes Court Garden has constituted itself as a CIC and is forging exciting links with high-profile charities and organisations which have similar interests and aspirations. The project also has a Facebook page and a Twitter feed through which they can keep in touch with supporters.

An invitation to meet Tim Smit, the founder of the Eden Project in Cornwall, has led to a continuing dialogue and consolidation of the aims of the Sayes Court Garden project, and this has been given additional impetus by a new collaboration with the National Trust.

The founder of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, has links to Deptford and Sayes Court Garden, and it was discussions over how the gardens could be preserved in perpetuity for the people of Deptford that prompted the creation of the National Trust.

The Sayes Court Garden project is in the process of developing a series of workshops with local schools as part of its long-term aim to get young children interested in gardening, food growing and using and exploring the urban green spaces that are often overlooked. These workshops will be held in November.

On a more general level, the team is working with leading landscape academics and design professionals, moving towards presenting developed proposals for the Sayes Court Garden site and manor house.

Convoys Wharf public exhibition: Deptford Is.. responds

Last weekend developer Hutchison Whampoa and its masterplanners Terry Farrell & Partners held a public exhibition at the Deptford Lounge to present ideas and proposals for the new planning application it intends to submit for Convoys Wharf later this year.

Many members of Deptford Is.. attended the event and talked to representatives from Hutchison Whampoa, Terry Farrell & Partners, Alan Baxter & Associates, Grontmij and SKM Colin Buchanan, all members of the team that is submitting the masterplan.

Our collated comments are presented here.

Deceptive presentation 

The main materials used to present the architect’s new ideas for the masterplan were a large, detailed ‘groundscape’ model and a series of six very small polystyrene models used to explain the process that the architects had gone through to develop the height and massing of building parcels for the development. No representation of final building height or density was given on the main model, which we feel was misleading and confusing in the extreme.

Few of the people attending the exhibition would be familiar with the concept of a groundscape model, and we question the motivation for using such a means by which to communicate the main message of the exhibition. A two-dimensional plan would have been sufficient to show the proposed layout of the site. Using a groundscape model had the potential to mislead visitors into thinking that the new proposal was for building heights similar to those in the surrounding estates.

The six polystyrene models were devoid of interpretative material, which meant that the only way to understand them was to ask one of the staff who were present. We were also concerned at the way existing parks and green spaces had been flagged up on the groundscape model, even though they do not fall within the boundaries of the development.

We felt that this was disingenuous of the masterplanners, suggesting they are seeking to present their proposals as adding a significant amount of green space to the area, when in fact this is not the case.

Designing from the ground up? 

One of the main messages that came out of Sir Terry Farrell’s presentation in March this year was his commitment that the new masterplan would be created ‘from the ground up’. But this very welcome vision has not been translated into the ideas we saw at the public exhibition.

Aside from some changes to the road layouts, the proposals presented last weekend, in our opinion, offered nothing more than tweaks to the original masterplan which was proposed by Aedas, and which is shown below.

Aedas masterplan

In our opinion, the commitment to design from the ground up should result in a development which fully respects and recognises the former heritage of the site. In this regard, Farrell’s groundscape plan offered only minor changes to the Aedas proposal.

The new plan showed a representation of the former great basin in front of the Olympia building, but it was a trimmed and scaled back water feature with no access to the river and no prospect of any practical use. Views of the Olympia building from the river would be only slightly improved with this change, a minor change considering that the previous arrangement was notable for its severely restricted vista.

The locations of a couple of the dockyard’s slipways were marked as public areas by the addition of labels; the presence of the double dry dock as a landscaped public area remained, as in the former plans, and the edge of Sayes Court Gardens had been extended slightly into the site, with a scaled-back version of John Evelyn’s grove created next to it (see more info below).

Density and massing 

Staff at the exhibition, when questioned, were still referring to the development involving the creation of 3,500 new residential units. They also claimed that final building heights have not yet been established, that this information will be made available in September.

When asked why so many units, the standard answer given (by several representatives) was that this was the figure demanded by Lewisham Council and set out in its Core Strategy. We are advised by Lewisham’s planning department that this is not the case. While the figure does exist in the Core Strategy, the council’s planners are adamant that the site cannot sustainably support such a high density development.

Secondly it is worth noting that the situation has changed markedly since the core strategy was published in 2005. At that time, very little was known about the archaeology of the site – don’t forget it was covered in warehouses and storage units – and it is only in the last two years that the extent of heritage assets remaining has been explored in any detail.

What’s more, the full extent has yet to be confirmed – archaeological excavations only took place at the locations on which the developers intend to build. The extent and condition of the double dry dock has not been confirmed, neither has the full extent of the mast ponds at the west end of the site, under the proposed working wharf.

Transport 

We were disappointed to note that transport proposals remained identical to those in the previous application. These included a new bus route through the site, ‘enhancements’ to existing bus routes, and the installation of a waterbus jetty.

Improvements to some road junctions are proposed but in all respects, these suggestions are pitiful in relation to the density of the development. With such a high number of properties on the site, even providing parking spaces for just over half these units (1800) will create an unacceptable amount of traffic for local roads.

A representative for the transport consultant said that this was ‘the best that we can do’ for the site.


The Lenox Project 

Our proposal to build a replica of the restoration warship Lenox was represented on the groundscape plan by a little wooden boat and flag. However the masterplanners have suggested that the project should be housed on the working wharf at the west end of the site.

There are several major problems with this. 

Firstly the fact that if the ship were built in this location it could not be launched in any straightforward or technically-proven manner. This part of the site has no slipway or dock and any boat built here would have to be lifted into the water. In order to do this, the structure of the vessel would have to be adapted to incorporate special lifting points or have extra strengthening built in to allow this to be done safely. It would entail additional analysis and the services of a marine architect, and it would create extra risk for the project as a whole.

If the boat were to be built in a dry dock (such as the one at the east end of the site) or on a slipway (such as the two in the Olympia building) it could be launched in the traditional tried and tested manner, which its original design allowed for.

Secondly the project needs to attract sufficient visitors to be financially viable. We believe that the presence of the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark in Greenwich will aid us greatly in doing so, but we feel strongly that the project needs to be as close to Greenwich as possible in order to make it successful.

Thirdly, we strongly support the creation of a proper working wharf which we believe could offer genuine additional employment opportunities for the area. It would also be appropriate to consider creating a marine enterprise zone on this land, to encourage the establishment of businesses that could not only support the Lenox project, but could benefit from its high profile.

Previous arguments that the remaining dockyard structures were not able to be uncovered because they were at risk of degradation have been dispelled by the archaeological investigations. Duncan Hawkins, who led the archaeological excavation, had no objection to the reopening of the great basin, if it were to be lined.

Several weeks ago, the Lenox Project supplied additional information to Farrell's on request, highlighting these points and also a number of other benefits and considerations material to the project and its proposed site. You can download and read this document here.

Sayes Court Gardens and John Evelyn’s Grove

Landscape architect Grontmij proposed some changes to the previous masterplan with the intention of recognising the significance of John Evelyn and his gardens in the heritage of the site. Apart from a dedicted ‘John Evelyn Centre’ in front of the Olympia building, the focus seems to have been on re-working the existing park (which is outside the boundary of the site).

This park does of course need a little tlc, and the boundary edge will need to be appropriately adapted to feed into the site, but we feel the proposed treatment of the site is facile and not in keeping with the heritage and context.

There were two aspects of the ‘history’ boards which glaringly under-sold the garden: firstly was the claim that although Evelyn's experimental approach and writings on horticulture were influential, the actual layout and design of the gardens was of little significance. Secondly, the importance of the 19th century incarnation of the park was scarcely acknowledged, with no mention of the National Trust or the part the park played in the development of our open spaces on a national scale.

The effects of this mis-information can be seen in the masterplan, which destroys the 19th century layout and creates a nominal ‘grove’, at only two thirds the size of Evelyn's on a different site and orientation to that of the original.

Also of concern was the proposal to relocate some of the residential buildings at the west end of the site; in particular the suggestion that one of the towers may be moved back from the river front to take advantage of views of the park as well as the river. As a consequence, the developer is now planning to build residential blocks on the site of Evelyn’s manor house and over the most important parts of the garden, which is what led to the re-positioning and shrinking of the grove.

Duncan Hawkins confirmed that the manor house represented the most well-preserved remains of domestic architecture on the site, and that it would be desirable to have them exposed - albeit under the protection of a building. We suggest that this would be the most obvious location for the proposed John Evelyn Centre. 

The groundscape plan capitalised on the existing Sayes Court Park, drawing it into the site and extending it up to the Olympia building. Once again we felt that this was potentially deceptive, and made the masterplan seem as though it has a ‘green heart’. However it must be recognised that, at a rough estimate, this masterplan contains negligibly more greenspace than the last, if any. The site of John Evelyn's garden has again been ignored, and this time it has been more extensively built up than before.

Although it did not translate to the plan, in general we believe that the architects support the idea that the development would benefit from ongoing and focused activity. Our various suggestions - the presence of a ship-building project, possible moorings for London’s tall ships in a re-opened great basin, a garden museum and recreated grove, a horticulture school, a sculpture park on the jetty – were acknowledged would be a vital component which would prevent the development becoming a residential ghetto. 

Employment 

As before, the only employment prospects proposed by the developer were retail and service industries. The working wharf was unoccupied on the plan.

Poor publicity 
We note that the exhibition was very poorly publicised in Deptford itself. There were no posters visible on the high street, and only two members of Deptford Is.. (most of whom live in the target area) received letters or flyers.

Second Wave Youth Arts, the local group which gave a presentation at the open day, received no notification of the public exhibition.

A final wish

We respectfully urge the custodian of the site, Mr Li Ka Shing, to further apply the sentiment on his charitable foundation's website; "Every country possesses a unique history and culture formed over thousands of years. We believe that the preservation of historical monuments and cultural relics helps us define the past and points the way to the future."

This sentiment is very much at the heart of our proposals for the Convoys Wharf site.

Further information 

A series of videos made by PR company Hard Hat were shown at the event, you can see them online here.

Visit the Convoys Wharf website.

Submit your comments

The developers have said that they will be holding a second public exhibition in September, at which they will present their proposed masterplan before submitting it for planning permission.

John Evelyn study day

The John Evelyn study day organised by members of Deptford Is... in collaboration with the Garden History Museum and the London Parks & Gardens Trust was a great success, despite poor weather.

A report of the event was posted on London's Lost Garden blog.
 

The Mulberry Tree in Sayes Court Gardens

Rediscovering John Evelyn's Garden - study day to visit Sayes Court Gardens

The significance of John Evelyn's former garden at Sayes Court, part of which lies beneath the Convoys Wharf development site, is to be explored during a study day organised by The Garden History Society in association with The London Parks & Gardens Trust.

Historians, academics and specialists in garden archaeology will attend a series of lectures at the Linnean Society in Piccadilly before a tour of the site at Grove Street in Deptford. The event will finish with a chance to view a small exhibition and the model of the gardens at the Master Shipwrights House in Watergate Street.

The event, Rediscovering Elysium: John Evelyn’s Garden at Sayes Court will begin with lectures at the Linnean Society (from 11am to 3.30pm) covering the significance, plan and planting of the garden; Evelyn’s scientific interests as a founder member of the Royal Society; the subsequent history of the garden; and current threats and opportunities.

Speakers include: Roo Angell, Robert Bagley, Gillian Darley, Dr Frances Harris, Professor Michael Hunter, Professor Mark Laird, Jonathan Lovie and Dr Jan Woudstra.

At Deptford there will be a tour of the site and a summary of the day from Tim Richardson (gardens correspondent of The Daily Telegraph) at the Master Shipwright’s House, followed by a discussion and drinks. A small exhibition about the garden, with a model, will be on view.

The event will take place on Wednesday 25 April from 11am till 7pm and can be booked for a cost of £48; download the form here or visit the Garden History Society website.

The evening session at the Master Shipwright's House is open to all, with a suggested donation of £3 to cover the cost of refreshments; to attend, please RSVP to Roo Angell. Meet at Sayes Court Gardens at 5.30pm to attend the evening event, or later at the Master Shipwright's House in Watergate Street.

Deptford is...in the news again

The News Shopper has reported on the Council for British Archaeology's support for our proposals, and has also stated that English Heritage has been requested to re-examine the status of the site by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

ALTERNATIVES to a controversial £1bn high-rise development at a former royal dockyard will be put forward by archaeology experts.

The Council for British Archaeology has convened a panel of independent experts to discuss Convoys Wharf in Deptford, saying the current plans do not respect its history.

Deptford's dockyard was founded by Henry VIII in 1513 as the first royal dockyard, later harbouring the Mary Rose and the Golden Hind when Sir Francis Drake was knighted.

The panel will work with a group of concerned people in the area who have formed the Deptford Is campaign group.

Hutchinson Whampoa's application for 3,500 new homes at the site is currently undergoing revisions with the help of top British architect Sir Terry Farrell.

And the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has requested English Heritage re-examine the site's status, particularly Sayes Court Garden - created by 17th century diarist John Evelyn.

Deptford is.. still in the news!

A couple of weeks ago the Royal Horticultural Society published a story titled: Evelyn's garden under threat from development.

Yesterday the Evening Standard reported that "40-storey towers ‘will destroy Henry’s historic shipyard'".

The Garden History Society has also published an extensive article here about the threat to Sayes Court Gardens. In the article the GHS states its support for our proposal to recreate the gardens:

"The GHS supports this campaign and is adding its voice to those suggesting that Lewisham Council looks favourably on the idea of conserving the site of Sayes Court as part of an overall development plan when the application is considered by Lewisham’s planning committee in either January or April."

John Evelyn's legacy...

 

Deptford and its Dockyard, London Journal, 49:255 (Feb 27, 1869), p136. 

Copyright 2007 ProQuest LLC.

Deptford Is... uncovered this reference to the Deptford Dockyard in the London Journal of 1869. The article begins with an announcement about cuts in government spending, resulting in the loss of 800 jobs at the dockyard (and more at Woolwich). In the following extracts, as the article sets about commemorating the history of the town, we learn that provenance of the dockyard is shrouded in "peculiar circumstances..."

"The new Ministry have signalized their accession to office by some measures of retrenchment which have carried dismay into most of the lower regions of the public departments connected with the State. The Horse Guards, the Admiralty, and the Civil Service are each threatened with a new-born zeal for economy, and, as usual, the least able to resist or protest are the first to be made to suffer. Clerks and private soldiers are among the earliest victims; but their distress will be trifling compared to the misery which stares the artizans and labourers in some of our dockyards hard in the face. The most prominent of these will be those employed in the Royal dockyards of Woolwich and Deptford, which under an Admiralty order have to be closed on the 1st of October next.

"…So that the doom of Deptford as a Government establishment seems to be sealed, and our readers, especially distant ones, will, no doubt be glad to learn something about so celebrated a place. We hasten, therefore, to inform them that Deptford, at the time of the Norman survey, was called Moreton, or Town of the Marsh. It was afterwards, from its contiguity to Greenwich, called West Greenwich, and Deptford Stronde, from a deep ford in the river Ravensburne, of which the mouth forms the small estuary now called Deptford Creek. Edward III frequently resided there; but the place was of little importance till the time of Henry VIII, who for the better preservation of the royal navy, established a dockyard...

"The town of Deptford architecturally is not attractive, and its main support used to be derived from its royal dockyards, and in later years from the various manufactories erected within its limits, chiefly connected with shipbuilding and engineering; but its trade in firewood, supplied to the half million of dwelling-houses in the metropolis, gives it no slight importance, and if we include several other industries, such as matting, earthenware, and chemical works, it will readily be understood that it is not quite dependent on Government patronage for support.

"But the royal dockyard was always a great feature. It included a space of about thirty-one acres of land, and there the ships of the royal navy were formally built and repaired, and the royal yachts generally laid up...

"Sayes Court, the ancient manor-house of the manor of West Greenwich, so called from its having been possessed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by the family of Say, became, through marriage, the residence of John Evelyn, Esq., the author of 'Sylva', who, after the Restoration, obtained a lease of Sayes Court, and the demesne lands for 99 years. In 1726 the estate was granted in fee to the Evelyn family.

"And it appears that the Deptford Dockyard is held by the Admiralty under peculiar circumstances, which preclude its ever being sold for purposes of private enterprise...The greater part of the dockyard is held on a peppercorn rent, under the will of the celebrated John Evelyn. In the time of Evelyn land at Deptford was of but little value; and, being anxious to encourage shipbuilding, he gave land to Government at an annual rent of a peppercorn, on condition that there should always be a ship on the stocks; and during the twenty-six years it was closed, up to 1843, the letter, if not the spirit, of Evelyn's will was carried out by the keel of a vessel being laid down, and left in No. 1 building slip. At the present time there is only one vessel left on the stocks; and if this should be launched without another vessel being laid down, it is said the greater part of the dockyard and its valuable storehouses would revert to the present descendent of Evelyn, who is a Frenchman residing abroad..."

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