30th Jan 2008
Mark Bensted , London Director of Canals gave a breakfast talk this morning as part of the Waterfront London Exhibition.
The canal system connects to the Thames in 4 places, a number of canal villages have sprung up around the water network, to name a few Kentish town, Camden, Kings cross etc. Once for Trade, now for leisure and recreation the canal villages are undergoing regeneration continuously. Within this regeneration Mark Bensted calls for quality integration, the residential apartments should connect to the river systems and people who live there should be involve the water and its many uses in everyday life, he is against developments which simply gaze over the water.
Argent are establishing an eight million sq ft mixed use development along Kings Cross Regents canal and have agreed to improve networks from Camden to Islington encouraging use of the towpaths. Linking the new development with locals and bringing everybody to the attention of the canal.
Interestingly transport for London operates and manages 8 piers on the Thames, there is a subsidised multi stop commuter service. The problem with this is that the 4mph speed limit in central London is a similar speed to walking, I know I would usually opt for the free exorcise!
Though Elephants were brought to London Zoo via Regents canal, the system is not currently adequate to transport large vessels continuously. However headway is being made with a new lock at The lower lea valley Olympic site.The Prescott Lock which will control water levels allowing 1.75m tonnes of construction materials to be brought via barge, potentially taking 170,000 lorry journeys off local roads. The Olympic site is surrounded by water and the event has catalyst for the development of a Major new park for London. The transformation of a working landscape into a new public realm. The park will finally be developed into a 26mile linear park between Hertfordshire and the River Thames at Blackwell! The park will reflect the areas provisioning identity whilst using sustainable cycles. It will be refreshing and is necessary as the next decade will see a new 20,000 dwellings being built in the area.
Henri Moore at Kew gardens
Kew Gardens is always a pleasure. Its South Eastern corner, Victoria gate entrance, is formal in the landscape gradually relaxes towards the North Western corner where a wild conservation area lies behind protective 'do not enter signs'. There are many attractions en route, including
Stag beetle loggery, Rhododendron Dell, Bamboo garden, badger sett- this is an interactive 'be a badger installation', its fun and gets everybody interested and engaged.
as . The woods here are managed as a nature reserve and native plants and animals are encouraged, using traditional methods and management techniques such as coppicing. Kew also grows many non native species including Sweet Chestnut coppice's. Bluebells flourish in the spring and among the birds that can be seen are tawny owls, blue and great tits, sparrowhawks and green woodpeckers. The area also supports many insects, including rare hover flies.
the redwood grove is striking in age (Many of the redwoods are 150 years old) and colour and attracts the most beautiful exotic birds.
Ancient, dwindling specimens conserved with railings, the railings are ugly but strangely increase interest
The current Henri Moore exhibition is a bonus
click this link
I feel the sculptures sat in the Bretton Hills of the Yorkshire Sculpture park more fittingly, where they have more space. The large sculptures at Kew seem a crammed and plonked in, as do some of the attraction landscapes. I think the sculptures should have been placed further apart across the entire site rather than being bunched togeather in a formal area near the Victoria gate.
However the exhibition attracted people to Kew who might not have gone otherwise whilst offering Londoners and tourists a unique opportunity to see the world famous work in a world famous botanical setting. The combination is enticing.
Stag beetle loggery, Rhododendron Dell, Bamboo garden, badger sett- this is an interactive 'be a badger installation', its fun and gets everybody interested and engaged.
as . The woods here are managed as a nature reserve and native plants and animals are encouraged, using traditional methods and management techniques such as coppicing. Kew also grows many non native species including Sweet Chestnut coppice's. Bluebells flourish in the spring and among the birds that can be seen are tawny owls, blue and great tits, sparrowhawks and green woodpeckers. The area also supports many insects, including rare hover flies.
the redwood grove is striking in age (Many of the redwoods are 150 years old) and colour and attracts the most beautiful exotic birds.
Ancient, dwindling specimens conserved with railings, the railings are ugly but strangely increase interest
The current Henri Moore exhibition is a bonus
click this link
I feel the sculptures sat in the Bretton Hills of the Yorkshire Sculpture park more fittingly, where they have more space. The large sculptures at Kew seem a crammed and plonked in, as do some of the attraction landscapes. I think the sculptures should have been placed further apart across the entire site rather than being bunched togeather in a formal area near the Victoria gate.
However the exhibition attracted people to Kew who might not have gone otherwise whilst offering Londoners and tourists a unique opportunity to see the world famous work in a world famous botanical setting. The combination is enticing.
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