Share Your Estate Walkway Ideas
21st October 2020

What would enhance the walkway along the Bemerton Estate? A community allotment using raised planters? An urban orchard of fruit trees and vines? An outdoor obstacle course using rocks and grass? Tell us more below and become part of the conversation. We want every local to get involved in the project.

What could be planted here?
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Ian Gould
Ian Gould
3 years ago

Hello! Very much looking forward to seeing this project come to life.

Here are some thoughts on the walkway – I hope you don’t mind me starting this at the exit from Bingfield Park next to the old Spark Plug building. There is a great opportunity to create a bold opening statement at what I see to be the start of the walkway in the form of a ‘Living or Green Wall’ – similar to: https://www.biotecture.uk.com/portfolio/kings-cross-london/

The long light blue painted wall of the old Spark Plug building is absolutely ripe for greening / cultivating and this living / green wall would double up as a fabulous entrance piece to the soon to be reshaped Bingfield Park.

Crossing Pembroke Street and onto the maroon path (note the new drop kerb recently installed!) there is not much that can be done with this narrow path initially (perhaps arrows or some kind of Cultivating Cally logo stenciled on to the ground?) but it then opens out on the right hand side to a green space with great potential. Could a wildflower walkway detour be created similar to: http://www.rootsfirst.com/pocket-park

As you proceed the path widens and once again there is a wall on the left hand side at an angle which could be turned into another Living or Green wall to continue the theme.

Down the ramp or the stairs and on to the area show in your photo above. Could ideas from this project be incorporated: https://love.lambeth.gov.uk/leake-street-pocket-park-opening/

Do away with a couple of the parking spaces to the left and bring the table tennis table back to life. Install electric car charging points to showcase to passing children and solar panels to charge an attractive path of night lights / lanterns.

Create green canopies: https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/872242/forest-path-avenue-green-forest-nature-fern-moss-trees-plant

Bird boxes in the trees made by local residents.

Nadra Moritz
Nadra Moritz
3 years ago

This is a really important part of the project to get right. When I first heard of the project my first (granted, cynical) thought was “oh it is basically trying to make the passage nice so that the people from the wealthy area of Barnsbury can transport themselves pleasantly through the run down Bemerton to the wealthy area of KX”. I live on the Bemerton and I am sure I will not have been alone in thinking that .. It will be important to actually add value to the estate rather than just providing a nice walkway for those on either side to walk through. 

COMMUNITY ALLOTMENT / URBAN ORCHARD
A community allotment using raised planters is a brilliant idea as is the urban orchard of fruit trees and vines! The green space on Earlsferry Way just off Pembroke St would be a great location for this. There are also several other green spaces on the Bemerton that could be activated if it fits the scope of the project.

LIVING WALLS / GREEN TUNNELS
As Ian mentioned, integrating living walls and creating a sort of tunnel of greenery would be great to hide ugly parking and would also allow the residents to retain their privacy with what will hopefully be increased foot traffic along this walkway.

LIGHTING
Year round string lighting (like those used at KX Coal Yard’s Stable St) integrated into the green tunnel would add a cozy feel along with softening the currently harsh lighting.

WIDENED WALKWAY
The walkway coming off Pembroke St is quite narrow and is made even more cumbersome by the addition of the barriers. In general all barriers should be removed as they are annoyance to all and only a deterrent to very few. (Don’t even get me started on the awful red barriers into Bingfield Park:)

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