Post Office: Cogan

This building is a mystery. It stands on the corner of Windsor Road and Pill Street in Cogan, near Penarth, south Wales and, though it is now private accommodation, at first glance, you might well assume that the building once housed the local post office.

The corners of the rectangular addition to the building, on the side facing Windsor Road, are each adorned with impressively decorated stone half-pillars, and, in a peculiar position, down at pavement level, there's a semi-circular-shaped stone with the carved inscription 'Post Office 1881'.

However, when I checked old maps of the location on the National Library of Scotland website, in particular the 'Glamorgan Sheet XLVII', where the area was surveyed between 1878 and 1879, and the map was published in 1885, the post office in Cogan was located on Pill Street, near the corner with Hewell Street, and there were no buildings at all along Windsor Road. And, according to further information found online, the post office in Cogan remained on Pill Street until it was closed in April 2008.

By coincidence – or perhaps not? – a new post office to serve Penarth was opened on Windsor Road in July 1881, the same year as that shown on the Cogan stone inscription. The Western Mail, of 14 July 1881, reported as follows:

PENARTH. OPENING OF A NEW POST-OFFICE. – The post-office at Penarth has been removed to Windsor-road, where Mr. E. W. Jones commenced his duties as postmaster on Tuesday. The premises have been fitted in a much more convenient manner than the old office, and the public generally fully appreciate the increased postal facilities given them.

I wondered if perhaps the stonework on the Cogan building had come from the 1881 Penarth post office building (that post office was also closed and relocated in 2008). However, I found a photograph of the former Penarth post office on the Peoples Collection Wales website, and that building does not have the same stonework.

So, as I wrote at the beginning of this post, the building is a mystery. If I manage to solve this mystery at some future date, I will update this post.

Dinas Powys: stink pipes

When I first noticed them, I wasn't sure what these pipes were but the proximity of one of them to a present day utility cover in the pavement was a clue.

These are stink pipes, also known as stench pipes, once used to allow gases and noxious smells to escape safely from the sewer pipes below the ground. From what I've been reading, pipes like these were first introduced during the Victorian era. An article on the Designing Buildings website explains

The summer of 1858 was known as 'the Great Stink' in London as there was a strong smell of untreated waste throughout the city, affecting those at work in the House of Commons. Joseph Bazalgetter, the chief engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works, proposed channelling waste through street sewers, into main intercepting sewers. These would transport waste towards the tidal part of the Thames so that it would be swept out to sea.
The network of wide sewer tunnels required venting, which is why stink pipes were incorporated into the system. Based on the concept of a blastpipe – an idea allegedly invented by a Victorian-era surgeon, chemist and engineer named Sir Goldsworthy Gurney – stink pipes were made out of cast iron and placed along main sewer routes.

Many stink pipes were much taller than those I've found, the better to catch any breeze and dissipate the noxious smells away from people at ground level. The Historic England website reports on one, in the town of Shifnal in Shropshire, that has been grade II listed due its height.

I imagine those much taller structures were the types built to release the city smells emanating from London's large sewer system, whereas the shorter pipes were more appropriate in a suburban or small town setting like Dinas Powys. Also, these local pipes are most probably Edwardian rather than Victorian, as the road and houses where they're located were built some time between 1901 and 1910, according to old maps of the area.

Bandstand: Victoria Park, Barry

My previous blog post focused on the bandstand on Barry Island; this post covers the bandstand in Victoria Park, Cadoxton, as well as reporting on one further bandstand, in Barry's Romilly Park, which, sadly, no longer survives.

I'm not sure when the idea of a bandstand in Victoria Park was first mooted but, in the Barry Dock News's 2 April 1909 report on the monthly meetings of the various council committees, it was announced that a tender of £247 17s. had been accepted from Mr H. Fisher for the bandstand's construction. And, in a few short months, building was well underway: the Barry Herald, of 23 July 1909, included information about Victoria Park in an article about newly opened bowling greens:

Victoria Park, Cadoxton, about six acres, is on a lofty eminence, commanding a wide sweep of the Bristol Channel, and is one of the breeziest spots in the district, Originally, it was common land, but it is now enclosed with wall and railings, and is being laid out with paths, gardens, and bandstand....

Just over a century later, the bandstand was receiving 'a renovation makeover'. The Barry and District News 26 March 2016 report explains what was happening, and includes the unsurprising information that the current structure is not, in fact, the original bandstand:

Over the last few years the bandstand has shown signs of water damage and some rot ...

Local craftsmen and carpenters from Woodspec Joinery Specialists are currently carrying out the repairs on the bandstand. This includes custom made stainless covers and rain channels to help prevent leaking on the upper tier.

Larger drainage pipes and renovated gutters will ensure that water flows away from the roof.

Cabinet Member for Visible and Leisure Services, Councillor Gwyn John, said: “With the old ceiling removed and work well underway sealing the upper tier, we are looking forward to seeing the finished result.

"Since the Bandstand was rebuilt in Victoria Park it has become a much loved landmark, and stage for some superb events and music concerts. It’s the centrepiece of the Cadstock Music Festival every year.

“This work will make sure that the bandstand will last for many years to come and will be ready for upcoming events, including African drumming, 2 brass band concerts, several fun-days and of course the Cadstock Festival.”

The original Victoria Park bandstand was built in 1907 by Hill and Smith of Brierley Hill, West Midlands [* incorrect – see below] and survived until the early 1970s.

During restoration of Victoria Park in early 2005 the bandstand was rebuilt as part of the Heritage Lottery funded reconstruction using the original plans, by the Heritage Engineering Company of Glasgow.

* The details about the original bandstand's construction are incorrect, the result of some sloppy journalism by the Barry and District News reporter. They have confused Barry's Victoria Park with Victoria Park, in Denton, Greater Manchester, which also has a very fine bandstand – see the History and Heritage section on the Tameside Metropolitan Borough website.

Romilly Park

There used to be one more bandstand in Barry, in Romilly Park. In the Barry Dock News of 2 April 1909, an article entitled 'Tenders for the parks' reports the acceptance of a tender by Messrs W. Ruckley and Son, for the amount of £261 7s. 3d., for the construction of a bandstand in Romilly Park. The Barry Herald, of 23 July 1909, mentioned that the Romilly Park improvements, including the bandstand, were nearing completion, and there is an article in the Barry Herald, dated 19 August 1910, that describes an illuminated concert in Romilly Park.

In a report on the Coflein website, the bandstand is described as being 'a central focal point of the park' and, further, 'From old photographs it appears to have been hexagonal, with a two-tiered ogee roof'. In fact, the domed bandstand structure is clearly visible in the centre of an undated postcard, the product of F. Frith & Co. Limited, which has been uploaded to the Peoples Collection Wales, and can be seen in several other photographs here, here and here. To my eye, the structure looks almost identical to the bandstand in Victoria Park. Sadly, the Romilly Park bandstand has not survived – the Coflein report mentioned above says the bandstand was removed some time after the Second World War.

Bandstand: Barry Island

There are two bandstands still standing in the south Wales coastal town of Barry. This blog post covers the bandstand on Barry Island; a further blog will cover the bandstand in Victoria Park, Cadoxton.

The bandstand on Barry Island is an elegant structure, though, as it does not appear on the schedule of British listed buildings, I doubt very much that this is the same one mentioned in the Evening Express, of 5 June 1896, where it was reported that 'Lord Windsor has kindly acceded to an application by the Barry Chamber of Trade and Improvement Association for the erection of a bandstand on Barry Island for the entertainment of the public'. 

Despite Lord Windsor's approval, it was some years before improvements got under way. In an article entitled 'Beautifying Barry', the Evening Express, of 4 September 1907, reported that a joint meeting of the public works and licensing committees of the Barry District Council had been held

to consider the report of Mr. W. T. Douglas, M.Inst.C.E., upon the proposed improvement of Whitmore Bay, Barry Island, Pebble Beach, and Porthkerry Park.
Mr. W. J. Williams pointed out that the scheme was estimated to cost over £98,000, exclusive of the purchase of Porthkerry Park and land at the island. He was in favour of leaving the island severely alone, except as to the erection of a shelter and bandstand at a cost of £ 3,000.
Mr. J. A. Manaton disagreed, contending that the large influx of visitors to Barry Island warranted substantial improvements at Whitmore Bay.
The committee recommended that the following works be carried out:-
Sea wall and promenade 1,900ft. long at Barry Island £11,900
Seating accommodation £300
Seven shelters £2,310
Concrete stairs £130
Tar paving and railings for Friar's Point Gardens £2,900
Bandstand and drinking fountain £850
Six shelters and open seating in the East Gardens £530
The proposal to erect a shelter to accommodate 6,000 people at a cost of £16,800 was rejected, and a sub-committee appointed to further consider the portion of the report relating to the Pebble Beach and Porthkerry Park and Bay.

Though I doubt the current Barry Island bandstand is the same one mentioned in these old newspaper reports, I was very pleased to learn that this bandstand is still very much in use, at least during the summer. So, if you're in the local area, you can attend one, or more, of the brass band concerts scheduled for the coming months: the Love the Vale website has the details. Enjoy!

Parc Penallta : The Observatory

 

The Observatory stands on the highest point of Parc Penallta, a country park in the Welsh Valleys built on the spoil heap of the former Penallta Colliery.

Built in 2001, in a combination of Corten steel and stainless steel, The Observatory measures 10 metres high and 25 metres in diameter. 

The six supporting arms of the sculpture are decorated with cut-out designs, created by the artist in collaboration with the six surrounding communities of Nelson, Ystrad Mynach, Maesycwmmer, Hengoed, Llanbradach, and Gelligaer. Each arm leads the eye in the direction of one of these communities. 

The designs incorporate images that reflect the heritage and wildlife to be found in these six locations, as imagined by children from the local schools. And there are convenient benches where visitors can sit and enjoy the views, and refuel with sandwiches and a drink before exploring the many features of the park that are visible from this high point. 

The creator of this eye-catching artwork was Malcolm Robertson (b. 1951), an artist who, after graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in 1974, has worked primarily as a sculptor but, according to his website, also created 'artworks and murals within a social and environmental context' and ran 'art festivals, youth training schemes and graduate apprenticeships' while working as the Town Artist in the Scottish New Town of Glenrothes. 

Since establishing his own professional practice in 1991, Robertson 'has successfully managed to create an extensive and eclectic portfolio of site specific sculpture and artworks in a wide variety of materials in the UK, Germany, India and the USA', many of which can be seen on his website. 

I find the fact that his art is 'created in response to people and places, is eclectic in character and sympathetic in scale and context' very appealing, and I always make a point of walking up to The Observatory when I visit Parc Penallta.

Lamp post : Cheltenham

This is one of the most practical, yet also one of the most unusual pieces of street furniture I've ever seen and, despite extensive internet searching, I've neither been able to find records or images of any others like it, nor any information about it, except the bare bones of its description on the British Listed Buildings (BLB) website. The entry reads:

Grade II listed
Lamp post. Late C19. Adapted for electricity. Cast-iron post with wrought-iron enrichment and overthrow, wrought-iron leaves at 3m and 0.75m. Glazed brick plinth. Drum with 4 bracketed buttresses alternating with quadrants.

 

Though the listing makes no mention of the use of the 'glazed brick plinth', my fertile imagination sees a Victorian gentleman or two, each seated on a corner of the plinth, reading their newspapers by the light of the gas lamp and engaging in earnest conversation about the state of the world around them.

 

In my enthusiasm for the ceramics of this amazing piece of street furniture - in particular, the gaping jaws of the ferocious lions, I completely forget to take an image of the whole lamp post but you can see one on the BLB website.

Post box : a Penfold Victoria, Cheltenham

Little did I realise when I took this photo that my subject was one of only about 20 of the original 1866 Victorian Penfold post boxes still surviving the ravages of time and humans in Britain and that, amazingly, eight of those 20 can be found in Cheltenham.

 

The Penfold name is a nod to their designer John Wornham Penfold (1828-1909), whose rather fancy hexagonal post box, complete with decorative beading and acanthus leaves, replaced the original plain round post boxes that first came into use in the early 1860s.

Penfold's design, with only minor changes, continued to be used until 1879 when round boxes returned to fashion.

 

My photo shows the box in Lansdown Road; the others can be seen, and more information read in an article from the BBC news website 'Cheltenham's "rare"' Penfold post boxes', 20 July 2013.

Bandstand : Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham

I'm a big fan of bandstands (and there are various posts on here about those I've seen, for example Bandstands, July 2019; and Bandstands: Cardiff, August 2019), so I was delighted to spot this Victorian bandstand in Montpellier Gardens during my recent visit to Cheltenham. 

I was equally delighted to find that the history of the bandstand has been documented by the local history society, and a pdf of the original article, complete with excellent historic photographs, is available online ('Cheltenham's Bandstands' by Mike Kippin, Goucestershire History, no. 18, 2004, pp.11-16). Mike Kippin writes that

The present Montpellier bandstand was erected and first used in September 1864, which makes it the oldest bandstand in the British Isles that is still in use. There are two that are older; Birkenhead Park (1847) and Clapham Common (1861), but neither of these are used today. [Bear in mind that this was written in 2004 and may not now be accurate.]

Kippin also notes that 'The Coalbrookdale Company of Ironbridge made the wrought iron work' and that 'The base of the bandstand is quite deep and roomy and in Edwardian times the Cheltenham Archers who shot in the gardens used it as a store. During WWII it was home for the winch of a barrage balloon.'
 

In the early 1990s, the bandstand was in a state of disrepair and various suggestions were made – to move it, to convert it into a restaurant. Fortunately, the

Cheltenham Civic Society ... fortuitously stepped in and offered to organise its restoration. After a considerable amount of work, the late Sir Charles Irving M.P. officially reopened the bandstand on 20 August 1994.

The bandstand is still used for concerts during the summer months. It's just a shame I hadn't timed my visit to enjoy one!

Unwin's Fountain

Here's another magnificent fountain from my walk through Cheltenham's Sandford Park, not a former drinking fountain this time but a regular work of sculptural art, with winged cherubs sitting astride dolphin-like sea creatures below, open-winged swans encircling the water-filled bowl at the top, and, my personal favourites, mysterious water-spouting creatures in between. 

This from the park signboard: 

The cherub adorned Unwin's Fountain in front of you was erected as a memorial to Herbert Unwin by his children in 1925. Unwin, a Yorkshire businessman owned a coalmine, brewery, and newspaper. He bought Arle Court, Cheltenham, at an auction in 1904 and dedicated much of his time and resources to restoring the Victorian mansion.

 

The Whish Fountain

I'm in Cheltenham for a mini-break, my first time away since October 2019, before Covid, and I've spent this afternoon walking the streets, admiring the stunning Regency architecture, enjoying the tree-lined streets, and beautiful parks. I found this, the Whish Fountain, in Sandford Park. The signboard explained: 

The Whish Fountain is named after the three benevolent Whish sisters, Mary, Anne and Ellen. To commemorate their fifty years' residency in Cheltenham, the elderly sisters kindly commissioned and donated the drinking fountain as a gift to the people in 1891.

Carved out of Seaton stone, with a 22 foot high weather vane, the fountain was originally installed at Westal Green on the Lansdown Road in 1901. Due to road widening and redevelopment of that site, the fountain was later rehomed to Sandford Park in 1929, where it has remained a decorative feature without its fountain and vane. 

Another day, another bench

Ever get the feeling you're being watched?  But by a bench? I think this design is very clever.

A splendid bench

It's well past time I was active again on this blog so I've decided to post interesting things I notice on my wanders. These will mostly be phone photos so not the best quality but I hope my few remaining followers enjoy these snippets. 

Today's offering is the magnificent ironwork from a bench in a local park.