All posts in the topic Warneford Lane: new wall repair and same old water (Short link)
Summary
- There are 6 posts — by 3 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Stephanie Jenkins at Dec 23 16:48 UTC
| From | File | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Jenkins | wall.jpg | 2008 May 26 17:05 UTC |
| Stephanie Jenkins | warneford_lane.jpg | 2008 Jun 07 17:08 UTC |
I was quite shocked today to see a repair that must have been done fairly
recently to the wall of the Warneford Hospital near the junction of Warneford
Lane and Divinity Road. Breeze blocks have been inserted near the base of the
old stone wall, and it looks absolutely dreadful. I thought this wall was
listed (as well, presumably, as listing). Is this kind of ugly work allowed on
a listed structure? Or is it only a temporary repair?
Less shocking was the lake in the road. That is always there, and at least it
goes away again when the rain stops. But it is not much fun if you are cycling
through it and a car drives past you quickly.
The attached picture shows both the problems.
The following file was added to this topic:
Down at the other end of the wall there's a doorway that's been blocked with
breezeblocks for years - they clearly don't give a stuff about what it looks
like.
I suppose they are saving money so that they can send the Chief Executive and a
team of her well paid mates off to the Warneford Meadow enquiry for days at a
time.
Someone has pointed out to me that the new blocks in the wall may be
reconstituted stone, rather than breeze blocks.
Either way, they still look horrible. There is no attempt to match the
existing stones: they are quite the wrong colour and are flat with no texture.
They stick out like a sore thumb.
It's not a coincidence, of course, that the wall has to be repaired at the
exact place where the lake is. To buildings, water is very corrosive stuff,
especially on North-facing walls which have less chance to dry out. So the
torrential spray that vehicles splash against the Warneford wall lands our
Mental Health Trust with a big repair bill. And it leaves an unsightly row of
pseudo-stone for years to come. Half a day fixing the drainage would save
several man-days rebuilding the wall - but then that's out of someone else's
budget, even though it's the same tax- and rate-payers who ultimately shell out
for it.
I'm going to see what happens if I tell the official County "We'll Fix-It"
webpage
(www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/doitonline/reportitonline/forms
). Has anyone used this? Does anything get done or is it a
(perfectly-drained) black hole?
There seems to have been a problem with water collecting here since at least
Edwardian times. I was reading the newly published "Changing Faces of
Headington", Book 3, and on page 18 there is a postcard showing mud so thick on
this stretch of Warneford Lane that people could park their bicycles in it.
I have obtained permission from the author, Marilyn Yurdan, to scan the picture
and to post it on the forum: see attached.
I have written to a City Conservation Officer about the nearby wall repair.
The following file was added to this topic:
It has taken seven months, but I have had just had a reply from the City
Conservation Officer. She says that the repairs to the Warneford boundary wall
have been made with natural stone, and that it always looks stark from the
outset, but should weather down.
That is a relief. I suspect that it is less shocking already, because I
haven't noticed it recently.
One thing did surprise me, however: she said that although there are a number
of listed buildings on the Warneford site, the wall itself has not been
included as a listed item. Shouldn't it be? (The wall of Bury Knowle Park and
the JR along Osler Road are both listed, for example.)
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