Yorkshire Sculpture Park Historic Landscape Management Plan. Volume I. July 2010

Transcription

1 Yorkshire Sculpture Park Historic Landscape Management Plan Volume I July 2010 T: enquiries@landscapeagency.co.uk

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3 Contents 3

4 Volume I Historic Landscape Management Plan Vision 1.0 Introduction Purpose of the Plan 1.2 Historic Landscape Management Plan Brief 1.3 Introduction 1.4 Methodology 2.0 Landscape Context Location and Extent of Parkland Plan 2.2 Designations and Local Planning Policy Context 2.3 Landscape Context 2.4 Landscape Character 2.5 Soil, Geology, Climate and Topography 2.6 Land Use and Current Management 3.0 Landscape History Introduction 3.2 Landscape History 3.3 Phases of Development 4.0 Understanding the Site Character Areas Country Park Yorkshire Sculpture Park Approach and Visitor Centre Sculpture Park Lakes Longside 4.2 Archaeology 4.3 Buildings and Built Features Introduction Condition Appraisal of Buildings and Built Features 4.4 Trees and Woodlands Introduction Report Limitations Tree Survey by Character Area 4

5 Contents 4.5 Ecology Results of the Desk Study Brief Character Area Descriptions Results of the Field Survey 4.6 Hydrology Introduction Main Watercourses Ditches The Main Water features Country Park Yorkshire Sculpture Park Approach and Visitor centre Sculpture Park Lakes Longside 4.7 Landscape Design Evaluation Landscape Evolution Views and Vistas Drives and Lodges 5 Assessment of Significance Statement of Significance 6 Analysis Parkland Evolution, Survival and Lost Features 6.2 Issues and Constraints Site Wide Landscape Vulnerabilities Site Specific Landscape Vulnerabilities Country Park Yorkshire Sculpture Park Approach and Visitor Centre Sculpture Park Lakes Longside Buildings and Built Features 5

6 6.2.4 Trees and Woodland Ecology 7 Management Aims and Objectives Development of a strategy to repair, restore and enhance the Yorkshire Sculpture Park Introduction Managment Aims and Objectives General Management Aims Monitoring and Review 8 Management Proposals Work programmes Country Park YSP Approach Sculpture Park Lakes Longside Volume II Appendices A B C D E Archive Images Bibliography and Sources Designation Information Tree Survey Ecology Table Drawings Landscape Masterplan Future Tree Planting Plan Buildings and Structures Location Plan Tree Survey Plans Phase 1 Habitat Plans 6

7 Vision 7

8 Yorkshire Sculpture is a registered charity and accredited museum and seeks to provide a centre of international, national and regional importance for the production, exhibition and appreciation of modern and contemporary sculpture and aims to: Offer artists from Britain and overseas the opportunity and resources to work in the galleries and historic landscape of Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Make art and the landscape accessible to the whole community, and to offer opportunities for people to engage with sculpture in a creative and meaningful way. Protect and enhance the historic landscape of the Bretton Estate as a space in which artists and visitors can explore, be inspired and enjoy art and nature. Make a positive contribution to the artistic, economic, social and overall quality of life of the whole community. Yorkshire Sculpture Park attracts over 250,000 visitors pa and over 40,000 school and education visits pa and works with the local and regional community in a wide range of on and off site projects as well as with national bodies such as the Arts Council on the development and delivery of national initiatives for the arts. 8

9 Introduction 9

10 1.1 Purpose of the Plan In December 1984 the pleasure grounds of the late C18 and early C19 and parkland of the C18 which provides the setting for the Grade II* Bretton Hall were registered as being of special historic interest on English Heritages Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest at Grade II. In 2009 the site was put on the English Heritage At Risk Register and was described as having a condition which was Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems, vulnerability Medium and trend Deteriorating. In September 2009 was commissioned by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Natural England to produce a Historic Landscape Management Plan with the specific aim of providing the management team with an understanding of the site in terms of historic development of the designed landscape, current condition and future management principles and policies to enable an improvement in the condition of the landscape and the removal of the site from the At Risk Register. 1.2 Historic Landscape Management Plan Brief The objective of this report is to provide a Historic Landscape Management Plan (HLMP) that will set out a framework for the conservation, restoration and enhancement of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The plan assesses the historical development of the designed landscape associated with Bretton Hall, its current condition in terms of vegetation and trees, hydrology, ecology, buildings and structures as well as access, views and ongoing management and maintenance. The vision for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is to restore and repair the significant historic structure of the designed landscape alongside a programme of renewal and enhancement of the landscape setting and to provide a setting accessible for all to enjoy the open air display of sculpture. This Historic Landscape Management Plan aims to: assess the historic, landscape, built structures and ecological elements of the landscape at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park; set out a programme of work required to achieve the restoration and enhancement objectives, which will enable English Heritage to remove the site from the At Risk Register. 10

11 1.0 Introduction set out a programme of management options which will be realized through Higher Level Stewardship. The document aims to be an informative and user-friendly plan setting out the historical, landscape, built structures and ecological aspects within the Registered Park and Garden Boundary at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The plan will analyse and prioritise features for restoration, set out opportunities for enhancement and also form a reference source to help planning and management decisions for the future. 1.3 Introduction The Yorkshire Sculpture Park comprises an area of 204 hectares and although there are numerous individual features which are of outstanding significance, their combination at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has led to a late C18 and early C19 designed landscape which is of high scenic and historic value. The origins of the land at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park can be traced back to the C14 and Bretton Hall is marked on a 1577 map by Saxton although the location of the Hall has moved since the C16, it has remained at the centre of a significant landscape despite a series of ownership and land use changes. The location of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park within the valley of the River Dearne presents a rich and diverse landscape which has provided a stunning backdrop for the open-air display of sculpture since The management of the landscape at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has historically been disjointed due to a number of different land holding interests and the landscape that we see today displays the characteristics of various management styles and approaches which have concentrated on the interests of the individual holding rather than a holistic approach to the Registered Park and Garden landscape. The management of the Bretton Hall site by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and subsequently University of Leeds has been primarily concerned with a land-use associated with college education rather than the preservation of the historic landscape. The division of the land between the College and University, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park has led to the planting of incongruous shelterbelt trees and more contemporary ornamental species which has led to a physical and visual dissection of the landscape. 11

12 1.4 Methodology The Historic Landscape Management Plan has been prepared in line with Natural England s advice on the preparation of Heritage Management Plans which has been adopted by English Heritage for the conservation of the historic environment. A detailed landscape history has been prepared by Camilla Beresford, Landscape Historian based upon a detailed review and assessment of the Bretton Estate Archive (BEA) at the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Records of the Royal Botanic Society of London at the City of Westminster Archive Centre, John Goodchild Collection at the Local History Study Centre, Wakefield, Country Life, Brotherton Special Collections at Leeds University, National Monuments Record, RHS Lindley Library, RIBA Drawings Collection, The Spencer Stanhope Muniments at the Sheffield City Archive and the West Yorkshire Archive Service in Wakefield. A condition survey of the site at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was undertaken in November and December 2009 by Jane Winter, Landscape Architect to identify the type and condition of the landscape features. A detailed ecological overview was completed in December 2009 and January 2010 by Claire Leather, Ecologist and is included within the Historic Landscape Management Plan at Appendix D. A review of the trees and woodland at the Yorkshire Sculpture park was carried out by Guy Morrison, Catherine Smith and Andrew Bowman Shaw of the Tree and Woodland Company from December 2009 to January A copy of this review is included at appendix C. The buildings and built structures which are found at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park were reviewed in terms of current condition and the contribution they make to the designed landscape. The buildings overview was carried out by Ian Smith, Chartered Building Surveyor and is included within the Historic Landscape Management Plan at Appendix B. An overview of the hydrology on site was completed between November 2009 and January 2010 by Graham Wilson, Incorporated Engineer to identify the type and condition of hydrological features across the site. The Hydrological report is included within the Historic Landscape Management Plan at Appendix E. The Historic Landscape Management Plan is divided into eight sections and is accompanied by a corresponding volume of appendices. Section two describes the Landscape Context within which the site at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park sits. Section three describes the landscape history of the site whilst Section four details the current condition, 12

13 looking in more detail at issues such as landscape features, arboriculture, ecology, built structures and hydrology. For ease of description and in order to make the plan more practical and easier to follow the site has been divided into character areas (See Figure 4.1). The five character areas are as follows: Character Area 1 Country Park Character Area 2 Yorkshire Sculpture Park Approach and Visitor Centre Character Area 3 Sculpture Park Character Area 4 Longside Character Area 5 Lakes Section five is the Statement of Significance for the site and sets out why the site at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is significant and how the landscape features make a contribution to the outstanding heritage interest of the designed landscape. Section six contains an analysis of the chronology of landscape features at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park along with the issues and constraints associated with the features. Section seven details management aims and objectives whilst Section eight details management proposals and work programmes. 13

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