Park Crescent, Worthing

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Park Crescent
Park Cresecent March 2009.JPG
Park Crescent looking east
General information
Architectural style Georgian
Town or city Worthing
Country England
Construction started1831
Completed1833
Design and construction
Architect Amon Henry Wilds

Park Crescent is an example of Georgian architecture in Worthing, England, designed in 1829 by Amon Henry Wilds, son of the architect Amon Wilds and constructed between 1831 and 1833. AH Wilds had previously worked on other large projects including the Kemp Town estate in nearby Brighton.

Georgian architecture set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, George III, and George IV—who reigned in continuous succession from August 1714 to June 1830. The style was revived in the late 19th century in the United States as Colonial Revival architecture and in the early 20th century in Great Britain as Neo-Georgian architecture; in both it is also called Georgian Revival architecture. In the United States the term "Georgian" is generally used to describe all buildings from the period, regardless of style; in Britain it is generally restricted to buildings that are "architectural in intention", and have stylistic characteristics that are typical of the period, though that covers a wide range.

Worthing Town & Borough in England

Worthing is a large seaside town in England, and district with borough status in West Sussex. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, 10 miles (16 km) west of Brighton, and 18 miles (29 km) east of the county town of Chichester. With an estimated population of 104,600 and an area of 12.5 square miles (32.37 km2) the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation, which makes it part of the 15th most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Since 2010 northern parts of the borough, including the Worthing Downland Estate, have formed part of the South Downs National Park. In April 2019, the Art Deco Worthing Pier was dubbed the best in Britain.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Contents

Arranged in a serpentine shape, the terrace overlooks thickly planted grounds of Amelia Park, in the manner of Bath. [1] It is built on a slight ridge close to what was in the 1830s the edge of the town by the boundary with the neighbouring parish of Heene and would have overlooked fields, with views extending to the parish churches of Tarring and Goring. There are two cottages ornés, originally called north and south Swiss Cottages, and now a hotel. It is likely that Wilds intended the 'alpine-style' cottages to be a discovery on walks into the woods of Amelia Park. [2] Park Crescent comprises 14 houses, each originally having three floors together with servants' quarters in the basement.

Serpentine shape

A serpentine shape is any of certain curved shapes of an object or design, which are suggestive of the shape of a snake. Serpentine shapes occur in architecture, in furniture, and in mathematics.

Bath, Somerset City in Somerset, England

Bath is the largest city in the county of Somerset, England, known for its Roman-built baths. In 2011, the population was 88,859. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Bristol. The city became a World Heritage site in 1987.

Heene village in United Kingdom

Heene is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It lies on the A259 road 0.6 miles (1 km) west of the town centre.

Background and significant

Initially planned to be given the name Royal Park Crescent, the Royal was dropped, perhaps when UK-wide recession stopped building in the 1830s. [3] It had originally been intended to extend the building further to the west [4] to line up with the Swiss cottages and take the terrace to 22 houses. [2]

Park Crescent has given its name to Crescent Road, which runs southwards to the sea. Richmond Road, which runs east-west close to Park Crescent, was formerly known as Park Lane or Park Crescent Lane until it was renamed after the 6th Duke of Richmond. [5]

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond British politician

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, and 1st Duke of Gordon,, styled Lord Settrington until 1819 and Earl of March between 1819 and 1860, was a British Conservative politician.

Close to Park Crescent lies the site of some Roman burials from the 4th century, identified by coins of Diocletian (reigned 284–305) and Constantine I (reigned 306–337) which were found with them. [6]

Diocletian Roman Emperor from 284 to 305

Diocletian, born Diocles, was a Roman emperor from 284 to 305. Born to a family of low status in Dalmatia, Diocletian rose through the ranks of the military to become Roman cavalry commander to the Emperor Carus. After the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian on campaign in Persia, Diocletian was proclaimed emperor. The title was also claimed by Carus' surviving son, Carinus, but Diocletian defeated him in the Battle of the Margus.

The building was given grade II* listed building status in 1949. [7]

Listed building Protected historic structure in the United Kingdom

A listed building, or listed structure, is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland.

Triumphal arch

The triumphal arch at Park Crescent Park Crescent triumphal arch March 2009.JPG
The triumphal arch at Park Crescent

Park Crescent is reached through a triumphal arch. The main archway, designed for carriages, contains the busts of four bearded men as atlantes. The two side arches, designed for pedestrians, each contain the busts of four young ladies as caryatids.

The busts were originally supplied by William Croggan of London, the cousin and successor to Eleanor Coade of the famous Coade Stone factory in Lambeth. They are not actually stone but are cast from moulds, using the special formula and process that Eleanor Coade perfected over her years as the working owner of Coade stone. Examples her architectural adornments can be found at key landmarks throughout the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor castle.[ citation needed ]

Notable residents

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References

  1. Nairn, Ian and Pevsner, Nikolaus(1965), "Sussex: Buildings of England" ISBN   0-14-071028-0
  2. 1 2 Conservation area appraisal by Worthing planners Archived October 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2009-03-29
  3. Worthing Herald report with historic photographs Retrieved 2009-03-29
  4. "Historical Buildings". Visitworthing.co.uk. 2017-01-05. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28.
  5. Elleray, D Robert (1998), Millennium Encyclopaedia of Worthing History E300195311
  6. Bickerton, LM (1963) "Worthing: a Brief Account of the History of the Town from Neolithic Times to the Present Day"
  7. Listed buildings register Archived October 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Titanic People family history website Retrieved 2009-03-29

Coordinates: 50°48′51″N0°22′43″W / 50.81417°N 0.37861°W / 50.81417; -0.37861