Entrance reopens at Margaret’s Hill

Back in October 2021, the park’s entrance at Margaret’s Hill was closed when a large Holm Oak tree toppled over and badly damaged the stone pillar supporting one of the gates. This rendered the entrance unsafe, which meant it had to be sealed off.

As the gate is a listed structure, it became apparent that the restoration would take a long time to happen. However, the Friends and several park users made impassioned pleas to the Council to have the entrance reopened somehow. This they agreed to do.

So, yesterday, we were very pleased to see the Council’s contractors on site as they craned off the damaged stone pillar, removed the iron gates, and then pulled back the barriers to reopen the entrance. Hallelujah! The result is not exactly pretty but this important entrance can, at last, be used by visitors approaching from Walcot Parade and London Street. Many thanks to the Parks Department and their colleagues in Property Services, and to Councillor Richard Samuel for making this happen!

Meanwhile, the repairs to the gate and to the park railings in Margaret’s Hill are likely to take several months. So, the unsightly barriers will remain a ‘feature’ for some time to come.