If this particular tree – tucked away in the Victoria Park entrance corner of Queen Square’s central garden – is one of your favourites, then go and take a last look at it soon.
That’s because it’s about to be felled. Sacrificed as part of the £100,00 worth of ‘improvements’ being carried out to the gardens in this historic urban space – designed by John Wood the Elder in 1728-36 – to try to breathe a bit of life back into it.
The money will pay for new entrances, seats, Boules pitches and re-turfing. There will be a new planting to make up for the felled tree. It is being cut down to allow more light into the top end of the enclosed space and improve visibility.
The garden will close on October 13th for six weeks while the work is carried out.
Long term there are plans for encouraging a real ‘Friends of Queen Square’ and talk of experimental temporary road closures to see if part of this square roundabout can be reclaimed for pedestrians.
Please clock on the image below to hear the Deputy Leader of B&NES, Cllr David Dixon talk about the work. He is the Cabinet member for Neighbourhoods.
I also asked him about the Sydney Gardens sink-hole and how that remnant of a Georgian pleasure garden is going to be affected next year by the electrification of the Great Western line which runs through it.
Apologies for me being carried away but the Queen Square closure and saying it would be out of action for ten weeks! It is only for six!
