Litte Hedgemead Park may have to play second fiddle to its more famous city recreational grounds like Royal Victoria or Parade Gardens but – today – it was under the spotllight as a little of its former glory returned in the shape of a golden eagle.
It wasn’t that colour when it was taken down – some time ago – from the top of a cast iron Victorian ornamental drinking fountain and sent to Bath-based Ironart for restoration and guilding.
While it was absent, the newly-formed Friends of Hedgemead Park – with financial help from Bath’s World Heritage Enhancement Fund – got down to the business of cleaning and restoring the iconic structure.
Today, the Mayor of Bath, Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones, was on hand to do a bit of branch clearance before the eagle was winched back into place. The park is in his Lansdown Ward and he is also a founder member of the Camden Residents Association.
Also on hand to watch things was Ainslie Ensom – who is the Administrator for the World Heritage Enhancement Fund – and the man who l was able to have a chat with – Nigel Pollard. He was one of the ‘Friends” who did so much of the work on the fountain and very happy to see the eagle return.
If you enter the park from the bottom – Lndon Road side – you will pass through some amazing ornamental iron gates. They could be next for restoration – if funds can be found l am sure.
They also bear a notice which explains how this little gem of a park came into being. Not so much an afterthought as an after-landslip solution to unstable earth.
