It’s good to be square.

Richard Wyatt

What’s missing in the ‘square’ below?

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

15 Comments

  1. A bench or many would be a good idea and a nice decorative tree. A tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera it has yellow attractive flowers in spring, large leaves for shade in the summer which turn a wonderful colour.

    Love your blog, I keep hoping to come across you at an event or cycling.

  6. I met a young woman in the second square whose main job was to remove the chewing gum from the underside of the cafe tables. Aren’t people disgusting?

  7. To be pedantic, the 2nd picture is of Saw Close, so not technically a square. I can only think of 4 named Bath squares: Kingsmead (1st picture); Queen; St James’s; and Beauford. But are there any more?

  10. Larkhall Square only officially got its name about 15 years ago, after the Council gave in and agreed to use the name by which it was known to local people.

  11. The square opposite the theatre is crying out for trees and greenery. This will be good for wildlife, cooling temperatures, air quality, somewhere for people to sit and relax in the shade, and to soften the look of all of the hard landscaping and buildings. This would also keep trees etc in a green corridor from Kingsmead Square to Queens Square and then the Circus, all with beautiful trees in them. For a city shouting its green credentials opportunities like this should never be missed.

  12. From the original planning application:

    “An existing tree within the site would be removed and no replacement planting
    has been proposed. Consideration has been given to the appropriateness of
    having a tree as a focal point within the development. Bath has a number of
    successful spaces where a single tree provides relief within the townscape. In
    this case however there were limited locations that would have been
    appropriate within the site to locate the tree the best location being within the
    vicinity of the existing tree. However there were concerns with regard to the
    impact of any new tree in that location on retained archaeology like the pipe
    kilns which are of great significance. It was therefore a balance as to whether
    a tree should be incorporated and given the potential damage it was
    considered that planting on this occasion should not be incorporated.”

    Not sure that the developer tried that hard to include one, though!

  13. “It is disappointing that the proposal does not appear to incorporate any soft landscaping or greening of the external environment. There is an opportunity to enhance the quality of the environment in this location by provision of an element of planting with trees and green space, and this would contribute to the green infrastructure of the city as well as the well‐being of people who utilise and visit the space. Opportunities should be sought to address this.”
    B&NES Ecologist

    ” I cannot accept that a very important square in the heart of the city does not include a tree as the primary focal point. I set this out in my previous comments and the submitted scheme looks totally bare and unfinished without it. This is particularly important as a tree is being removed to facilitate the scheme.”
    B&NES Policy and Environment Group

    Objection: “The proposal results in the loss of one tree with no replacement planting or any soft landscaping proposed.”
    B&NES Arboricultural officer

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