I have recently joined a crowd of ex-HTV West people who get together for a pub lunch every so often in Bristol.
You may be pleased to hear that the legend that is Bruce Hockin ( Uncle Bruce to me) is still going strong and in good spirits.
You may have bumped into him at Dyrham Park, where he does his turn welcoming people to that beautiful National Trust property.
Those of us living here in Bath – basically Terry James and I – are eternally grateful to Mr Bob Constantine (ITV West Country’s former political correspondent) for a lift to the event.
Living, as he does, in the Combe Down area of our city, he was bending my ear about that stone column at the top of Ralph Allen Drive that was damaged by a lorry many years ago.
Why hasn’t it been restored yet? He asked me.
On our return to the city, he sent me these pictures of that stone pillar and l have to say l do get his point.
Making a few inquiries l have determined that it is the responsibility of B&NES to put things right. So l have sent emails to both the local ward councillors to see what more they can tell me of any restoration plans.
So far, I have heard back from Councillor Onkar Saini ( more on that in a minute) but I have also had a response from the Combe Down Heritage Society.
Val Lyon, who is Deputy Chair, told me:
“We, at Combe Down Heritage, have also been pestering B&NES on this one. The two posts are Grade II listed and mark the top of Ralph Allen Drive, down which Ralph Allen’s trucks on wooden rails transported the quarried stone down to Widcombe for onward transport to Bath, Bristol, London and elsewhere.
The vehicle that did the damage five years ago was photographed at the scene by a former councillor, with the pictures showing the logo on the truck and its number plate. This was shared with the council. B&NES, one would have thought, might pursue an insurance claim, but nothing happened.
I inspected the orb and upper plinth in storage on the council site on Entry Hill last year. It was already showing some additional damage, probably caused by vehicles moving other materials around the site. The council recently sold this plot to Cross Engineering, though it seems no development has yet started.
This ‘original accident’ occurred because heavy vehicles coming up Ralph Allen Drive and attempting to make a left turn towards Claverton are unable to navigate the turn because of the pedestrian island outside Manning Funeral Service.
More than once, a truck has made the turn by using the far right-hand lane, forcing other traffic to halt. One might argue that such vehicles should be banned from using the Drive altogether, but with Prior Park Garden Centre, the Honda Garage and Prior Park school all needing various large vehicles, they will always be part of the scenery.
No one in the council seems to be in a position to make a decision on the value of Georgian Heritage in the context of contemporary pedestrian road usage.
How about a zebra crossing instead of an island? There must be a better solution than the ugly wrap that disfigures the site as it enters its sixth year since the event.”
I am sending this whole feature to the Press Office at B&NES, and let’s see if we can get something positive back to move this whole thing forward.
Later today, I received an email from Combe Down Ward Cllr Onkar Saini . Here is what he had to say:
“Thank you for reaching out this morning regarding the damaged gate column at the entrance to Ralph Allen Drive and the potential zebra crossing. I appreciate your concern and the active role you play in our community.
I have taken this up with our team in the council to get the latest update on the matter this afternoon, and am awaiting a response.
We have been in touch with several residents over the past few months regarding this issue and have been responding proactively. Please be assured that we are committed to finding a resolution and will keep you informed of any developments.”
Will look forward to receiving that update.
Meanwhile, Sylvia Sinclair writes: “This isn’t the only historic pillar in Bath that has been damaged by lorries and not replaced/repaired by the Council.
The original stone pillars at the Weston Road entrance of Royal Victoria Park Middle Common, a matching pair (and matching the pair opposite at the entrance to the High Common), have also been damaged by lorries in recent years. One is completely missing and has been since early 2021.
My neighbour, Julian Matthews (copied in) and I have emails with the Council dating back to early 2021 regarding the pillars, which started with the first pillar being knocked down (and is now somewhere in storage apparently) by a lorry setting up for Pub in the Park.
Despite numerous emails and responses from the Council (from both officers, ward councillors, cabinet members and also one from the Leader of the Council), this pillar has never been reinstated.
On 14th March of this year, the second pillar at the same entrance was knocked down by a lorry accessing RVP for the Bath Half set up and severely damaged (see article below).
As you are no doubt aware, Royal Victoria Park is a Grade 1 listed park. The stone pillars that form the Weston Road entrance are part of the design of this park. Despite this, and with more and more events being held on the middle common (Oktoberfest/Bath Half/Easter Fair, etc), there seems to be no plan to find an alternative entrance point for large lorries setting up events. I am sure you will agree that it is the lorries that need removing and not the pillars!
