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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Avebury » Developments at Avebury |
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jackyboy 145 posts |
Feb 21, 2011, 18:02
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tjj wrote: nix wrote: Gosh Well the first house to be sold has been bought by two close friends of ours - a primary teacher and a writer, both long term Avebury lovers. Be nice to the, if you meet them - whatever you think of the development - I am sure they never realised what a hornets nest they were getting into. As for me I thought the garage awful and given a few seasons I am sure the newness of these houses will mellow. I wish your friends well in their new homes - there is a community in Avebury which I'm sure they'll get to know, shame no village school anymore though. I was a regular attendee at the Avebury Open Mic (in the village hall) over the last 2 years which was a great way of bringing local people together. The couple who organised it have now moved away but no reason why your friends couldn't get involved - local musicians turned up regularly as did some musicians who liked it so much they drove down regularly from London to participate. PS: I hasten to add I don't live in Avebury myself. Nor do I. I love Avebury but I wouldn't like to live there. Like a fishbowl with all the people coming and going. Absolutely nothing to be ashamed of though.
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 06:03
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...I thought the garage awful... It is true that Bonds Garage (formerly Rawlin’s Garage) had been looking very run down long before its demolition, and the white vans parked outside were hardly an attractive sight as you entered Avebury from the north, but all that was because of neglect, not of the intrinsic attractiveness of the building itself (or what it could have been turned into with a little creative thinking). The garage was an Art Deco building commissioned by Alexander Keiller in the 1930s. It really did have a certain charm about it, and on closer inspection you could see the ‘Egyptian’ Art Deco elements incorporated into its façade. It’s to late now of course, it’s gone, but a couple of suggestions on how it could have been used can be found here and here.
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nix 201 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 07:18
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How 'Wiltshire' was that?! Littlestone wrote: ...I thought the garage awful... you could see the ‘Egyptian’ Art Deco elements incorporated into its façade.
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 08:10
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nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! Dangerous to impose Wiltshireness as a criterion else the wrecking ball will be busy. Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Feb 22, 2011, 10:10
Feb 22, 2011, 10:09
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nigelswift wrote: nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! Dangerous to impose Wiltshireness as a criterion else the wrecking ball will be busy. Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history. I agree with you NS, though forgive me for being a little confused - wasn't that the very argument someone else used against the clapboard effect of a couple of the houses (most probably employed to ameliorate their impact). The old village of Avebury and the Red Lion, with its sarsen stone forecourt are now part of Avebury's evolvement through history. No-one has mentioned the little chapel which stands inside the circle and is now used as a Tourist Information Centre. With many of the TIC's closing down, I wonder what the future holds for that building ...
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Edited Feb 22, 2011, 10:26
Feb 22, 2011, 10:22
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nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! I don’t know, I don’t know how many Art Deco buildings there are in Wiltshire; sadly, though, there is now one less. Further more, as Nigel so accurately says, “Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history”. The point here is the Art Deco building which was Bonds Garage; a building of such uniqueness and one with such strong links to Keiller, should surely have been saved not bulldozed and replaced with five new houses so close to the World Heritage Site.
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Sanctuary 4670 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 10:28
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Littlestone wrote: nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! I don’t know, I don’t know how many Art Deco buildings there are in Wiltshire; sadly, though, there is now one less. Further more, as Nigel so accurately says, “Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history”. But surely, the Art Deco building which was Bonds Garage, was of such uniqueness, and with such strong links to Keiller, iit should have been saved not bulldozed and replaced with five new houses so close to the World Heritage Site. Sadly the developer didn't see it that way LS and I don't suppose anyone came forward to tempt him otherwise financially.
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 10:44
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Sadly the developer didn't see it that way LS and I don't suppose anyone came forward to tempt him otherwise financially. Sad indeed, even sadder if the mobile home site (at the back of the new development) goes the same way. It won’t then be five new houses on the doorstep of the Avebury WHS it’ll be more like 50.
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jackyboy 145 posts |
Edited Feb 22, 2011, 11:14
Feb 22, 2011, 11:13
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Sanctuary wrote: Littlestone wrote: nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! I don’t know, I don’t know how many Art Deco buildings there are in Wiltshire; sadly, though, there is now one less. Further more, as Nigel so accurately says, “Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history”. But surely, the Art Deco building which was Bonds Garage, was of such uniqueness, and with such strong links to Keiller, iit should have been saved not bulldozed and replaced with five new houses so close to the World Heritage Site. Sadly the developer didn't see it that way LS and I don't suppose anyone came forward to tempt him otherwise financially. I sure that NT had the opportunity to purchase. They didn't have the resources at the time or maybe the inclination. but had they managed to get their hands on it and developed it. Wouldn't the argument be the same as the Toilet Cafe. They already have too much control of the ability to earn money from Avebury.
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VBB 558 posts |
Feb 22, 2011, 16:08
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jackyboy wrote: Sanctuary wrote: Littlestone wrote: nix wrote: How 'Wiltshire' was that?! I don’t know, I don’t know how many Art Deco buildings there are in Wiltshire; sadly, though, there is now one less. Further more, as Nigel so accurately says, “Art Deco represented a period, not a county and the garage represented a pivotal period in Avebury's history”. But surely, the Art Deco building which was Bonds Garage, was of such uniqueness, and with such strong links to Keiller, iit should have been saved not bulldozed and replaced with five new houses so close to the World Heritage Site. Sadly the developer didn't see it that way LS and I don't suppose anyone came forward to tempt him otherwise financially. I sure that NT had the opportunity to purchase. They didn't have the resources at the time or maybe the inclination. but had they managed to get their hands on it and developed it. Wouldn't the argument be the same as the Toilet Cafe. They already have too much control of the ability to earn money from Avebury. That isn't an unreasonable thought at all, and you are quite right the NT did have the opportunity to purchase, and more than once. That the NT were invited to step in and egged on confirms how desperate some locals and others were to do something about the building which was in a very poor state of repair in the end. Rather the NT than ruin and demolition, but with the NT not interested and the building not being listed there was nothing to prevent demolition and redevelopment. Listed status wasn't investigated earlier as it was still hoped the NT would step in and it was thought listed status might put them off as the building wasn't that easy to convert (which is why the book shop gallery plan fell through and the studio hostel plan was a non starter). The cafe now suggested is a good idea and I think could have worked but again that probably couldn't have gone ahead had listed status been in place. When it became clear the NT really weren't going to do anything as the building was offered very cheaply and snubbed, there was an all too late to investigate listed status. There it is. Incidentally, whilst the building certainly was unique, there is no proven connection with Keiller other than him having bought and swapped the plot for the land inside the henge on which Mr Rawlins had ran his previous garage. There is no mention of the building in Keiller's diaries and no other information about it in what is a pretty comprehensive archive. Family and others in the locale say the design was by John Rawlins, who undoubtedly had the ability, and that it was influenced by his colonial and military service abroad. Had there been a Keiller connection it wouldn't have served in any event, lest through it the NT would be encouraged to do something about buying it. Having said the above I do wonder whether there might be some missing Keiller connection despite the apparent lack of evidence to support it. Not exactly a ringer but the single story museum building Keiller proposed to be built at Stonehenge Bottom is vaguely reminiscent of the Rawlins Road House. Whatever, it was a huge loss, but that isn't the end of the story and it will eventually dawn that this was just one of four decisions by planners ignoring strong opposition by eminent conservation groups on behalf of Avebury in the last three years. The WHS is supposed to take priority and one wonders what on earth is going on?
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