this article, first published in September 2013 has been updated
The vacant backlands of the old Empire Cinema are calling out for a sensitive regeneration, having remained derelict now for a number of years. It is a great shame that such a large amount of money was invested in assessing and preparing this and the neighbouring but unconnected Abbeylands site for social housing development, only to shelve the plans.
But perhaps it is no bad thing that there is now a prospect of some significant green space being retained right in the heart of Dunbar, instead of being built on or paved over. Too many backlands have been developed and where housing has been developed, social or otherwise, invariably little or no green space has been added. Plenty of car parking, but little green space and very few trees.
So what would it look like? More than just a formal garden, the public space would rejoin the old town wall and the High Street. It could combine an imaginative restoration of the the Monks Walk and 18C red sandstone town walls could reconnect the Friar’s Croft, Bleachingfield, and the Co-op lands with the High Street at the same time creating an local academy for lime pointing, desperately needs on so many of our old buildings and walls. The old closes are a rich and fascinating part of Dunbar’s heritage and in times past meant that the High Street was much more permeable and accessible on foot. We could make more of the closes. The closes and backlands are are fascinating in their own right giving us an insight into the chaotic, if sometimes inappropriate past development of Dunbar and should be capitalised on as a tourist attraction. In Edinburgh great play is made of the often dark history of poverty, overcrowding and disease. Provided of course that we deal with some of the decay and squalor that has persisted to this day, of which there is still some! There are also a few buildings in an around that would make excellent small workshops or business units or artists space, with a sympathetic refit (I believe these structures are very old).
But if we could develop a garden, what model would we chose? Community gardens actually come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small plots, school or hospital gardens, private (most allotments are) or open to the public. The scope of community gardens varies widely. Some provide fresh fruit and vegetables, others a sanctuary for wildlife, others still an outdoor classroom and safe public space that is well-maintained. Most likely they are run by a local management committee working on a voluntary basis, with involvement of the local great and the good. Community gardens can bring people and generations together, improving individual and community confidence (and this divided town surely needs some) and would to my mind help bring together the wide range of different people represented on our High Street, not just traders and barrow boys.
Locally there are already different models developing, the Belhaven NHS Garden comes to mind, but tenure here is short, which will constrain options, unlike Cockenzie House, owned by the community. But one garden in particular that has a long history and was reinstated in the 70s, is the very successful and popular space next to St Mary’s church Haddington, sometimes known as Lady Kitty’s Garden or St Mary’s Pleasance. This is technically a private garden, but managed for and open to the public. In more than one sense it is a community inspired garden as it is managed by volunteers and a committee of the great and the good. It has a long history as a garden, but it too went through a number of changes of use, before being restored to its former glory.
Why the Empire site? Most other sites are simply too small or in private ownership. Yes, some of the alternatives could become pocket parks, but the Empire site (and neighbouring garden) is also close and very accessible to the centre of gravity of the High Street. That alone would make an ideal focal point, just a minute away from the hustle and bustle, yet secluded from traffic. A quiet, contemplative and a very sunny space. The south westerly aspect is ideal and it would be overlooked by a number of neighbouring properties, so it is easy to imagine that residents would welcome the improvement.
Other locations might be possible, including Abbeylands – and this could be a future extension, but this is not quite as central and may be difficult to connect with Friar’s Croft. But Abbeylands, now a temporary car parking cage 1 should probably be sold for private development, as it nestling in a quiet and more exclusive residential part of the town 2. The Empire site by contrast is much less suitable for built development than the original plan developers considered, given problems with access and the lack of parking which among other factors conspired to make this development less attractive. It is doubtful whether it would be appropriate for a significant retail (Do we really need more retail? No just much better quality.) or other such development, without entailing excessive costs. there is a serious danger of creating an unbearable and unattractive place for residents and reducing the likelihood of private residential investors, and driving out the existing.
My vision would combine elements of a formal garden such s Lady Kitty’s (St Mary’s Pleasance or Dunbar’s Close in Edinburgh, which was designed by Patrick Geddes), with space for a cottage garden area, a herb garden and certainly trees too. Given the location we should look at the possibilities of specialising in espaliered fruit, and even a small area under glass (but only if space allows – obviously being a public amenity space there would be no poly tunnels, black plastic or crop coverings, or ugly sheds – people live here, thanks!). And no climbing frames either. One one my favourite places, Cismigui Park in Bucharest, an entirely formal garden is a magnet for people of all ages. Even when it is packed with young people it is still peaceful, and there is nothing much to do except walk and talk.
It could combine the old and the new, provided this was really well designed / architect-led – without which this cannot be viewed as a viable long term endeavour. While primarily for residents, and importantly those that share a boundary, it would also be a local tourist attraction, like any of the aforementioned places, so it should certainly invite the curiosity of visitors and leave them wondering: “what if our town had a garden like this?”
How the space would work functionally would be dependent on developing some ideas, options and plans, but this would not be difficult with a design brief and a small budget. The possibilities are limited only by the space available and the imagination. It would be a resource that residents and the town would value highly and be genuinely proud of and want to care for. The garden would be open all year round, open 8:00am-6:00pm, and properly gated at night.
If space permitted (it is not a huge space), certain vegetables could be grown too, but mainly for demonstration / aesthetic purposes (e.g. in Dunbar’s Close, Edinburgh). There is no other central town site that would permit this range of possibilities. Could we make space for art? Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s garden, located in a most unpromising upland site in the Pentland Hills is a good example of an artist-led space, which is contemplative, intriguing and inspiring at the same time (see also below). Jupiter Artland is another. Both of these are on a slightly larger grander scale, but landscape designers and artist are eminently able to make the most of small spaces.
Importantly, Dunbar falls well short of East Lothian Council’s openspace standard (for quantity), when measured a few years ago. Dunbar had 58m2 of open space per household (using old 2001 census data), and I imagine this figure is now less than that, as the number of households has at least doubled. Affordable and good quality housing may be a priority, but how about development and creation of formal greenspaces that will form future Conservation Areas? Building into our townscape more greenspace, will improve the quality of all our lives at relatively low cost. Car parks don’t improve people’s lives.
I’m no fan of Victorian values, but there is one thing that the Victorians did spectacularly well, whether through philanthropy or public subscription, and that is public gardens.
Inspiration and options for a community garden.
