New Design Concept for Cascade
Local landscape designer Nick Dexter of nd:design addressed the Friends of Queens Park AGM on Thursday, presenting his ideas for the redesign of the cascade area of the park.
Using some of the earlier work done by Tom Hardiment for the Queens Park Masterplan in 2014, Nick showed new, detailed designs and concepts to significantly enhance the experience for all visitors.
The design project was commissioned and paid for by The Friends of Queens Park. FQP chair Johnny Webb said: “Nick has worked for us at a highly favourable rate, and we are very pleased with his informed and professional vision for the park. We would be delighted to see his work put into practice.”
You can see Nick’s presentation here
“I live in Bakers Bottom, I’m a parent at St Luke’s, and as a regular user, I am passionate about the welfare of Queens Park,” said Nick.
“The cascade has long been out of action, it’s in a sorry state and it needs some love. My nine year old, who loves Queens Park, has never seen it run. The base needs to be relined, made water tight, because it is leaking extensively at the moment. We would need to make it functional, so we could think about pumping water around and getting it circulating. That is where the money will go – on getting it working again.
“My partner is from Germany where water-play parks – Wasserspielplätze – are all over the place. I think in this country people have become are too afraid of water. Rather we should consider it as a fun thing for people of all ages.
Nick also suggested extensive re-working and re-planting of the shrubbery in that area of the park, creating better sight lines on to the pond below. “At the moment there is an old bench looking at nothing.”
“How much will it cost? We should go out to tender. We now have enough information to get a proper pricing to move this forward.”
Nick studied Geology at the University of Manchester developing a passion for wild landscapes. After graduating he trained as a landscape designer at Plumpton College and has been in business for 20 years.
Between 2005 – 2013 he designed several show gardens at RHS Wisley, Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Show. Nicholas is a registered member of the Society of Garden Designers, on the Mid Sussex Design Review Panel and lectures at KLC and Plumpton. Outside work he is a keen marathon runner and proud dad.
Nd:design is presently helping BHCC with the new concepts for Madeira Arches and Hove Lagoon.