Woodvale Park, Gate Piers, Gates and Railings, Woodvale Road, Belfast

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Four sandstone gate piers in Gothic revival style dated 1887 to designs by the English architect J. C. Bretland which form the main entrance to Woodvale Park facing onto the W side of Woodvale Road. The park is of irregular plan form with a further gateway to N, and two modern gates to E and S.

The main gateway fronting onto Woodvale Road consists of four identical gatepiers of regular-coursed sandstone: rock-faced red Corsehill sandstone with plain Giffnock sandstone quoins and dressings. Square section piers with engaged colonettes at each corner and moulded plinth course. Pyramidal stone pier caps have lancet gablets to each face and are topped by stone finials. The gate piers support the original wrought iron gates: a central double gate for vehicular entrance flanked by a narrower pedestrian entrance to each side. Twisted railings to gates with decorated top and bottom rail having flower motif and ball railing heads. The railings to Woodvale road are twisted with plain rectangular section top rail, flower motif and ball railing heads. Swan-neck dog-leg support to rectangular section standards topped with ball finials.

The N gateway, fronting onto Ballygomartin Road, consists of four identical gatepiers of ashlar Portland limestone and dating from c.1900. Square section piers, panelled to N and S faces with moulded plinth course and caps supporting the original iron gates: a central double gate for vehicular entrance flanked by a narrower pedestrian entrance to each side. Rectangular section railings on dwarf wall with saddle-back coping.

To the S, fronting onto Woodvale Avenue, is a modern double metal gate supported on metal posts. Plain rectangular section railings with curved railing heads on dwarf wall with moulded coping. To E, fronting onto Ballygomartin Road, is a pedestrian iron gate supported on square section cast iron posts.

The park is laid out mainly in grass and includes a number of facilities such as a playground, football pitches, bowling greens and pavilion, outdoor gym and community garden. A bandstand dating from c.1900 is located to the SE of the main gateway.

Setting:
The park is bounded by Ballygomartin Road to N, Woodvale Road to E and Woodvale Avenue to SE. Trees and hedges form the boundary to the neighbouring industrial estate to W. There is a two storey pitched roof brick built gate lodge to SE of the main gateway fronting onto Woodvale Avenue, thought to date from the late 1900s.

Materials:
Walling Sandstone to Main Gateway/ limestone to N gateway

Historical information

The four sandstone gate piers and railings at Woodvale Park were erected in 1887 most probably to a design by J. C. Bretland. In the early-19th century the Woodvale Road area was predominantly rural in character but the growth of the linen industry resulted in the urbanisation of the area. Clarke states that ‘there were bleachworks, beetling mills, bleach greens [and] at least ten bleaching complexes in the West Belfast area in the opening decades of the 19th century … the majority of these used the waters of the Farset and Forth’ (Clarke, p. viii-ix).

The industrialisation of the area resulted in the construction of rows of worker’s houses by the 1850s. By the mid-Victorian period the area had become a thriving residential suburb. Ormeau Park, Belfast’s first public park, had been established in 1871 under the Public Parks Act (1869) which required that towns of a certain size should establish public parks for the recreational use of its working classes. The laying out of Ormeau Park, as well as the smaller suburban Woodvale and Alexandra Parks, represented an important development in the social history of the city and demonstrates how the Corporation provided amenities for the health and benefit of Belfast’s working classes.

Woodvale Park was laid out in 1887. The minutes of the Belfast Parks Committee records that Belfast Corporation acquired the grounds of Woodville Park after successfully advertising for land in the north-west of the town in 1886. The second edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that park occupies all of the land that made up the grounds of Woodville House. In 1887 twenty four acres of land were purchased in fee from the Rev. Octavius Glover (the last occupant of Woodville) at a yearly cost of £217 13s 2d (Scott, pp 23-24; Register of Parks).

Woodvale Park was designed by Belfast’s city surveyor Josiah Corbett Bretland (1846-1921), an English architect who moved to Belfast in the 1867 to become assistant to the previous city surveyor who he succeeded in 1884. The Dictionary of Irish Architects note that ‘as city surveyor he was involved in major improvements to the city at a time of rapid expansion.’ Immediately prior to designing Woodvale Park Bretland had designed the Albert Bridge following the collapse of the previous structure and was also responsible for the laying out of Alexandra Park in c. 1887. Bretland was responsible for the layout of the park and most likely designed the Gothic Revival sandstone gate piers and the railings which were erected in 1887. The Belfast Park Committee minutes record that on 24th August 1887 the city surveyor ‘submitted sketch plans of the new park ... and reported that the entrance gates and the lengths of railing on the Shankill Road would cost about £400.’ The ordnance survey maps show that the current entrance to Woodvale Park is on the same location as the original entrance to Woodville House. The second edition map records that a gate lodge stood on the site in the 1850s but this was demolished in 1888 and a replacement lodge erected at the southeast corner of the park in the 1891 (Larmour, p. 52; DIA).

Dean described the entrance to Woodvale Park as ‘four excellent Gothic Revival carved stone pillars to carriage and wicket gates are a variation of those at Falls and Alexandra Parks. Nicely sculpted capitals to engage colonettes at the four corners of each. Proud poppy finials to gableted cappings.’ Dean described the c. 1890 gate lodge as ‘a square two-storey house in redbrick. Double gabled front elevation. Good brick specials form label mouldings and ornament the chimney stacks.’ The stone gate piers and the railings that enclosed the park were constructed at a cost of £295. Woodvale Park (which was originally going to be named Shankill Park) was scheduled to be opened on 18 August 1888 by the Mayor of Belfast and the Chairman of the Public Parks Committee. Scott states that a large crowd congregated outside the park’s gates for the opening ceremony but the Mayor and Chairman never turned up. The park was duly opened by a local councillor who cautioned the assembled crowd. In 1887 Alexandra Park had been closed soon after its opening due to excessive vandalism of the grounds. Woodvale Park was deemed too small for the number of locals who utilised it and in 1900 the public park was slightly enlarged by a quarter acre. Subsequent additions to the initially featureless park included a pond (located at the east side of the park but now filled in and replaced with a children’s playground), a greenhouse (1899) and a bandstand (Dean, p. 31; Scott). The limestone gate piers at the northern entrance to the park were most likely added in the late-Victorian or Edwardian period when the park was undergoing the alterations listed above.

Woodvale Park was listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that the sandstone gate piers were repaired in 2008-2009. The £350,000 restoration project included the cleaning of the original rails between the Woodvale and Ballygomartin Roads, the like-for-like replacement of sandstone that had been displaced or eroded from the gate piers and the replacement of the mortar between some of the sandstone blocks (NIEA HB Records). In 2013 Woodvale Park was reopened following a £2 million reorganisation of the grounds. The renovation of the park does not appear to have included any work to the gate piers and railings (Greater Shankill Partnership).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1858
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1901-02
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1931
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1938
5. PRONI LA/7/11/AA/1 – Minute Book of the Parks Committee (1872-1893)
6. Belfast Street Directories (1880-1943)
7. First Survey Record – HB26/38/002 (No Date)
8. NIEA HB Records – HB26/38/002

Secondary Sources
1. ‘Register of parks, gardens and demesnes of special historic interest’ Belfast: Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
2. Clarke, R. S. J., ‘Gravestone Inscriptions: Belfast Vol. 1’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1982.
3. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1987.
4. Scott, R., ‘A breath of fresh air: The story of Belfast’s parks’ Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2000.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie
2. Greater Shankill Partnership –
http://greatershankillpartnership.org/news-blogs/news-articles/255-woodvale-park-opening-2013.html
3. Belfast City Council: Woodvale Park –
http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/leisure/parks-openspaces/Park-6885.aspx

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Woodvale park is a typical Victorian park with a bandstand and landscaped flower and shrub beds on either side of the park’s main avenue.
The ornamental Gothic Revival gateway dates from 1887 to designs by the English architect J. C. Bretland. The four identical posts are prominently situated and mark the main entrance to Woodvale Park facing onto the W side of Woodvale Road. A second limestone gateway to N, on Ballygomartin Road, and two gates to E and S. Although the park has been upgraded in recent years it still retains its historical layout, and the well detailed gates and railings remain as an important part of the area’s history.

General comments

Record was renumbered from HB26/38/002.