Hillside Gardens Shelter

Location

To the south side of Hillside, about 150 m east of junction with Bishopswood Road.

History

When Hillside garden shelter was built in 1929 this was the highest point on the Prestatyn to Gwaenysgor road readily reached by motor transport, and provided a fine view over Prestatyn and the north Welsh coast. Taking full advantage of this viewpoint a shelter was constructed at the expense of a local benefactor, J F King of Stoneby, and presented to the town of Prestatyn on the 6th of December. The structure is an innovative early use of concrete, probably combining precast and cast in situ elements. The contractors were Whiteley Brothers of Wrexham.

Tree-planting work in the vicinity had commenced in 1924, though most of the work to convert the surrounding quarry-land into a terraced garden took place in the 1930s as unemployment relief.

Exterior

A viewing platform in the form of two terraces, the larger upper one concave at the front and the lower one convex. The upper terrace projects to provide a sheltered area to the rear of the lower one for use in inclement weather. The shelter is in five bays between concrete pillars and with large steel windows at each side.

Both terraces have at front a balustrade consisting of square concrete balusters, with a broad concrete rail at top, and divided into bays by concrete piers. The lower terrace has three bays of balustrading at front, the upper has five bays at front corresponding to the pillars beneath and with return bays to the sides and rear.

Reason for designation

An unusual and innovative concrete garden structure, the centrepiece of a public garden marking the continued development of Prestatyn as a resort in the early C20.