Bridge Lane gates, 2017

Long ago, way back in the mists of time — 2004 — I took a photo of some rusty old gates on Bridge Lane, the last photo on a fairly long wander through town. I don’t think the photo appeared in one of my York Walks pages on York Stories at the time, but many years on I got around to posting a page on the gates and gateposts, still there then, still rusting: Walker foundry relic on ‘Asylum Lane’ (2012).

Since then, very recently, they’ve been restored, so a revisit seems appropriate. I also have some queries about the land behind them.

But first, these gates.

In August 2004 they looked like this:

Bridge Lane gates, August 2004

In November 2012, like this:

Bridge Lane gates, Nov 2012

And now, in 2017, like this:

Bridge Lane gates, 2017

As previously mentioned, in a walk along Bridge Lane back in October, I’d noticed their removal and some helpful signs put up by York Civic Trust explaining that they were being restored and would be put back in due course.

It’s more obvious now they’re restored and repainted that the gateposts don’t match — they’re different designs if you look at the details of the scrolls and the flowers in the photos above. There’s probably a story behind this, but I don’t know what it is. Normally, with a pair of gateposts, you’d expect them to match one another.

More obvious is the change of colour. Personally I find the colour very pleasing, and think it makes sense to draw attention to the restoration by choosing something other than the more usual black.

Also interesting are the maker’s plates, which I hadn’t noticed before. They’re now clearly visible on the gates between the columns of the gateposts, but they don’t say ‘Walker':

Nick Beilby, York Civic Trust’s Project Manager, confirmed that they were there before:

The gates were cast by Hawley’s who were brass founders on Walmgate, close neighbours of Walkers. It is likely that they carried out the work on a sub contract basis to Walkers. The ‘Hawley’ plates were found when we blast cleaned the ironwork.

The ironwork was restored by Barker and Patterson (Hull).

Leading to … playing fields, and ridge and furrow?

The gates don’t open now, but let’s imagine we’re pushing them open onto the land behind, before it was built on, when it was fields, and later, playing fields.

The land behind the gates is now occupied by the city’s hospital, and has been since the mid 1970s. But as previously mentioned on the earlier page these fine gates used to lead to playing fields, and two comments on previous pages, from Stephen and David, shared memories of this area at those times, which many other readers will remember:

At this time [late 1960s] there was a mature hedge on the opposite side of the lane to the wall, and beyond this a large expanse of grassland where the hospital now stands. I used to play football there with friends, and also remember York City would use it for training. I also remember watching a school rugby game adjacent to Wiggington Road between my school Lowfields, and Park Grove, who used the area as playing fields. There was a rudimentary changing hut next to the ornate gates mentioned in your article. I seem to remember it was oval in shape, and built of Asbestos sheets, rather like the garages of the forties and fifties.
– David Bower

A map available on old-maps.co.uk, dating from 1937, suggests that at that time the large area of land here was divided into several distinct areas of playing fields, with a smaller school sports ground to the right of these gates, a larger sports ground on what is now the southern part of the hospital grounds, and a separate cricket pitch to the northern area. This would be from around the time Stephen remembers it, I think.

A 1961 map (from nearer the time David describes) shows the school sports ground apparently absorbed into the main sports ground, with a small area marked as ‘playground’. There’s still the cricket ground to the north, and a bowling green and tennis courts also marked in this area. There’s also the rugby ground to the east (since relocated, site filled with housing), and the York City ground (still there) to the west.

Quite the ‘Sports Quarter’ back then, apparently.

But I’ve also read, in several reliable sources, that remnants of ridge and furrow were visible on this particular piece of land, into the 20th century. Bridge Lane was formerly known as Asylum Lane:

Formerly in Clifton, the largest surviving block of broad ridges within the city is on playing fields N. of Asylum Lane (around 60205300) measuring at least 300 by 200 yds. This clay area, at one time Laithe Close, has slightly sinuous ridges, 30 ft. wide and 1 ft. high. One parcel of ridges is aligned E.N.E. and another N.W.
– (source)

I’m wondering how that fitted with playing fields, which are traditionally flat. Presumably by the 20th century it was just a few bits around the edges, or perhaps football players had to battle with balls falling into furrows?

More information

Historic Environment Record, a fascinating resource, local historic features mapped and described. This link may work to take you to the relevant point (though you’ll need to zoom in). The brown lines denote the ridge and furrow. Clicking on the relevant area takes you to the Heritage Gateway pages: see this link and also this link which includes the brief explanation ‘Ridge and furrow seen as earthworks on 1936 air photographs’.

. . . . .

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Bridge Lane view

We all have routes we travel often. Here’s one of mine. Bridge Lane. Narrow and accessible only on foot or by bike. Pleasant because of that. Generally taken for granted. It takes you from the footbridge over the Scarborough railway line to Wigginton Road, to the junction where that road and Haxby Road meet. It’s part of a well-used thoroughfare, and an ancient one, centuries old, previously known as Asylum Lane, as mentioned before on these pages.

On one side, modern railings, on the boundary of the city’s hospital, which some of us still call ‘the district’ hospital. There’s quite a bit of repainting going on here, of the railings, perhaps connected to some work further along, which we’ll get to in a minute.

On the other side, a fine red-brick wall, much more aesthetically pleasing, and much older. Taken for granted, it’s just a wall. But other mellow old walls in other ancient lanes have disappeared, been demolished, making the old lanes less lane-like, with historic boundaries demolished in favour of modern fencing. Cinder Lane behind the station is an example that springs to mind, another is the snicket between Heworth Green and Layerthorpe, where most of the handsome old gasworks wall has been demolished, and the rest of it looks likely to follow.

Growing out of the bottom of this fine old wall on Bridge Lane is a developing buddleia forest, undermining it perhaps, with tenacious roots.

Bridge Lane buddleia, Sept 2016

I noticed these a couple of years ago when they were small, and now wish I’d just pulled them out. But at that particular time I had more important things on my mind, and no spare energy to care. And I suppose I thought the council staff would come along with their weedkilling spray, as they always did. I was never a fan of the indiscriminate weedkilling spray, which killed harmless and often rather beautiful annual wildflowers, but buddleia is a different kind of beast, a tough and resilient shrub. Bit hard to pull it up now.

Bridge Lane buddleia (2), Sept 2016

The Bridge Lane buddleias appear to have taken root under the previous administration, which seemed to be more focused on ‘visions’ and big projects, and there were complaints that it forgot about many of the things most of us thought we paid our council tax for. I’m glad that councils in general now tend to have a gentler approach to harmless (beneficial) wildflowers, and don’t go mindlessly mowing down cow parsley, but someone from the appropriate department should perhaps have a look at this wall. Maybe we need a Scrutiny Review Task Group to look at buddleia forests, like the one they had for geese.

A little further along, interrupting the line of the wall, is a back entrance to our other important hospital, Bootham Park, lined up opposite a side entrance of the ‘district’. I’ve only recently appreciated the stone ball on the top of that gate pillar. The other one seems to be missing. Further along, at another entrance, the words ‘Bootham Park Hospital’ rust and fall off decaying double gates.

Bridge Lane entrance to Bootham Park Hospital

The obvious deterioration in the condition of all the boundaries of Bootham Park should perhaps have alerted us all to the fact that NHS Property Services hadn’t managed to find the resources to maintain this ‘heritage asset’, or make essential repairs and improvements to the interior of the buildings within its boundaries, resulting in the closure of the hospital itself, a year ago. But the railings on the other side of the lane have been painted. Something I imagine no one cared much about. Funny world isn’t it. A load of wasted resources, and people looking in the wrong direction.

A bit further along there’s another opening in the wall on the right. As mentioned before, this gives a new and pleasing view across an area that was until recent years covered with buildings, 1970s built, functional. Their clearance and the reseeding of top soil laid here around retained trees provides a green open space and a view of the Minster.

From Bridge Lane, view across Bootham Park to the Minster

Much is made of views of the Minster from the approach roads to the city, and views within the walls are also prized. But out in the suburbs beyond the walls we also love our views of the Minster, and these are often blocked by the development of ‘the brownfield’.

Oh, so much to say … but for now I’d just like to question why there’s a low fence around this lovely piece of green land, which really we should be able to walk across freely, before it’s built on again (inevitable) or blocked from us as part of the likely sale of much of the Bootham Park ‘estate’.

Minster view, from Bridge Lane

Past that doorway, in the section before Bridge Lane widens out, before old gates we’re about to reach, I once saw a sparrowhawk on the grass of the hospital grounds just inside the railings. Two men, drinking cans of lager, were sitting in the lane with their backs to the wall, watching it, with rapt attention. Their gaze brought the bird to my attention, as it feasted on a pigeon, apparently oblivious to passers-by and the focused gaze of the seated audience.

There’s a lot of wildlife here, around the trees of the hospitals, around the green corridor of the vegetation along the Scarborough railway line. (I saw foxes on it once, but that’s a story for another time.)

A little further along, Bridge Lane widens, and to the left is a gateway, once leading on to this piece of land. It has featured on these pages before. Some months back the gates disappeared.

Gap where the Walker foundry gates were, Bridge Lane

I first took photos of the gates here twelve years ago, in 2004, noticing them when I was out with my first digital camera, starting to appreciate the local patch in a new way. (This page is about appreciating it again, in a new way.)

Remnant of the Walker foundry gates, Bridge Lane

A sign explains that the gates and posts are being restored by York Civic Trust, in partnership with the NHS Trust, and work should be completed soon.

Bridge Lane Walker foundry gates, explanatory sign

Then, just past that, more repainting of the Bridge Lane railings, which have several styles.

Bridge Lane railings, repainted

Towards the end of the lane there’s a hedge growing through the railings. The painters of the railings have also painted bits of hedge.

Bridge Lane railings, repainted … and so is the holly

As all property owners are no doubt aware, it’s important to repaint regularly to provide protection against the elements. Now the work’s been done that holly shouldn’t need repainting for a good few years.

Then we get to the end of Bridge Lane, ready to turn right onto the busy road and head into town.

Turning right we’re greeted by another bit of repainting, this time a purplish shade, rather unsympathetic and jarring against the red brick. The side gate of Groves Chapel.

Groves Chapel, side gate, repainted, Sept 2016

. . .

A short journey of around 300 metres, down Bridge Lane. A page of around 1000 words. A route I’ve walked often over the course of 20 years, heading into town, knowing that it was a well-worn route for centuries before that.

It will stay a right of way, cutting its course through, while all changes around it. Railings repainted and historic walls neglected, buildings demolished and others constructed or extended, hospitals underfunded, and probably one of them sold off and turned into a hotel.

Just a short walk, but always so much to think about, just walking from A to B.

(Google Map, A to B)

The post A walk along Bridge Lane appeared first on York Stories.

Years ago I drafted a page called ‘Any old iron’, mainly inspired by a pair of rusty old gates. It didn’t get finished as I thought no one would be interested. A recent letter to The Press has reassured me that at least one other person is interested. There may be others.

Like many insignificant overlooked things, this small local detail has a connection to more significant aspects of our local history.

Behind Bootham Park, a stone’s throw from the nurses’ accommodation, are a pair of rusting double gates set between ornate gateposts. They haven’t been opened for years. To one side of the gates is the original railing, to the other side more modern railing, and they lead nowhere much. Behind them, a bit of grass and the car parks around the city’s main hospital, built in the 1970s. They’re forgotten, under trees, rusting away, bits of detail dropping off.

Years ago I read an article in the York Historian on the history of the Walker foundry. It ended with a list of the foundry’s work, and included a brief mention of gates/railings on ‘Asylum Lane’ – as the pathway now called Bridge Lane used to be known. These must be those Walker foundry gates, dating from the mid-19th century.

Examples of the foundry’s work can be found all over York, including by the old railway station (West Offices), on St Leonard’s Place, and at the front of the Unitarian Chapel on St Saviourgate (pictured).

The railings and gates at the front and sides of the Bootham Park hospital grounds were also made by the Walker foundry. They’re Listed, but they’re rusting away just the same.

Does it matter? Perhaps not. The NHS Trust has more important things to spend its money on than painting old railings and gates.

These gates are just another small thing I’ve been passing for years and wanted to place on the big worldwide web.

I hope they stay here, their ironwork crumbling gracefully. A reminder of local industry, when local businesses made big useful things.

On Walmgate once the Walker foundry made ironwork: railings, gates, lamp posts. Not just for York, but for the British Museum and Kew Gardens.

19th century description and engraving of the Walker foundry, Walmgate

A query

Old maps show nothing was built on the land behind these gates before the district hospital was built in the 1970s. Part of it was a sports ground, though the part directly behind the gates isn’t marked as such on the maps I’ve seen.

The Walker gates apparently date from the mid-1850s. I’m not expecting anyone to remember the 1850s, but I know some of my website visitors were walking along Asylum Lane in the 1950s. Any memories/thoughts/local history info welcome, via the comments below.

More/sources

‘The Walker Ironfoundry, York, c.1825-1923′, J Malden, York Historian (1976). York libraries have a copy of this book.

19th century description and engraving of the Walker foundry (Google books)

Also on this site:
Asylum Lane and the ‘Cathedral Boys’

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