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ceiling boarding above, and the concrete setts of the surrounds follow the same pattern at a larger scale.
When compared with the photograph of the bandstand taken around 1911, very little has changed although the ground level surrounding the structure has been altered, four granite steps can be seen in the original photograph. At the top of the steps is a two door timber gate which is no longer present, the platform itself looks to be finished in a hoggin material as were the paths in the rest of the park. The timber railings have over the years been replaced with the more robust mild steel railing on a frame, which is screwed into the handrail, and the bottom rail. In the original photo the railings, they were a two cross pattern with single balustrade each side of the post. This pattern resembles a Union Jack flag, perhaps due to the King and Queen’s visit to Ireland in July 1911 with coincided with the reopening with the new park.
Small Shelter To the northwest corner of the park, on an elevated island site, is a small unassuming octagonal structure approximately 5m in diameter and 4.5m high. It is constructed using a timber frame on a rough concrete upstand wall base and has an octagonal pitched roof, which has been recently covered with asphalt. The floor still has the original granite kerbing forming the front faces of the octagon although the surrounding path and internal floor has been resurfaced in tarmacadam. Open on the three southern faces of the structure the other faces have thin-boarded walls with a timber benching to the back faces. Small window openings occur on the northeast and
3.0 PARK LAYOUT & STRUCTURES
Buildings
BandstandThe most prominent building in the park is the Edwardian octagonal bandstand located close to the east end of the pond, it is 6m in diameter and just over 8m high. Raised from ground level on a limestone platform 600mm high with granite kerbing, the building is constructed primarily from timber with large bracketed columns forming the base for the roof. Terracotta clay tiles cover the roof, which is crowned with a scrolled wrought iron finial at the apex. Between the columns are simple railings, the originals having in recent years been replaced with mild steel, featuring an X motif in the central panel of each section. A timber boarded ceiling lines the underside of the roof, the podium is accessed by three granite steps. In recent years the platform has been inlaid with a pattern of grey bricks, highlighted with light grey lines, reflecting the pattern of the
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Fig. 24 The former bandstand relocated in Bray c1920s.
Fig. 25 The Herbert Park bandstand and the pond c1911 (Lawrence Collection, National Library of Ireland)
Fig. 26 View of Herbert Park bandstand photographed in 2015.
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Bandstand
Sports ChangingRooms
Pavilion Entrance & Notice Boards
Playground
Park Café
Small Shelter
Playground
Drinking Fountain
Caretaker'sLodge/Park Office
Park Depot
Rive
r Dod
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Allotments
Fig. 27 Locations of the key structures in Herbert Park in 2015.
southeast sides of the shelter. Internally there is a low ceiling over 2m high which is covered with 100mm wide tongue and grooved boarding.
The existing landscape context consists of a grass mound with six mature trees to the corners of the octagon, these were likely to have formed part of the original planting scheme. A series of six 6m wide granite steps to the east side of the pavilion allow the public to reach the shelter from the existing path.
It is likely that this building and the bandstand were part of the same J. Cheal and Sons design for the landscape in 1911. The roof would have been covered in similar terracotta clay tiles and the floor most likely covered in hoggin. Mature trees now dwarf the shelter and block much of the light making it dark and not a pleasant place to sit in. The mound would have likely have been covered with a rockery, planted with shrubs and hardy perennial bedding plants.
Former PergolaLocated on a raised walkway in the former location of the Palace of Fine Arts, to the south end of the pond was until 2011 an Edwardian pergola. This was, approximately 120m long and 5m wide consisting of a series of square columns built from rubble limestone and precast beams above. To the centre above the steps up from the pond level was a large open lattice steel dome, which rose to a height of 6.5m.
This structure is likely to have been part of the J.Cheal and Sons scheme the Park; it is similar to an earlier pergola installed by them at Hever Castle in Kent. It is a classic Edwardian garden feature and is first recorded in the Irish Times in May 1913. It was likely to have been intended for wisteria.
From a picturesque point of view, our latest public park at Ballsbridge covering grounds where once an exhibition smiled has yet to develop ere the crudity of the massive stone pergola and the bear outlines of the fiddle shaped pond obtrude less on the critical eye… We should say the pergola at the Donnybrook end, once it gets properly clothed with creepers and climbing things will be one of the finest of its kind in existence.
During the winter of 2010 some of precast beams were found to have broken which was likely due to snow loading which had been assisted and the very thick entanglement of mature ivy on the roof. When this overgrowth was cut back, the structure was found to be in a very poor condition and a risk to
Fig. 29 Detail of the eaves showing timber bracket and bitumen roof.
Fig. 30 View of the pergola before removal in 2010.
Fig. 28 View of people using the shelter in 2014.
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the health and safety of the public and was removed, nothing remains of the structure today.
Entrance Pavilion (c.1997)The new pedestrian entrance is located to the northeast side of the park on the Ballsbridge side of the pond. Situated directly behind the existing bandstand it was constructed in 1997 as part of the redevelopment of the Johnstone, Mooney and O’Brien’s bakery into Herbert Park Lane, with a mixed-use development. The pavilion is rectangular and approx. 8m high and consists of a steel frame which supports a large Dutch–style gabled roof, covered in flat seamed copper and boarded in timber on the inside. There is bench seating to the rear and information and notice panels. The pavilion provides a thoroughfare from the east side of the Park into Ballsbridge, with a pair of large steel gates, which can be locked during the period when the park is shut.
The earlier building had a roof covered in terracotta tiles, echoing the language of vernacular agricultural
Fig. 31 View of the entrance pavilion looking into the park.
Fig. 33 View of the front elevation of the Park Keepers cottage in the Tudor Revival style.
Fig. 32 View of the visitors’ notice panel in the entrance pavilion.
buildings found in the South of England. Standing on the footprint of the J. Cheal & Son building of 1911, the original floor covering remains in the form of 75mm square red and black terracotta tiles. Granite kerbing marks the alignment of the former pavilion building, with the new steel columns relating directly to the locations of former timber columns.
The Park Keeper’s Cottage (c.1911) On the Ballsbridge end of Herbert Park Road is a small Edwardian cottage building built around 1911 as part of the J.Cheal & Son scheme. It is a modest two storey building constructed from red brick with a rendered first floor level and has projecting half timbered front bay to the principal elevation facing Herbert Park Road. A steeply pitched roof with two tall chimneys rises above the overhanging eaves, similar to the bandstand is also covered with terracotta roof tiles and is also in a Tudor Revival, Arts and Crafts style, which was popular in domestic architecture during the early twentieth century. To the side of the cottage, a section of the former depot has been given over to allotment gardens, with their own secured entrance off the road.
Tennis & Bowling Pavilion and The Sports Dressing Rooms (c.1958)Opened by the Lord Mayor Mrs Catherine Byrne on 7 September 1958, it provides dressing and washroom facilities for members of the public using sporting facilities in the park. It is located on the northern side of the park above Herbert Park Road. It is approx. 40m long by 18m wide, built from red
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Fig. 35 View inside the entrance of the refurbished dressing rooms.
Fig. 34 External view of new café in tennis pavilion.
Fig.36 Detail of castings to drinking fountain that is no longer working.
brick with sections of cement render, its roof steeply pitched with projecting eaves, a plain fascia and with clay roof tiles covering the roof.
This building has recently been refurbished; the works include the removal of all internal walls and part of the external walls. The walls have been clad out with timber weather boarding, and solar panels and rooflights fitted to the roof. New external seating areas has been provided and a new walkway linking the playground with the refurbished facility and all associated site works. A café has been included on the east side with servery, indoor seating area, store room and new toilets for users of the park. The tennis courts to the rear of the Pavilion will be extended to include all courts to accommodate doubles tennis.
The football dressing rooms are located to the south of the pond and face the playing fields. They measure
approximately 32m long by 15m wide and are built of red brick with some sections of cement render. The roof is steeply pitched with projecting eaves, plain fascia and covered with clay roof tiles. This building has recently been upgraded (2014). The changing rooms now can cater for up to fifteen people in each room with integrated showering facilities, match official changing rooms, a general access hall, plant room, stores, toilets and ancillary service spaces. Local user groups and football clubs were consulted from the start of the process, and their inputs and comments have were taken on board in developing the design solution.
Metal Railings, Ironwork & Benches
Cast iron drinking fountain (c.1912)Located close to the pond is an interesting cast iron drinking fountain mounted on a square granite platform 1.5m high with a bowl 850mm in diameter. Designed by the architect, A.G. Chayter Millar of Dublin, the fountain is recorded as being a highly elaborate memorial drinking fountain, erected with the balance of money raised by Pembroke Township for the royal visit of 1911.
No longer functioning, the fountain is now in need of restoration. It is located on a raised and stepped granite platform with a central pedestal surrounded by four smaller columns supporting a large basin with square-based pyramid relief on the rim, divided
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by four foliate brackets from which cups were suspended on chains and shell motif spouts on each side. The structure is surmounted with a ball terminal; two semi circular bowls at ground level offer a trough for dogs. The fountain is an extremely well crafted example of an early twentieth century iron drinking fountain and deserves full restoration.
Metal railings (1905-24)Wrought-iron railings enclose the park on Herbert Park Road, Clyde Road, Pembroke Cottages and Home Villas. They are a key feature of the park, and are an essential component of its Edwardian character. These railings are generally 1350mm in height and set into a chamfered concrete plinth, in a pattern that is used both in Palmerston Park and Harold’s Cross Park, both designed by Sheppard. Gothic-type wrought iron railings and gates in Herbert Park have spiked vertical bars of varying heights, the higher
being flanked by two ogee shaped embellishments.
Contemporary accounts state that they were manufactured by McGloughlin and Son and part of the original scheme for the park prior to the exhibition, at which time they were taken down and stored. As part of the lease agreement, they were to be then reinstalled when the park was returned to its original form. It is interesting to note that railings of the same design are found on the approaches to the park, and these remain set on granite. Perhaps these were installed but never disturbed by the exhibition, and those that returned were set on the cheaper concrete. On the Dodder side there is a Sluice Gate entrance gate, which shows this same pattern of railing, which would therefore date from the same 1905 period.
The other pattern found in the park are slightly later mild steel railing, these form the boundary of the Park along the Dodder path and some other hidden locations behind undergrowth on the park boundary. There is a section of railings along the Dodder path which was formerly unprotected until 1924 when railings were installed along the path to the bakery. Flood protection works to the river are ongoing inside these railings by the OPW, by means of a low masonry clad concrete wall along the pathway parallel to the bank.
Fig. 38 View of the concrete plinth to the railings.
Fig. 39 View of the flood defense walls being erected along the Dodder.
Fig. 37 View of the original wrought iron railings along Herbert Park road, which are in need of redecoration.
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Fig. 41 View of Sluice Gate entrance gate on the Dodder path, this originally bridged a water course. Fig. 42 The original cast iron ornate benches located on the semi circu-
lar pathway to the south side of Herbert Park Road.
Fig. 43 An example of a modern park bench located around the pond which is in poor condition.
Main Entrances on Herbert Park RoadThere are eight principal entrances located along Herbert Park Road, arranged symmetrically on each side of the road to improve connectivity between the two different park areas. It is likely that these were all installed as part of the original scheme of the park from 1911. They are positioned in pairs on the north east and south west boundary, with a further two pairs located on semi circular paths at on the northwest, southeast axis of the park.
Secondary EntrancesThere are two secondary entrances located along Clyde Lane. One is located at the western corner of the park in the form of a double entrance with decorative cast iron posts approximately 1.8m high
topped with ball finials. The total width of the entrance is approximately 3.15m. A similar arrangement exists to the east end of Clyde Lane.There are two further entrances located along the Pembroke Cottages edge of the Park, these open directly into the playing pitches. On the upper end towards Home Villas, is a double entrance with decorative cast iron posts, while at the southern end end of the road is a single pedestrian gate, which is now sealed shut. There is an elaborate pedestrian entrance from the Dodder Path on the east side of the park. Railings over a former sluice lead up to the entrance gate, which is embellished with a square head frame. From the path the railings curve inward towards the gate.
Fig. 40 View of the main entrance along Herbert Park Road.
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d. Trees and benches
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Key:Ornate bench location:
Modern bench location:
Fig. 44 Locations of the benches in Herbert Park 2015
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BenchesWhen the park opened to the public in 1909 the council laid out a number of seats along the principal path between Donnybrook to Ballsbridge. These have ornate cast iron supports and timber slats are 2500mm wide. A number of these, which have ornate cast iron sides still remain in the park, many in their original position along the semi circular path to the south side of Herbert Park Road, others have been moved into the bowling green area and are located around the greens and pavilion. There is a range of at least four more modern bench types in the park. These include examples in cast concrete with timber slats from the 1970s around the edge of the park and the pond. There are also timber benches around the playing pitches and some private purchased benches around the centre of the pond.
Some of these modern benches which although functional, are of poor design quality which encourage vandalism and detract from the historic character of the park. As these benches are unattractive and out of character with the park quality copies of the historic park benches or contemporary designs should be considered. Pastiche reproduction furniture should be avoided at all cost. More than one type of design can be used but a hierachy of location should be considered when they are located. The locating of two designs of bench side by side should be avoided.
Fig. 45 A mother and her ducklings in Herbert Park pond 2014.
Fig. 46 A view of the eastern side of Herbert Park pond in 2014.
Fig. 47 A view of the ducks in the middle of Herbert Park pond in 2014.
Duck Pond The duck pond is located in the south of the park running adjacent to Herbert Park Road. It is approximately 215m long by 38m wide, and is the only surviving element of the International Exhibition of 1907, when it was home to the Canadian Water Chute, one of the most popular exhibits. It remains the most impressive feature within the park landscape.
The pond consists of a shallow concrete tank and has a 75mm high concrete kerb defining the edge to the surrounding pathway. This feature is hour glass in shape and was retained from the exhibition following the removal of the islands, bridges and their abutments and integrated within the new landscape design. Its location would have defined the most important vistas within the exhibition grounds; from the promenade in front of the Palace of the Arts across two of the ornate bridges and to the
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Canadian Waterchute towering in the distance.The pond contains two oval islands at each end, which are now heavily overgrown with vegetation. At the pinch points near its centre are a number of mature trees, some of which are unlikely to have survived from the exhibition period.
The ponds sunken location and enclosure on all sides with mature vegetation gives this area a very different character to the rest of the park. The pond also acts as a home for a range of birds and other wildlife.
Fig. 48 A view of the popular childrens adventure playground. located on the northern side of the park.
The pond and its wildlife are an important attraction for visitors to the park and being the only remaining element of the International Exhibition, the pond is of historical and cultural significance. The pond is currently mains fed, and needs to be drained down to replenish the water and clean it annually with an outfall to the Dodder.
PlaygroundsOne of the most recent additions to the park is the large children’s adventure playground at the northern end of the park. The area is a major attraction and it features high-quality timber and galvanised steel furniture that caters for a wide variety of ages and abilities. Enclosed within mild steel fencing, it has a surface of wood chippings for safe play.
There is a small playground which is located to the south end of the park neighbouring Rampart Lane. This playground is hidden away and many visitors to the park are unlikely to be aware of its existance and does not lie on any of the primary routes. It is not well used and its isolated location makes it a target for antisocial behaviour such as graffiti and vandalism.
Fig. 49 A view of the smaller playground to the southern corner.
