Conservation Management Plan - Tamworth Borough Council
Conservation Management Plan - Tamworth Borough Council
Conservation Management Plan - Tamworth Borough Council
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The watermill was demolished in 1920 and the trees were removed from the south end of the castle bailey and<br />
replaced by a bandstand (Plates 31, 32). The flower bed terraces were constructed, and the Castle Pleasure Grounds<br />
were inaugurated in 1930 (Plates 49). The full extent of the wider castle pleasure grounds occupied part of the much<br />
larger park associated with the medieval castle.<br />
Phase 8 Housing, Retail and leisure redevelopments 1960s onwards - the setting of the<br />
castle<br />
In response to the need to house overspill families from Birmingham in the 1960s five tower blocks were built to the<br />
east of the castle. They and the council offices Marmion House, now dominate the setting of the castle.<br />
In the 1970s a retail unit (currently occupied by Nationwide Building society) was built on Market Street adjacent to<br />
the medieval bridge and gateway into the bailey<br />
In response to proposals to develop the east end of the bailey, excavations took place south of 22-24 Market Street<br />
in 1972 (Mc Neill 1989).These confirmed that no medieval deposits survived at the eastern end of the former castle<br />
bailey. The soil and rubble from that end of the bailey had been used to infill the northern bailey ditch, probably<br />
before 1741.<br />
The Ankerside shopping centre was built over the east end of the former castle bailey in 1980. The facade looking<br />
out over the bailey is decorated with stained glass windows depicting Aethelflaeda and local historic buildings<br />
including the castle. A series of terraces look out over the remainder of the bailey towards the castle.<br />
The developer donated a landscaping scheme in the bailey area adjacent to the shopping centre.<br />
Further afield the snow dome, out of town shopping centre and hotel have been built on the wider medieval<br />
parkland and are clearly visible from the promenade around the motte and the parapet walkway around the walls?<br />
The detailed descriptions of the various elements of these phases are illustrated with annotations in the separate<br />
site gazetteer in section three.<br />
1.2.4 The castle in its modern setting<br />
Today the Shell Keep on top of the motte dominates the town and its market place, overlooks the confluence of the<br />
rivers Anker and Tame, and still guards the southern, now pedestrianised, approach to <strong>Tamworth</strong> over Ladybridge.<br />
The six high rise tower blocks on Lichfield Street are highly prominent in views north west from the castle, and<br />
appear to be advancing on the castle, significantly detracting from its setting (Plate 3). Views of the castle on the<br />
historic approaches from the south , over the Lady Meadow and Ladybridge are dominated by the high rise tower<br />
blocks.<br />
To the east, the sprawling mansard roof of the Ankerside shopping centre, and pub terrace, with its noisy late night<br />
drinkers, overlooking the bailey and the massive bulk of the Snow dome and hotel beyond, all now significantly<br />
detract from the castle’s setting. It is hard to imagine that this was once all part of the historic parkland setting for<br />
the castle.<br />
South of the castle the rivers Anker and Tame define the western and northern limits of much of the area of the<br />
Castle Pleasure Grounds, a large open space planted with mature trees. This area was reclaimed from the floodplain<br />
of the river Tame, by dumping a vast extent of municipal waste.<br />
There is a tree-lined avenue that runs north-west/ south-east along the length of the Castle Pleasure Grounds and<br />
aligned on the castle itself, reaching it via an attractive concrete Modernist bridge over the river Anker.<br />
The Pleasure Grounds have a series of attractive 1930s recreational buildings including a very fine former swimming<br />
baths. They reflect the period and their former uses well, and are sympathetically scaled to fit the landscape and<br />
setting of the castle, unlike the more modern structures (Snowdome, Ankerside Shopping Centre).<br />
There are two large car parks at the far end of the Pleasure Grounds and one at the foot of the motte, on the site of<br />
the demolished Castle Mill.<br />
The Castle Pleasure Grounds are a significant open space, for the setting of the town and in providing an important<br />
leisure facility for residents. They are used for a popular programme of large and small events, some of which are<br />
run in conjunction with the castle and celebrate the history of <strong>Tamworth</strong>.<br />
36 Part 1 www.marionblockley.co.uk <strong>Tamworth</strong> Castle <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>