Access North 6.4. The courtyard between the Vicarage and gardens the lower gardens. The western boundary of the site is formed by Upper Street itself, and a line of is used for regular pedestrian access to the church Scale: NTS mature plane trees. office and neighbourhood centre. The paved VICARAGE/ forecourt parallel to Upper Street forms the CHURCH DANSK FLOWERS pedestrian route to the church portico and crypt OFFICE door from Upper Street, but it is also the vehicle ST MARY’S access to the parking areas to north and south NEIGHBOURHOOD of the church. However it is also used by moped CENTRE drivers who drive at speed causing danger to pedestrians exiting the church from the portico. 6.5. There is only one access into the northern gardens from Upper Street, via a pedestrian gate adjacent to the crypt entrance at the southwest corner of the gardens. This leads via the diagonal paved path to a second gate on Dagmar Terrace adjacent to the Little Angel Theatre. This path is a very well used short-cut to Essex Road as well as a route to the lower gardens. The path has a low retaining wall on its north side, which causes the garden to feel divided in two.

6.6. An emergency access route behind a metal railing follows the north elevation of the church from steps up from the crypt.

Boundaries

6.7. The northern and southern boundaries of UPPER STREET the garden are formed by the walls of the Neighbourhood Centre and the church respectively. The west and northwestern boundaries of the garden are formed by a 1.5m high reproduction iron railing, with the two KEY Metal railing on brick plinth sections of railing having different metalwork patterns and plinth details. The short section of Pedestrian access points Metal railing on stone plinth railing at the eastern boundary with the Little ST MARY’S Metal railing with cast iron posts Angel Theatre is an older, probably 19th Century, CHURCH Vehicular access points railing with cast iron post. The rest of the eastern Vehicular routes Metal railing and access only gate boundary is formed by the rear of a pair of houses on Dagmar Terrace and the south-eastern corner Important pedestrian thoroughfares Lockable public access gates of the space opens up via a flight of steps down to Emergency pedestrian access route Knee high brick retaining wall with Fig 15: Existing Site Access and Boundary Plan. Not to scale. stone coping

St Mary’s, Page 16 685.01 (RP) 004 Image 1: Paved access used for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Image 3: Courtyard used for access to Vicarage, Church Office & Neighborhood Centre.

Image 5: Access gates and railing from Dagmar terrace - probably 19th Century.

Image 2: Emergency fire access to Crypt. Image 4: Diagonal path provides a cut through to Dagmar Terrace. Image 6: Western boundary railings on granite plinth; approx. 1.5m high.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 17 685.01 (RP) 004 Heritage Assets North 6.8. Following the clearance of the burial ground in 1853, few historical artifacts remain in the Scale: NTS DANSK gardens. Some of the gravestones have been VICARAGE/ placed along the northern boundary wall, and FLOWERS CHURCH two raised tombs remain in the NW corner of OFFICE the garden. A plinth from a former obelisk sits at ST MARY’S the SW end of the diagonal path adjacent to the NEIGHBOURHOOD crypt entrance. There is also a large ledger stone CENTRE to the south of the diagonal path and two 19th Century iron ‘jardiniere’ urns at either end of the LITTLE ANGEL central sitting space. The railings and other street THEATRE furniture are modern.

UPPER STREET

ST MARY’S KEY CHURCH Memorials/tombs/ledger stones

Historic urns (19th Century)

Headstones against building Fig 16: Existing Site Heritage Assets Plan. Not to scale.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 18 685.01 (RP) 004 Image 3: Tombstones in planting overgrown with ivy.

Image 3: Image 1: 19th Century iron ‘jardiniere’ urns in central seating area.

Image 5: Plinth from a former obelisk opposite entrance to Crypt.

Image 2: Tombstones overgrown with ivy. Image 4: Ledger stone to the south of the diagonal path. Image 6: Headstones propped against Little Angel Theatre and Neighborhood Centre (northern boundary of garden).

St Mary’s, Islington Page 19 685.01 (RP) 004 Trees and Vegetation North 6.9. The site is predominantly laid to grass, but this is patchy and of poor quality due to compaction, Scale: NTS DANSK lack of light, and the mature plane trees which VICARAGE/ shed leaves on the grass in the autumn and draw FLOWERS CHURCH moisture out of the soil. During the winter months, OFFICE the lawn is reduced to bare soil and routinely has ST MARY’S to be re-seeded. NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE 6.10. There is a dense tree canopy over much of the garden. A line of plane trees lines Upper LITTLE ANGEL Street and have been managed by periodic crown THEATRE reduction to keep the branches off the church building fabric. Within the northern garden there are four mature London planes grouped towards the western end of the site, and a mature plane and early mature lime tree towards the eastern end. Two trees have recently been removed for arboricultural reasons; the remaining trees are in a good condition.

6.11. A belt of overgrown shrubs, including Amelanchier, Viburnum and Cotoneaster with ivy beneath occupies the western side of the site and creates a high ‘wall’ of planting that blocks views from the street into the gardens. A further belt of tall shrubs wraps around the north and east side of the church, also blocking views from the upper to lower gardens. Lower shrubs include the remnants of a box hedge around the central sitting UPPER STREET area, and an evergreen clematis growing up the south wall of the Little Angel Theatre.

KEY

Existing trees to be retained ST MARY’S Vegetation CHURCH Vegetation obscuring views into gardens

Climbing plant - Clematis

Remnants of box hedge Fig 17: Existing Site Trees and Vegetation Plan. Not to scale.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 20 685.01 (RP) 004 Image 3: Photo of existing western vegetation obscuring views in and out of gardens.

Image 1: Tall shrubs adjacent to northern elevation of church.

Image 4: Adapted photo illustrating western vegetation removed allowing views in and out of gardens.

Image 2: Remnants of a box hedge around the central sitting area and Viburnum and Cotoneaster with ivy beneath along northern boundary. Image 5: Two of the 5 mature London Planes within the gardens. Image 6: Mature London Plane adjacent to Dagmar Terrace.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 21 685.01 (RP) 004 Materials North 6.12. Paving materials comprise a mixture of different natural stones, including porphyry setts laid in a Scale: NTS DANSK fan pattern in the courtyard outside the Vicarage; VICARAGE/ coursed York stone slabs and setts in the forecourt; FLOWERS CHURCH coursed, sawn sandstone flags on the diagonal OFFICE Dagmar Path; and reclaimed riven York stone flags ST MARY’S in the central sitting area. The boundary railings NEIGHBOURHOOD are iron, on a granite plinth (and a brick plinth 2 CENTRE on the return alongside the Vicarage). Most of these materials were laid in the 2000 HLF garden LITTLE ANGEL scheme and are not historic. The low retaining wall THEATRE alongside the diagonal path is brick with a sawn stone coping. LP 2 Furniture and Lighting

6.13. Site furniture includes a number of timber and cast iron/timber seats around the central sitting 1 area; iron and plastic litter and recycling bins along the central path; and a mixture of stone and cast 1 iron bollards along Upper Street together with a number of concrete benches. There are three 1 galvanized steel cycle hoops adjacent to the crypt 3 entrance and two rather visually intrusive church signs behind the railings facing west. Two 1100L 3 rubbish bins are recessed into the railings on the northern boundary of the garden for use by the flower shop and Neighbourhood Centre.

UPPER STREET 6.14. Lighting within the gardens is poor. A number of in-ground uplights no longer work, and so there 1 is no light within the garden itself. Street lighting on Upper Street and Dagmar Terrace provides spill KEY Timber and cast iron bench light into the site, while a pair of historic gas lamps flank the entrance to the portico and light the Concrete bench Sandstone paving flags forecourt. 1 Bin ST MARY’S 2 Porphyry setts - fan formation CHURCH 1100 ltr bins 3 Stone setts LP Dagmar Terrace lamp post Knee high brick retaining wall with stone coping Cast iron/stone bollards Cycle stands Fig 18: Existing Site Materials and Furniture Plan. Not to scale.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 22 685.01 (RP) 004 Image 4: Western boundary railings.

Image 1: Central seating area - riven finish York stone flags.

Image 5: Cycle stands adjacent to Image 6: Bins adjacent to diagonal path near south west garden Image 7: Cast Iron bollards and Crypt entrance. entrance. stone benches along Upper Street.

Image 2: Southern link path - stone setts. Image 3: Diagonal path - sawn finish sand stone flags. Image 8: Stone sett vehicular carriageway parallel to Upper Street. Image 9: Bin storage in recess on northern garden boundary.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 23 685.01 (RP) 004 7. ISSUES, CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

7.1. From the above analysis of the site and discussions • There is little within the site that explains its with stakeholders, it is clear that the following history or significance. issues should be addressed through the new design for the space: 7.2. Various constraints and other factors will need to be recognized within the design: • The site appears closed off and dark behind vegetation and railings (many people do not know • The area is a former burial ground and there is the garden is there, or that it is public); likely to be buried archaeology throughout the site; • There is no clearly visible entrance to the site from the street and the gardens are not welcoming; • Tree root protection areas cover most of the site so excavation must be kept to a minimum. • Dropped rubbish, overflowing bins and dog fouling diminish the visual qualities of the space; • The opening of the new Islington Square development will bring more visitors to the garden • There are dangerous conflicts between vehicles and from a different direction. and pedestrians in the forecourt; • Proposals must be low maintenance and robust, • The forecourt is dominated by vehicles and there and recognise the limits of the LBI maintenance are not enough space for cycle racks; regime. • The planting is poor, visually incoherent and hard to manage. Tall vegetation provides cover for rough sleeping;

• The growing conditions make the establishment and maintenance of a grass lawn virtually impossible;

• The layout means that the space is only a thoroughfare and not a space to be explored;

• Lack of lighting makes the spaces forbidding and difficult to navigate at night;

• Street furniture is poorly coordinated and visually obtrusive;

• Lack of interest for children or ‘playable’ elements within the landscape;

• There is a lack of signage so way-finding is difficult;

• There are few spaces for events or flexible use;

Fig 19: Sketches of St Mary’s and surrounding area by Harry Gray.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 24 685.01 (RP) 004 North

Scale: NTS DANSK VICARAGE/ FLOWERS CHURCH OFFICE ST MARY’S NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

KEY

Important vehicular routes

Important pedestrian thoroughfares

Narrow lockable gates limits visable access to gardens

Areas of potential conflict between vehicles and pedestrians

UPPER STREET Memorials All provide a visual sense Historic Urns of heritage to the gardens Headstones against building

Stone paving flags Potentially reused in Stone setts proposals ST MARY’S CHURCH Retained trees provide a sense of maturity to the gardens

Vegetation obscures views into the garden from Upper Street Fig 20: Opportunities and Constraints Plan.Not to scale.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 25 685.01 (RP) 004 Guiding Principles Arrival and movement 7.3. The ‘guiding principles’ that have driven the design development include: • Celebrate the Church as the beating Heart of Islington • To create welcoming entrances into the space to • Welcoming & accessible arrival experience encourage greater use of the gardens; • Careful design of ground plane & furniture • Use a robust palette of materials and elegant • Definition of Contemplative Space detailing to create a strong sense of place; • Enhance pedestrian Quality of Space minimize ‘clutter’ by embedding elements within • Connect Church to wider community the landscape fabric; • Promote Gardens as part of Islington’s green network • Maximise the use of the whole space; create places for quiet reflection as well as more active uses;

• Improve the setting of the Listed Building; Flexible space • Create a safer space which discourages anti-social behaviour with improved lighting and visibility; • Support & extend St Mary’s programme of events • Use the Garden as an external resource that could be linked to the • Improve pedestrian access between the gardens Neighbourhood Centre & Little Angel Theatre and the many local and the four main buildings: St Mary’s, the community groups that use the Church Neighbourhood Centre, the Little Angel Theatre • A place to pause, offset from the pace of Upper Street and (in future) Islington Square; • Integrated approach to furniture & fittings • Flexible & adaptable seating • Recognise the needs of all users in the design;

• Create flexible space that can be used for pop-up and temporary events such as the Soul in the City festival;

• Improve awareness of the historical significance of the site and its people though an interpretation programme embedded in the landscape; Playable Landscapes

• Create a strong sense of place that is associated • Single use of space for all ages & abilities with the rich history of the site through the • Embed opportunities for play within the detailing of the space; garden & into the fabric of the design • Create playable landscape for children using • Design for children and to encourage their imaginative use of the gardens; a variety of materials and features

• Design also for wildlife and to enhance biodiversity.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 26 685.01 (RP) 004 LITTLE ANGEL DANSK FLOWERS VICARAGE/ THEATRE CHURCH OFFICE ST MARY’S NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

DAGMAR TERRACE

UPPER STREET

ST MARY’S CHURCH Key:

Key nodes of activity

Pedestrian links North Possible entrance Scale: NTS Focal areas Fig 21: Key Nodes and Access Plan. Not to scale.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 27 685.01 (RP) 004 8. LANDSCAPE MASTERPLAN

Options Appraisal VICARAGE/CHURCH OFFICE Key Features option 1 DANSK FLOWERS 8.1. A number of design options were discussed with ST MARY’S NEIGHBOURHOOD ST MARY’S CENTRE LITTLE ANGEL NEIGHBOURHOOD the steering group and explored through public THEATRE CENTRE • Shade tolerant, low growing, robust planting to

Planting DAGMAR TERRACE consultation before a final layout was settled LITTLE ANGEL western edge of garden. CEDEC THEATRE upon. All of these options involved opening up gravel

DAGMAR TERRACE

Paving the garden on the west side, either by removing Grass • Existing railings to the western and northern Grass

UPPER STREET railings or by creating additional entrance points. Planting edge of garden modified to incorporate new Grass

They all retained the diagonal path to Dagmar Paving entrances. Terrace, created new routes around the space, increased space for sitting, allowed for flexible use,

UPPER STREET • Retained diagonal path from Upper Street to and removed parking and slowed traffic within the ST MARY’S Dagmar Terrace. Paving forecourt. CHURCH

North

Scale: NTS ST MARY’S CHURCH

VICARAGE/CHURCH OFFICE Key Features option 2 DANSK FLOWERS ST MARY’S NEIGHBOURHOOD ST MARY’S CENTRE LITTLE ANGEL NEIGHBOURHOOD THEATRE • Circular paved ‘performance’ platform with CENTRE

Planting DAGMAR TERRACE LITTLE ANGEL ‘feathered’ steps fronting onto Upper Street CEDEC THEATRE gravel

creates welcoming entrance and calms traffic DAGMAR TERRACE Paving Grass Grass to frontage of Church. UPPER STREET Planting

Grass • Assumes existing railings to the western and Paving northern boundary of gardens are removed.

UPPER STREET

ST MARY’S Paving • Shade tolerant, low growing, robust planting CHURCH beds either side of paved platform creates soft

North

edge to gardens and frames views. Scale: NTS ST MARY’S CHURCH

VICARAGE/CHURCH OFFICE Key Features option 3 DANSK FLOWERS ST MARY’S NEIGHBOURHOOD ST MARY’S CENTRE LITTLE ANGEL NEIGHBOURHOOD THEATRE CENTRE • Porous CEDEC gravel area with seating

Planting DAGMAR TERRACE LITTLE ANGEL provides an open edge to the western CEDEC THEATRE gravel boundary of the gardens. DAGMAR TERRACE

Paving Grass Grass

UPPER STREET Planting • Assumes existing railings to the western and Grass

Paving northern boundary of gardens are removed.

UPPER STREET • Hard space to the north creates a flexible and

ST MARY’S welcoming square between the Vicarage and Paving CHURCH the gardens.

North

Scale: NTS ST MARY’S CHURCH

St Mary’s, Islington Page 28 685.01 (RP) 004 Fig 22: Artist visualisation - Arial view of preferred design option - option 1.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 29 685.01 (RP) 004 Proposed Layout

8.2. Following consultation and discussion, Option 1 emerged as the preferred option. This masterplan capitalizes on all the available space by re-aligning the railings on the west side of the gardens, and removing the railings along the north elevation of the church. The gardens are thereby extended westwards towards Upper Street, making them more visible and connecting them with the street. This realignment of the railings will also narrow the forecourt space so that it can no longer be used for parking. Three new entrances through the railings are proposed in order to make the gardens more open and welcoming: axially in the centre of the garden opposite Islington Square; at the NW corner opposite the flower shop; and on the northern elevation opposite the Church office and Neighbourhood Centre.

8.3. At present the diagonal path divides the garden in two spatially because of the retaining wall on its north side. The new proposal retains the diagonal path- it caters for an important ‘desire line’ across the site- but raises it up so that the retaining wall is no longer required. This will unify the space and create greater flexibility of use. A new serpentine path will connect the new entrances with new seats set at intervals along the path. This path forms a spiral, connecting with the existing path to the lower gardens at one end, and a new paved space in the heart of the garden at the other. This space will be backed by a low steel upstand incorporating seats at intervals. Location plan 8.4. The remaining lime tree and plane trees will be retained, and the outer areas of the garden re-planted with low, robust groundcovers and bulbs. This planting will enhance biodiversity whilst being low maintenance and generally no higher than 0.6m so that views into and across the gardens are kept open. The boundary walls of the Neighbourhood Centre and Little Angel Theatre will be planted with climbers to soften the elevations and create wildlife habitat. Fig 23: Artist visualisation - elevated view from Upper Street looking north east into St Mary’s Gardens.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 30 685.01 (RP) 004 Legend

DANSK FLOWERS VICARAGE/ 1 Access to Crypt entrance regraded to eliminate CHURCH existing steps. OFFICE

2 Pemeable CEDEC gravel with items of imaginative play. ST MARY’S 14 NEIGHBOURHOOD LITTLE ANGEL CENTRE 3 Low growing robust planting beds. 11 THEATRE 15 18 4 Existing York stone path from Upper Street to Dagmar Terrace. 3 10 18

9 3 DAGMAR TERRACE 16 5 Existing path to southern gardens retained. 8 13 3 9 6 York stone central performance space with existing tombstone retained in-situ. 11 19 9 3 8 7 Reconfigured emergency Crypt access.

9 2 10 8 Existing retaining walls rebuilt to be used as seating. 17 3

12 4 9 Seating.

9 10 5 Retained gravestones ‘displayed’ along boundary 3 walls. 11 6 9 3 11 Existing railings on Granite plinth reconfigured to provide 3 additional access points. 13

16 17 12 9 7 Raised pedestrian crossing point aligned with new entrance way. 3 11 1 13 Existing stone sett vehicular access road parallel to Upper Street retained.

UPPER STREET 14 Existing stone sett courtyard to be retained.

15 ST MARY’S Existing bin store footprint reduced to accommodate CHURCH 1x1100tr.

16 Cycle stands. 13 17 Proposed lighting columns. North 18 Climber clad steel trellis to building facades. Scale: NTS

19 Finger post signage. Fig 24: Landscape Masterplan 0m 2m 5m 10m

St Mary’s, Islington Page 31 685.01 (RP) 004 Location plan

Fig 25: Artist visualisation - street view from Upper Street looking eastwards into St Mary’s Gardens.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 32 685.01 (RP) 004 Location plan

Fig 26: Artist visualisation - view from Dagmar Terrace entrance to St Mary’s Gardens.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 33 685.01 (RP) 004 Location plan

Fig 27: Artist visualisation - elevated view from Upper Street looking south-eastwards into St Mary’s Gardens.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 34 685.01 (RP) 004 Location plan

Fig 28: Artist visualisation - view from south eastern path linking adjoining St Mary’s Gardens.

St Mary’s, Islington Page 35 685.01 (RP) 004