Park Crescent, Worthing
Encyclopedia
Park Crescent is an example of Georgian architecture
in Worthing
, England
, designed in 1829 by Amon Henry Wilds
, son of the architect Amon Wilds
and constructed between 1831 and 1833. AH Wilds had previously worked on other large projects including the Kemp Town
estate in nearby Brighton
.
Arranged in a serpentine shape
, the terrace overlooks thickly planted grounds of Amelia Park, in the manner of Bath.. It is built on a slight ridge close to what was in the 1830s the edge of the town by the boundary with the neighbouring parish of Heene
and would have overlooked fields, with views extending to the parish churches of Tarring and Goring. There are two cottages ornés, originally called north and south Swiss Cottages, and now a hotel. It is likely that Wilds intended the 'alpine-style' cottages to be a discovery on walks into the woods of Amelia Park.
Park Crescent comprises 14 houses, each originally having three floors together with servants' quarters in the basement.
Initially planned to be given the name Royal Park Crescent, the Royal was dropped, perhaps when UK-wide recession stopped building in the 1830s. It had originally been intended to extend the building further to the west to line up with the Swiss cottages and take the terrace to 22 houses.
Park Crescent has given its name to Crescent Road, which runs southwards to the sea. Richmond Road, which runs east-west close to Park Crescent, was formerly known as Park Lane or Park Crescent Lane until it was renamed after the 6th Duke of Richmond
.
Close to Park Crescent lies the site of some Roman burials from the 4th century, identified by coins of Diocletian
(reigned 284–305) and Constantine I
(reigned 306–337) which were found with them.
The building was given grade II* listed building status in 1949.
Park Crescent is reached through a triumphal arch
. The main archway, designed for carriages, contains the busts of four bearded men as atlantes
. The two side arches, designed for pedestrians, each contain the busts of four young ladies as caryatid
s.
The busts were originally supplied by William Croggan of London, the cousin and successor to Eleanor Coade of the famous Coade Stone factory in Lambeth. They are not actually stone but are cast from moulds, using the special formula and process that Eleanor Coade perfected over her years as the working owner of Coade stone. Examples her architectural adornments can be found at key landmarks throughout the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor castle.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
in Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, designed in 1829 by Amon Henry Wilds
Amon Henry Wilds
Amon Henry Wilds was an English architect. He was part of a team of three architects and builders who—working together or independently at different times—were almost solely responsible for a surge in residential construction and development in early 19th-century Brighton, which until then had...
, son of the architect Amon Wilds
Amon Wilds
Amon Wilds was an English architect and builder. He formed an architectural partnership with his son Amon Henry WildsIn this article, Amon Wilds is referred to as Wilds senior and his son Amon Henry Wilds as Wilds junior. in 1806 and started working in the fashionable and growing seaside resort...
and constructed between 1831 and 1833. AH Wilds had previously worked on other large projects including the Kemp Town
Kemp Town
Kemp Town is a 19th Century residential estate in the east of Brighton in East Sussex, England, UK. Kemp Town was conceived and financed by Thomas Read Kemp. It has given its name to the larger Kemptown region of Brighton....
estate in nearby Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
Arranged in a serpentine shape
Serpentine shape
Serpentine refers to the curved shape of an object or design which resembles the letter s, a sine wave or a snake; the latter is the derivation of the term.- Examples :* The Serpentine River...
, the terrace overlooks thickly planted grounds of Amelia Park, in the manner of Bath.. It is built on a slight ridge close to what was in the 1830s the edge of the town by the boundary with the neighbouring parish of Heene
Heene
Heene is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It lies on the A259 road 0.6 miles west of the town centre.Heene comes from the word Hīun or Hīwun meaning family or household....
and would have overlooked fields, with views extending to the parish churches of Tarring and Goring. There are two cottages ornés, originally called north and south Swiss Cottages, and now a hotel. It is likely that Wilds intended the 'alpine-style' cottages to be a discovery on walks into the woods of Amelia Park.
Park Crescent comprises 14 houses, each originally having three floors together with servants' quarters in the basement.
Initially planned to be given the name Royal Park Crescent, the Royal was dropped, perhaps when UK-wide recession stopped building in the 1830s. It had originally been intended to extend the building further to the west to line up with the Swiss cottages and take the terrace to 22 houses.
Park Crescent has given its name to Crescent Road, which runs southwards to the sea. Richmond Road, which runs east-west close to Park Crescent, was formerly known as Park Lane or Park Crescent Lane until it was renamed after the 6th Duke of Richmond
Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond
Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, and 1st Duke of Gordon KG PC , styled Lord Settrington until 1819 and Earl of March between 1819 and 1860, was a British Conservative politician.-Background and education:Born at Richmond House, London, he was the son of Charles...
.
Close to Park Crescent lies the site of some Roman burials from the 4th century, identified by coins of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
(reigned 284–305) and Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
(reigned 306–337) which were found with them.
The building was given grade II* listed building status in 1949.
Triumphal arch
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
. The main archway, designed for carriages, contains the busts of four bearded men as atlantes
Atlas (architecture)
In the classical European architectural tradition an atlas is a support sculpted in the form of a man, which may take the place of a column, a pier or a pilaster...
. The two side arches, designed for pedestrians, each contain the busts of four young ladies as caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s.
The busts were originally supplied by William Croggan of London, the cousin and successor to Eleanor Coade of the famous Coade Stone factory in Lambeth. They are not actually stone but are cast from moulds, using the special formula and process that Eleanor Coade perfected over her years as the working owner of Coade stone. Examples her architectural adornments can be found at key landmarks throughout the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor castle.
Notable residents
- Vera Arlett, playwright and poet
- Anthony Copley FieldingCopley FieldingAnthony Vandyke Copley Fielding , commonly called Copley Fielding, was an English painter born in Sowerby, near Halifax and famous for his watercolour landscapes. At an early age Fielding became a pupil of John Varley...
, watercolour painter - Thomas Dyer Edwardes, a passenger of the Titanic