Page 196 - Redditch People

Redditch People

that we planted after that it must have been about five million or more. Most of them were
planted when they were about two or three feet high. We had a bit of a set-back with elm
disease because that took away a lot of fine trees that we were preserving.’

‘I had to convince managers that a professional landscape architect would be an asset to
the new town, because most of them hadn't got a clue about what a landscape architect
could do. The Chief Engineer, Bill Singleton, who has now retired to Australia, was initially
one of the many sceptics about landscaping. However, during the life of the Corporation
he became one of the strongest advocates of landscaping provision because he had seen
its results in his road-building. So he provided funds for many of the landscape schemes
associated with roads, particularly in the latter years of the Corporation. When he retired
we gave him a tree to plant in his garden - a larch.’

'I think it is very regrettable
that the Redditch Borough
Council do not employ a
landscape architect and that
they expect the future of the
town’s landscape to be solely
managed by maintenance
staff. In other words, there
are no designers.

'l think we have created a
nicely-contained town which
has all the benefits of the
countryside brought into it.
Redditch is not a place where
you feel overwhelmed by
concrete and brick- work.
The architecture is very
modest and the planting is
very lavish. So I like to think
that, by creative planting, we
have dispelled the thoughts
expressed by Walter Savage
Landor, the 19th century
poet, who described Redditch
as “…Odious, full of mince pie
woods and greasy needle
workers.’

The “Hole in The Ground” (top) left
by excavations of soil for the
Coventry Highway embankments. In
turn higher quality soil removed
from the road construction (bottom)
was used to landscape the sides of
the Arrow Valley Lake.
(Source: RLHS Archives)

Page: 196 © RLHS 2015