During the fourteenth century, St. Mary’s Churchyard was the site of an old medieval parish church. In 1720, the main structure of this church was demolished, leaving only the clock tower as a historical landmark. Following this, a second church was built on the site. This second building was also demolished in the 18th century, and this site has been a park ever since.
When it came time to re-landscape the park in 2007, very few remnants of this historic legacy remained. There were only a small number of gravestones, railings around the perimeter, and a memorial stone where the clock tower once stood. One of the key design goals for this project was to retain the historic quality of the space, while linking it to the larger city. Existing healthy trees were incorporated into the design, the historic railings were preserved, and old vaults and burial plots (discovered during construction) were left undisturbed.
With these constraints in mind, a brightly coloured play environment was designed, including play equipment for a wide variety of age groups and ability levels. The grass park space was enhanced with the addition of mounds and a series of sculptural concrete spheres.
