History
These two former park keepers' cottages were designed, along with the wider layout of the park, by Geoffrey Jellicoe, one of the principal figures of C20 landscape design, at the behest of Herbert Montgomery Mac Vicar as a memorial to his deceased wife. The park and cottages were laid out (for the reputed sum of £300,000) and constructed between 1937 and 1940. Mac Vicar, the wealthy resident of the nearby house, `The Elms', set about the creation and endowment of the park as a memorial to his deeply mourned wife and as a facility for enjoyment and sporting achievement of local children, most specifically for local boys, for whom sports clubs were also set up and endowed. Mac Vicar maintained a close interest in the development of the clubs and attended tournaments by means of a gate between the park and `The Elms'. Mac Vicar believed that access to the sports clubs should be available to all boys of school age, regardless of background, and subsidised clothing, sports equipment and even transport costs for those unable to afford it themselves.
The cottages, located close to the entrance car park, accommodated two keepers, each working on alternate days. R. Gilding (see sources below) suggests that the reliefs and cryptic message `neither fish, flesh, fowl nor good red herring', carved on the main front of the cottages may have been inspired by the strange carved motifs on the façade of the nearby Grosvenor Place, and where said by Jellicoe to allude `to the categories of people permitted to use the public facilities of Alice Park'. An alternative, more plausible interpretation, comes from Mr H R Cleveland, former sports master for the boys clubs (see sources below) who suggests the carvings refer to the proverb in full: 'Make neither fish, flesh, fowl nor good red herring of one an other', alluding to the strongly egalitarian principles Mac Vicar enshrined in the use of the park.
Details
SWAINSWICK
146/0/10009
Lower Swainswick
GLOUCESTER ROAD
1-2 Alice Park
11-JAN-07
II
A pair of park keepers' houses, 1937-1940, by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe.
MATERIALS: Constructed of Limestone ashlar with timber casement windows and doors under a roof of plain clay tiles.
PLAN: Rectangular, with entrances at either end, the cottages are divided by a central party wall incorporating an axial stack.
EXTERIOR:
FACADE: The pair are of two storeys with a four bay symmetrical front facing onto the park. The (south) façade is composed of four tall two light casement windows of ten panes, all with pairs of timber shutters on the ground floor. Above there are four two light casement windows of six panes. A broad string course sweeps up to each of the first floor window sills and incorporates the stone field on which are set a series of Moderne reliefs; from left to right comprising a fish (`Neither Fish'), a dressed ham (`Flesh'), a turkey (`Fowl') and a kipper (`Nor Good Red Herring'). At the eaves of the roof there is a deep soffit with simple dentil brackets.
Rear elevation: This is plainer, with doors to the enclosed gardens and casement windows to the ground floor, plain string course above with timber casements above that, arranged with two light windows to each margin and two three light casements in the centre. Each end is gabled, defining the profile of the roof with sprocketted eaves. The entrance to No. 1 in the west gable has a flat pedimented door case with another carved Moderne relief depicting a bouquet of flowers above. That of No. 2 in the east gable has a plain door case.
INTERIOR: The interior of the building was not available for inspection.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE
No's. One and Two Alice Park, constructed in adherence to designs by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe between 1937 - 1940, are of special architectural interest on account of the bold and innovative synthesis of architectural styles articulated in their design, expressed in the vernacular treatment of roof and windows, the classical articulation of the elevations, eaves and door cases and the Moderne treatment of its carved decoration. The building also remains substantially complete. The cottages remain the architectural centrepiece of the park, also designed by Jellicoe; the ensemble being a rare example of a private philanthropic foundation for public recreational facilities in the period between the wars. Municipal park buildings of the C19 survive in good numbers, and where they express the necessary degree of special interest, they will be listed. Such buildings of the first half of the C20 are however rare, and only those expressing a significant degree of architectural quality and innovation will merit designation; No's. One and Two Alice Park unquestionably express both.
The asset was previously listed twice also at List entry 1395934. The duplicate entry was removed from the List on 4 August 2017.
This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 4 August 2017.
