New Lanark Roof Garden

The garden had many restrictions on its design in common with roof gardens but also it had the limitations associated with being on top of a grade ‘A’ listed building. Historic Scotland took particular interest in the project and insisted that the garden should not be visible from ground level within the village. This meant that the entire garden had to be hidden behind the existing parapet walls of the building and not to interfere with the integrity of the existing building. Several sketch options were considered but a curvilinear design was selected representing the flowing waters that power the mill and the threads that weave their way through the looms that were housed beneath.
Structurally the building had been originally constructed to take an additional floor of machinery for the mill and following rigorous testing the build was allowed to proceed. In sympathy with the integrity of the grade 'A' status building nothing has been constructed that cannot be removed should it be required in the future. The sketch options and selected design were put to the Board of Trustees and available to the public for consultation.
The design was with able and non-able bodied users in mind with raised beds and seating at a variety of levels. Although the viewing platform is not wheelchair accessible a 'sky cam' has been installed to allow all visitors to experience the views from above the garden over it and the entire village.
The planting has been chosen carefully for it's 'robustness' as it has not only powerful winds to cope with but extremely low winter temperatures.
Throughout the space are several quotations from Robert Owen, the founder of New Lanark. There are also sculptures of animals, all of which are present in the woodlands and river valley. They form part of the educational trail for children. There is also a small maze set into the surface of the roof which is symbolic of the maze which Robert Owen created in New Harmony, Indiana, USA which Robert Owen purchased in 1825 to create another 'Ideal Community'. At the heart of the maze is an emblem of an inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site, which indicates that New Lanark is regarded as a site of outstanding universal cultural value. The garden is maintained as any other garden would be, the intention was to create a 'garden in the sky' and to create a relaxing yet familiar space.
A booklet on the design and story behind the roof garden is now available in the visitor centre at New Lanark.

Summary
Situated within the heart of the World Heritage site at New Lanark, a once abandoned derelict flat roof area has been transformed into a garden space open to the public. The roof historically was used by workers as a recreation space and so the current trustees decided to re-use this space into a contemporary addition to the many visitor attractions within the World Heritage Village. The complex of buildings at New Lanark, are a combination of fully restored spaces and new visitor attractions linked into the wealth of history associated with the site. The concept of a roof garden may seem like a relatively new idea however the fundamental principles at the heart of the creation of New Lanark are about the health and wellbeing of all workers and residents of the village meant that all spaces were used to enrich the lives of all.

Architect: Douglas Coltart, Landscape Architect

2 March 2020

Frances Hendron
My Place Awards
Scottish Civic Trust
Tobacco Merchants House
42 Miller St
Glasgow G1 1 DT

Dear Ms Hendron,

I am writing to you on behalf of New Lanark Village Group, in support of New Lanark Trust’s entry for the Scottish Civic Trust’s “My Place” award.

All residents of New Lanark are eligible to join the Village Group, one of the benefits being unlimited free entry to the New Lanark Visitor Centre including the new Roof Garden. This is a great asset for villagers as most residents live in tenement buildings without gardens. Although we are surrounded by trees, there are few places in the village where residents can sit and enjoy looking at plants and flowers in the relaxing atmosphere of a garden. Of course, this is of the most benefit in warmer weather, but even in the winter there are interesting things to see in the garden with its interesting animal sculptures and seasonal plants.

To mark the opening of the garden, local people were invited to participate in the construction of a mural depicting Robert Owen’s interest in the natural world. Some villagers, Visitor Centre staff and local schoolchildren enjoyed learning the craft of mosaic making and can now take pride seeing the results on display for posterity.

Another great feature of the Roof Garden is the stunning views it affords of the village from the viewing platform. It is wonderful to be able to take visiting friends and relatives up there to point out your house – it gives you a real sense of pride in living in such a beautiful and important World Heritage site.


The Roof Garden can be enjoyed by villagers, visitors, plant lovers, wedding parties having their photographs taken, and many more, and is a great asset to the village of New Lanark.

Yours sincerely,



Lex Kennedy
Chairman

The New Lanark Roof Garden was constructed on 9,000 square feet of flat roof-space on the Category A Listed Mill No. 2, in the heart of the New Lanark World Heritage Site, overlooking the River Clyde. Mill No.2, constructed in the 1780s, was altered extensively in the 1880s; it was almost doubled in width, and its pitched roof was removed, leaving a large, flat roof-space. This was originally utilised for various purposes connected with cotton-manufacturing and net-making.

The New Lanark Trust, an independent charity dedicated to the restoration and development of the historic mill village, wanted to maximise the potential of this unusual space, so that villagers and visitors could gain access to the wonderful views it offered of the surrounding landscape. A viewing platform was envisaged, but as the concept developed, it was decided that the space could be further enhanced by creating a roof garden. This idea was inspired by the ideals of Robert Owen, owner of the New Lanark cotton-mills, under whose enlightened management between 1800 and 1825, the village won international fame as a model industrial community. Owen believed that a pleasant environment and landscaped areas for recreational use were essential to the creation of healthy, happy communities. Appropriate quotations from his writings are displayed on bronze plaques and carvings around the garden, including the following:

“The ever-changing scenes of nature afford not only the most economical, but also the most innocent pleasures which man can enjoy”.

After much research to find a suitably experienced Garden Designer, Landscape Architect Douglas Coltart of Viridarium, was commissioned by the New Lanark Trust to develop their initial concept.

Construction of both the garden and roof-top viewing platform had to be very carefully planned, to avoid any hint of damage to the fabric of the A Listed Building, and the brief for the design included requirement to acknowledge and complement the history of its original function as a cotton-mill. Structural tests and monitoring were essential, as was the construction of efficient drainage systems. Health and safety considerations were paramount, although the roof benefited from an existing stone parapet. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent were required, and extensive discussions took place with representatives of South Lanarkshire Council’s Planning department, and Historic Scotland’s Buildings Inspectorate. There were no real precedents for such a development!

The New Lanark Trust is extremely pleased with the end result. There have been no serious problems with maintenance, the garden has survived January storms in 2009, and one of the most severe spells of winter weather for many years in 2010. It elicits an overwhelmingly positive response from visitors and villagers alike. The design and transformation of the space is imaginative and unexpected, and is a real delight. It is a stunning enhancement of the historic environment.



Lorna Davidson, Acting Director, New Lanark Trust