Worth Park

Restored to its former Victorian glory in 2014 by Crawley Borough Council, Worth Park was winner of a Silver Gilt award in the Heritage Parks and Gardens category of The South and South East in Bloom awards 2015. Once part of a large estate owned by the Montefiore family, the park exhibits some fine work by James Pulham and Son who invented ‘Pulhamite’, an artificial rock made of Sand, Portland Cement, and Clinker used over a rubble stone or brick armature to create rockeries and architectural garden artefacts, such as those found at Worth Park. The recipe was lost when James Pulham died in 1880, but following analysis has been successfully reformulated.

The Green Oak Carpentry Company were commissioned to rebuild part of the historic walkway known as the Chamelia Walk in 2013 by Allen Scott Associates Landscape Architects. Originally the walkway was roofed and glazed along its entire length, but this was deemed as too expensive, hence the partial rebuild. The effect of the original glazed walkway when the Chamelias were in full bloom must have been stunning.

The curved braces, corbels, baluster handrails and infill sections of the balustrade were all from well air dried oak, the remainder being new sawn. Joints and section profiles were designed to shed water as much as possible to ensure longevity.

Sill, top plate and handrail sections were curved to follow the surviving masonry wall, following an accurate survey to determine setting out.

Here is a section of the structure roofed over as per the original walkway. The wall has an opening that gives access to Ridleys Court making the park more accessible to the public.

Care was taken to recreate the original structure as faithfully as possible with all joints being formed as draw-bored mortise and tenons wherever possible. As part of the public realm we believe this beautiful park will bring pleasure to many in the years to come.