Ely Road, Milton
Liz Lake Associates were appointed to develop a Landscape Masterplan, Detailed Planting Proposals, play equipment proposals and information signage for the 8.5 hectare site named Ely Road in Milton, known locally as North Lodge Park. The northern section of the site is the location of a small housing development of 89 homes with surrounding planting in front gardens to compliment the street scene and integrate the buildings into their countryside context. The original north lodge gate house has been restored as an impressive feature to the entrance of the site, complete with historically correct planting. The south of the site has been restored to allow the lake to become a focal point of the site, for residents and for wildlife. Adjacent to the lake are large recreational fields, play equipment for children and managed sports pitches and sports pavilion.
The site has a long history of development dating back to the late 1700’s when this area became the grounds of Milton Hall built by Samuel Knight. The grounds of this large estate were designed by Humphrey Repton (1752-1818), a leading landscape designer of the time and figure of historic importance to Landscape Architects today. Repton’s influence on the estate was to introduce the large serpentine lake to the south of the site and to surround it with groups of trees. This was designed strategically so that this could be seen in vistas from Milton Hall. This area had become degraded after many years of neglect, however our proposals have ensured that these values have been reintroduced into the landscape by way of new rejuvenative planting and bespoke maintenance strategies. In its more recent history the site was under the ownership of EDF energy as a depot for materials relating to the UK’s electrical supply network. From 1980 it was used as a training centre for the maintenance of overhead power lines.
