The cracks on the vent walls by the playground

Hilgrove Estate has a very distinct distribution of space, in comparison to Chalcots and Alexandra Road  estates. Having a mix of different size buildings and green spaces, it also has many swaying paths, garages, multiple-use grounds and a variety of fencing. In one of its more remote corners, we find the conjunction of a playground, the back of the storage garages, and a ventilation shaft connecting to the railway tunnels beneath. The space has a set of fences of different forms around it, and through it. The proportion of the pathways leading to it seem odd, and potentially unplanned as they tried to adapt previous pieces of infrastructure to work together in a space now contained by the estate. The clash between the presence of the railways underground, the infilled steep soil on top, and the brick walls built to contain them is evidenced through sets of cracks breaking the brick structure. At least three different dates of repairing and infilling of subsidence cracks are visible on the surrounding walls.

Sometimes enclosure invites ownership, but at others it may cause greater tensions. There are many types of fencing on Hilgrove. These can produce and reduce different types of social conflict. This can be seen on the two playgrounds of Hilgrove Estate.

The northern playground is often packed and rarely empty; well maintained and mostly unvandalised. The original low surrounding fence prevents children running into the street, while giving the playground high visibility from Hilgrove Road and Dobson Close. An adjacent green space has a low wall frequented by parents sitting and chatting while watching their children. The playground, green space and multi-use activity area occupy a porous node between the street and the rest of the northern section of the estate. 

In contrast, the playground on the southern section is well hidden on a dead-end path. Set below the grade of adjacent Freeling House, the southern playground is bordered by a hard high retaining wall on the east that screens it from street-level view. The fading jungle themed mural on the high retaining wall bears an ominous inscription about the “thousands of plants and animals facing extinction”. On the west the land drops off again to a private development; here the retaining wall has been built up with successive layers of wire fencing, clearly responding to some need – one can imagine balls, rocks, debris, or even people hurtling over the original lower fence onto the private property below. There is no access to the playground from the south, where the playground edge is also marked by a high wire fence. Access is from Alexandra Road, through a narrow alley between a parking garage and a high fenced activity space, up a small flight of stairs, past a vent for the Chiltern Mainline, and through two sets of metal fences and gates. The vent shaft has added layers of high metal fencing above the original cage, clearly designed to prevent people climbing on top of the shaft.

Intended to protect either users, property, or neighbours (or their property), the new fencing can be read as a series of don’ts – don’t climb into the private estate next door, or jump, or throw rocks, don’t sit on top of the vent tunnel for the Chiltern Mainline (or throw rocks). Each successive layer of fencing built up around the playground further secludes it, raising questions about the boundaries between welcoming and shelter; public and private; open and closed.

[Link to Hilgrove Estate]

[Link to the Railway]

[Link to the Underground]