Sainsbury's invests in town centre

Earlier this summer, Sainsbury's store in Priory Walk was refurbished. It's gratifying to see this company committed to (what must now be) a comparatively small store, for town centre shoppers. The exterior work has ensured that the store's original Colchester frieze maintains its leading part in the building's appearance.

Greenstead Road: not to be ignored

Before the inner bypass was built, Greenstead Road was the way to Wivenhoe or Brightlingsea. Branching off it, half way along, was a lane to St Andrew's church, now stranded over the other side of the busy A133, on the Greenstead Estate. Hints of the road's former life are revealed by some old houses, dotted amongst a hotch-potch of Victorian terraces, 1920s bungalows, 1960s flats, tatty trading estates and more recent mini housing developments. Among the buildings of note are the handsome Flora House (likely to be demolished according to a local informant) at the Colchester end (see picture above); the timber-framed and fascinatingly-named "Dollar Hall"; and three cottages whose orientation suggests they are located where the lane from St Andrew's joined Greenstead Road. See OS map of 1881.

I suspect Greenstead Road suffers from being a low status area as far as the planners are concerned, and perhaps that has led to the quirky mixture of buildings that make it what it is. But if planning indifference allows the loss of any of the road's significant buildings, it will be a great shame. And if any are lost and replaced with with poky little ad-hoc developments (with which this part of Colchester is awash) it would be tragic. For location, see map, waypoint 14.

The Buildings of Colchester tours

It's nearly your last chance to join "an architectural safari through the streets of Britain's oldest town". Promoted by Firstsite, they have been running every Sunday from 18 June, and the last one this year is on 24 September. Tours start at the War Memorial at 11.30am. Cost per person: £3, children (5-12): £2. For more informantion contact Colchester Visitor Information Centre on 01206 282920.

How people move about urban spaces

...in Rome, anyway. See a story at c|net news on Real Time Rome, a project that tracks how people move around the city. The project will make its debut at the 10th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

Balkerne Heights

Colchester's Balkerne Heights development (St Mary's hospital site) looks as though it's nearing completion. A combination of location (a short walk to the High Street), topography (steep changes of level and good views for many), building/space arrangement (there are interesting vistas and occlusions), and architecture (a c1400-1850 remix), makes this a unique development in Colchester, and unusual anywhere else, I should think. There's one spot that actually reminds me of Galileo's street in Florence (Costa di San Giorgio). Okay, I may be losing my grip: at another location, I could imagine Shrek and the Donkey plodding into sight on their way to take up Lord Farquaad's challenge. Many dwellings are packed into this set (oops, housing development), and I wonder how it will look and feel in ten years' time. See more pics. For location, see map, waymark 13.

Greenstead

The Greenstead estate, built from the '50s to the '70s in the north-east of Colchester, has got a lot going for it. One would question, in these less utopian days, the wisdom of creating such a large area of social housing, but – around the central area, at least – it looks as though careful thought had gone in to the way buildings, vistas and green space work with one another. I suspect the beneficial influence of Gordon Cullen in many parts. As you'd expect with such a project, most of the houses and flats are much of a muchness architecturally but the arrangements of shape, scale, orientation and intervening space keep monotony at bay. A few buildings to mention: Community Centre, the Catholic church and the library. Oh, and of course, St Andrews, which is a bit older. See more pics. For location, see map, waypoint 12.

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