An historic seaside shelter at a Welsh beauty spot has been rebuilt at a cost of £100,000. The new structure is in place of the previous shelter, originally built in 1890, on Cliff Hill in Penarth.
A public consultation held in March 2021 saw residents put forward their ideas for the much-loved shelter. Different ideas were suggested for the future of the structure but many residents in the Vale of Glamorgan did not want it to be altered. One resident said: "Retain the original structure. Retain the history.”
Residents were keen to support the re-commissioning of the shelter once plans were submitted. The Vale of Glamorgan Council decided to keep the shelter as a place for people to sit in all weather and maintained original features where possible.
Read more: 'It's a super cool thing!' Welsh singer Hana Lili on supporting Coldplay in Cardiff
The council searched for artists and architects to rebuild the shelter and re-imagine it with a more modern look. Aberrant Architecture, an architecture studio based in London, were appointed with founders and designers David Chambers and Kevin Haley creating a new functional shelter that "encapsulates the history of Penarth".
Mr Chambers said: “While our new shelter design is the same scale and shape as its predecessor we have also reintroduced glazed windows and internal partitions, similarly detailed to the historic shelter, to introduce a variety of pocket spaces of different sizes. We have taken great delight in the personalised details of the new shelter to help generate a sense of place. For example the black corrugated roof sheeting and charred timber cladding also references the black coal dust that coated buildings during 19th-century Penarth’s Docks coal exporting heyday.”
Mr Haley added: “The new shelter is both true to its former self, sitting happily in its original location, but is also clearly a modern interpretation of a shelter offering people of all ages a place to rest, meet, and enjoy the views.”
The new shelter was funded by a Section 106 planning contribution from the nearby Penarth Heights housing development costing around £100,000. Council leader Lis Burnett said: “This is a wonderful addition to the beautiful coastal walk along Cliff Hill and provides the public with a place to rest and shelter from the elements. The references to Penarth’s history will hopefully encourage residents to pause a while and engage with the new design. The new shelter is fitting for the area and reminds people about the celebrated stories of yesteryear and we hope it is enjoyed by everyone.”
Read next:
Sex pest sets fire to wreath on woman's front door in random attack
Woman cruelly labelled as ‘the fat one’ at work loses 7.5st in amazing transformation
Multi-million pound campus development to double the size of Cowbridge school will go ahead
Vale of Glamorgan Council criticised for only holding meetings remotely
