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FROM:  Mark Warrack, Community Services

DATE:  November 24, 2000

FILE:  CD.10.074

SUBJECT:     Cawthra Estate Walled Garden Ruin - Safety

The walled garden ruin at the Cawthra Estate has been identified as a liability for the City by our insurer, due to loose bricks falling off the remaining standing wall and loose rubble underfoot (see attached photograph).  This department wishes to inform the Heritage Advisory Committee that the remaining standing wall will be partially demolished out of due diligence.

BACKGROUND
The walled garden on the Cawthra Estate was constructed in the 1920's when the area was open and unshaded.  The original structure included three arched doorways and an attached potting shed and well.  The walled garden was used for flowers, vegetables, and espaliered fruit trees.  The bricks used to build the walls were salvaged from the Cawthra manor at the comer of College Street and St. George in Toronto, which had been demolished around that time.

The walled garden fell into disrepair as forest reclaimed the area and shaded out the garden.  Three of the four walls enclosing the garden were toppled over the past twenty years through vandalism, including the arched entrances.  The potting shed was demolished and the well filled for safety reasons.  A section of the north wall remains standing.  The surrounding forest of Cawthra Woods has been designated a provincially significant wetland complex, and there are no plans to restore the walled garden to its original condition, given the shade from the surrounding forest trees.

SCOPE OF SAFETY WORK
Work will begin when site conditions are suitable, and will be carried out in three stages as follows:

     1.    Demolition of the remaining section of standing wall (north wall), to a uniform height of
            around 0.6m / 2 feet (first priority).

Item #. 8(a)

     2.   Removal of loose rubble.

     3.   Future capping of the walls with stone at a finished level of around 0.6m / 2 feet high,
           for preservation and interpretive purposes, including installation of an interpretive plaque.
           This stage is subject to both funding and timing, for suitable temperatures to undertake
            mortaring of the top two courses of brick and fastening of the stone cap.

If you require further information, please contact me at the number below.

Mark Warrack, Heritage Coordinator Community Services (905) 896-5070

attach.

CC.
John Lohuis, Community Services
Laura Piette, Community Services
Frank Buckley, Community Services
Donna Scrimgeour, Community Services

J:\WPDATA\CAWTHRA\Master Plan\2000 Corr\hacmemo.wpd

[the next page, 8 (b), has three pictures of the wall one big one is made up of three smaller ones.  They all have hard to read captions.  On the large one - Cawthra Estate Garden Ruin - View (1999).  On the bottom left - Cawthra Estate Garden Ruin - Wall to be partially demolished.  On the bottom right - Cawthra Estate Garden Ruin - Closeup of Wall to be partially demolished.]

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