roses on the floor (random/off-topic? art historians maybe?)

hi all,

i was wondering, i've been down to Cambridge quite a few times now, and i've noticed there are some really pretty brass roses set into the slabs on the streets of Cambridge (particularly around Magdelene Street bridge on the way to St.Eds, Lucy C. and the Cavendish Lab)...

i was wondering, does anyone know what they mean, or why they are there? how old they are? etc.

i've not seen these in the many times i've been in Oxford, but let me know if you have them too.

Pixie.

Reply 1

Scipio90

I have a vague feeling they lead to the folk museum.

Reply 2

Miss Prankster Pixie

Scipio90

I have a vague feeling they lead to the folk museum.

ah... could well be. thank you :smile:

i'm gonna ask at tourist information next time there.

Reply 3

Craghyrax

Miss Prankster Pixie

hi all,

i was wondering, i've been ~~down to~~ Cambridge quite a few times now, and i've noticed there are some really pretty brass roses set into the slabs on the streets of Cambridge (particularly around Magdelene Street bridge on the way to St.Eds, Lucy C. and the Cavendish Lab)...

i was wondering, does anyone know what they mean, or why they are there? how old they are? etc.

i've not seen these in the many times i've been in Oxford, but let me know if you have them too.

Pixie.

People never go 'down' to Cambridge, only 'up'. :p:

The studs are only in the pavement outside St John's, and the pavement is just concrete so it seems unlikely that they're of historical significance. Perhaps Johns, or the council, were feeling creative and then got bored.

Reply 4

Supergrunch

I've heard they're some kind of reference to a Wordsworth poems about paths of flowers or similar - not sure of the poem in question though.

Reply 5

Miss Prankster Pixie

Craghyrax

People never go 'down' to Cambridge, only 'up'. :p:

hahahha... very true :yep:

Craghyrax

ah cool

lol @ got bored.

Reply 6

Miss Prankster Pixie

Supergrunch

I've heard they're some kind of reference to a Wordsworth poems about paths of flowers or similar - not sure of the poem in question though.

ah coolness.

was wordsworth an anlumni then? *goes to wikipedia*

Reply 7

Vulgarity

Sorry - I had to find the answer to this as I have also admired the flowers and wondered about them.

From http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:T_x0n2tJ720J:www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/commins/minutes.nsf/web/sub-commins-env_transport-camb_city_area_ctte-reports-caj0010-3.doc/%24FILE/caj0010-3.doc+bronze+flower+path+cambridge+magdalen+road&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Bronze Flower Path

The function of the path would be to encourage pedestrians to walk over the bridge to Magdalene Street and beyond. Four types of bronze flowers based upon flower designs on St John’s and Magdalene College buildings, of 75mm and 50mm diameter, are proposed. The flowers would be shallow carved as a disc and set flush into the pavement so that they do not form a trip hazard. The flowers would form a path or garland from the corner of St John’s Street up to the entrance of Magdalene College. At the Bridge Street end of the path, the artist proposes a haiku poem to be carved into the paving. At the Magdalene Street end, the artist proposes a straight line of bronze flowers over the crossing point outside the College entrance. The proposal is described in Appendix D by the artist who has provided text, pictures and drawings.

Reply 8

mwiko

There's a plaque up on the corner of magd. st. and chesterton lane that explains the flowers a bit as well as the bollard sculpture type thing beside the traffic lights. Something about an architectural dig...