• About us
  • Attributes
  • Vision
  • History
• Awards
• What we do
  • Quantity surveying
  • Project management
  • Building surveying
  • Property consultancy
  • M and E quantity surveying
  • M and E services design
  • Architecture
  • Legal support services
  • CDM co-ordination
  • Structural engineering
  • Sustainability consultancy
• Sectors & projects
  • Commercial
  • Education
  • Government
  • Healthcare
  • Heritage
  • Hotels
  • Housing
  • Manufacturing
  • Motor Sport
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Retail
  • Sport & Leisure
  • Transport
• Vacancies
  • Quantity surveying
    • Reading
  • Project management
    • no openings at present
  • Building surveying
    • Liverpool
    • London
    • Oxford
  • Property consultancy
    • no openings at present
  • M&E quantity surveying
    • no openings at present
  • M&E services design
    • Oxford
  • Architecture
    • no openings at present
  • Legal support services
    • no openings at present
  • CDM co-ordination
    • Liverpool
    • Oxford
  • Structural engineering
    • no openings at present
  • Sustainability consultancy
    • no openings at present
  • Graduate opportunities
    • Liverpool Building Surveyor
    • Oxford Building Surveyor
    • Reading Quantity Surveyor
  • Marketing
    • no openings at present
  • Administration
    • no openings at present
  • How to apply
• News
• Contact us
  • Ridge Partners
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Leicester
  • Liverpool
  • London
  • Oxford
  • Reading
  • Southampton
• Accreditations
  • Quality management
  • Environment
  • Health and safety
  • Investors in people
  • Equal opportunities

Bedford Castle Quay

The Castle Quay project is the redevelopment of the area surrounding Bedford Castle which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument which specifically relates to the adjacent Castle Mound.

Due to the historical nature of the site English Heritage has been involved throughout and consultation with the County Archeologists was also required to enable the development to progress. Development proposals were shaped by these consultations with the final approved proposal incorporating a full archaeological investigation of the existing site.

The archaeological investigation had to be incorporated into the construction contract and outcomes of the investigation integrated into the design of the works. This was a challenging process not just in terms of pure design but indeed in the cost implications and management of that process. The design had to be highly flexible and responsive to the subsequent discovery of artifacts and archaeological remains. The contract processes had to respond to the needs of change and its management in both time and cost terms on fundamental construction elements. As an example the foundation solution ultimately adopted had only a 5% impact on the below ground strata.

The complete scheme comprises 108 residential apartments, eight retail units, three restaurant units and the creation of Castle Bailey Gardens, the only new public space to have been created in Bedford for many years.

The Gardens have been created by an extensive excavation of the former public car park which exposed the remains of the Inner Bailey Hall of the Medieval Castle. All members of the design team have been actively involved with working up the proposals for the Park which were ultimately accepted by both English Heritage and the County Archeologists.

Part of the new development sits over a medieval lime kiln, another Scheduled Ancient Monument. The kiln has undergone extensive archaeological excavation and is now exposed, it has been incorporated in a purpose-designed display vault open to the public.

The residential development has been designed to the latest standards on sustainability with features such as Sedum roofs and photovoltaic installations. The design of these elements required careful consideration given the setting of the completed development.