Lugard Road (Chinese: 盧吉道) is a road located on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, named after Sir Frederick Lugard (later Lord Lugard), Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912. Located some above sea level, the road is a popular walking path that forms part of the Hong Kong Trail, and is known for its spectacular vistas over Victoria Harbour.England, Vaudine (4 July 2012). "Top 10 walks in Hong Kong". The Guardian.

Description Lugard Road lies approximately above sea level. It is a semi-circular road on Victoria Peak that mainly follows the contours of the hillside, connecting Victoria Gap in the east with the Hatton Road-Harlech Road junction in the west."Victoria Peak and the Victoria Peak Tram Review ". Fodors. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Joining Harlech Road seamlessly at its end, a circuit is formed around The Peak.Wordie, Jason (2002) "Lugard Road". Streets – Exploring Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong University Press, pp. 91–97. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Lugard Road is the initial section of Stage 1 of the Hong Kong Trail."Pokfulam Country Park" . Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dept., Hong KongHong Kong Trail: Stage 1, the Peak to Pokfulam Reservoir Most of Lugard Road enjoys dense tree cover, and a variety of tropical vegetation can be found along its length. The views of the city below from Lugard Road are variously described in travel guides as "stunning" and "spectacular"."Peak Circle Walk". Discover Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 8 August 2013.

The road is approximately wide at its widest, and less than at its narrowest, and – while not entirely pedestrianised – has vehicular restrictions."LCQ5: Traffic on Lugard Road". Government of Hong Kong. 25 June 2014"Lugard Rd to be restricted". Government of Hong Kong. 25 June 2014 Permits to use this road are only issued to residents for access to their properties.

History

The road is named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912."22nd October, 1914", Legislative Council of Hong Kong. p 119. (1914). Archived by University of Hong Kong

The Public Works Department issued an invitation for sealed tenders by 2 June 1913 to form a section of roadway from Victoria Gap to High West Gap."No S143". pg 203. University of Hong Kong archives. The cost of the entire road, whose construction was made difficult by the "rocky and precipitous nature of the hillside", was estimated at HK$55,000."9th October 1913", Legislative Council of Hong Kong. pp74-75. (1913) Archived by University of Hong Kong In their 1913 annual report, the PWD noted that HK$11,373 had been spent on the section completed that the year.

[…] the road will be principally used as a promenade, a wonderful panoramic view of the City, Harbour and surroundings being obtainable from it. Starting from Victoria Gap, the road contours the hillside below the Mount Austin Barracks, being practically level until it reaches a point below Bishop’s Lodge, whence it continues westwards with a rising grade of 1 in 18 to the end of the first section. It is 8 feet in width and is generally cut out of the hillside. In some places, it has been necessary to construct retaining walls in order to avoid excessive cutting or to improve the alignment of the road."#107 Roads and Streets". Report of the Director of Public Works for the year 1913. p. P55, archived by University of Hong Kong. The construction was interrupted by the First World War.Lugard Road History, Gwulo The next section built after the war, to join the existing road with Harlech Road, is described as having "a minimum width of 8 ft. throughout with a maximum gradient of 1 in 20". It comprises "1,448 lineal feet of reinforced concrete decking and beams carried on 87 cement concrete piers, 1,543 lineal feet of rubble retaining walling and 1,859 lineal feet of hillside benching". In 1920, the Director of Public Works reported that all the substantial pier work for the bridging, rubble retaining walls, cutting and channelling for that section had been completed. The steep terrain hindered progress, and challenges included "numerous dangerous boulders, weighing up to 45 tons each", which had to be removed.#101(c) "Roads: Lugard Road Extension". Report of the Director of Public Works for the year 1920. p. Q42, archived by University of Hong Kong. By the end of that year, all that remained to be done was "a small amount of work consisting principally of bridge decking, railings, and road surfacing".

Construction was completed in March 1921; the total cost of the project came to HK$88,165.#101(a) "Roads: Lugard Road Extension". Report of the Director of Public Works for the year 1921. p. Q49, archived by University of Hong Kong.

Houses

While the Peak is a prestigious address, there are few houses along Lugard Road. It is not designed for vehicular traffic, as it is too narrow for cars to pass in most places, making the houses close to inaccessible. Furthermore, the escarpments present challenges for construction: there was controversy when planning permission was lodged (and granted) to convert one of the properties along the road into a luxury hotel in 2013.

Built heritage No. 1 Lugard Road, the Peak Tramways Office, was built in c.1927 as a workshop, with an additional floor added in 1953. It has a highly unusual shape that can best be described as an arrowhead.Brief Information on Proposed Grade 3 Items, Item #886 . It was listed as a Grade III historic building in 2010.List of the Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (@ 21 September 2012) No. 26 Lugard Road. Hong Kong Archive records show that a dwelling was constructed c.1890 on Rural Building Lot 52. The house was sold in 1899 to Joseph Charles Hoare, then Bishop of Victoria, for HK$34,000. The property, thus named "Bishop's Lodge", was owned by Hoare, and passed to his wife upon his drowning in a typhoon in 1906. In 1917, the property was sold for HK$20,830 to Robert Hotung, who surrendered the lease to the Crown in June 1950 – process which usually involved an exchange for other land.Wilson, Anita (9 September 1986). "26 Lugard Road: Rural Building Lot (RBL) 52 Garden Lot (GL) 17". Government Records Office, Hong Kong. No. 27 Lugard Road. The oldest house in Lugard Road is this two-storey private residence designed by Palmer and Turner, and constructed in 1914. It was given Grade II historic building status by the Antiquities Advisory Board in September 2013.Antiquities Advisory Board: List of new items and new categories with assessment results (as at 4 March 2014) The neo-classical colonial mansion was designed by Lennox Godfrey Bird, and owned by his brother Herbert until it was sold to the Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co. in 1930 whereupon it was used as a residence for their staff."N18: No. 27 Lugard Road" . Historic Building Appraisal. Leisure and Cultural Services Dept (June 2013) Butterfield & Swire (太古洋行), who were the successor to Taikoo Dockyard, turned the house into a staff mess. In September 2012, the property was acquired for HK$384 million by Ashley Pacific, a company that also owns and runs the Butterfly Hotel and Serviced Apartment Group. The new owners submitted an application to the Town Planning Board (TPB) to transform the property into an upmarket boutique hotel. They proposed to expand the property by building two additional villas of two to three storeys each, making a total of 17 lettable units with a floor area in excess of ."盧吉道27號建酒店獲城規通過". Sing Tao Daily, 7 September 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Despite stiff objection from local groups and the District Council, the TPB approved the plan.Nip, Amy (26 June 2014). "Lugard Road hotel plan faces more legwork". South China Morning Post No. 28 Lugard Road is a pitched roof bungalow designed by Lennox Bird, and constructed in 1924. It was owned and occupied by Bird up to the war, after which it was sold. No. 35 Lugard Road, Victoria Gap Substation, was built in 1928 by the Hongkong Electric Company to distribute electricity to different populated areas, and serve as quarters for its engineers.Brief Information 1444 Historic Buildings, Item #888 (21 September 2012). The 4-storey neo-Georgian building still functions as a staff residence and an electric substation for the locality. The plant is located on the ground floor, with flats on each of the remaining levels.Brief Information on Proposed Grade 3 Items, Item #888 . It has been a Grade III historic building since 2010.

See also List of streets and roads in Hong Kong

References

External links

"No. 27 Lugard Road". Historic Building Appraisal, Leisure and Cultural Services Dept. p. N18