Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel Conservation Area Character Appraisals

Home , Mountsorrel, Sileby

CABINET – 22nd March 2007

Report of the Director of Development

ITEM 12 Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel Conservation Area Character Appraisals

Purpose of the Report

To request formal adoption of the Conservation Area Character Appraisals for Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel

Recommendation

That the Character Appraisals for Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel Conservation Areas be adopted.

Reason

To provide adopted guidance that identifies the special character and creates a sound basis for the management of Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel Conservation Areas.

Policy Context

The Council’s Corporate Plan prioritises, as one of its 6 aims, a sustainable environment which is defined by excellent urban planning and protecting the best of Charnwood’s heritage.

The Planning Service Delivery Plan 2005-6 Desired Outcome to “Safeguard the built heritage of the Borough” gives the preparation of conservation area appraisals as its objective.

The Council’s adopted Local Plan contains several policies that are relevant to conserving the character of conservation areas.

The Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance 15 on “Planning and the Historic Environment” encourages local planning authorities to pursue their duties under Section 71 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, to formulate proposals to preserve and enhance conservation areas and of the need to consult widely in doing so.

The Character Appraisal is a requirement of Best Value Performance Indicator BV 219b. It will inform the preparation of management proposals for the conservation area that are a requirement of BV 219c.

Background

The conservation areas were designated as follows: Syston in October 1975, Sileby in March 1988 and Mountsorrel in January 1977, extended on 20th April 1987.

The Character Appraisal of a conservation area is intended to be an objective statement and factual description and appraisal of the area. It justifies the historical and architectural reasons for designating the area and describes the particular qualities of buildings, spaces and landscape that together create a distinctive street scene or other part of the public realm. It also describes the strengths and weaknesses of the area and identifies opportunities for enhancement. The appraisal or statement must be a sound basis for the guidance of planning and development control decisions, which can ultimately be defended at appeal.

101 Public consultation on the three draft documents has taken place through public meetings in Syston, Sileby and Mountsorrel. Final versions of the document have now been produced (see Appendices 1, 3 & 5) and are submitted to Cabinet for adoption as guidance. Summaries of the responses received at the public meetings are set out in Appendices 2, 4 and 6. The adopted statements will be used to implement management proposals for these conservation areas using further guidance from English Heritage. This specifies the requirements for the Best Value Performance Indicator BV 219c, “Preserving the Special Character of Conservation Areas: Management Proposals”.

Financial Implications

None

Risk Management

Risk Identified Likelihood Impact Risk Management Actions Planned Appraisals not adopted Low Low Adopt appraisals incorporating revisions results in failure on BVPI 219b Management Plans not Low Low Adopt Management Plans incorporating adopted results in revisions failure on BVPI 219c

Key Decision: No

Background Papers: Leading in Leicestershire. Corporate Plan to 2011/12. Charnwood Borough Council

Borough of Charnwood Local Plan (Jan. 2004).

The Department of the Environment. Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment.

Officers to Contact: Mark Fennell 01509 634748 [email protected]

Anthony Gimpel 01509 634971 [email protected]

102 Appendix 1

SYSTON CONSERVATION AREA Character Appraisal

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2 Planning Policies

LOCATION AND SETTING 3 Context and Population General Character and Plan Form

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 4 Origins and Development

CHARACTER ANALYSIS 6 Historic and Prevailing Land Uses Prevalent and Traditional Building Materials Local Details Views and Vistas Trees, Green Spaces and Bio-diversity Weaknesses

MANAGEMENT PLANS 10 Review of Conservation Area Boundary General Condition Environmental Enhancement Table of Proposed Actions Developing Management Proposals Advice and Guidance Contacts

Listed Buildings in Syston Conservation Area 14 Bibliography 15

103 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 1 INTRODUCTION Syston is a small industrial town within the Borough of Charnwood. The Conservation Area was designated in October 1975, an area of 11 ha, composed of the historic settlement on either side of the High Street and bounded by the Melton Road. The Area includes a broad range of buildings, domestic, commercial, public and industrial, from the 17th century to the present day, based on a mediaeval pattern of streets including a village green. The town was described in White’s Directory of 1846 as a ‘large and well built village upon a pleasant declivity’. The substantial Victorian and 20th century industrialisation and urban expansion of the settlement is not included in the Area.

The purpose of this appraisal is to examine the historical development of the Conservation Area and to describe its present character and appearance in order to assess its special architectural and historic interest. The appraisal is used to inform the consideration of management and development proposals within the Area.

PLANNING POLICIES A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest whose character or appearance should be preserved or enhanced. In making decisions on potential development within a conservation area, the Council is required to ‘pay attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area’. Permission will not be granted for proposals that are likely to harm the character or appearance of a conservation area. Sections 69 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment says that special attention should be paid when considering proposals for development in a conservation area.

Planning Policy Statement 9: Requires that planning policies and decisions not only avoid, mitigate or compensate for harm but also seek ways to enhance, restore and add to biodiversity and geodiversity.

The Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands published in March 2005 advises local authorities to develop strategies that avoid damage to the region’s cultural assets. Policy 27: Protecting and Enhancing The Region’s Natural and Cultural Assets.

The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan 1996 to 2016, published in December 2004, seeks to identify, protect, preserve and enhance areas, sites, buildings and settings of historic or architectural interest or archaeological importance. Development within conservation areas should preserve or enhance their character and appearance. Environment Policy 2: Sites and Buildings of Historic Architectural and Archaeological Interest.

The Borough of Charnwood Local Plan 1991 – 2006 adopted in January 2004 seeks to ensure that new development in conservation areas preserves or enhances the character and appearance of the area. Policy EV/10.

104 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 2 LOCATION AND SETTING

CONTEXT AND POPULATION Syston lies 5 miles north-east of Leicester. The town is one of a string of settlements in the Wreake valley between Leicester and Melton. Syston lies just north of the Barkby Brook, close to the confluence of the Wreake and the Soar. Fosse Way is half a mile to the west.

The population of Syston has varied over time. Records in the Victoria County History of Leicestershire show that the population rose steadily from an estimated population of about 30 people in the Domesday Survey of 1086, to 367 people in the late seventeenth century (1679 Ecclesiastical Returns) followed by a more rapid growth throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from 1,124 people in 1801; to 1,656 by 1861; 2,930 by 1901; and then to 5,508 by 1951. The most recent parish profile published by Leicestershire County Council shows there that were 11,608 people residing in the parish of Syston at the time of the 2001 Census.

GENERAL CHARACTER AND PLAN FORM Syston occupies an area of generally flat land that falls gently towards the Barkby Brook. In its wider context the town sits on the edge of the broad valley of the river Wreake. The highest part of the town, to the north of High Street, is occupied by St Peter’s Church. The present pattern of streets within the Conservation Area is a product of the historical development of the settlement which, from the earliest times, developed as a small, nucleated village clustered around the Church. The village green is still an important and identifiable open space at the centre of the Area. The main street is High Street, which runs westwards from Melton Road to join Fosse Way. There are subtle changes in the direction and width of High Street along its length. The most obvious are the large opening of The Green and the pinch point as one approaches the Green from Melton Road. It is this feature of the mediaeval pattern which gives the settlement much of its character.

The gateway from the Foss is a widening marked by The Queen Victoria public house, from where the street narrows and curves to run through a Victorian terrace to The Green where the key building is a fine Georgian town house set back from the pavement with its own front yard, now occupied by the Conservative Club. After the pinch point, which itself is marked by a low thatched cottage, at one time a public house, there is another widening leading to the junction with Upper Church Street and School Street. Here the principal buildings are the large Victorian house, no 26, set well away from the street in its own garden protected by a brick wall and the Methodist Church opposite the junction with Walkers Way. Beyond this the street narrows between the shops on either side to end in the focal space of the junction with Melton Road.

Springing from the High Street is a closed network of streets running northwards around the old manor house, no. 16 Bath Street, and the Church, and a series of streets running southwards towards the Brook. All these streets have subtle changes in direction and width. Lower Church Street has a pleasant opening at the front of the church with views through the trees of the churchyard to Upper Church Street. Chapel Street has a broad opening halfway along its length fronted by two fine Georgian three storey houses. The street then curves away down towards the brook past the Dog and Gun public house. School Street also curves gently downhill past the single storey primary school which is now the Town Council offices and Community Centre.

This historic core forms the basis of the Conservation Area within which there is a significant number of surviving domestic and commercial buildings dating from the late sixteenth century through to the present day that contribute to the special architectural and historic interest of the Area. There are 28 listed buildings (see Appendix). St Peter’s Church is listed Grade I, the others are Grade II including low brick cottages, some of them thatched, town-houses and houses with swithland slate roofs. Amongst these are modern terraced houses, three storey blocks of flats and industrial yards often bounded by high brick walls.

105 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 3 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTEREST Whilst there are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the Conservation Area, the Area encompasses the core mediaeval settlement, and the pattern of streets and the nature of the properties would suggest that there is considerable archaeological potential both below ground and surviving in the fabric of many of the standing buildings.

ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT Syston has it origins as a Saxon settlement and, although there is little physical evidence of this earlier habitation in the town, colonisation in the Wreake Valley from the sixth century can be discerned. Notably, a distinctive feature of many Anglo-Saxon settlements were their village greens and such a green still survives in Syston.

The origin of the name Syston is not clear. At the time of the Domesday Survey the village was known as Sitestone and it had a mill and a priest, indicating the likely presence of a church. The present parish church, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, dates from its rebuilding during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with the nave and tower built in a Perpendicular style and the chancel rebuilt later in a Decorated style. The Church was originally controlled by Ulverscroft Priory but after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s control, together with the right to collect tithes, passed to the University of Oxford. The Church was heavily restored in the 1870s and 1880s.

The early mediaeval development of the town was associated with agriculture, particularly on the productive light and sandy soils to the south, with the villagers reliant on the open fields system. Crops were rotated between three fields, the North, South and Middle (to the east) fields, supplemented by large areas of meadow alongside the rivers Soar and Wreake and with communal grazing rights on the Great Moor to the north-east of the village.

The open fields were enclosed in the 1777, with some 248 acres of land allotted to Oxford University, making it one of the largest local landowners. The enclosure of the open fields had a profound effect on the local landscape with small hedged fields replacing the original open fields. The effect was felt by the local economy: local landowners were no longer tied to community needs and were able to convert former arable land into more profitable pasture land for the rearing of livestock for sale in local markets, particularly Leicester. The Leicester Advertiser noted that inhabitants of the village were described as ‘reputable graziers’ in Throsby’s Excursions in Leicestershire, 1790 and the Leicestershire crop returns for 1801 show that out of some 1768 acres only 301 acres were used for arable farming (Hoskins, 1948).

A snapshot of Syston at this time is provided by the 1778 Enclosure Awards Map (reproduced in Barker et al, pp. 24-25, 2000) which shows a settlement concentrated along the High Street from Melton Road as far west to what is now Turn Street, with smaller streets of houses running to the north and south of High Street. This historic street pattern was still in place at the time of the 1884 Ordnance Survey plan; over the intervening 100 years there had been little development beyond the 1778 village limits except around the junction of Barkby Road and Melton Road and some new terraced development to the south of Barkby Brook.

The enclosure of the open fields removed the traditional reliance and dependency on the land. Communal grazing rights were lost and many of the new holdings were too small to be viable so that many villagers were forced to look for new employment. The arrival of the Soar Navigation canal in 1792 and the railway and its accompanying station in 1840 improved the transport links with Leicester and allowed new industrial enterprises to develop in the village and also gave people the opportunity to travel to work in Leicester.

106 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 4 The first notable industry was framework knitting which developed during the eighteenth century in a number of rural centres along the Soar and Wreake valleys, being first recorded in Syston in the period after 1750 (Parker, 1955). The increased demands for hosiery, particularly due to the Napoleonic Wars, led to a growing dependency on the hosiery trade. Framework knitting employed whole families, men on the frame, women seaming and children winding wool onto bobbins, working at home or in small backyard workshops as out-workers for the factories in Leicester. By 1844, 380 frames were recorded in the village (Parker, 1955) and the 1846 Directory notes that there were many framework knitters employed chiefly by Leicester manufacturers. The Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) noted that: ‘the manufacture of stockings affords employment to about 400 persons’ and according to the 1891 Census, framework knitting was the main source of employment in the village.

There is little visible evidence of this industry in the town today but a range of long windows in the gable end of no. 4 Chapel Street are indicative of a domestic workshop, and there also appears to be evidence of a domestic workshop, dated 1904, behind no. 16 Turn Street.

Growth in the town through the nineteenth century was reflected in the improvements to local services. A gas works was established in 1859 and new community facilities were built with the opening of the Parochial School in 1856. Before this an infants school had been built in 1817 and a number of chapels of which the Wesleyan chapel of 1797 on Chapel Street still survives. The Baptist chapel of 1818 and Primitive Methodist chapel of 1836 have been demolished.

By the end of the nineteenth century the hosiery trade was in decline as much of the industry had been moved into new factories in Leicester. However, new employment opportunities were offered by the development of the boot and shoe industry. The boot and shoe manufacturers of Leicester were attracted by the supply of unemployed hosiery labour with a tradition of homeworking and skills that could be transferred to the manufacture of boots and shoes. By the turn of the twentieth century new factories for the manufacture of boots and shoes had been set up in Syston, the largest being opened by Eatough’s in 1921. By 1956/7, 270 people were employed in the industry and, whilst not as large as the neighbouring Sileby, it was larger than most other County towns.

As the twentieth century progressed, the boot and shoe industry, like the previous hosiery trade declined. However, Syston as a town contains significant industry, some of it located in the Conservation Area. There are small factories and workshops representing for the most the service and building industries.

All these industries caused a rapid growth in the local population and a surge of house building, expanding the settlement to the west and south of the Conservation Area. Throughout the rapid urbanisation of the village there was little encroachment into the historic core save for a boot factory at the end of Brook Street and a hosiery factory off School Street. The present Conservation Area therefore reflects the basic historic street pattern that had been established by the end of the eighteenth century and contains many of the buildings that had been built in the town between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries.

107 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 5 CHARACTER ANALYSIS

HISTORIC AND PREVAILING LAND USES The present activities and land uses within the Conservation Area reflect its historical development and its importance at the centre of the community. As is typical of many historic settlements, these include a range of commercial, industrial and residential uses that developed alongside each other over time and are now well integrated into the urban fabric.

Historically, the most important building was the parish church which would have been at the focus of village life into the eighteenth century. With the growth of non-conformity, new places of worship were built and of these, the former Wesleyan Chapel on Chapel Street and the Methodist Church on High Street survive. Other community buildings such as schools were built, including the early nineteenth century infants school at the end of School Street. Whilst the original buildings of the school have been much altered and linked by more modern buildings, they serve today as a community centre and Parish Council offices.

The village centre also had a range of shops and public houses that were concentrated around The Green and the eastern end of the High Street. These two areas form an important part of a vibrant shopping centre in the town.

The principal residential areas developed at the western end of High Street and in the tight network of streets on either side of the High Street, around the Church and extending towards the Barkby Brook. These streets offer a broad range of houses both in style and age, with good examples of vernacular thatched cottages, such as at no. 57 and no. 72 High Street and no. 16 Turn Street; polite Georgian townhouses, as on Lower Church Street, The Green and Chapel Street, and later Victorian properties added as the village began to grow in the nineteenth century.

Some industrial activity is represented in the central core. Framework knitting and shoe making was usually carried out in domestic workshops and the windows in the gable end of no. 4 Chapel Street are indicative of a domestic workshop and there is evidence of workshops built behind frontage properties, such as at no. 16 Turn Street. There is a group of freestanding workshops at no. 70 High Street and, whilst they presently look rather rundown, the granite rubble sidewall and partial Swithland slate roof suggest that they are of some historical interest.

To service the present commercial area a number of open car parks have been laid out within the Conservation Area.

PREVALENT AND TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS Despite the loss of many thatched cottages in the later half of the twentieth century (photographs of the original buildings are recorded in Barker et al, 2000) there are a significant number of early properties surviving in the Area. Dating from between the 15th or 16th century, these are principally of timber-frame construction, although most have been altered with the use of roughcast render or brick to reface the timber frame, and a good proportion still have a thatched roof. Some of the best examples are found at no. 10 The Green, no. 2 Bath Street, nos. 33, 57 & 72 High Street, no. 14 Chapel Street and no. 16 Turn Street. At no. 16 Bath Street, the external timber frame has been infilled with herringbone brickwork and the roof covered with Welsh slate.

The predominant building material in the Conservation Area is brick, which characterises the buildings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and provides a uniformity of material and appearance throughout the Conservation Area. In most properties the brick is laid in Flemish bond, the pattern of which in some cases is emphasised by the use of contrasting headers and stretchers, such as at no. 3 Brook Street, claimed to be an early example of brick vernacular building (Hoskins, 1970), no. 5 Chapel Street, nos. 1 & 3 Barkby Road and no. 10 Lower Church Street.

108 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 6 Brick is used to provide decoration, such as in two of the oldest buildings: diaper work is used to decorate the gable and principal street elevation of no. 7 Lower Church Street and a single diaper pattern can be seen in the gable of no. 2 Bath Street. Many properties also have horizontal brick string courses between the first and ground floor windows such as at no. 18 Bath Street and no. 75 High Street, the Conservative Club. There are projecting courses of moulded brick such as at no. 3 Brook Street and at no. 7 Lower Church Street which follows the Wreake Valley tradition of semi- circular hoods over the windows, (McWhirr, 1997, pp. 49). There are dentil brick courses as at nos. 2 & 17 Bath Street.

The Church is the only building in the village to be built entirely of stone, using granite rubble for its main walls with white limestone dressings. A number of buildings have rubble stone plinths that may originally have supported a timber frame but now contribute to the visual proportions of the properties. Granite rubble has also been used to construct the rear wall of the outbuildings at no. 70 High Street, which are also partly covered by Swithland slate in the roof.

Besides the thatched roof properties, Welsh slate is the predominant roofing material, sometimes finished with terracotta ridge tiles and finials, such as at no. 16 Turn Street. Welsh slate is however a mass-produced material of the nineteenth century, relying on the railways for its distribution. Before its widespread use, there was a reliance on locally available materials, such as Swithland slate. A substantial number of roofs in the Area are still covered in Swithland slate, which is typically laid in diminishing courses to spread the weight of the tiles, such as at nos. 5 & 19 Chapel Street, no. 75 High Street along with its attached barn and outbuildings, and nos. 1259 & 1261 Melton Road.

There has been a good survival of historic joinery with a range of original windows and doors, features that define the appearance of properties and are integral to their appearance. Timber sash windows are common in the Area and they provide a strong vertical emphasis and are mostly used in polite Georgian townhouses and Victorian properties, such as at no. 75 High Street, no. 2 Brook Street, no. 5 Chapel Street, no. 1259 Melton Road and no. 2 Lower Church Street. The more traditional vernacular cottages use casement windows and there are some good examples of surviving Yorkshire sliding sash windows in the upper floors of no. 10 The Green, no. 17 Bath Street, the Fox and Hounds public house on High Street and no. 3 Brook Street. No. 21 High Street has an interesting variety of window styles, with tripartite sash windows on the ground floor and mullion and transom windows on the first floor, with a horizontal sliding opening light in the lower frame.

Window openings are typically defined by arches and projecting cills. The arches are in a variety of styles. There are gauged brick arches at nos. 1 & 3 Barkby Road, no. 93 High Street and no. 5 Chapel Street and segmental brick arches at nos. 73 & 95 High Street, with the use of flat stone arches at no. 97 High Street and no. 19 Chapel Street.

As well as timber windows, there are good examples of timber panel doors, sometimes partially glazed, and many with fanlights above. Some of the best examples can be seen at no. 33 Bath Street, nos. 47 and 57 High Street, nos. 22 & 24 Lower Church Street and no. 12 The Green.

As a longstanding commercial area, a particular feature of High Street is the large number of surviving timber shop fronts that make a significant visual contribution to the historic character of the Area. Typical shop fronts range from relatively simple designs where shop windows are framed by a plain architrave and a fascia board between paired brackets, such as at no. 14 High Street, the Post Office, and no. 8 The Green, Mortgage Solutions. However, care must be taken in assuming the age of these shop fronts as photographs would suggest that they are not original, the Post Office having had different windows in 1920 (photograph in Barker et al, 2000, pp. 31) and no. 8 The Green has been refurbished since 1960 (front cover photograph in Barker et al, 2000). Examples of more modest shop fronts, with decorated pilasters supporting brackets either side of a fascia, can be seen at nos. 10 & 12 High Street, Harrison Murray and Age Concern. However, since the building appeared to be in residential use in the 1920s, the shop fronts must post-date 1920 (photograph in Barker et al, 2000, pp. 31). 109 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 7 The most elaborate shop fronts are found on the purpose-built Victorian shop units at no. 6 High Street, Interflora, no. 8 High Street, High Street Hair, and no. 14 The Green, Match Catch. These appear to be original Victorian shop fronts, with recessed doors, distinctive stall risers and pilasters with console brackets supporting a tilted fascia and, in the case of no. 14 The Green, an original sun- blind and ventilator strip.

LOCAL DETAILS An interesting and recurring architectural feature found throughout the whole of the Conservation Area is the range and variety of surviving external door surrounds, of which there are more than twenty. In some cases these are quite simple door surrounds of moulded timber architraves around the outside of the door, such as at no. 57 High Street and no. 8 Lower Church Street. However, most are more elaborate often with flat canopies supported by console brackets such as at no. 3 Brook Street, nos. 21 & 73 High Street, no. 18 Lower Church Street and nos. 8 & 10 The Green. The most elaborate are found on the polite Georgian townhouses such as no. 5 Chapel Street, which has a six panelled door framed by a tall elegant surround with an architrave, with applied clustered shafts, and incised console brackets supporting a flat canopy; while at no. 59 High Street the six panelled door is framed by a radial fanlight with an open pediment supported on reeded shafts; and at no. 10 Lower Church Street the six panelled door has a semi-circular fanlight with a moulded timber architrave with applied clustered shafts and consoles supporting a flat canopy.

In some cases the door surrounds have survived even where the house has been altered, such as no. 46 High Street and no. 14 Lower Church Street. The timber surrounds make a unique contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and add to the collective wealth and variety of architectural details within it.

There are several surviving old street name plates on the sides of houses at first floor level. They are from two periods, with different styles but both painted black with white lettering.

In Chapel Street and Bath Street there are high brick boundary walls. The former serves to guide the eye towards the Dog and Gun.

At Brookside alongside the Brook there is a significant surviving stretch of granite sett paving.

VIEWS AND VISTAS Because the town is well developed there is little opportunity for expansive vistas across the fields.

The view west from the High Street is terminated by the railway bridge. The views up and down Melton Road are nearly always dominated by traffic. Along High Street, Bath Street, Lower Church Street, Chapel Street, the curves and variations of width in the streets create a changing scene. There are glimpses into yards and views of rear walls and rooves of houses. Occasionally the church tower can be seen peeping over the tops of houses or walls. Syston has few houses over two storeys and often the storey heights are low. There is a sense of enclosure. The taller buildings are set at wider places in the street.

TREES, GREEN SPACES & BIODIVERSITY Most of the trees in the Conservation Area are associated either with the churchyard or Barkby Brook. The relatively undisturbed churchyard is a good place of quiet which provides a habitat for wildlife. Trees are also found in many neighbouring gardens so that there is a substantial corridor of habitat north of the High Street.

Barkby Brook forms a wildlife corridor which connects the Conservation Area to the wider countryside and, despite having been heavily engineered, it functions as a valuable habitat and as a dispersal route for many species. Beyond the brook, and therefore outside the Conservation Area, is the large expanse of Central Park which is the principal breathing space for the town.

110 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 8 The north-eastern part of the Conservation Area is adjacent to Syston Marsh, a series of Local Wildlife Sites of high ecological interest consisting of wet woodland and marsh constituting two priority habitats in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan

South of the High Street, the Area contains several large spaces which are used as car parks or industrial yards. In addition, throughout the Area, the rear gardens of private houses occasionally create a sense of green space from the street, though bounded by walls or railings.

WEAKNESSES There are a number of aspects of Syston Conservation Area which disrupt the historic continuity. Firstly, but not in order of precedence, is the modern intrusion of blocks of flats which do not respect the street patterns. The flats are designed as rectangular boxes which inevitably leave large areas of blank space, grassed over, with standardised shrubs and birch trees which do not enhance historic Syston. The flats are unrelated to the street, they do not follow the curving lines and the access is from private courtyards.

There is also some suburban housing, in High Street and Upper Church Street which has disturbed the grain and character; terraces or semis which remove themselves from the street scene by placing a front garden between the building and the pavement.

Secondly, a decision has been taken that the streets are for traffic flow. The result is a domination by kerblines and other traffic management features which attempt to carve parallel lines through the grace of the curving and variable streets. While it is recognised that traffic should be able to move through the Area, the streets have other functions which are just as important. They are places for people to see each other in public, to meet, to stroll in, to go shopping in.

Thirdly, the desire for car parking has created gaping holes in the village grain. This is especially so behind Town Square where, together with the effect of the blocks of flats opposite, the nature of Syston as a close community has been badly damaged. Unfortunately, there are other smaller spaces where the sense of enclosure by the street has been lost, Chapel Street, School Street, Upper Church Street.

111 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 9 MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

REVIEW OF CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY The Syston Conservation Area was designated in October 1975 by Charnwood Borough Council. The Conservation Area boundary has not been reviewed since the original designation. Preliminary survey work has confirmed that a re-examination of the boundary is long overdue. It is clear that the designated area boundary is in places incoherent, particularly in respect of Brookside.

The present boundary of the area is somewhat arbitrary and would benefit from redefinition in certain areas. In particular there are two areas where the boundary could be amended:

Nos. 26 and 32 Upper Church Street stand on the east side of the street opposite the churchyard. The present boundary runs along the west side of Upper Church Street along the edge of the churchyard. Whilst the two buildings are listed and therefore protected, they are of architectural and historic interest and provide an attractive backdrop to the Church and the churchyard. They should be included in the Conservation Area.

Nos. 2 to 14 Turn Street form a group of buildings that have the character of Almshouses. These buildings and the forecourt area make a significant contribution to the street scene and should be included within the conservation area.

The boundary along Brookside is incoherent and convoluted. Consideration needs to be given to the inclusion of the whole of Brookside, including the trees along the park boundary as these have a significant impact on the character on Brookside. It is suggested that the area along Barkby Brook to the railway bridge over the Brook is also considered.

GENERAL CONDITION High Street and the immediate roads off it are potentially the most historically interesting and characterful part of Syston town centre. The appraisal reveals that, although the overall condition of the built fabric when viewed from the street frontage appears reasonable, some buildings have suffered from ill conceived restoration works, particularly the inappropriate replacement of roofing materials, windows and doors, has caused significant harm to the traditional character of the area.

The appraisal has also highlighted the fact that some traditional shop fronts survive but they are in reasonable condition but are vulnerable to inappropriate repair and replacement.

Some past repair work to the historic fabric of the area has been executed by inexpert contractors, cheaply and without consideration or knowledge of good conservation practice.

The targeting of favourable grants through the Council’s Historic Building Grant Scheme, may provide a persuasive incentive to property owners to undertake necessary repairs and to consider improvements, such as the authentic reinstatement of architectural features. It will also give the Council the opportunity to advise on good practice, to control the standard of work and to monitor the quality of its execution.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT A comprehensive approach is needed to address the generally poor quality and neglected condition of many of the public spaces and highways within the area. Possible enhancement opportunities are listed below. It is not an exhaustive set of proposals but the major areas of need have been identified.

An opportunity will be sought to work with the County Council and local people to improve the nature of High Street and Melton Road as a place for people and vehicles.

112 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 10 Investigate the opportunitiy for environmental enhancement along Brookside and south side of the Barkby Brook and consider improving pedestrian and cycle links from here to the town centre.

Review and repair landscape features within the car park in front of Harrisons Row

The Borough Council has adopted a Percent for Art Policy and has also created an annual budget of £25,000 for public art within Charnwood. It is intended to work with Charnwood Arts to involve artists in environmental improvements.

Table of Proposed Actions Lead Other Conservation Area Issue Proposed Action Partner Partners

Incoherent Conservation Area Review Conservation Area CBC boundary. boundary.

Investigate the opportunitiy for environmental enhancement Poor use of public spaces along along Brookside with improved CBC LCC the banks of the Barkby Brook pedestrian links to the town centre.

Damaged and vandalised Review and repair landscape landscape features in front of features to the car park in CBC Harrisons Row. front of Harrisons Row

DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS Based on the issues that have been identified the following objectives will have a positive impact in both protecting and enhancing the character of the conservation area, and providing the basis of a long term management plan:

1 Identify any historic buildings showing signs of neglect. They could be enhanced by removing clutter from elevations (pipes, wiring, brackets etc.), masonry cleaning or repainting. Owners could be approached with suggestions as appropriate. The encouragement of the cleaning of buildings, using methods appropriate to their materials, could achieve significant results visually.

2. Review how the Council’s adopted ‘Shopfront & Signs’ guidance is being used. A face lift scheme for shops could be considered. Aspects could include shop fronts and fascias, blinds, colour schemes, advertisements and signs. Identify any outstanding enforcement issues.

3. Encourage development on sites where infill building would be desirable. Prepare design briefs for such sites to stimulate interest and assist owners and developers to achieve appropriate design and layout.

4. Detailed identification of sites within the highway where hard ground surfaces need to be introduced or renewed, including consideration of the scope to redefine sections of carriageway, realign kerbing, extend and repave pedestrian areas, provide and mark vehicle parking bays. Agree a policy for the selection and use of materials appropriate for particular situations with the Highway Authority.

113 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 11 5. Identify any land in public control that is under utilised and might be appropriate for a landscaping scheme. Address the adequacy of maintenance for such areas. Similarly, examine any neglected private land that can be cleared and reclaimed for positive use. Consideration should be given to the introduction, or reinstatement where they have been lost, of walls, railings and planting to create enclosure.

6. Co-ordinate the placing of all permanent items within the streets. There are opportunities to renew, redesign, re-site, eliminate or combine existing street furniture. Similarly, examine traffic signs and highway markings with a view to their rationalisation. The appropriateness of the existing street lighting and the scope to introduce imaginative lighting schemes, including the illumination of key buildings, also merits examination. Guidelines could be set out in a public realm manual.

7. Examine opportunities for public art in various forms to create distinctive and quality solutions to landscape improvements.

8. Consider the production of heritage trail leaflets to increase community awareness and appreciation, including the encouragement of tourism. This might involve interpretation material, plaques or similar for key sites and buildings.

9. Identify biodiversity enhancements and encourage the provision of bat and bird boxes, particularly swift nest boxes within the fabric of new/converted buildings.

ADVICE & GUIDANCE Part of the purpose of this Appraisal is to inform and guide development control decisions about the Conservation Area.

Any proposed changes should be sensitive to and take into account the character as described in this Appraisal. New development, including extensions and alterations, must respond to the context and environment, the scale, form, materials and detailing of the existing buildings and the grain and pattern of the built form and the urban spaces of the Area. This is particularly important in Syston where the mediaeval grain of curving streets of variable width and the open massing and scale of buildings can both be easily damaged by inappropriate development.

There are a number of design features in many of the properties which characterise the Conservation Area. Any new development should either incorporate these features or the new design should respect them in a way that they can be seen and recognised both in the old and in the new properties. Specifically these details include door surrounds, window arches and projecting cills and the prevailing red brick laid in Flemish bond. Given the difficulties in obtaining Swithland slate, Welsh slate would be an alternative; imported or reconstituted slates or roof tiles, either clay or concrete, are not part of the historic palette of materials.

Care should be taken when decisions are made to use materials that are not part of the prevailing palette that the existing character and appearance is enhanced and not damaged. Roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and the creation of new chimneys are important considerations.

Windows and doors of traditional design make an important contribution to the character and appearance of the Area. The use of upvc and standardised high speed joinery techniques nearly always leads to unsuitably detailed windows which will generally be unacceptable in the Area.

The Council will insist on good quality schemes which respond positively to the historic setting of the Area. This extends to small buildings such as garages and also to boundary walls and fences. Minor alterations need to be carefully considered as incremental change can have a significant detrimental effect on the character of the Area over a period of time.

114 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 12 There may be opportunities for innovative modern design. Good modern design could create positive changes in the Area.

Any development within the Conservation Area requiring excavation works is likely to require a considered archaeological assessment and investigation prior to the commencement of development. Many of the earlier buildings may conceal mediaeval or post-mediaeval remains; any works involving the disturbance of the existing fabric will require archaeological investigation.

Many species of wildlife are protected by legislation. Prior to any proposals for development a survey of the wildlife should be carried out where there is a likelihood of a legally protected species or a priority Biodiversity Action Plan species being present and at risk of impact from the development or other management. This may often be the case where it is proposed to use or develop previously unused attic and roof spaces.

Applicants for planning permission must provide a Design Statement to explain the decisions that have been made and to show how proposals relate to the context. It should demonstrate a full appreciation of the local streetscape, how it has developed, including prevailing building forms, materials and plot ratios.

Proposals will be assessed against the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Leading in Design and other Supplementary Planning Documents and government guidance contained in PPS1 and PPG15.

The Borough Council Development Department can advise on the need for Planning Permission or Listed Building Consent and can provide guidance on matters such as appropriate methods of maintenance/repairs, changes to shopfronts, alterations and extensions and suitable materials.

CONTACTS Conservation & Design Team Tel. 01509 634748 [email protected]

Development Control Tel. 01509 634691 [email protected]

Planning Enforcement Tel. 01509 634722

115 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 13 SYSTON CONSERVATION AREA - LISTED BUILDINGS

BARKBY ROAD No. 11 - Grade II

BATH STREET No. 2 – Grade II No. 16 (Previously listed as No 14 and 16) - Grade II No. 18 (Bails Cottage) - Grade II No. 17 - Grade II

BROOK STREET No. 2 - Grade II No. 3 - Grade II

CHAPEL STREET No. 3 (Chatsley House) - Grade II No. 5 (Vine House) - Grade II No. 19 - Grade II

HIGH STREET No. 21 (Previously listed as No 21 (Oaklands)) - Grade II No. 33 - Grade II No. 57 - Grade II No. 58 - Grade II No. 59 - Grade II Barn at No. 59 - Grade II No. 72 The Thatched Cottage - Grade II

LOWER CHURCH STREET No. 8 - Grade II No. 10 - Grade II Church of Saints Peter and Paul - Grade I No. 7 - Grade II

MELTON ROAD No. 1259 - Grade II No. 1261 – Grade II Nos. 1324 and 1326 (The Gables) - Grade II The Fox and Hounds Public House - Grade II

SCHOOL STREET No. 16- Grade II

THE GREEN No. 8 - Grade II No. 10 - Grade II

TURN STREET No. 16 (Stone House) - Grade II

UPPER CHURCH STREET (recommended to be included in the Conservation Area) No. 26 (Previously listed as No 26 and 30) - Grade II No. 32 - Grade II

116 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barker, D., Foulds, D., Gamble, D., & Young, R. (2000) Syston Past, Syston Local History Group, East Goscote

Hoskins, W. G. (1948) The Leicestershire Crop Returns of 1801, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 24, pp. 127-153

Hoskins, W. G. (1970) A Shell Guide: Leicestershire, London: Faber and Faber

Leicester Advertiser (1958) How Villages got their Name – Syston, 25th January 1958 (LRO DE2148/251)

Leicestershire County Council: Census 2001 Parish Profile – Syston at: www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population/parish _profiles.htm (Accessed: 26 November 2006.)

Mountfield, P. R. (1966) ‘The Footwear Industry of the East Midlands (IV): Leicestershire to 1911’, East Midland Geographer Vol. 4 No. 25 pp. 8-23

Mountfield, P. R. (1967), ‘The Footwear Industry of the East Midlands (V): The Modern Phase: Northamptonshire and Leicestershire Since 1911 East Midland Geographer Vol. 4 No. 27, pp. 154- 75

Nichols, J. (1811) The history and Antiquities of the County of Leicester, Vol IV, Part 2 (reprinted 1971)

Parker, L. A. (1955) ‘Hosiery’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Reynolds, S. M. G. (1955) ‘Tables of Population’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Smith, C. T. (1955) ‘Population’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), 'Syde - Sywell', pp. 292-94 at: http://www.british- history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51325 (Accessed: 26 November 2006.)

White’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland: 1846; 1877 & 1900

Kelly’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland: 1864; 1876; 1881 & 1893

The Bookmark Syston, at: http://bookmarksyston.tbpcontrol.co.uk/TBP.Direct/CustomerAccessControl/Home.aspx ?collection+100000962 (Accessed: 26 November 2006.)

McWhirr, A. (1997) Brickmaking in Leicestershire before 1710, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 71

117 Syston Conservation Area Appraisal Page 15 Appendix 2

Syston Conservation Area Appraisal - Responses to the draft document

Respondent Comment Response of the Director of Development

1 Local Resident by email 1 1 Will there be grants to replace windows and doors with Historic Buildings Grant Scheme is in operation traditional materials? 2 2 - 4 Public footpath and area around the side entrance to St Peter Church wardens of SS Peter and Paul have been encouraged to and St Pauls Church is dark and unwelcoming. initiate an environmental improvement scheme for the area 3 around the church with a view to assistance from CBC. The frontage to St Peter and St Pauls church currently consists of tarmac laid right up to the base of the tower of the church and during the week this becomes just a car park. 4 Restrict parking in front of the church.

2 Resident at Public Meeting Consider extending Area along Barkby Brook to include the Consideration of extensions to the Boundaries of the CA are railway bridge(s) over the Brook. included in the Management Plan. Plan amended to include this suggestion.

3 Resident at Public Meeting Given CA designation in 1976, how well has the Area It is acknowledged in the Appraisal that the area has suffered survived. considerable degradation, though the historic core as noted in the Appraisal maintains its character.

4 Resident at Public Meeting Expression of dismay over the quality of the flats at School It is acknowledged that the flats and surrounding area are a Street – Walkers Way. weakness in the CA.

5 Resident at Public Meeting Rent relief of 15% was given to single businesses in view of Referred to Economic Regeneration. the importance of the vitality of local commerce to the character of the Conservation Area. How can this form of assistance be continued?

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6 Resident at Public Meeting Great concern over the proposals to build on the car park to These concerns have been communicated to Development the rear of Town Square. Control Team. Is the building necessary at all? Will the building be sypathetic? Are 3 storeys appropriate? Is the proposed use of the building for flats appropriate? Concern over the loss of car parking facilities for the duration of construction. Loss of car parking for two years may damage viability of local shops How will the new development affect existing local shops?

7 Resident at Public Meeting Car parking in proximity to local shops is vital for the Noted. The Management Plan does not propose any changes to prosperity of the shops. car parking arrangements.

8 Resident at Public Meeting 1 1 In extending the Area to include more of Barkby Brook, Consideration of extensions to the Boundaries of the CA are consider the stretch of the Brook to the east of Melton Road. included in the Management Plan. The Plan has been amended to 2 include this suggestion. Consider also enhancing the Brook so that there is water 2 flowing at all times through the year. (The potential of Management Plan identifies that enhancement of this area is flooding is recognised.) required.

9 Resident at Public Meeting Concern over dust and noise from Interserve affecting This concern has been communicated to our Environmental properties in Bath Street. Protection Team

10 Resident at PublicMeeting Imposition of regulations on new buildings is inconsistent with It is recognised that the regulations can be imposed on new the approach to alterations carried out on existing buildings. buildings while permitted development rights are allowed for existing properties.

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11 Local resident by letter 1 1 following the public Consider taking away the large sewer pipe floral containers The County Council in partnership with CBC are working on a meeting situated on The Green and Melton Road and replacing them Town Council strategy for a co-ordinated approach to street with something similar to the ones by the Town Council furniture in the town. Offices. 2 2 New windows and doors in the flats on School St. & Walkers Noted. To be discussed with Housing team. Way to be more in keeping with the area. 3 3 Landscaping and adding tasteful railings around the flats. See above – LCC/CBC strategy for street furniture. 4 4 Encouragement of flat occupiers to form a residents Referred to Town Council association in a bid to take more pride of the area. 5 5 Paying more attention to the car park areas by adding trees To be considered as part of the LCC/CBC strategy for street and plants. furniture. 6 6 Disallowing the change of use of residential properties to Noted. The Appraisal is not intended to stifle economically led commercial use. A classic example of this is the thatched changes provided that proposals meet planning requirements. cottage at 72 High Street. which since being taken over for commercial use has been left to decay. This includes a lovely cottage and several outbuildings. 7 7 Encourage the transfer of commercial sites to the west of the The Planning Authority has no knowledge of this proposal. railway bridge along High Street, to the Half Croft or Watermead business park. We cannot understand why a proposal by Jelsons to remove the Interfuse site and build residential properties was refused some time back. Due to the height restriction of the railway bridge these developments mean that heavy goods vehicles have no other way than High Street from the Melton Road to access these sites.

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8 8 An enforced speed restriction of 20 mph. along High Street Refer concerns to the Highway Authority. from the Queen Victoria onwards towards the town centre. We cannot understand why something hasn`t been done to slow down the traffic before. Cars travel at tremendous speed along this populated area used by many pupils and parents to get too and from the schools. 9 9 A bit more imagination with regard to the roundabout at the Refer concerns to the Highway Authority. junction of High Street, Melton Road & Barkby Road. The memorial should never have been taken away. Here again it was only changed for commercial purposes not for the improvement of the environment. 10 10 We have, what could be, a most attractive water feature Management Plan identifies that enhancement of this area is known as Barkby Brook. More attention should be paid to required. this feature and its walkways either side. Discouragement of duck feeding which encourages vermin. 11 11 Signs re litter dropping, dog fouling etc. Investigate responsibilities with Cleansing Team. 12 12 Builders of new developments such as the one by the Dog & This should be a condition of the planning permission. Request Gun on the Brookside should be made to landscape the Development Control to check compliance with planning approval frontages of their projects. notice. 13 13 Following the submission of the appraisal any new The Appraisal as well as Leading in Design will be used to inform developments should be observed very carefully to ensure decisions on new planning applications. that they are built in accordance with the requirements of the conservation area. There are proposals being made with regard to the vacant land and derelict buildings at no. 64 - 72 High Street, opposite our house at 83 which we hope will be built in context with the existing surrounding properties.

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12 Leics CC Working on a masterplan of environmental improvements – a In partnership with C&D team and the Town Council strategy for co-ordinating street furniture in the town.

13 Local resident from letter 1 1 to CX District and County Councils should continue to work There is close co-operation between CBC and LCC. together to protect and enhance the Conservation Area; 2 Highway and other works by the County and District 2 Councils and statutory undertakers should be sensitively The Highway Authority in conjunction with Borough Council undertaken, for example, granite kerbstones should not be conservation officers is considering a highway design guide for removed and the medieval road and street pattern should be work in conservation areas. respected; 3 3 Charnwood BC should take a more proactive appoach to The implementation of the Management Plan section of the protecting and enhancing the Conservation Area, perhaps appraisal will address many of these issues. focusing, for example, with the Town Council on measures to encourage the sympathetic improvement of groups of buildings, small-scale environmental enhancement and appropriate repair of walls; 4 4 More should be done to encourage sympathetic and The production of design guidance will be considered. appropriate repair and maintenance of unlisted and modern buildings within the Conservation Area, as well as buildings and structures listed as of historical and architectural merit. In my opinion key issues are fenestration and doors – generally new windows and doors should be be made of traditional materials and be of appropriate design. Perhaps a simple “Design Guide” could help to inform residents of “best-practice” and increase awareness;

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5 5 I think the Heritage Trail mentioned at the public meeting is To be discussed with the Town Council. an excellent idea, as is the proposal to include the Brook within the Conservation Area. As the representative of the Town Council said at the meeting, Syston is fortunate to have the potential amenity provided by a small river flowing through the centre of the town, and this potential must be realised as recognised by the Town Council; 6 6 New developments in the Conservation Area should be of New developments will be governed by Leading in Design high quality and of appropriate use. It is ironic that some of the most unfortunate developments have regrettably been sponsored by public bodies; 7 7 I suggest that consideration be given to including the Consideration of extensions to the Boundaries of the CA are allotments on Upper Church Street within the Conservation included in the Management Plan. Area and possibly the small housing development on the former Gas Board site, as the latter forms a punctuation mark to development in this quadrant. The allotments are clearly shown on the historical map contained in the Appraisal and part of the land was obviously used as an orchard. I suggest therefore that the allotments are part of Syston’s rich social and economic heritage, as well as being an important element in the town’s landscape setting, and are therefore worthy of inclusion.

The Public Meeting to consider the Appraisal was held on Monday 12 February at Syston Community Centre. 54 people attended.

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Appendix 3

SILEBY CONSERVATION AREA Character Appraisal - February 2007

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2 Planning Policies Map of Sileby today showing the Conservation Area

LOCATION AND SETTING 4 Context and Population General Character and Plan Form Archeological Interest Map of Sileby in 1903

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 6 Origins and Development

CHARACTER ANALYSIS 9 Historic and Prevailing Land Uses Prevalent and Traditional Building Materials Trees, Green Spaces and Bio-diversity Views and Vistas

MANAGEMENT PLANS 12 Conservation Area Boundary General Condition Environmental Enhancement Table of Proposed Actions Developing Management Proposals Advice and Guidance Contacts

Listed Buildings in Sileby Conservation Area 18 Bibliography 19

124 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 1 INTRODUCTION

Sileby is an industrial village in the Borough of Charnwood, described in White’s Directory of 1846 as a large and well-built village with two main streets that cross at right angles.

The Conservation Area was designated in March 1988 and covers an area of about 11 hectares in the centre of the village to the west of the railway line. It is centred on St Mary’s Church, which stands at the staggered crossroads between Barrow Road - High Street, running north south, and King Street - Mountsorrel Lane, running east west. The boundary of the Conservation Area generally defines the settlement that existed in 1884, and includes a broad range of built development that is representative of the mediaeval and post mediaeval settlement. The Area does not generally include the Victorian industrialisation and urban expansion of the village that took place outside the historic core.

The purpose of this appraisal is to examine the historical development of the Conservation Area and to describe its present appearance in order to assess its special architectural and historic interest. The appraisal will then be used to inform the consideration of management and development proposals within the Area.

Planning Policies A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest whose character or appearance should be preserved or enhanced. In making decisions on potential development within a conservation area, the Council is required to ‘pay attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area’. Permission will not be granted for proposals that are likely to harm the character or appearance of a conservation area. Sections 69 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment says that special attention should be paid when considering proposals for development in a conservation area.

125 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 2 Sileby today showing the Conservation Area

This material has been reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright Licence No 100023558

126 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 3 LOCATION AND SETTING

Context and Population Sileby lies about 5 miles south-east of Loughborough and is situated on gravel terraces to the east of the River Soar flood plain, alongside the Sileby Brook, a small rivulet that runs through the village that was no doubt a source of water for the early settlement.

The population of Sileby has varied over time. The most recent parish profile published by Leicestershire County Council shows there that were 6,875 people residing in the parish of Sileby at the time of the 2001 Census. The population returns recorded in the Victoria County History of Leicestershire show that the population rose steadily from a population of about 30 people at the time of the Domesday Survey, to 301 people recorded in the 1679 Ecclesiastical Returns. There was a more rapid growth in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from 1,111 people in 1801 to 1,572 by 1861, 2,752 in 1901 and then to 4,236 by 1951.

General Character and Plan Form The present pattern of streets within the Conservation Area is a product of the historical development of the settlement. The village developed as a linear settlement along the edge of the gravel terrace, extending south from the Church along High Street and north along Barrow Road. It is typical of settlements in the East Midlands which occupy the rising slopes beside a flood plain. The meadows provide good pasturage for cattle, the slopes offer good sources of spring water and the wolds above are good for arable cultivation. In early mediaeval times Sileby would have had a system of surrounding open fields worked in common as strips by the villagers. St Mary’s Church stands at the top of the hill making it a focal point for views from many parts of the village and from the Soar valley.

The main streets through the Conservation Area, as shown on the 1884 Ordnance Survey plan, have historically been: High Street, which runs south from the Church to the Sileby brook; Barrow Road, running north from the Church; and King Street, running east from the Church. King Street was an important boundary between two of the original open fields. Barrow Road where it passes through the Conservation Area is an unusually wide road. This may be as a result of the Enclosure Commissioners who stipulated that it should be 50 feet wide, compared to other roads that were only 40 feet wide. Its present layout and the wide planted verge on the western side now obscure the full width. The other principal road in the Area is Mountsorrel Lane which provides a route into the village from the west across the meadows, although the name appears to have applied only from the early part of the twentieth century, with the name first appearing on the 1929 OS plan.

There is a distinctive cluster of cottages that occupy a parcel of land at the eastern end of Barrow Road, alongside a footpath that runs east towards King Street and would originally have led into the open fields. The cluster is shown on the Enclosure Awards Map and may have originated from a group of labourer’s cottages built on an area of wayside land outside the open fields. The lane is said to be part of an ancient route system to the East Coast.

Within the historic core, most of the principal surviving domestic buildings date from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, some from the late sixteenth century. The collection of buildings shown on the 1884 OS plan have survived reasonably well with very few losses as a result of demolition. There are 8 listed buildings of which St Mary’s Church is listed Grade II* and the others listed Grade II (see page 18). The most significant change

127 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 4 has been the extent of twentieth century infill development, with some high quality Edwardian development on the corner of Barrow Road and Mountsorrel Lane and some later twentieth century development, much of which, such as the Tesco store on the High Street, has not respected the character of the village, its positioning within the streetscape, the prevailing built form or materials of the older buildings.

Archaeological Interest Whilst there are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the Conservation Area, the Area encompasses the core mediaeval settlement, and the pattern of streets and nature of the properties would suggest that there is considerable archaeological potential both below ground and surviving in the fabric of many of the standing buildings.

Sileby in 1903

128 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 5 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Origins and Development Sileby is one of a number of villages with names ending in ‘by’ that originated as a Danish settlement.

At the Domesday Survey of 1086 Sileby was split between three manors, including the king’s own manor of Rothley, that were brought together in the thirteenth century under Stephen de Segrave, who was at that time the Sheriff of both Leicestershire and Warwickshire.

In the middle of the thirteenth century Sileby had become an important local administrative centre, serving as one of two bailiwicks established by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, to deal with the collection of rents from his manorial tenants. Representatives from 31 villages, throughout Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland, were required to attend the bailiwick courts that were held at Easter and Michaelmas in St Mary's Church. Sileby History suggests that there must have been some form of hostelry to cater for these village representatives close to the Church, possibly on the site of the now demolished cottages in Little Church Lane.

The Earl of Leicester started to build the Parish Church, which was dedicated to St Mary, in the second half of the twelfth century. It was enlarged during the thirteenth century when Sileby was made a bailiwick. The building, as it now stands, was completed in the fifteenth century and was restored in 1881 under the direction of Sir A W Blomfield. The Friends of St Mary’s note that because of its large size and its fine architectural features a former Archdeacon of Leicester always referred to it as ‘The Cathedral of the Soar Valley’.

The early mediaeval development of the village was associated with agriculture. The villagers used an open fields system, rotating the crops between three principal fields, the Howgate Field to the north east, between Barrow Road and King Street, the Highgate Field to the south east, bounded by King Street on the north side and Brook Street, and a third field known as the South Field, bounded by Cossington Road and Brook Street, with large areas of meadowland to the west of the settlement in the valley of the Soar. During the rapid Victorian expansion of the village the fields to the east were built over and any remaining physical or visual links between the centre of the village and its fields on the Wolds were lost with the arrival of the railway which cut a north - south path parallel to Barrow Road and High Street. However, much of the meadowland to the west of the village remains intact and it is still evident today with the close proximity of the open agricultural fields to the centre of the village on its west side.

By the middle of the eighteenth century there was increasing pressure from the major landowners to enclose the open fields and an Enclosure Act was passed by Parliament in 1760. The enclosure had a profound effect on the local landscape with small hedged fields replacing the original open fields. The local economy was also affected. Local landowners were no longer tied to community needs and were able to convert former arable land into more profitable pasture land for the rearing of livestock for sale in local markets, particularly Leicester. The crop returns for Leicestershire in 1801 show that out of some 2300 acres only 546 acres were used for arable farming (Hoskins, 1848). The enclosure of the open fields removed the village’s traditional reliance and dependency on the land. Communal grazing rights were lost and many of the new holdings were too small to be viable so that many villagers were forced to look for new employment.

129 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 6 The arrival of the Soar Navigation canal in 1792 and the railway and its accompanying station in 1840 improved transport links with Leicester and allowed new industrial enterprises to develop in the village and gave people the opportunity to travel to work in Leicester. The first notable industry was framework knitting which developed during the eighteenth century in a number of rural centres along the Soar and Wreake valleys. The first recorded in Sileby was in the period after 1750 (Parker, 1955). The increased demands for hosiery, particularly due to the Napoleonic Wars, led to a growing dependency on the hosiery trade. Framework knitting employed whole families, men on the frame, women seaming and children winding wool onto bobbins, working at home or in small backyard workshops as out-workers for the factories in Leicester. The census of knitting frames conducted by Felkin in 1844 recorded more than 500 frames in the village (Parker, 1955) while the 1846 Directory notes that there were many framework knitters employed chiefly by Leicester manufacturers. The 1861 and 1881 Census recorded the main sources of employment in the village as agriculture and home-based framework knitting. During the later half of the nineteenth century the boot and shoe industry was growing. This is reflected in the 1891 and 1901 Census where both hosiery and footwear industries were recorded as the main sources of employment in the village.

The growth in the village through the nineteenth century was reflected in the improvements to local services. A gas works was established 1868 and new community facilities were built with the opening of the infants school on Barrow Road in 1876 and a number of chapels, including a Wesleyan Chapel on High Street and a Baptist Chapel on Cossington Road along with Pochin Hall, built in 1898, on Mountsorrel Lane for St Mary’s Church.

By the end of nineteenth century the hosiery trade was in decline as much of the industry had been moved to new factories in Leicester. However, new employment opportunities were offered by the development of the boot and shoe industry. The manufacturers of Leicester were attracted by the supply of unemployed hosiery labour with a tradition of homeworking and skills that could be transferred to the manufacture of boots and shoes. The development of the local industry was largely promoted by Thomas Crick, a Leicester manufacturer, who had devised an improved method of fixing the uppers to the soles. Crick saw advantages in setting up factories in the villages rather than using outworkers and one of his first factories was at Sileby. By 1896 twelve new factories has been set up, often by Crick’s former employees, and these were accompanied by a marked increase in population as people were attracted to the work. The trade was so well developed in Sileby that it had the second largest concentration of boot and shoe factories in the County outside Leicester after Earl Shilton and Barwell.

Other important sources of local employment included lime working and brick and tile manufacturing, with bricks and roof tiles from William Tucker Wright’s factory being used in the construction of St Pancras railway station. Lime working has been carried on around and in the village, especially towards Barrow upon Soar for many centuries. There is a layer of good quality gypsum close to the surface covering a large area of the Wolds.

These three principal industries, hosiery, boots and shoes, and lime, were the mainstay of the economy of Sileby for many years employing a large part of its population. However little remains of these traditions and many people now travel to Leicester and surrounding towns for employment, the rail, bus and road links providing easy transport. At the 2001 Census, 36% of Sileby’s employed population worked in extractive and manufacturing industries compared to 64% in service industries, with people travelling on average some 13 km to work.

130 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 7

The rapid industrialisation and surge of house building in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries expanded the built settlement largely to the east and south of the Conservation Area. There was very little encroachment into the historic core, the major exception being The Malthouse brewery complex off the High Street. The present Conservation Area therefore reflects the basic historic street pattern that had been established by the end of the eighteenth century and contains many of the buildings that had been built in the village between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries.

131 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 8 CHARACTER ANALYSIS

The Historic and Prevailing Land Uses The present activities and land uses within the Conservation Area reflect its historical development and its importance at the centre of the settlement. As is typical of many historic villages and towns, there is a range of commercial, industrial and residential uses that developed alongside each other over time and are now well integrated into the urban fabric.

The most important building is the Parish Church which would have been at the focus of village life into the eighteenth century. With the growth of non-conformity new places of worship were built, of which the Baptist Chapel on Cossington Road and the former Wesleyan Chapel on High Street still survive. Other community buildings such as Pochin Hall and schools were also built, including the nineteenth century school that survives on Barrow Road, although the school buildings have now been converted to residential use.

The village centre had a range of shops and public houses that were concentrated along the High Street and along King Street and these are still thriving commercial areas.

Residential development appears to have been widely spread throughout the settlement, particularly at the northern end of the village around the Church on Little Church Lane, Mountsorrel Lane, King Street and High Street and along Barrow Road and at the southern of the village along Brook Street and Cossington Road.

Some industrial activity is represented in the historic core. Although framework knitting and shoe making were often carried out in domestic workshops there is little remaining physical evidence in the centre of the village. The most significant surviving range of industrial buildings is the former brewery off High Street and a small factory off Brook Street. However, The Malthouse will soon be converted to dwellings.

Prevalent and Traditional Building Materials One of the oldest surviving buildings in the village is the Free Trade Inn. Dating from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries it is the only surviving timber-frame and thatched property in the village. Remnants of timber framing are also still visible in the front elevation of no. 10 High Street and no. 33 Little Church Lane.

The predominant building material in the Conservation Area is brick, which characterises the buildings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and provides a uniformity of material and appearance throughout the Conservation Area. In most properties the brick is laid in Flemish bond, the pattern of which is in some cases emphasised by the use of contrasting headers and stretchers, such as at nos. 22, 84, 94 and 96 Barrow Road and at the entrance to Little Church Lane off the High Street.

The Church and the former school on Barrow Road are the only buildings in the village to be built entirely of stone, using local granite rubble in the main walls with ashlar dressings. A number of domestic buildings have distinctive rubble stone plinths that may originally have supported a timber frame but now contribute to the visual proportions of the properties, such as nos. 35 - 37 & 41 Cossington Road, nos. 33 & 35 Little Church Lane and no. 7 King Street. There are also a number of granite rubble boundary walls.

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Welsh slate is the predominant roofing material, although this material is typically a product of the nineteenth century, relying on the railways for its distribution. Before the availability of Welsh slate there was a reliance on locally available materials, such as Swithland slate and a substantial number of roofs in the Conservation Area are still covered in Swithland slate, which is typically laid in diminishing courses to spread the weight of the tiles. There are examples at no. 52 Little Church Lane, nos. 39 - 41 Cossington Road, the former school buildings on Barrow Road and also on the more humble outbuildings alongside no. 50 Barrow Road, where one building has Swithland slate, the other two being covered with pantiles. No. 62 Barrow Road, in the small lane, also has a Swithland slate roof believed to have been fitted following a fire in the 1960s which destroyed the thatch roof.

Swithland slate is now very difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, one of the most significant visual changes to the Conservation Area has been the widespread use of concrete roof tiles to re-roof many of the properties. These tiles look out of place and are visually intrusive. Welsh slate could still be used.

There has been a good survival of historic joinery with a range of original windows and doors, features that define the appearance of properties and are integral to their appearance.

Timber sash windows are common in the Area and they provide a strong vertical emphasis. Some of the earliest are used on the surviving Georgian farmhouses at nos. 13 - 15 Barrow Road, no. 7 King Street and no. 10 High Street, the former Plough Inn.

There are also some good examples of Yorkshire sliding sash windows in the upper floors of nos. 39 - 41 Cossington Road, no. 33 Little Church Lane, no. 5 King Street and in the side gable of no. 11 Brook Street.

The building at nos. 37 - 39 Cossington Street has an interesting variety of window styles with mullion and transom windows on the ground floor and horizontal sliding opening lights in the lower frame and sash windows on the upper floors.

Window openings are typically defined by arches and projecting cills, such as the combination of brick segmental arches and stone cills at no. 7 King Street and the terraced properties along Mountsorrel Lane and the less common horizontally bedded tiles at no. 2 Mountsorrel Lane that reflect its Edwardian origins.

As well as timber windows, there are some good examples of timber panel doors, sometimes partially glazed, and many with fanlights above. Some of the best examples can be seen at nos. 35 & 43 Cossington Road, no. 7 King Street and Homestead House, no. 22 Barrow Road.

As a longstanding commercial area, a particular feature on High Street and King Street is the large number of surviving timber shop fronts that make a significant contribution to the historic character of the Area. Typical shop fronts contain large shop windows framed by decorated pilasters with brackets supporting a cornice over the fascia, with particularly good examples at nos. 5 King Street, nos. 12a & 12b High Street, Hetterley's Estate Agents, and nos. 3 - 7 High Street. There is also a good example of an Edwardian shop front at no. 3 Barrow Road with its pilasters, fascia and leaded top lights over the shop front.

133 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 10 Many of the traditional shops were built with flats in the upper floors and these are often lit by attractive oriel windows, such as no. 37 High Street, or bay windows that sit directly over the fascia such as nos. 4 - 8 High Street.

Trees and Green Spaces, Biodiversity and Wildlife Within the Conservation Area the principal open space is provided by the strip of land on either side of Sileby Brook. The churchyard and its continuation down Mountsorrel Lane is well planted with trees. Barrow Road has a wide grass verge. To the east, the development of industry and housing and the replacement of the old industrial sites with housing has mostly obliterated the natural landscape. To the west the village is still connected to the meadows.

Views and Vistas Sitting on the slopes beside the Soar Valley flood plain, there are fine views of the village from the valley and occasional views into the valley from the village, notably, the view from the Churchyard.

The church itself is a dominant feature from many places within the village, especially as one approaches along Barrow Road and as one climbs the hill from Cossington Road into the High Street. The development of the vista along the winding High Street in either direction adds greatly to the character of the Area as does the similar development of the changing view along Mountsorrel Lane, leading eventually into the open expanse of the meadows.

The scale of development eastwards from the core of the village into the wolds above the gravel terrace has largely obliterated any views of the open fields. Some idea of the original view can be seen from the footbridge over the railway.

134 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 11 MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

Conservation Area Boundary Sileby Conservation Area was designated in March 1988. The mediaeval Parish Church, by far the most obvious symbol of the village’s long history and its elevated location provides the Area’s focal point. The Conservation Area boundary has not been reviewed since the original designation and this Appraisal suggests that consideration be given to include the area known as Cotswold Corner, by The Banks, and possibly the whole of Swan Street. These areas were independent settlements and could be detached portions of the Conservation Area.

General Condition The High Street is potentially the most interesting and characterful part of Sileby village centre but, sadly and all too noticeably, it has suffered many years of neglect. Its contribution to the image of the village has failed to match its potential or to do justice to its assets.

In recent years work has been done to improve the quality of High Street and the area along the Sileby Brook, including investment in railings and street furniture. The well- being of the High Street is essential to the image and future character of Sileby.

The Appraisal of the traditional buildings has revealed that, although the overall condition of the built fabric when viewed from the street frontage appears reasonable, some buildings are poorly maintained, particularly upper floors. There is evidence of ill conceived restoration works, particularly the inappropriate replacement of roofing materials, windows and doors which has caused significant harm to the traditional character of the area.

The problems become more severe when the rear of buildings and ranges of outbuildings, are examined. The survey has highlighted the survival of many traditional shop fronts but they are often in a poor condition and, therefore, vulnerable to inappropriate repair and replacement. Recently a number of upvc shopfronts have been installed which are significantly detrimental to the character of both the historic buildings to which they are attached and to the street scene.

A great deal of past repair work to the historic fabric of the area has been executed by inexpert contractors, without consideration or knowledge of good conservation practice. The evident results are poor quality and inappropriate restoration which endangers the character and appearance of the Area.

It is suggested that an area partnership initiative would embrace the wider management of the historical and cultural resources of Sileby and would achieve far more than the present ad hoc grant aid for individual sites and buildings.

135 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 12 Environmental Enhancement A coordinated approach is needed to address the generally neglected condition of many of the public areas within the village. Possible enhancement opportunities are listed below. It is not an exhaustive set of proposals but the major areas of need have been identified.

• Improvements to the immediate environs around the station and the entrance to the public car park from King Street is an opportunity to reinforce the special character of the Conservation Area.

• Improvements to the quality of pedestrian routes in various parts of the Area. In particular, the footpaths running alongside the railway between King Street and Brook Street; from King Street through to High Street; and from Barrow Road over the railway footbridge to King Street. Improvements could enhance the green spaces in the Area.

• Possibility of enhancing the channel and surrounding green space of Sileby Brook. This concrete canyon has a significant detrimental visual impact in this part of the Conservation Area.

• Possibility of providing a more appropriate space around St Mary’s Church, especially when it is being used for special occasions such as weddings and funerals.

136 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 13 Table of proposed actions

Conservation Area Issue Proposed Action Lead Other Partner Partners

Poor condition and neglect Review the Historic Building CBC of the upper floors and Grant/Commercial Property rear areas of many of the Grant Schemes. Historic historic buildings within buildings and structures eligible the conservation area for grant assistance will be identified. Priority buildings will be highlighted and targeted for action. In the case of priority buildings funds may be available for feasibility studies.

The concrete canyon in Investigate the possibility of CBC which the Sileby Brook enhancing the channel of runs through the Sileby Brook. Conservation Area has a detrimental visual impact.

Poor quality of pedestrian Investigate what needs to be CBC routes in various parts of done to improve the quality the Conservation Area of the footpaths: • running alongside the railway between King Street and Brook Street; • Between King Street and High Street; • From Barrow Road over the railway footbridge to King Street.

The general appearance of Investigate improvements to the CBC the area around the immediate environs around the railway station is damaging station and the entrance to the to the character of the public car park. Conservation Area.

Useability of space around Investigate possibilities for CBC Parochial St Mary’s Church. environmental improvements. Church Council

137 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 14 Developing Management Proposals Various forces, historical, cultural and commercial, have shaped the development of the Conservation Area, creating a sense of place and individual identity. The character and appearance of the Area is vitally important both in attracting new business and commercial investment in the Area, and in the encouragement of initiatives to the benefit of the wider community.

Based on the issues that have been identified the following objectives will have a positive impact in both protecting and enhancing the character of the Conservation Area and providing the basis of a long term management plan:

1. Any historic buildings showing signs of neglect need to be identified. They could be enhanced by removing clutter from elevations (pipes, wiring, brackets etc.), masonry cleaning or repainting. Owners could be approached with suggestions as appropriate. The encouragement of the cleaning of buildings, using methods appropriate to their materials, could achieve significant results visually.

2. A review of how the Council’s adopted ‘Shopfront & Signs’ guidance is being used. A face-lift scheme for shops could be considered. Aspects could include shop fronts and fascias, blinds, colour schemes, advertisements and signs. The Supplementary Planning Document clarifies the Council’s policy and provides advice on shop front design, including the issues of advertisements and security measures. Identify any outstanding enforcement issues.

3. A detailed appraisal is necessary to identify sites within the highway where hard ground surfaces need to be introduced or renewed, including consideration of the scope to redefine sections of carriageway, realign kerbing, extend and repave pedestrian areas, provide and mark vehicle parking bays. A policy for the selection and use of materials appropriate for particular situations will need to be agreed with the Highway Authority.

4. It is also necessary to identify any land in public control that is under utilised and might be appropriate for a landscaping scheme to be prepared. The adequacy of maintenance for such areas will need to be addressed. Similarly any neglected private land that can be cleared and reclaimed for positive use will be examined. Consideration should be given to the introduction, or reinstatement where they have been lost, of walls, railings and planting to create enclosure.

5. The opportunities for public art in various forms to create distinctive and quality solutions to landscape improvements will be examined.

6. The production of heritage trail leaflets to increase community awareness and appreciation, including the encouragement of tourism, should be considered. This might involve interpretation material, plaques or similar, for key sites and buildings.

7. Identify biodiversity enhancements such as encouraging the provision of bat and bird boxes, particularly swift nest boxes within the fabric of new/converted buildings.

138 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 15 Advice and Guidance Part of the purpose of this Appraisal is to inform and guide development control decisions about the Conservation Area.

Care should be taken when using materials that are not part of the prevailing palette: the existing character and appearance should be enhanced as a result and not damaged.

Roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and the creation of new chimneys are important considerations.

There may be opportunities for innovative modern design. Good modern design could create positive changes in the Area.

139 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 16 Proposals will be assessed against the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Leading in Design and other Supplementary Planning Documents and government guidance contained in PPS1 and PPG15.

Contacts: Conservation & Design Team Tel. 01509 634748 [email protected]

Development Control Tel. 01509 634691 [email protected]

Planning Enforcement Tel. 01509 634722

140 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 17 SILEBY CONSERVATION AREA - LISTED BUILDINGS

BARROW ROAD Nos. 13 and 15 - Grade II

COSSINGTON ROAD No. 27 (Free Trade Inn Public House) - Grade II Nos. 35 and 37- Grade II

HIGH STREET Church of St. Mary - Grade II* No. 10 and 'Poundstretcher'- Grade II

KING STREET No. 7- Grade II

LITTLE CHURCH LANE No. 33 - Grade II No. 35 - Grade II

141 Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal Page 18 Bibliography Hoskins, W. G. (1948) The Leicestershire Crop Returns of 1801, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 24, pp. 127-153

Hoskins, W. G. (1970) A Shell Guide: Leicestershire, London: Faber and Faber

Leicestershire County Council: Census 2001 Parish Profile – Sileby at: www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population/parish_ profiles.htm (Accessed: 26 November 2006)

Mountfield, P. R. (1966) ‘The Footwear Industry of the East Midlands (IV): Leicestershire to 1911’, East Midland Geographer Vol. 4 No. 25, pp. 8-23

Mountfield, P. R. (1967), ‘The Footwear Industry of the East Midlands (V): The Modern Phase: Northamptonshire and Leicestershire Since 1911 East Midland Geographer Vol. 4 No. 27, pp. 154-75

Nichols, J. (1811) The history and Antiquities of the County of Leicester, Vol. IV, Part 2 (reprinted 1971)

Parker, L. A. (1955) ‘Hosiery’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds.) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol. 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Smith, C. T. (1955) ‘Population’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds.) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol. 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Reynolds, S. M. G. (1955) ‘Tables of Population’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds.) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol. 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Friends of St Mary's Church, Sileby at: http://beehive.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=8932&PageID=48765 (Accessed 26 November 2006.)

Sileby History at: http://www.sileby-village.co.uk (Accessed: 26 November 2006)

White’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland: 1846; 1877 & 1900

Kelly’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland: 1864; 1876; 1881 & 1893

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Sileby Conservation Area Appraisal - Responses to the draft document

Respondent Comment Response of the Director of Development

1 Resident at Public Meeting Side street off Barrow Road is said to be part of the Comment added to the Appraisal. ancient route system to the East Coast.

2 Resident at Public Meeting Pedestrian routes via the car park are not used at Improvements to these routes are identified night because they are deemed unsafe. in the Management Plan.

3 Resident at Public Meeting Station access is marred by broken glass:vandalism The opportunity for environmental requires prompt and continual maintenance. Better improvements to the entrance to the car lighting could help. park and the station are identified in the Improvements should consider changing the railings Management Plan. These issues will be against the road edge to the Sileby model, if a source discussed with the railway companies. of production can be found.

4 Resident at Public Meeting Station is not accessible by disabled people or These issues will be discussed with the mothers with prams. Suggest using a single platform railway companies. only and providing one proper access.

5 Parish councillor at Public Meeting All the suggestions for environmental improvements Identification of the necessary have already been made by local Parish and Borough improvements in the adopted Management Councillors – to no effect. Plan is likely to aid in attracting investment.

6 Resident at Public Meeting Consider extending the CA to include the area Consideration of extensions to the known as Cotswold Corner, by The Banks, and boundaries of the CA are included in the possibly the whole of Swan Street. These areas were Management Proposals independent settlements and could be detached portions of the CA.

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7 Resident at Public Meeting Suggestions for the Brook include widening to create Visual improvements to the Sileby Brook a duck pond and more sympathetic treatments for will be investigated as part of the the channel and banks while still not restricting the Management Plan proposals. flow. Is there money for a feasibility study.

8 Resident at Public Meeting Sileby needs civic pride, a village map in high quality A plaque scheme to mark the boundary of material, footpath signs that indicate points of the conservation area will be investigated. interest, flower beds, entrances to the CA marked in some way, etc. Also all residents, especially newcomers, need to be reminded that they are in a CA, with their rights and responsibilties. Suggest an article in Sileby News.

9 Resident at Public Meeting Use different road surfacing to the ubiquitous A different approach to works in asphalt. conservation areas is being discussed with the Highway Authority.

10 Resident at Public Meeting Traffic: heavy lorries do not respect the weight Request that Development Control restrictions. investigate breach of planning permission. Tescos are known to disregard the planning Notify Highway Authority about breach of condition that they use only single axle lorries. weight restictions. Many do not respect the speed limit especially on the approach up Mountsorrel Lane.

11 Resident at Public Meeting The area around the Church needs attention. People Management Plan recognises the arriving for weddings and funerals do not have opportunity for environmental improvement adequate space to set down in dignity. to this part of the village. Investigate the use traditional granite sett paving on the footpath around the back of the church.

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12 Resident at Public Meeting Too many takeaways – with consequent rubbish left Planning policy cannot restrict the number in the streets. Suggestion that 3 takeaways in a row is of takeaways. not within policy Litter problem referred to Street Cleansing.

13 Resident at Public Meeting Development on Mountsorrel Lane is causing This matter is the subject of a retrospective distress. New houses appear to be 1m higher than planning application. permitted.

14 Resident at Public Meeting New proposal for The Maltings does not give This matter is for Development Control to sufficient parking space. Important to maintain the determine skyline in any proposal to alter The Maltings.

15 Resident at Public Meeting Green spaces in the CA may not be fully identified. Scope to create new green space will be part of the consideration of Environmental Improvements identified in the Management Plan

16 Email from resident Appraisal implies that the whole roof area of the Appraisal amended accordingly. 'humble outbuildings' is covered with Swithland slates. In fact only one outbuilding is slated, the other two have pantiles. It is hoped that these roofs can be kept in a similar style for the future. Number 62 Barrow Road Sileby has a Swithland slate roof. We believe it was fitted in the mid 1960s following a fire which destroyed the thatched roof.

The Public Meeting to consider the Appraisal was held on Tuesday 20 February at Sileby Community Centre. 24 people attended.

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Appendix 5

MOUNTSORREL CONSERVATION AREA Character Appraisal - February 2007

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2 Map of Mountsorrel Planning Policies

LOCATION AND SETTING 4 Context and Population General Character and Plan Form Archeological Interest Map of Mountsorrel in 1903

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 6 Map of Mountsorrel in 1903 Origins and Development

CHARACTER ANALYSIS 9 Historic and Prevailing Land Uses Prevalent and Traditional Building Materials Views and Vistas Trees and Green Spaces Bio-diversity and Wildlife

MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS 14 Conservation Area Boundary General Condition Environmental Enhancement Table of Proposed Actions Developing Management Proposals Advice and Guidance Contacts

Listed Buildings in Mountsorrel Conservation Area 19 Bibliography 20

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Mountsorrel Conservation Area Character Appraisal

INTRODUCTION

Map of Mountsorrel showing the extent of the Conservation Area. Ordnance Survey digital map data reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright. Licence No 100023558.

Mountsorrel Conservation Area covers an area of 43.45 ha and, according to the mountsorrel.org website, its designation in 1977 resulted in a marked change in the fortunes for the Market Place, which had become a largely derelict area.

The boundaries of the Conservation Area generally define the extent of the original village as it existed at the end of the 19th century. By that time Mountsorrel had developed as a distinctive linear settlement on a narrow tract of land between the River Soar and the steep edge of the Charnwood Forest, being described in White’s Directory of 1863 as ‘picturesquely seated on the west side of the river Soar, at the foot of the lofty and abrupt termination of a ridge of rocky hills, which extend west through Charnwood Forest to Derbyshire’. The Conservation Area includes large areas of open land: The Green; extending west from The Green a finger of land which was set aside as common land at the time of the 1782 Enclosure Awards and an area of meadow alongside the River Soar that is crossed by a mineral railway line constructed in 1860.

The purpose of this appraisal is to examine the historical development of the Conservation Area and to describe its present appearance in order to assess its special architectural and historic interest. The appraisal is then used to inform the consideration of management proposals to preserve and enhance the Area.

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Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment says that special attention should be paid when considering proposals for development in a conservation area.

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LOCATION AND SETTING

Context and Population Mountsorrel lies about 4 miles south of Loughborough and is situated on the western side of the River Soar. As a result of the local topography the historic settlement of Mountsorrel developed in a linear fashion squeezed between the River Soar and the steep edge of the Charnwood hills that run along the western edge of the village. The village itself stands on a gravel terrace about 6 metres above the River Soar.

The population of Mountsorrel has varied over time. The most recent profile published by Leicestershire County Council shows there that were 7,694 people residing in the parish of Mountsorrel at the time of the 2001 Census. The population returns recorded in the Victoria County History show that the population has risen steadily from about 156 people at the time of the 1377 Poll Tax, to 168 households by the time of the 1670 Hearth Tax, to be followed by consistent growth throughout the 19th and into the 20th centuries from 1,233 in 1801; to 1,953 in 1841; 1,985 by 1871 and 2,209 and then to 2,417 in 1901.

General Character and Plan Form The core of the Conservation Area is the linear settlement of Leicester Road, Market Place and Loughborough Road, the generally level and narrow gravel terrace. The eastern margins fall into the flood plain and meadows of the River Soar and the western margins rise increasingly steeply to the hills of Charnwood Forest. St Peter’s Church, at the head of Market Place and opposite the junction with Sileby Road or York Street, occupies a slight rise in the land, although even in this location the Church is not an obvious focal point in the street scene.

One of the highest and most prominent parts of the village is Castle Hill on the south- western side of the village, where the carved granite War Memorial on the top of the hill is a focal point for views from several directions, especially across the valley.

The physical restrictions imposed by the local topography have strongly influenced the pattern of streets. The original settlement developed in linear fashion following a distinct south-east to north-west alignment described by the Market Place and its continuation into Leicester Road to the south and Loughborough Road to the north.

The presence of the River Soar restricted development of the village on the east side of the terrace, with only one road originally called York Street now Sileby Road running over the river. The original pattern of development along the east side of the main road took the form of long narrow burgage plots, with houses situated along the road frontage and their gardens and paddocks running down towards the river. This distinctive pattern of early development has now been radically altered by the construction of a number of short residential culs-de-sac, such as Baron’s Way, Little Lane and Waterside, into the land between the historic frontage development and the river.

The edge of the Forest also restricted development to the west, through a number of short, winding lanes which climb steeply away from the main road. The most important of these is Watling Street, originally called Barn Lane, which marked the historical division between the townships of Mountsorrel North End and Mountsorrel South End or, as referred to by Nichols, ‘Mountsorrel Inferior’ and ‘Mountsorrel Superior’.

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At the south end of the settlement, extending west from Leicester Road, is The Green, a gentle slope to the south of Castle Hill. From the top of the hill there is a long narrow tract of open land which was originally set aside as common land by the 1782 Enclosure Awards. This common continues as a track for nearly a mile to an area of woodland at the junction of Bond Lane with Wood Lane.

The modern and largely 20th century settlement lies to the south and is somewhat detached from the Conservation Area, such that the linear form of the historic settlement is still a distinctive and self-contained part of the village. The settlement has also expanded to the north.

The historic settlement now forms the basis of the Conservation Area, within which there is a significant number of surviving domestic and commercial buildings dating mainly from the 17th century through to the late 19th century that contribute to the special architectural and historic interest of the Area. There are 36 listed buildings and of these, three are listed Grade II*, the remainder listed Grade II.

Archaeological Interest The Conservation Area encompasses the core mediaeval settlement of Mountsorrel and contains two Scheduled Ancient Monuments (Castle Hill and the Market Cross). The historical development of the Area, which is evident in the pattern of streets and the age of many of the properties, would suggest that there is good potential for below ground archaeology. The excavations carried out by the Mountsorrel Archaeological Project in 1986, and summarised by Lucas (1986), demonstrated that there is good surviving evidence of mediaeval occupation as early as the 14th century below two historic properties fronting the Market Place as well as materials from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Any major development within the Conservation Area requiring excavation works is therefore likely to require a considered archaeological assessment and investigation prior to the commencement of any development.

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Mountsorrel in 1903

Origins and Development Unlike many of its neighbouring settlements in the Soar valley, Mountsorrel is a comparatively recent settlement that was founded following the Norman Conquest. The Mountsorrel Archaeological Project found no evidence of any earlier settlement. From its earliest origins, the settlement was split into two townships: Mountsorrel North End in the Parish of Barrow (under the Earls of Chester) and Mountsorrel South End in the Parish of Rothley (under the Earls of Leicester), with the boundary, according to Nichols, defined by Barn Lane (now Watling Street) until their amalgamation in 1884.

The origin of the name Mountsorrel is not clear. The most popular suggestions being that it derives from ‘Mount Soar Hill’ in recognition of its location between the River Soar and the steep Castle Hill; or that it comes from ‘Montsoreau’ after a village in France known to Robert le Bossu, Earl of Leicester, who had acquired the tenancy of the castle in 1151.

Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester and a nephew of William the Conqueror, had built the castle in 1080 on a site that was clearly chosen for its strategic and dominating position overlooking the Soar Valley and the principal roadway between Leicester and Derby. The castle was however short lived as it was destroyed in 1217, having been used as a bastion against King Stephen, so that all that remains today is a series of earthworks on Castle Hill.

The settlement would appear to have developed around the castle and its location is described by Hoskins (1970) as ‘guarding a sort of pass between this crag and the river Soar’. Creighton (1997) observes that Mountsorrel is a typical example of a castle- dependent borough, where the settlement began as an informal trading post at the castle

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gate which was then followed by more permanent burgage plots on what was otherwise a restricted and poor site for a settlement.

Although neither township was the principal administrative centre within its parish, their location on the main mediaeval road allowed Mountsorrel to develop as a market town following the granting of a charter by Edward I in 1292 to Nicholas de Seagrave, the then Lord of the Manor. The village grew around the Market Place, but had mixed fortunes, a decline after the 14th century was followed by rejuvenation in the 17th century as new houses were built along the main street. By the 18th and early 19th centuries, the market had attained considerable importance but by the second half of the 19th century it had ceased to be of commercial importance. The 1848 Topographical Dictionary of England noted that ‘the market, which is almost disused, is on Monday’.

A distinctive building in the Market Place is the Butter Market, a neo-classical rotunda of eight Tuscan columns supporting a low-stepped domed roof. This was built in 1793 by the then Lord of the Manor, Sir John Danvers, to replace the historic fifteenth century Market Cross which he had removed to his own park at Swithland Hall. Excavations carried out around the Butter Cross in 2000 found evidence of a cobbled surface and 14th and 15th century pottery. A 20th century interpretation of the market cross by Mike Grevatte was erected at the north end of the Market Place in 1994.

As outlying settlements in each of their respective Parishes, neither township was graced by a parish church. However, the Market Charter of 1292 refers to a chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist in Mountsorrel North-End, which was located on the site of the present church. The site itself is quite restricted, situated between the road and the hills behind, resulting in the church being built on an unusual alignment. The present church dates to 1794 when the original chapel was substantially rebuilt in local granite in a Perpendicular style and it consists of a chancel and nave under one roof built around the 13th century tower of the earlier chapel. Until 1869 this church was under the jurisdiction of the mother church in Barrow but became independent and re-dedicated as St Peter’s in 1869, although the earliest mention of it being named St Peter’s dates to 1871. In 1891 the church acquired Mountsorrel Hall, which was originally built in 1783, for use as its vicarage.

There was no church at Mountsorrel South End until Christ Church was built in 1844 of local granite in an Early English style, along with a parsonage-house, at a cost of £5,500 following a private donation from Miss Brinton, who lived in Berkshire and had no apparent link to Mountsorrel.

The development and prosperity of most mediaeval Soar valley villages relied on an agricultural economy based on open fields typically organized on a four-field system. However the economy of Mountsorrel may not have been solely dependent on agriculture as it is difficult to identify any extensive open fields associated with either township. Joyce (1997) notes that Mountsorrel North End relied on a single field, the Hawcliffe Field, and meadows. At the time of the Enclosure Awards the average holding was about 2.75 acres, although, because of the larger holdings held by the two major landowners (John Danvers had 72 acres and Barrow Hospital had 42 acres), most of the other holdings were smaller consisting of little more than a dwelling with a garden or paddock.

The total acreage enclosed by the 1782 Mountsorrel Enclosure Award which included both the North and South Ends was 279 acres of which 139 were in Mountsorrel North End, further indication of the lack of open fields available to the village.

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As part of this Award, the Enclosure Commissioners set aside 76 acres of common land on the Mountsorrel Hills and a commonable place (a unique inclusion according to Joyce (1999)). The legacy of this Award is the large tract of open land to the west of the village and The Green at its centre, both of which are included in the Conservation Area.

There are indications that there was much poverty among households in Mountsorrel North End prior to enclosure. Joyce (1997) points out that at the time of the 1670 Hearth Tax only half of the 168 households in Mountsorrel North End were eligible to pay the tax. The levels of local poverty may also be reflected in the local architecture and the relative paucity of high quality houses in either settlement, the best houses being restricted to a small group to the north of the church.

Another indication that the economy of Mountsorrel was not dependent on agriculture, was its status as a market town and important coaching stop on the main road between London and the north of England during the 17th century. Many of the larger historic buildings tend to be former coaching inns that provided accommodation for travellers and merchants visiting the market and no doubt contributed to the local economy. At one point there were 27 inns along the main street. The Grapes on Leicester Road, now converted to housing, is an example of one such inn with its extensive and distinctive outbuildings to the rear.

The growth in the village through the 19th century was reflected in the improvements and growth of community facilities. An infants’ school was built in 1847 by the Countess of Lanesborough. This later became the Mechanics Institute and then the Parish Rooms in 1906 and is still used as the Parish offices.

New chapels were built by the Wesleyans; the first chapel being erected in 1839 (now demolished) following the growth of Methodism in the village after visits by John Wesley in 1783 and 1786 when he preached at Stonehurst Farm; the Methodist Chapel on Leicester Road (built in 1836 and now used as offices) and the Baptist Chapel on Leicester Road (1879), which still survives. Two Church of England schools were built in 1871, one serving St Peter’s on Watling Street, now in use as part of a residential home, and a second serving Christ Church on Rothley Road, which is still used as the village school. The latter is outside the Conservation Area.

By the end of the 19th century the historic development within the Conservation Area was virtually complete. The most serious intervention since then has been residential development in the late 20th century. The restrictions imposed by the local topography saved the Conservation Area of Mountsorrel from the intrusion of much of the large scale housing and industrial development that occurred throughout the 20th century to the south of village. The present Conservation Area therefore reflects the basic historic street pattern that had been established as a result of the local topography and the historic development of the village and contains many of the buildings built in the village between the 17th and 19th centuries.

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Historic and Prevailing Land Uses The present activities and land uses within the Conservation Area reflect its historical development and whilst the principal land use is residential, as is typical of many historic settlements, there are also commercial and industrial uses that have developed alongside each other over time and are now well integrated into the urban fabric.

The commercial centre of the village historically was the market place, and although the market has gone the large open space it occupied still survives, now given over to car parking. The Market Place is still the important commercial centre of the village containing as it does a range of shops and the public library. There are also shops along Leicester Road at the lower end of the village and whilst there are no shops on The Green, there is evidence of former shop fronts in a number of properties fronting The Green.

The village has had a tradition of cottage industries, one the earliest being the manufacture of gloves, dating back to the late 16th century, and through the 18th and 19th centuries Mountsorrel gloves were highly regarded.

Hosiery was another important cottage industry throughout the Soar Valley from the mid- 18th century; in most cases it was combined with agriculture but may have been a principal occupation in Mountsorrel where there was no significant agricultural economy. By the middle of the 19th century the framework knitting was a firmly established cottage industry and White’s Directory of 1863 noted that in Mountsorrel South End the vicar of Christ Church had ‘in his care about 900 souls, mostly stocking weavers’. The number of frames fluctuated depending on the demands of the market. The records in the Victoria County History show that there were 258 frames in 1844, only 190 frames in 1845 due to a shortage of work, increasing to 203 frames by 1851. Framework knitting was very much a cottage industry with the frames kept in workshops behind houses or on the upper floors. The Women's Guild notes that at 75 Leicester Road, Mr. Antill had ten frames housed in a building at the rear of his premises. As 19th century progreesed the hosiery trade moved from the cottages into factories. By 1908 Kelly’s Directory notes that stocking weaving was still carried on but only to a limited extent and there is no remaining physical evidence of it in the centre of the village today.

However, the most important local industry over the past 250 years has been the quarrying of the local granite, an extremely hard pinkish stone called hornblende granodiorite. The stone has long been used for road building, originally for kerb and paving stones but now as a crushed aggregate, and the quarry has had a significant impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area from the use of the granite as a building material in many of the houses and prominent boundary walls.

The granite was first worked by the Romans, who transported the stone into Leicester and it is likely that small scale quarrying activities continued from then on, but it was not until the Broad Hill quarry was bought in 1756 by Sir John Danvers that large scale quarrying began. One of the first uses was in the construction of a 10 foot wide causeway along the turnpike road through Mountsorrel North End. Elsewhere Joyce (1997) notes that granite paving was used in Leicester in 1771 and the Rev. Curtis in his Topographical History of The

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County of Leicestershire (1831) records that granite was ‘applied to improved street pavements and turnpike roads’.

A major problem was the transport of the stone. Initially it was carried along the local turnpikes but this caused as much damage as it was laid to prevent. It was not until the arrival of the Soar Navigation canal in 1794 that large quantities could be easily transported. By 1797, 890 tons of granite was shipped by canal along with 193 tons of Swithland slate (both quarries were owned by John Danvers) and by 1807 this had risen to 5,000 tons (Joyce, 1997). However, the canal lost its importance in 1844 with the arrival of the Midland Railway on the opposite side of the Soar. A branch line was constructed to the quarry in 1860 that involved the construction of a bridge over the Loughborough Road and the more spectacular single span, brick-built bridge across the River Soar (the ‘1860 Bridge’).

Prevalent and Traditional Building Materials Hoskins (1970) notes that Mountsorrel retains a great deal of highly interesting vernacular building using ‘three almost indestructible building materials – Mountsorrel granite, Swithland slate and Barrow-on-Soar lime-mortar’. To this range of materials should be added brick, particularly as much of it was supplied by the local Britannia Brick Works that was established in the early 19th century to the south of the village. These local materials contribute to the particular character and appearance of the village and demonstrate an important aspect of the self-sustaining nature of village life (Joyce, 1997).

The predominant building materials in the Conservation Area are either granite or brick, and whist there are no surviving examples of timber-frame and thatched properties in the village, there is evidence of timber framing in some properties, such as nos. 1 & 2, Watling Street and in the gable end of no. 14, The Green.

The use of brick is common throughout the village, particularly in buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, and it provides a broad uniformity of material and appearance throughout the Conservation Area. In many properties the brick is laid in a Flemish bond, which has been used over a wide period of time, from the early brickwork of no. 14, The Green, where the pattern is emphasised by the use of contrasting headers and stretchers, through to 19th century buildings such as no. 31, The Green, nos. 72 & 74, Leicester Road and no. 36 Loughborough Road and into the Edwardian period at the start of the 20th century, as at nos. 77 & 79, Leicester Road.

Brick is also used to provide decoration. There are two interesting examples of the use of diaper work being used to decorate the outbuildings to the rear of no. 15, Leicester Road (The Grapes) and the principal street elevation of nos. 3 - 7, Loughborough Road. Many properties have horizontal brick string courses between the first and ground floor windows, such as at no. 113, Leicester Road, no. 4, Loughborough Road and no. 31, The Green; or a flamboyant combination of moulded string courses with projecting pilasters as at nos. 131- 133, Loughborough Road. The most richly decorated property is the front elevation of Mountsorrel Hall with its projecting pedimented gable, stucco string courses and decorative swags and balusters.

As well as brick, there is a widespread use of the local granite, readily available and no doubt relatively cheap, typically laid as random rubble. It is used in both high status buildings such as St Peter’s Church and in more humble domestic buildings. Some houses are constructed totally in granite as at no. 7, Watling Street and nos. 9 and 58, Loughborough Road, or it is used in the gable walls, such as no. 79, The Green, or as a rubble stone plinth, such as at

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nos. 72 & 74, Leicester Road, no. 1, Loughborough Road and no. 14, The Green, where it may have originally supported a timber frame.

An exception to the use of brick and granite is either the traditional smooth render used in properties such as at no. 4, Castle Hill and no. 41, Leicester Road or a roughcast render as used on the ground floor of The Grapes.

A number of buildings are constructed of coursed stone although this is not typical in the village as a whole. The main examples of this are the Parish offices (the former infants’ school) on Leicester Road, Christ Church on Rothley Road and in the front façade of a range of utilitarian industrial buildings alongside the railway bridge on Loughborough Road.

There are also many granite rubble boundary walls, the most impressive being between nos. 7 & 9 and nos. 133 & 141, Loughborough Road, but many streets, such as Watling Street, are lined by granite walls which make a significant and distinctive contribution to the local street scene and the Conservation Area generally.

There are two sections of iron railings of note remaining in the village: to the front of the Parish offices and along the Leicester Road frontage of nos. 2-16, Baron’s Way, where the railings are set on a low granite wall.

There are a few examples of roofs covered in plain tiles, such as at no. 1, Loughborough Road and no. 31, The Green, and one use of clay pantiles on an outbuilding at no. 52, The Green.

Given the difficulties in obtaining Swithland slate, Welsh slate or plain clay tiles are the most appropriate roofing materials for any new development. One of the most significant visual changes to the Conservation Area has been the widespread use of concrete roof tiles to re- roof many of the properties. These tiles look out of place and are visually intrusive..

There has been a good survival rate of historic joinery with a range of original windows and doors, features that define the appearance of properties and are integral to their appearance.

Timber sliding sash windows are common in the Area and they provide a strong vertical emphasis. Some of the earliest are used on the surviving Georgian houses at Mountsorrel Hall, no. 4, Loughborough Road (which combines split pane sash windows in the ground floor with multi-pane windows in the first floor) and at Stonehurst Farm and also in a number of Victorian properties, no. 79, The Green, no. 41, Leicester Road and no. 36, Loughborough Road, where the sash windows emphasise the proportions of this three storey, single bay cottage.

There are some good examples of surviving Yorkshire sliding sash windows, such as in the upper floors of nos. 46 - 50, Market Place, nos. 3 - 7 & no. 46, Loughborough Road and at

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nos. 52 & 69, The Green. No. 1, Loughborough Road has an interesting variety of window styles, with mullion and transom windows on the ground floor with horizontal sliding opening lights in the upper frame and sash windows on the first floor.

Dormer windows are not a particular local feature but there are some interesting examples, such as the small squat dormers situated at the front of the roof slope on nos. 11 & 15, Leicester Road (The Grapes), at no. 4, Loughborough Road, where the dormers have glazed sides, and at no. 79, Leicester Road, which has a pair of multi-pane casement windows and decorated bargeboards. The multi-pane casements in its paired dormer over no. 77, Leicester Road have unfortunately been removed.

Window and door openings are typically defined by brick or stone arches and projecting cills, and these are a common feature throughout the village, such as at no. 113, Leicester Road, nos. 46-50, Market Place or within the terraced properties on the south side of The Green.

As well as timber windows, there are some good examples of timber panel doors, sometimes partially glazed, and many with toplights above. Some of the best examples can be seen at no. 36, Loughborough Road and nos. 34, 74 & 133, Leicester Road.

A number of properties have retained their original doorcases which in most cases are quite simple with timber architraves and flat canopies supported by console brackets, such as at Stonehurst Farm, no. 47, Leicester Road and no. 31, The Green, or as a range of brackets and hoods such as at nos. 28 & 32-34, Market Place; or with a pedimented hood as at no. 4, Loughborough Road. The most elaborate is at Mountsorrel Hall where the panelled door has a fanlight above it and is framed by robust architraves, decorated brackets and a prominent hood. These timber surrounds make a unique contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and add to the collective wealth and variety of architectural details within it.

As a longstanding commercial area, there are a number of surviving historic timber shop fronts that make a significant contribution to the historic character of the Area. Typical shop fronts contain large shop windows framed by decorated pilasters with brackets supporting a cornice over the fascia, with particularly good examples at no. 9, Market Place (Bennett’s Angling shop); 46 & 48, Market Place (Tailor-Made Weddings and Tickled Pink) and at nos. 77 - 79, Leicester Road (the Post Office and the Mercury News Shop), which are fine examples of early 20th century, Edwardian shop fronts. This latter property also has attractive oriel windows to the first floor accommodation.

Views and Vistas The linear form of the village restricts most of the views to the changing scene offered by the main road. The scene develops best at the rise to St Peters Church with the changing width of the street associated with the Butter Market. There are occasional glimpses up the lanes to the hill.

As with the main road there is a developing scene along Sileby Road which also offers views into the meadows to the 1860 Bridge to the north and importantly to the curve of the canal to the south.

From the top of Castle Hill there is a commanding panorama across the Soar Valley, to the Wolds on the further side. Equally Mountsorrel stands out as a landmark from the roads in

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the valley, the Castle Hill monument and, at night in the winter, the illuminated cross are a feature of the area as a whole.

There is a pleasant vista as one descends The Green as it opens out to meet Leicester Road. The view, which once extended over the meadows is now terminated by the blank rear wall of the Leisure Centre.

Trees and Green Spaces The principal green space within the village is The Green which extends up to Castle Hill. From the top of the hill there is a track, now called Cufflins Pit Lane, which runs for nearly a mile to an area of scrubby woodland at the junction of Bond Lane with Wood Lane. This finger of land was added to the Conservation Area at the specific request of the Parish Council to preserve the woodland and common land. The track runs close to the edge of the quarry and there are many notices warning people to keep out. Where the land is narrow the track is bounded by barbed wire fences and in the wider places there is a string of large granite blocks to prevent vehicular access off the track. The woodland at the end is well used as an informal playground.

Elsewhere the trees of Castle Hill reach down along the lanes into the urban scene of the village, particularly at Watling Street and Crown Lane and also to the rear of the Library. The terraced cliffs behind the flats at 22-64 Leicester Road provide a natural setting.

There are two landscaped areas in the village: the memorial gardens opposite the Working Men’s Club on Leicester Road and the quiet gardens that lead down beside Sileby Road to the river.

Bio-diversity and wildlife Mountsorrel contains several areas which are of importance to bio-diversity and wildlife both within and adjacent to the Conservation Area.

The finger of wooded track from Castle Hill passes beside an area which was restored when quarrying ceased and is now designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The woodland at the end of Bonds Lane is recognised as a Local Wildlife Site and also as an Open Space of Special Character.

Castle Hill itself is a Local Wildlife Site and the River, the meadows to the north of the Conservation Area and the wet woodlands and undisturbed meadows to the east of the Area are all recognised as Local Wildlife Sites.

The Conservation Area is generally surrounded by an Open Space of Special Character especially the meadows which are included in the Area with the 1860 Bridge.

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MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

Review of Conservation Area Boundary Mountsorrel Conservation Area was designated in January 1977. The boundaries were reviewed and extended in April 1987 but they have not been reviewed since.

The present boundary incorporates the principal areas of special historic and architectural interest. This Appraisal suggests that the Area should include the quarrymen’s cottages at the north west end of the village, the car sales garage and Nos. 105 to 113 on either side of Loughborough Road and it should extend along Bond Lane to include the stone bridge, in order to provide continuity in the protection of this section of the historic A6 and a more coherent boundary to the Conservation Area.

General Condition In recent years much has been done to improve the quality of the Market Place in the centre of the Village, including investment in environmental improvements and traffic calming measures, the repair of the listed Butter Market and the introduction of a number of pieces of public art.

A brief survey of the condition of the traditional buildings within the area has been carried out as part of this Appraisal. It reveals that although the overall condition of the built fabric when viewed from the street frontage appears reasonable, many have ill conceived restoration works, particularly inappropriate replacement of roofing materials, windows and doors, which has caused significant harm to the traditional character of the area.

The condition of the listed 1860 Bridge which carries the conveyor from the quarry, is of considerable concern. The use of ill conceived repair techniques has led to an accelerated deterioration of the face of the brickwork. The render has blown in several places; some has fallen to the ground and into the river. Remedial repair works need to be carried out as soon as possible to protect the historic fabric of the bridge.

The Appraisal has highlighted that many traditional shop fronts survive but that they are sometimes in a poor condition and therefore vulnerable to inappropriate repair and replacement.

A great deal of past repair work to the historic fabric of the area has been carried out by inexpert contractors, cheaply and without consideration or knowledge of good conservation practice. The dangers of cheap, speculative contractors being employed, resulting in poor quality and inappropriate restoration, or no work being done, thus endangering the future of the buildings, are very evident.

The targeting of favourable grants through the Council’s Historic Building Grant Scheme may provide a persuasive incentive to property owners to undertake necessary repairs and to consider improvements, such as the authentic reinstatement of architectural features. It will also give the Council the opportunity to advise on good practice, to control the standard of work and to monitor the quality of its execution.

Article 4 Direction proposals The quality of the conservation area is often threatened by the cumulative impact of numerous small changes to many buildings. Terraces that once displayed integrity of design through the use of matching features such as doors, window, chimneys and porches, have 159 Mountsorrel Conservation Area Appraisal Page 14

been unbalanced by various alterations and additions. On the whole such changes do not require planning permission.

In order to preserve and enhance the character of conservation areas, many planning authorities use Article 4 Directions to restrict permitted development rights on groups of buildings or areas. Restrictions normally relate to particular elements such as replacement windows and doors, or roofing.

One of the outcomes of the Public Meeting, undertaken as part of the consultation process, was the identification of the loss of traditional windows and doors on the character of the area, significant enough to justify the consideration of an Article 4 Direction. It is proposed that the appropriateness for the use of Article 4 powers in this instance be investigated.

Environmental Enhancement Previous enhancement schemes have sought to overcome the fundamental problems that were associated with the busy A6 trunk road. With the construction of the bypass, a comprehensive approach was taken towards reducing traffic speeds along Loughborough Road and Leicester Road but undertaken in a way that improved the visual amenity of the village and enhanced the setting of the listed and other buildings in the Conservation Area. In addition the opportunity was taken to improve the two small public parks, Beside Sileby Road, and on Leicester Road opposite the Working Men’s Club. A number of pieces of public art were introduced and a new village cross established.

A Town Scheme - Conservation Area Partnership Scheme which functioned during the 1990’s provided a considerable amount of funding for the repair of historic buildings within the Conservation Area and contributed to lifting the image of the village.

Possible further enhancement opportunities are listed below. It is not an exhaustive set of proposals but the major areas of need have been identified.

• Improvements to the former entrance to the quarry and the bridge on Loughborough Road, in order to better integrate the frontage with the character of this part of the Conservation Area.

• Implementation of a scheme to reinstate a row of traditional cottages on the library site at the north end of the Market Place.

• Construction of a new library and cultural building as an extension to Church House on The Green at Leicester Road.

• Improved pedestrian links from The Green across Leicester Road to the Leisure Centre and the area of housing beyond.

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Table of proposed actions

Conservation Area Issue Proposed Action Lead Other Partner Partners The present boundary of the Amendments to the CBC area is somewhat incoherent Mountsorrel Conservation around Loughborough Road - Area boundary, as outlined Bond Lane. in this Appraisal, will be examined and consulted upon by the Borough Council.

Gap sites and poor frontages Where necessary formulate CBC that damage the character design/development briefs to and appearance of the historic encourage appropriate new area. development for identified sites.

Developing Management Proposals Various forces, historical, cultural and commercial, have shaped the development of the conservation area, creating a sense of place and individual identity. The character and appearance of the conservation area is vitally important, both in attracting business and new commercial investment in the area itself, and in the encouragement of initiatives to the benefit of the wider community.

Based on the issues that have been identified the following objectives will have a positive impact in both protecting and enhancing the character of the conservation area, and provide the basis of a long term management plan:

8. Identify and target for action historic buildings at risk within the area. Action may range from gentle persuasion and the incentive of grants to the use of compulsory powers as necessary/appropriate. Any historic buildings showing signs of neglect need to be identified. They could be enhanced by removing clutter from elevations (pipes, wiring, brackets etc.), masonry cleaning or repainting. Owners could be approached with suggestions as appropriate. The encouragement of the cleaning of buildings, using methods appropriate to their materials, could achieve significant results visually.

9. Review how the Council’s adopted ‘Shopfront & Signs’ guidance is being used. The Borough Council has adopted a Supplementary Planning Document to clarify the Council’s policy and provide advice on shop front design, including the issues of advertisements and security measures. Identify any outstanding enforcement issues.

10. Encourage development on sites where infill building would be desirable. Design briefs will need to be prepared for such sites to stimulate interest and assist owners and developers to achieve appropriate design and layout.

11. A detailed appraisal is necessary to identify sites within the highway where hard ground surfaces need to be introduced or renewed, including consideration of the scope to redefine sections of carriageway, realign kerbing, extend and repave 161 Mountsorrel Conservation Area Appraisal Page 16

pedestrian areas, provide and mark vehicle parking bays. A policy for the selection and use of materials appropriate for particular situations will need to be agreed with the Highway Authority.

12. It is also necessary to identify any land in public control that is under utilised and might be appropriate for a landscaping scheme to be prepared. The adequacy of maintenance for such areas will need to be addressed. Similarly any neglected private land that can be cleared and reclaimed for positive use will be examined. Consideration should be given to the introduction, or reinstatement where they have been lost, of walls, railings and planting to create enclosure.

13. A policy regarding the co-ordination of the placing of all permanent items within the streets needs to be formulated and the opportunities to renew, redesign, re-site, eliminate or combine existing street furniture need to be identified. Similarly there is a need to look at traffic signs and highway markings, with a view to their rationalisation. The appropriateness of the existing street lighting and the scope to introduce imaginative lighting schemes, including the illumination of key buildings, also merits examination. Guidelines could be set out in a public realm manual.

14. The opportunities for public art in various forms to create distinctive and quality solutions to landscape improvements will be examined.

15. The production of heritage trail leaflets to increase community awareness and appreciation, including the encouragement of tourism, should be considered. This might involve interpretation material, plaques or similar for key sites and buildings.

16. Identify biodiversity enhancements such as the provision of bat and bird boxes, particularly swift nest boxes within the fabric of new/converted buildings.

Advice and Guidance Part of the purpose of this Appraisal is to inform and guide development control decisions about the Conservation Area.

Any proposed changes should be sensitive to and take into account the character as described in this Appraisal. New development, including extensions and alterations, must respond to the context and environment, the scale, form, materials and detailing of the existing buildings and the grain and pattern of the built form and the urban spaces of the Area. This is particularly important in Mountsorrel where the enclosed streets of variable width and the massing and scale of existing buildings can both be easily damaged by inappropriate development.

There are a number of design features in many of the properties which characterise the Conservation Area. Any new development should either incorporate these features or the new design should respect them in a way that they can be seen and recognised both in the old and in the new properties. Given the difficulties in obtaining Swithland slate, Welsh slate would be an alternative; imported or reconstituted slates or roof tiles, either clay or concrete, are not part of the historic palette of materials.

Care should be taken when decisions are made to use materials that are not part of the prevailing palette that the existing character and appearance is enhanced and not damaged.

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Roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and the creation of new chimneys are important considerations.

There may be opportunities for innovative modern design. Good modern design could create positive changes in the Area.

Applicants for planning permission must provide a Design and Access Statement to explain the decisions that have been made and to show how proposals relate to the context. It should demonstrate a full appreciation of the local streetscape, how it has developed, including prevailing building forms, materials and plot ratios.

Proposals will be assessed against the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Leading in Design and other Supplementary Planning Documents and government guidance contained in PPS1 and PPG15.

Contacts: Conservation & Design Team Tel. 01509 634748 [email protected]

Development Control Tel. 01509 634691 [email protected]

Planning Enforcement Tel. 01509 634722

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LISTED BUILDINGS IN MOUNTSORREL CONSERVATION AREA

Castle Hill War Memorial Grade II The Bungalow No 2 Grade II

Leicester Road Parish Rooms with wall piers, gates & railings Grade II The Grapes Grade II

Loughborough Road Church of St Peter Grade II* Stonehurst Farmhouse Grade II The Swan Inn Grade II No 1 Grade II No 2 Grade II* No 4 Grade II Nos 3, 5 & 7 Grade II Workshop at No.7 with walls of No9 Grade II Barn at No 9 Grade II Barn 20m south of No 9 Grade II No 9-9a & Walls Grade II Nos 17-19 Grade II No 46 Grade II No 89 Grade II

Market Place The Market Cross Grade II* No 28 Grade II No 30 Grade II Nos 32-34 Grade II Nos 36-38 Grade II Nos 46-50 Grade II Mountsorrel Mineral Railway Bridge Grade II

Rothley Road Christ Church Vicarage Grade II Christ Church Grade II

The Green Village Pump Grade II Gorden House Grade II Nos 12-14 Grade II No 32 Grade II No 33 including carriage entrance Grade II No 50-52 Grade II No 71 Grade II

Watling Street Nos 1-3 Grade II Nos 5-7 Grade II

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Bibliography

Creighton, O. (1997) Early Leicestershire Castles: Archaeology and Landscape History, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 71

Crump, T. et al, The Mountsorrel Archaeological Project (1986) Leicestershire County Council

Curtis (1831) Topographical History of The County of Leicestershire

Hoskins, W. G. (1970) A Shell Guide: Leicestershire, London: Faber and Faber

Jones, T. B. (undated) The Story of Mountsorrel (Private Publication)

Joyce, S. (1997 reprint) Changing Times in Barrow upon Soar, Quorndon, Sileby and Mountsorrel North End in the Late Eighteenth Century (Private Publication)

Joyce, S. (1999) Enclosures and Land Holdings in the Soar Valley, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 73

Leicestershire County Council: Census 2001 Parish Profile –Mountsorrel (Available: www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population/parish_profiles.htm) (Accessed: 5 December 2006)

Lucas, J. (1986) Excavations in Mountsorrel, in Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society Vol. 61

Mountsorrel’s Townwomen’s Guild (undated) Mountsorrel Through the Ages (Private Publication)

Nichols, J. (1811) The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester, Vol III, Part 1 (reprinted 1971)

Parker, L. A. (1955) ‘Hosiery’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds.) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Reynolds, S. M. G. (1955) ‘Tables of Population’ in Hoskins W. G. & McKinley R. A. (eds.) The Victoria County History of the Counties of England A History of Leicestershire Vol 3 Oxford: Oxford University Press

Stacey, E. A. (2000) A History of St Peter’s Church (Private Publication)

Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 353-56: ' Mouldsworth - Moze' from: http://www.british- history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51162 (Accessed: 14 January 2007)

Transactions of the Leicestershire and Archaeological History Society (2000), Vol. 74, Archaeology in Leicestershire 1999: Mountsorrel, the Butter Cross (page 250)

General History of Mountsorrel from: http://mountsorrel.org.uk (Accessed: 14 January 2006)

White’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland 1863

Kelly’s Directories of Leicestershire and Rutland 1908

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Appendix 6

Mountsorrel Conservation Area Appraisal - Responses to the draft document

Respondent Comments Response of the Director of Development

1 Resident at the public The quarrymen’s cottages at the north west end of the To be considered as part of an extension to the conservation area. meeting. village should be considered for inclusion within the conservation area.

2 Resident at the public The contemporary design of the new library on The Green This issue was carefully considered as part of the planning process. meeting. is inappropriate, particularly the metal profile sheet roofing. The contemporary design of the building overall provides a contrast to the traditional structure of Church House and adds to the variety of buildings around The Green.

3 Resident at the public In parts of the conservation area tarmac has been laid over Inform Highway Authority and draw attention to their own meeting. granite cobbles as a permanent repair to the guidance for conservation areas, which indicates that where repair footway/carriageway. works are carried out the character of the area will be respected.

4 Resident at the public There are a number of inappropriate window alterations All unauthorised work is either currently being investigated by the meeting. that have taken place to cottages on The Green. enforcement officer or subject to enforcement action.

5 Resident at the public Concern about a proliferation of upvc windows and doors In most cases this is permitted development. The use of Article 4 meeting. which do not fit with the character of the conservation powers to restrict changes to windows and doors will be area. investigated.

6 Resident at the public There is a considerable amount of litter on the edge of the Investigate who is responsible for clearing litter and request that meeting. common land. action to alleviate the problem is undertaken.

7 Resident at the public The Swan sculpture and the area immediately around it, Investigate who is responsible for maintenance and request that meeting. needs cleaning and a lack of maintenance of the lighting action to alleviate the problem is undertaken. within the pavement is a problem.

8 Resident at the public The granite wall between the quarry land and Crown Lane Investigate repair work with the owner. meeting. needs repairing, stone is also being removed.

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9 Resident at the public Speeding vehicles along Crown Lane and The Navins is a Identified problems with vehicles and speeding will be passed to the meeting. problem. Highway Authority for consideration.

10 Resident at the public A site at the top of The Green where building foundations Building foundations are often constructed as a means of avoiding a meeting. have been put in and left for a number of years has created lapse of Planning Permission. The use of Section 215 powers to an untidy site. deal with untidy sites will be investigated.

11 Resident at the public At busy times, rat running along the narrow road on the Identified problems with vehicles and speeding will be passed to the meeting. south side of The Green in order to obtain access to Highway Authority for consideration. Leicester Road is a problem.

12 Resident at the public Car parking around The Green is a problem. Identified problems with vehicles and speeding will be passed to the meeting. Highway Authority for consideration.

13 Resident at the public Empty and derelict property detracts from the appearance Where historic building have fallen into disrepair and detract from meeting. of the area. No.6 Watling Street and No.3 Loughborough the visual character of the area, grant aid will be offered as Road were mentioned. encouragement to carry out repair work. If this fails enforcement action will be pursued where possible.

The public meeting was held at the Parish Rooms, Mountsorrel on Thursday 22nd February and was attended by 62 people.

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