Conservation area character appraisals
Bodedern area
Adopted 11 December 2003
Copyright
Maps in this document are based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Licence No LA09001L
For further information contact the Built Environment and Landscape Section
Old photographs and maps © Archive Service, Isle of Anglesey County Council
Contents
Executive summary Location plan Original boundary Boundary review and recommendations
1. Introduction
2. Conservation area
3. Community
4. Date designated
5. Reason designated
6. Location
7. Area covered
8. Setting
9. Historical background Population change Archaeology
10. Open spaces Trees
11. Townscape Views
12. The local economy
13. Physical fabric
14. Principal buildings
15. Positive and negative elements
16. Appendices
Executive summary
This Conservation Area Character Statement supports Ynys Môn Local Plan 1996 (Policy 40) and the emerging Unitary Development Plan (Policy EN13) which states that the character and appearance of all designated Conservation areas will be protected from unsympathetic development. Enhancement of their character will be achieved by carrying out improvements and permitting suitably designed new development.
This document will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.
Circular 61/96 (paragraph 20) states that the quality of place should be the prime consideration in identifying, protecting and enhancing Conservation areas. This depends on more than individual buildings. It is recognised that the special character of a place may derive from many factors, including: the grouping of buildings; their scale and relationship with outdoor spaces; architectural detailing; and so on.
Planning Policy Wales 2002 (paragraph 6.5.15) states that if any proposed development would conflict with the objective of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a Conservation area, or its setting, there will be a strong presumption against the planning permission being granted.
Summarised below are elements that contribute to the character and appearance of the Bodedern Conservation area requiring preservation or enhancement.
History
The nearby Presaddfed burial chambers date back to the Neolithic period.
A church has been established in the parish since the 7th Century.
The London to Holyhead turnpike road passed directly through the village.
Tyn Llan was the birthplace of the pioneering orthopaedic surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas.
The Pump House was erected in memory of Captain James King, Sheriff of Anglesey, and is a focal point of the village.
The Trygarn Griffith Coffee House was established in 1900 as a community meeting place.
Setting
There is generally a lack of public open spaces within the conservation area.
Many mature trees are considered to be worthy of protection (See 10. OPEN SPACES 'Trees').
There are numerous fine views deemed worthy of protection (See 11. TOWNSCAPE 'Views').
Architecture
The area has an uniformity of character, building age, and style that has remained in form relatively unchanged.
Typically terraced streets set out at sharp angles restricting views predominate.
Although the majority of the original building details have unfortunately been lost, some still remain (See 15. POSITIVE ELEMENTS).
There are attractive stepped roof lines to Church Street especially.
The large double doors particularly in the terraces along London Road are unifying features.
Distinctive green mica-schist stone boundary walls are a common feature.
Boundary Review and Recommendations (See Appendix I)
Since its designation as a Conservation area in October 1979 developments have occurred and additional information has come to light that require the boundary to be re-examined.
The new road alignment on a corner of London Road has resulted in the loss of the characteristic angular change in direction, predominant in the Conservation area. It is recommended that the conservation area boundary be amended to omit this new development.
The erection of three new bungalows at Tyn Ffordd has resulted in the original boundary line now dissecting one of the new properties and generally does not follow any clear physical boundary. It is recommended that the boundary line be redrawn to follow clearer physical boundaries and extended to cover all the mature trees along the Memorial Hall boundary.
A further re-evaluation of the importance of open spaces within the conservation area has showed the field to the east of the Crown Hotel car park to be a significant asset as it protects the views both northwards towards Mynydd y Garn and westwards towards the pump house, the Crown Hotel and the Church belfry. Historical research has also revealed the field to be the site of the Village Well that once served the Pump House. It is recommended that the boundary be extended to include the field.
Historical research has also highlighted the importance of the site now occupied by the Tyn Llan outbuildings as being the birthplace of the famed orthopaedic surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas. It is recommended that the outbuildings be included within the Conservation area boundary.
It is also recommended that the boundary be extended to include the small mid 19th century Baptist Chapel on Baptist Street.
1. Introduction
Conservation areas were created by the Civic Amenities Act of 1967 when it was decided that listing historic buildings individually was not enough to protect groups of buildings, which although not individually listed contributed to the character of the place as a whole, and their setting. It was also realised that the spaces between buildings, and trees, were also important elements and it was decided to protect whole areas to be called Conservation Areas.
The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requires local authorities to designate as conservation areas “Any area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
It is the character of areas, rather than individual buildings that the Act seeks to preserve or enhance. Conservation area designation should be seen as the prime means of recognising, protecting and enhancing the identity of places with special character.
Quality of place should be the prime consideration in identifying Conservation areas although there can be no standard specification for Conservation areas.
Designating a Conservation area does not prevent future change to buildings and their surroundings. It does mean, however, that the local planning authority when considering planning applications, including those which are outside a Conservation area but would affect its setting, must pay special regard to whether the proposed changes “preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation area”.
The designation should enable the character of the area to be retained and controlled, ensuring that any new development is sympathetic to both the special architectural and historic interest of the area, but without affecting its function or prosperity.
If a proposal involves the total demolition of a structure or a building within the Conservation area then “Conservation Area Consent” from the local authority will be required. Otherwise development in conservation areas is dealt with through the normal planning application process. Subject to some exceptions trees are protected in Conservation areas and anyone proposing to cut down, top or lop a tree is required to give 6 weeks’ written notice to the local planning authority.
Under section 69 of the Act there is a duty on local authorities to review their areas from time to time and to consider whether further designation of Conservation areas is called for. It is only by understanding the elements that contribute to the character and appearance of an area can we aspire to “preserve or enhance” it.
Anglesey County Council is producing a character appraisal for each of the island’s Conservation areas. These character appraisal documents will form the basis, along with policies set out in the Ynys Môn Local Plan and emerging Unitary Development Plan, for aiding development control within Conservation areas.
Guidance on general policies that are material considerations in the determination of all planning applications in Conservation areas is included in Policy 40 Ynys Môn Local Plan (and also Policy EN13 of the emerging Unitary Development Plan).
2. Conservation area
Bodedern
3. Community
The Conservation area lies within the community of Bodedern.
4. Date designated
Bodedern Conservation area was originally designated in October 1979.
5. Reason designated
The area has an uniformity of character, building age (approx. 200 years), and style that has remained in form relatively unchanged and therefore is considered to be an “area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
6. Location
The village lies on the B5109 road (Grid Ref.: 233 380) approximately 10km (6 miles) South East of Holyhead and 13km (8 miles) Northwest of Llangefni.
7. Area covered
The Conservation area boundary line alternates in direction, often to property boundaries, to more or less include most of the old settlement at the centre of the village stretching as far North as the cemetery at the rear of Church of St Edern /Old Police Station and Tyn Llan, the Memorial Hall to the East, the Baptist Chapel on Baptist Street to the South, and rear gardens of the properties on London Road to the West (See Appendix II).
8. Setting
Geology: The village lies on approximately 600 million years old green mica-schist (metamorphic rock composed chiefly of mica and quartz) overlain by glacial deposits of boulder clay which gives the surrounding landscape its characteristic “Basket of eggs” topography in the form of Drumlins as illustrated below.
Landscape: The surrounding area is predominantly agricultural grazing land with woodlands, on the higher ground, to the East and North East. The Conservation area lies within Local Character Area 2 of the Ynys Môn Landscape Strategy (1999), which is based on the Countryside Council for Wales LANDMAP approach. This establishes a standard methodology for assessing landscape character across Wales.
9. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The earliest evidence of man in the area is in the form of two megalithic, Neolithic to Bronze age, burial chambers to be found at Presaddfed situated less than a mile to the North East. The name Bodedern is formed from the Welsh word bod meaning ‘dwelling’ and the name of the saint Edern who in the 7th Century established the parish church. A church has occupied its present site at the centre of the village since the fourteenth century parts of which still remain.
It was one of the Chiefs of the fifteen tribes of Gwynedd, Hwfa ap Cynddelw, born around 1090, and his descendants that brought fame to the medieval settlement of Bodedern by residing in the parish for six centuries until 1690.
By the latter part of the 18th Century, following the Act of Parliament of 1765 and subsequent Acts of 1775 and 1807, the London to Holyhead turnpike road had been built which passed directly through the village. It would, however, probably have been an exception for the mail coach to stop in the village. Between 1818-1824, a new London to Holyhead Post Road was built by Thomas Telford which by-passed the village some 2.5km (1½ miles) to the south.
Tyn Llan, situated west of the church, has from as early as 1724 been the site of various buildings including; farmhouses, farm buildings, cottages and smithy. It was also the birthplace of Hugh Owen Thomas (1834-1891) who, came from a family of bone-setters whose origins lay on the island and, is widely regarded as a great pioneer in British orthopaedic surgery.
Today a commemorative plaque hangs in his honour on the Church Street elevation of the single storey building.
Before 1861 London Road was called Y Lôn Groes and led to the old market centres of Aberffraw, Newborough and Caernarfon.
In 1886 the Treiorwerth family sold in lots, mostly to local villagers, a large portion of their estate including the village of Bodedern.
In 1897 Lord Stanley of Alderley erected the Pump House in Church Street in memory of Captain James King (1787-1873), Presaddfed, Sheriff of Anglesey. This Doric, in style, dressed limestone structure has since become an established focal point of the village.
The Trygarn Griffith Coffee House at the junction of Church Street and London Road was established in 1900, along with other similar establishments on the island, as an alternative righteous community meeting place as opposed to the many local inns before the erection of the Memorial Hall. Today the arms of the Griffith Family of Carreg Lwyd, Llanfaethlu can still be seen on the London Road elevation.
Population Change
In 1563 it was estimated that there were 32 families in the parish and on John Ogilby’s map of 1675 it was described as “a small thoroughfare”. Even as late as 1732, there were only about 7 houses in the village. The population of the parish remained low until the 19th Century when in 1801 the parish population was recorded to be 593 rising sharply to 1117 by 1821. A small but steady decline in the population occurred, between the beginning and mid 20th Century, but by 1971 the population had recovered to over 1100. The latest available census figures for 1991 reveal that the population of the Bodedern Ward stands at 1017 with a change in the Ward boundary being partially responsible for the fall.
Archaeology
Given the ancient history associated with the area there may be sensitive archaeological remains both within and on the outskirts of the Conservation area boundary.
10. Open spaces
The field adjacent to the Pump House and the Crown Hotel is deemed an important element to Church Street as it ensures an unobtrusive view both into and out of the Conservation area. It allows a particularly pleasant view of the curving street with its characteristic stepped roof lines as well as open views of the Pump House, the Crown Hotel, and the Church belfry which have all been identified as being important buildings within the Conservation area.
Development here would affect both the view of the street and the setting of both the Pump House and The Crown Hotel. The boundary will need to be reconsidered to include the field.
There is generally a lack of public open spaces within the Conservation area with typically double terraced streets predominating. The exception to this is the north side of Church Street where open views and space are a dominant feature.
Trees (See Appendix III)
Trees can have an important influence particularly in residential areas on their surroundings by adding colour, providing pleasant backdrops, as well as softening the solid profiles of buildings as can be clearly seen below at Ardwyn, Garden Lane (Map reference 'L').
The line of mainly deciduous mature trees to the east of the Memorial Hall (Map reference 'M') are considered to be very important by impressively defining the outer edge of the village and providing a pleasing inward view to the village.
The mainly indigenous trees clustered around St Edern's Church and the Crown Hotel (Map reference 'N') make a significant contribution to the Conservation area by both serving as a boundary between the settlement and the countryside and providing a backdrop to the Crown Hotel and Pump House.
The mature native trees by Tyn Llan (Map reference 'O') are important because of their location on the road edge and their softening affect on the adjacent buildings.
All of the above trees contribute greatly to the overall character of the Conservation area.
11. Townscape
Much of what lies within the Conservation area consists of either two storey or single storey buildings, built mostly in terraces, along streets set out at sharp angles to each other which restricts views and creates a feeling of containment.
All the structural building facades on Church Street (Heol yr Eglwys) date back around two hundred years. Wesley Street (Stryd Wesle) and Baptist Street (Heol y Capel) were originally streets of cottages. The latter was demolished in 1959 (See Appendices IV, V & VI).
Originally each house would have had its own garden with definite boundary and a small toilet house/privy at the end whilst some would have also had a pig sty.
A few villagers would also have kept a cow and grazed it on, Parc Presaddfed, the land where Maes Coron estate is today. Some houses would have even had cow sheds.
Views (See Appendix VII)
There are noteworthy outward views from:
i) The memorial Hall towards Tre Iorwerth Woods to the east and Presaddfed Burial Chamber to the north east. (Map reference 'A') ii) The lane to the west side of Church of St Edern far to the north towards Mynydd y Garn near Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy. (Map reference 'D')
There are noteworthy inward views from: i) Stanley Cottage (Church Street) Westwards in the direction of the Pump House, The Crown Hotel and beyond towards the Church of St Edern's belfry as well as northwards towards Mynydd y Garn. (Map references 'B' and 'C') ii) The junction of Church Street and London Road both, Eastwards along Church Street with its distinctive stepped roof lines and church, and southwards along London Road and all its characteristic double doors. (Map references 'E' and 'F') iii) The eastern outskirts of the village on the B5109 road towards the impressive line of mature mainly deciduous trees by the Memorial Hall. (Map reference 'G')
12. The local economy
Former
Agriculture has, since medieval times, played an important role in the economy of the island and the parish of Bodedern would have been no exception. The area has although primarily always been associated with livestock raising as opposed to producing arable crops.
There had been a small market in Bodedern from as early as 1732 but by the 19th Century it had grown to being the third largest market centre (behind Llanerch-y- medd and Llangefni) on the island. This growth made a significant contribution to the prosperity of the village.
The building of the London to Holyhead turnpike road, in the latter part of the 18th century, and the presence of the Petty Sessions Court (held at Tyn Llan from at least the mid 18th century) up until 1854, would have brought considerable economic benefits to the area.
According to Slater's Trade Directory (1895) there was no major commercial activity other than farming in the area but the village provided an extraordinary amount of services including; 8 grocers, 5 boot makers, 5 joiners, 4 drapers, 3 tailors, 3 butchers (as well as 1 pork butcher), 2 ironmongers, 2 blacksmiths, 2 shopkeepers, 2 saddlers, as well as a baker, woollen manufacturer, painter and paperhanger, tin plate worker, and an insurance and manure agent.
Although many traders combined activities the list nevertheless gives a fascinating insight into life in the village at the turn of the century.
Present
Although farming still dominates both the culture and landscape of the island its economic influence has declined.
Today the majority of the workforce is either engaged in the services sector: administration, education, health care, business services, catering and tourism or in industry: aluminium-smelting, plastics, engineering, power production and food- processing.
In 1977 the building of the Bodedern Secondary School brought some economic benefit to the community.
Although there are no major employers in the Parish, apart from the school, there are however, outside the conservation area boundary, four small workshops.
Opportunities
Anglesey’s economy as a whole faces a very uncertain future. The decline of the once dominant agricultural sector, if it continues, will have far reaching implications for all aspects of rural life.
A shift towards environmentally friendly farming seems likely to continue. This may lead to opportunities for new skills in environmental management and a resurgence in traditional ‘crafts’.
Opportunities in the services sector, particularly tourism and leisure, should be exploited although it may be hindered by the fact that the village does not lie directly on the established tourist trails.
13. Physical fabric
Today the vast majority of the original details of the buildings (e.g. sash windows, doors, and cast iron rainwater goods etc.) have unfortunately been lost. The smooth render or stonework finish, that the buildings would have originally had, have regrettably been replaced by the relatively recent introduction (under the former Borough Council’s grant aided envelope scheme of the 1990s), of a pebble dashed finish on a great number of the properties. This has resulted in many of the decorative arches and lintels to the windows, doors, and double doors being lost from view. However, much of the original form, shape, height, scale, line and character of the buildings remain.
An attractive and clearly noticeable feature within the Conservation area is the stepped roof lines, on Church Street especially, which do not necessarily follow the natural gradient but serve as clear indications of individual property boundaries.
Although most of the pitched roofs have been renewed, at some time or other, all but a handful have been reinstated using natural slate, with the remaining few having introduced tiles.
The majority of the windows and doors have either been replaced with contemporary stained hardwood or uPVC plastic but their location and size remains relatively unchanged thus having a reduced impact on the overall form.
The present floorscape mainly consists of black tarmac finished roads with relatively narrow, concrete slabs or tarmac, pavements to some streets. An unusual, but unifying, feature present in a high number of buildings is the presence of large double doors in the terraces, particularly along London Road, leading to the rear of many properties. One suspects that these openings (see sketch below) originally provided access to milking sheds or stables to the rear or, possibly, that some of these buildings were once inns.
Many of the either dry stone or mortar jointed boundary walls, particularly along Church Street, are of local random rubble characteristic green mica-schist stone with its distinctive sediment layers and finished with matching cock and hen coping.
Functional cast iron fencing and gates are still to be seen on some boundaries. The green mica-schist is also to be seen as rock outcrops in both the streetscape and gardens.
14. Principal buildings (See Appendix VII)
1. Church of St Edern – Grade II*
2. Old Police Station – Grade II
3. Ardwyn – Grade II
4. Pump House – Landmark building
5. Crown Hotel – Landmark building
6. Capel Saron – Important building
7. Trygarn Coffee House – Important building
8. Tyn Llan (and adjacent Outbuildings) – Important buildings
9. Llewelyn Lodge – Important building
10. No. 37 London Road – Important building
11. Baptist Chapel – Important building
15. Positive and negative elements
Positive Elements
There has generally been very little new development within the Conservation area and numerous original, or early, details on both the Church of St Edern and the Old Police Station remain.
The fact that so many of the large double doors, particularly along London Road are still present is very encouraging for the future.
Other notable surviving common local details include: rubble walls laid to courses with matching or rendered chimneys, painted rendered frontages with quoins, painted rendered architraves to openings, segmented sprung stone arches to openings, slate sills, 4-16 paned painted timber sash windows, painted timber panelled doors, rectangular and semi-circular fanlights, and decorative cast iron fencing and gates.
Negative Elements
The unsympathetic alterations carried out by the introduction of pebble dashed finish to a great many of the buildings within the Conservation area has had a negative impact on its appearance. It is hoped that the original smooth render or stonework finish might hopefully resurface at some point in the future as inevitably fashion changes over time.
At the same time the replacement of the traditional windows and doors with contemporary stained hardwood or uPVC has also altered the overall appearance of the area.
The ingress of 'foreign' tiles as roofing material should be discouraged and efforts made to reinstate the offending roofs with natural slate.
The modern single storey flat roofed infill which has occurred at No. 25 London Road (below) does not fit well with the adjacent two-storey pitched roofed buildings.
The new road alignment, resulting in the ‘rounding-off' of one corner on London Road, has had a detrimental effect on the character of the Conservation area. The alteration has resulted in an alien element being introduced to the characteristic angular change in direction predominant in the Conservation area. The boundary will need to be reconsidered to omit this new development from the Conservation area.
Unsightly wires, particularly at the junction of Church Street and London Road and along Garden Lane, distract much from the streetscape and can be regarded as being a distracting visual intrusion.
However, although it should be noted that at least three of the timber British Telecom posts along Church Street have rare turned timber finials (below). The removal of overhead lines and timber poles by under grounding would enhance the special character which exists.
Although most of the business signs are of inappropriate modern design and material (GRP) their detrimental impact is presently not as noticeable as it could be if a larger number of businesses were present. The reintroduction of traditional signage should be encouraged.
16. Appendices
Index
Appendix I Proposed change to Conservation area boundary
Appendix II Aerial Photograph
Appendix III Location of important trees plan
Appendix IV Map circa 1724 - 1727
Appendix V Map circa 1840s
Appendix VI 1900 Map
Appendix VII Existing Conservation area boundary, location of principal buildings and direction of views plan
Gwerthfawrogiad Cymeriad Ardal Cadwraeth Bodedern Bodedern Conservation Area Character Appraisal
Atodiad IV Appendix IV Map c.1724-1727 Circa 1724-1727 Map
27 Gwerthfawrogiad Cymeriad Ardal Cadwraeth Bodedern Bodedern Conservation Area Character Appraisal
Atodiad V Appendix V Map c.1840au Circa 1840s Map
28 Gwerthfawrogiad Cymeriad Ardal Cadwraeth Bodedern Bodedern Conservation Area Character Appraisal
Atodiad VI Appendix VI Map 1900 1900 Map
29