Wigtoft Conservation Area Appraisal

CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction 1 2. The planning policy context 1 3. Summary of special interest 1 4. Location and Context 1 5. Historic Development 2 6. Archaeology 2 7. Heritage Assets 3 8. Landscape: Setting and Relationship 3 9. Landmarks and Vistas 4 10. Character of Buildings 5 11. Sensitive Areas 6 12. Local Details 7 13 Building Materials 7 14. Green Spaces 8 15. Intrusion or Damage 8 16. Neutral Areas 9 17. General Condition 9 18. Problems, Pressure and Capacity for Change 9 19. Suggested Boundary Changes 9 20. Community involvement 9 Appendix 1 11 Appendix 2 12 Map 13 1. Introduction 1.1 Wigtoft Conservation Area was designated prior to 1986 and the following appraisal is intended to clearly define and analyse its current character and appearance. This will provide a sound basis for both development plan policies and development control decisions, as well as the Wigtoft Conservation Area Management Plan (yet to be produced). This will contain policies and proposals designed to secure the preservation and enhancement of the area. 1.2 This Appraisal will initially detail the location of the village and its regional position in order to provide the geographical context for the Conservation Area. It will then provide an outline of the history of the development of the village up to the present day in order to show how this has shaped the development of the settlement. 1.3 An outline of the archaeological significance of Wigtoft will be provided with particular reference to its known buried historical deposit. Views and the character of historical buildings will also be assessed. 1.4 This Appraisal will be available in paper form from Council Offices (West Street) as well available in electronic form on the Boston Borough Website (www.boston.gov.uk). This Appraisal will be adopted as Council Policy. A Conservation Area Management Plan will follow this appraisal and will also be adopted as Council Policy. 2. Planning Policy Framework 2.1 Conservation Areas are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.’ (Section 69(1) (a) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990). Local Planning Authorities are expected to regularly review these and if necessary designate further areas or amend boundaries. 2.2 The designation of conservation areas requires authorities to regularly formulate and publish proposals for their preservation and enhancement. (Section 71). This is intended to assist in the undertaking of planning powers, especially where it is desirable to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of a conservation area. (Section 72) 3. Summary of special interest 3.1 Wigtoft is a small rural settlement in the fens which is centred around the fine limestone church with its large green churchyard. It has a variety of traditional dwellings around the core area which form the nucleus of the Conservation Area. 4. Location and Context 4.1 The village is situated in south Lincolnshire about 10km (6 miles) from the Wash and the estuary of the River Nene. It is approximately halfway between the towns of Boston and Spalding and was formerly located on the A17 trunk road. It has now been by passed. The larger village of Sutterton, to which it is adjacent, sat at the crossroads of the A16 and the A17 trunk roads. 4.2 The plan form is essentially linear, the majority of the settlement being either side of the former trunk road. There is a small nucleus around the churchyard and further development along the minor Asperton Road to the northeast. There was a population of 479 (Census of 2001) in the Wigtoft parish, which covers an area of 3,300 acres. (1336 ha) 1 4.3 The underlying geology is one of Jurassic clays which formed a basin during the Ice Ages into which have been laid sands and gravels and later marine alluvium. This forms the basic level landscape of the Fens in which the village is located. The village is between 4.0 and 5.0 m above sea level. 5. Historic development 5.1 The Wigtoft name was known variously as Wigetoft, Wichetoft and Wiketoft in the 1180s. It is thought to possibly be derived from the Old Norse ‘vik’ meaning small creek, inlet or bay. Toft is a well-known second part of a place name, meaning a ‘messuage or curtilage’. This name may relate to its location near the Bicker Haven, which was in earlier times a haven from the wash. The place name suggests a foundation after the 9th century. 5.2 The medieval church of SS. Peter and Paul has its origins in the 12th century and was first mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1180. The parish includes three outlying late eighteenth/early nineteenth century farm groups, which are not part of the conservation area. One of these, Easthorpe Court, which is to the north of the village, was the site of the Manorial centre for Wigtoft. It would have had a chapel or chantry at the parish church. It was the seat of the Howson family. The present farmhouse dates to 1804. 5.3 In the fourteenth century Wigtoft is mentioned in a number of Commissions relating to drainage of the area and in particular the need to repair Wigtoft Gote. Salt making was certainly undertaken in the medieval period but by the late 16th century this had come to an end as the Commissioners of the Sewers noted decayed salt cotes at that time. 5.4 A map of the area dating to the 19th century shows the area to the west of the church as far as Clover Lane, as parkland associated with Casterton House, another of the farm groups, which dates to the late eighteenth century. The third group is that of Burtoft - which lies to south and is now separated from the village by the new route of the trunk road. All of these houses and their associated farm buildings are listed grade II. 5.5 In the White’s Directory of 1842, the church and the vicarage are mentioned, also the Primitive Methodist Chapel dating from 1839 and the Free School which had been rebuilt in 1830, but which had been endowed in 1715. At that time there were three public houses, two blacksmiths, nineteen farmers in the village itself, two shoemakers, two shopkeepers, two tailors, and one butcher, farrier, carrier, wheelwright, bricklayer, baker, corn miller and schoolmaster. 5.6 The drainage records of this area refer to Wigtoft, Sutterton, Algarkirk, Fosdyke and Swineshead as being the five ‘towns’ and the drainage being effected by the Five Towns, Four Towns, Three Towns and Two Towns Drains. This linkage is still recognised today as the five settlements are all in the ‘Five Villages Ward’ of the Boston Borough Council area. 6. Archaeology 6.1 There have been no archaeological excavations in the parish, only two watching briefs. There is no evidence of any prehistoric or Romano British presence here. There has been one find of a Viking brooch and to the north of the village the medieval field systems and settlement enclosures have been identified from crop marks. 2 7. Heritage Assets 7.1 There are no scheduled monuments within the parish. 7.2 Listed Buildings within the Conservation Area: Grade I The Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul. The distinguished medieval church has work of all periods dating from late Norman through to the perpendicular style. It was restored in 1891 by the architect C. Hodgson Fowler. It is built in limestone ashlar and coursed rubble, with lead roofs and has a west tower, nave with clerestory, south porch and chancel. (Church of St. Peter and Paul) Grade II The former early nineteenth century vicarage on the Main Road, is in stucco with a hipped slate roof. It is thought that this may have been designed by Jeptha Pacey, architect from Boston, who also designed the town’s Assembly Rooms. Stanhope Cottage, Main Road. This small cottage was originally mud and stud, the local Lincolnshire vernacular form of architecture. It was encased in brick in the early nineteenth century and has a clay pantiled roof. (View of Stanhope Cottage) 8. Landscape: Setting and Relationship 8.1 The focal point of the Conservation Area is the space at the centre of the village defined by the former post office group on the south side of the main road and Church House, the Golden Fleece Inn and the two properties adjacent. This group is set back at an angle to the main road and thus leads the eye to the churchyard entrance gate. 3 (View of village from the Golden Fleece Inn) 8.2 Beyond the post office group to the west is a well cut tall evergreen hedge and then the vicarage site whose buildings are back from the road. There is nonetheless a strong frontage which is defined by an evergreen hedge, trees and cast iron railings. Opposite to these sites, is a long narrow field still in agricultural use. It is adjacent to the churchyard and has a hedged and tree lined boundary on both sides. As the church is set far back in its churchyard this field and the churchyard together make up a rural green centre to this part of the village. 8.3 To the west of the field on the north of the main road and the Vicarage on the south side are sites with 20th century developments within the Conservation Area. On the north side is a cul de sac of semi detached single storey old persons housing and two storey municipal housing forming a western edge to the village.

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