Conservation Caistor Conservation Area Appraisal WLDC Caistor fnl 13/5/08 4:36 pm Page 3 Caistor Conservation Area Appraisal 1 Introduction 3 Assessment of special interest Caistor is a rural historic Market Town 3.1 Location and Setting located 15 miles south west of Grimsby, 26 Caistor is set into the hillside and gains miles north east of Lincoln. Caistor was first much of its setting from this backdrop. designated in January 1970 as an area of The approach from the west of Caistor is 'special architectural or historic interest' very distinctive. The roofscape of terracotta under section 277 of the Town and Country pantiles at the heart of the settlement can Planning Act 1971 and an appraisal was be seen for some miles, whilst the church completed in 1977. The purpose of this tower amongst the trees provides a reviewed appraisal document is to give an landmark feature. up to date character appraisal. The approaches from Nettleton Road and This review aims to update and reassess North Kelsey both have more recent 20th the appraisal of the conservation area in century developments interspersed with order to inform a future management plan older 19th century buildings. Both roads on for the area. the approach to the town centre travel steeply uphill. The approach from Brigg Summary of special interest 2 Road is a gentle and attractive winding Dating from the Roman period, Caistor road with wide grass verges. has a prosperous history as a key market town in the area. The medieval street From the North and East, Caistor cannot be pattern of narrow plots and interconnecting viewed until the visitor is within reach of the market square, combined with fine town, being sited downhill from a highpoint Georgian and Victorian buildings contribute in the Wolds. The setting to the west and to the town's special character. south of the conservation area is adjacent open countryside which is designated as an The rural character of the town is Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and derived from Caistor's location on the there are fine views of the countryside from hillside with views over the surrounding this direction. countryside. Furthermore the town is sited on many natural springs, Syfer Spring 3.2 History and and Pigeon Spring are the most noted of Development the springs, located in Fountain Street and The name Caistor is a derivation of the Horsemarket respectively. Roman 'Castra' meaning fortified camp and The Conservation Area is centred on the referring, most probably, to the fortification historic core of the town built in the 4th century A.D., evidence of which can still be found in the town. The existence of numerous natural springs may have influenced the Romans to select this site for their settlement. There is also strong evidence of Anglo Saxon 2 WLDC Caistor fnl 13/5/08 4:36 pm Page 4 West Lindsey District Council development and it is likely that settlement existed. This church may have been sited has been continuous since the Roman just north of the existing church which occupation. A 'titulus' or dedication stone of dates from the 11th century. An Anglo the 8th or 9th century A.D. suggests that an Saxon mint was also sited here, denoting early Saxon church of some importance continuing prestige for the site. KN Walvale A PTON 5 2 C 8 OU R 1 T PTON COURT 4 1 NA 2 K 72 62 5 3 36 T 86 W H A Ro R E 90 TER i m d 4 R 0 g a 4 e H n 30 OP 7 I L L S EWALK C 5 48 74 T 76 NORT 1 H STREET 38 Bannovallum 28 20 El 81.1m 14 Sub Sta 4 8 11 1 5 5 8 3 7 7 1 28 15 82.5m WS E 3 HOLT M 81 RY 3 PC 1 E 3 13b R The New Foundry House a Y A RG R CHE 1 4 B 2 OR 1 84 GEO 0 1 6 1 O 1 A 1 8 084 2 1 GP 6 A 8 81.6m 24 11 4 85.6m PH AD H Hall Y RO 102.5m BM IGH S B 7 2 T 14 5 1 REET IMS BM 87.39m 90.0 3 m 1 GR 3 1 2 101.97m 4 92.4m 27 b Telephone COACH HOUSE COURT 2 27a 98.5m Exchange El Sub Sta 28 9 5 9 1 3 7 1 2 29 8 4 m 3 ET .2m 4 4 7 75 .2 6 2 The RE 92 5 George T 3 Church Court BM S 2 5 2 7 6 5 2 9 Church 6 7 1 0 1 3 7a 2 O 8 6 2 2 BM 74.70m APEL 6 P 2 7 1 LANE Bakery 1 2 Corn 9 LL MI CH 6 24 Hill BM Church 0 Pp 2 93.92m 2 93.3m 0 1 1 6 MA RKET 12 3 Bank E 2 PLA CE BANK LAN 14 Depot 1 Caistor T 2 16 3 94.4m TREE 1 S 9 W OL Grammar School H ROMAN V 19 8 IEW C 1 D 13 W a 9 r R Me TOWN ml U 1 H (site of) 10 WOLD 0 C 2 VIEW 2 96.1m 2 2 BU 9 y ch r T MI u TE 1 h 1 Foll 2 C 4 LL 1 R L MAR ANE 23 KET BM 6 CASTL 16 E HIL 24 8 L 86.25m 1 14 1 2 22 3 6 b 2 2 3 1 8 Saxon House St Peter and St Paul's 20 8.4m 11 Key 1 10 HI LL Church 8 4 C 1 2 lub GH ne a 1 OU L 3 6 bs Bo 38 1 2 PL 6 28 BM 6 1 1 94.1m 8 2 84.98m Recreation 12 4 19 S Conservation Syfer OUT 10 Ground Recreati 8 4 4 1 Spring 6 H 1 STREET STOR FOUNTAIN STREET 82.8m 1 5 area boundary 3 1 7 H WE O R 94.2m 58 Vicarage 1 ST S 1 E 1 8 16 4 B 1 MARK R 1 GR 5 O OKE Claddagh E 0 12 Schedule 1 T 80.4m 4 Pond 14 El Sub Sta 7 1 6a 4 18 1 EW 5m 1 6. Ancient 2 9 VI a 12 17 LL 3 3 20 8 1 CROMWE 6 North House 3 5 Monuments Garage 2 2 Y BURNETT'S Office 8 4 2 T 2 10a E 1 3 6 2 10 Pol 6 18 2 1 RE Roman Town Fairview Pigeon Spring 22 26 ST 6b 2 H 26a BM 83.48m SOUTH DALE Dale View 83.6m 3 OUT S 1 9 Vic 10 11 TLETON ROAD 1 75.7m a ET 1 N 5 Encroachments Redhills r a El 1 g LB 11 3 1 e Su 5 7 8 Close C 7 b l os 1 S 6 1 1 e t 7 5 a 1 9 101.0m 5 1 4 2 4 1 2a Health Remains 1 6 4 46 Centre A Tank 6 WH 1 Drakes 4 Court A 4 I Burgess Plots T 2 EG 1 Caistor S AT 39 Library S E Primary School -PA H 34 Y B The above map illustrates Caistor's historic often occurred when more land for trading layers; the shaded area is believed to be the space was required. The map layer also extent of the Roman Town. The shaded areas highlights the remaining long thin medieval around the Market Place may form the burgage plots. encroachment into the original space. This WLDC Caistor fnl 13/5/08 4:36 pm Page 5 Caistor Conservation Area Appraisal The present day layout of the town is This development seems to have replaced inherited from the medieval period when the earlier emphasis on trading in markets Caistor was a small and prosperous town within the town. deriving much of its wealth from agriculture, particularly sheep farming. The town was Since the mid 20th century, the economy also noted for a popular large annual Horse of the town has been in steady decline. Fair. The development of the town is Present day Caistor suffers from a poor adaptive rather than planned, with the economic base with trade taken by nearby Market Place being to the east of the more towns, such as Scunthorpe and Grimsby. enclosed church area. There are long thin Areas of the town, particularly the Market plots with narrow street frontages and back Place, have become dilapidated and many lanes associated with the medieval burgage buildings are vacant and in disrepair. A system. These are found to the west of the Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme is Market Place, to the north of the High currently running and has identified several Street and to the east of South Street [MAP 1]. buildings for grant aid. This work, when The original Market Place is believed to completed, will make a significant improvement have been much larger. Encroachment has to the centre of the town and aims to formed Cornhill and also the block of encourage further investment in the area. property between the north edge of the Market Place and High Street. Little archaeological study has been undertaken in town; however, a large area A fire in 1681 destroyed most of the of the centre of Caistor is designated as a timber properties, consequently much of Scheduled Ancient Monument which present day Caistor dates from the late 17th includes the undeveloped land within the and 18th centuries.