Chapter 9 APfENDfX A

In search of the identity of Kirby Hill

Introduction particular, but also the closer settlements of Langthorpe and Milby, is in fact a complex local The village of Kirby Hill lies about a mile north of issue and part of the reason for carrying out the the North Yorkshire market tovvn of Borough­ work that will be described in this chapter. There bridge. It sits on a shallow eminence surrounded is a powerful territorial streak at the heart of Kirby by agricultural land and enjoys long-range vie,,vs Hill's community and they value greatly their across attractive rural landscape, particularly sense of physical independence from neighbour­ north to the Hambleton Hills. Historically the ing settlements. The agricultural buffer that location occupied by the village is quite signifi­ surrounds the village's built core appears to cant. There has apparently been an established contribute significantly to the feeling that Kirby community there from before Saxon times and Hill is a village in its own right. There is a strong parts of the village's All Saints church can be desire to maintain this physical independence aced back to this period. The main road through against probably well founded fears that the village, now Leeming Lane, was once the route Boroughbridge might eventually expand further of the Great North Road from London to Scotland north, threatening to bridge the rural divide. This but now the bulk of traffic flow is carried past the is considered thoroughly undesirable because village on the Al(M) about half a mile to the west. villagers worry that it ,,vill compromise the iden­ Once a mainly agricultural village characterised tity and individuality of Kirby Hill and lead to its by a clustering of several farms, only one now subjugation as a mere satellite to the larger remains and the past 30 years has seen a succes­ Borough bridge. sion of residential developments that have Walking around the village, looking at the transformed Kirby Hill's appearance and objects and features that contribute to its visual expanded its population to about 390. Apart from character, relatively little seems evident to distin­ a pub, church, farm and primary school Kirby Hill guish Kirby Hill's identity as an independent is entirely residential, although there is a popula­ village, apart from being surrounded by fields. At tion of homeworkers, and since there are no shops first sight Kirby Hill wou]d prima facie appear to in the village, people are dependent, locally, on be a rather unremarkable place, much of it having provision available in Boroughbridge or larger a fairly suburban appearance. A number of resi­ towns such as Ripon and Harrogate. The relation­ dents interviewed during the project highlighted ship between Kirby Hill and Boroughbridge in that although they thought of Kirby Hill as a -..-=.:'..:.a ge. it actually had very few physical features usually involves drawing out details of the settle­ -;::.t they associated with typical North Yorkshire ment pattern, the character of its landscape .--:;~ages. It has 110 clearly defined village core, for setting, building styles, open spaces and wildlife . ::x.2._ple. no explicit village green, no village for exampl~he general idea is to present infor­ s~ops. nowhere for the kids to play, and has mation as seen through the eyes of the village :;:ifihaps suffered a loss of any significant sense of community so that it gives a picture of \-Vhat is ·;:amacular. Modern day Kirby Hill has evolved to important about the village from their perspec­ :JeCome a collection of residential developments, tive. A lot of emphasis ·was given to the village's most of them cul-de-sacs ·with their backs to the historical significance and to the objects and \-illage, contributing little to its visual quality or buildings still in existence that evidence this. sense of cohesion. In 30 years the original agricul­ Kirby Hill's landscape setting, its agricultural t -~al village character has been overwhelmed to context and the distant views across the country­ such an extent that ·what remains of Kirby Hill's side, along with the contribution of some green proud historical character and its vernacular is spaces, street trees and fields to wildlife diversity now dispersed and manifest in a fow older all make very positive contributions to the cottages, houses, the church and farm buildings village. 1-dthin a background of suburban-like residential There were more challenging issues however. -'--"ie\'elopment engendering little o"t>vious sense of Among these included a significant lack of clarity place. about exactly where Kirby Hill started and So, exactly what identity does Kirby Hill have finished. Looking at a map of the village Kirby that its residents feel the need to protect so vora­ Hill appears as a clearly defined, loosely "L" ciously? The need to explore this question has shaped settlement smrounded by fields. However, gradually evolved in the collective consciousness historical meandering of the political boundaries of the village in recent years as a consequence of between Kirby Hill and Langthorpe in particular, threatened development, not in Boroughbridge, seems to have generated a diversity of local views but in fact to the north of Kirby Hill alongside the about which buildings to the west of Leeming A1(M) motorway. In 1996, a planning application L~ne arc perceived in Kirby Hill and which are was presented to Harrogate Borough Council for a not. This, coupled with variations in opinion motorway service station just north of the Ripon about whether the surrounding fields are "in" the Road junction. The anticipated impact of this village or "out", makes understanding where the proposal galvanised local opinion to such an village boundaries are far from straightforward. It '--"':.:tent that at one protest event numbers turned appeared that the content of the village was more out that exceeded the entire village population. a matter of individual perception than physical This brought into sharp focus the need for the evidence. Another potentially problematic aspect Parish Council to consider verv., carefullv., the was what to make of the predominant and eclectic options available that would help it respond effec­ mix of relatively recent residential development. tirnly to any future development plans it deemed It was apparent to the VOS Steering Committee to be undesirable. that Kirby Hill's identity and character would be In consultation with Harrogate Borough difficult to define. Furthermore, without being Council Planning Department, members of the able to do this, identifying the way to sensitively Parish Council decided to produce a Village protect the village would be potentially problem­ Design Statement (VDS). This is a document that atic as for 30 years it had been ravaged by gfres voice to local opinion about what is valu­ development that contributed little to the visual able and important about the village so that this appeal of the village and at the same time weak­ can be taken into account when assessing the ened what visual coherence Kirby Hill might have suitability of planning applications that would once had. affect the village. Developing a VDS requires the But if Kirby Hill's identity and character is collecting and collating of information about the hard to express positively in terms of clear ~pecial and unique qualities of the village. Il boundaries and distinguished architecture, it is 2. In search of the identity of Kirby Hill

much easier to do through the strong sense of perceptions, organised around themes that ·would community and social cohesion evident in much focus on, for example: what was special and of the resident population. Most experience important about the village and what its distinc­ village life positively and although, with some tive identity was; where there were neighbour­ notable exceptions, this is not generally manifest hoods in the village and what were its significant in tangible physical "village-ness", Kirby Hill is places; and, where the village started and finished nonetheless much loved and treasured by its (Figure 9.1). inhabitants. This form of village identity resides The overarching purpose of revealing Kirby in the individual and collective lives and habits Hill's experiential landscape was essentially of its people. It is a hidden dimension of village twofold. First was lo explore patterns of routine order that cannot necessarily be visualised in experience implicit in the way village inhabitants physical form, but is nevertheless valuable and used and felt about the outdoor environment and, highly sensitive to change. Another challenge is crucially, reveal their spatial configuration and then to find ways to articulate this in a form that characteristics. The second was to give voice to '---' might help development contr9l mechanisms aspects of village life that contributed to the avoid damaging the community and possibly, apparently strong sense of community and social more positively, take decisions that might actu­ cohesion, and to do this in such a way as to be ally nurture and enhance it. able to identify components of the village's physi­ cal and spatial fabric that sustained it. Achieving this would require extensive public consultation The role of experiential landscape to build up layers of individual place perception into a collective view. Practicality inevitably The mapping techniques developed in experien­ played a role in the number and demographic of tial landscape seemed ideally suited to help make villagers that eventually participated in the explicit some of the less tangible, but crucially process and clearly the conclusions drawn from important, aspects of routine village life that the analysis must be approached with due caution seemed to be contributing so much to the sense of as a consequence. For example, fow chHdren and Kirby Hill's hidden identity and uniqueness. In no teenagers were involved and so the place particular, by being able to give a spatial expres- perceptions that made up the collective view "--- sion to the villagers' subliminal experiences of the produced reflect that of mainly the_ adult popula­ streets and other outdoor places of Kirby Hill, we tion. Possibly equally significant is that, for expected to be able to shed some light on the reasons of convenience and time, invitations for confusion apparent in establishing where people participants were made via existing community felt the village boundaries actually were and, in groups and structures, such as at Parish Council relation to this, what triggered the sense of arrival meetings, church and school events and by vvord at and departure from Kirby Hill. We were also of mouth from the members of the Village Design interested to see if we could uncover something Statement Steering Group. In the end 40 people about the spatial structure of perceived different participated, about 10% of the resident popula­ neighbourhoods within the village and whether tion, nearly all of them, though, either involved in there might be any consensus about significant or or at least accessible through one of a number of meaningful places. In this latter respect it was community related groups. In other words the alreadv clear that some locations of historical analysis may well bias in favour of the active and -=-~gnificance may justifiably be highlighted. But it interested and may be insufficiently representa­ ~oo ?- bable that other outdoor locations tive of inhabitants not involved with or reachable he ""-:r.::il !. important in the lives of inhabi­ through these groups. This potential skew of _ _,_ _..,_·· ":,q. p]'lf,rr>;nence and visibility participants was identified at an early stage and attempts were made for an inclusive approach

. ·-- - --·~ :. ::11.- ~ '-_,,_;,-;I')_ +n t d 0 mo<.rrauhic and loca- 3 VIEW TOWARDS - THE HAMBLETON H ANO THE WHITE

\ -� .::: THE POND MANOR DRIVE ' ALL SAi %" LEEMING LANE------\ CHURCH

THE GRANGE \'

:;, GLEBE CLOSE

.,,,.,...... BLUE BELL INN--._ •:.::." , _ \ �--- CHURCH LANE ---- Kirby Hill

\\

\'- \'• ---

. \

CHURCH BANKS FIELD .r' \ST JOHN'S WALK ,, WILLOW GART/

\

N ....- A

EAST VIEW .,,.. .. � \ pEople, place, sPace elp:rdu PROJECT:Kirby HiB v.._ Design Slalemeol Experiential Landscape Place DRAWINGTIT1.E: Village Settlement • Base Plan nd Development Unit 0A TE:28/1/2005 Research a RESEARCI-ER: Dr. Kevin Thwaites BA. Dip LA(Dist).Ph D DRAWN:IMS imkins BSc, Dip LA, PCHE, Ml Hort. MU c SCALE:1:2500 Ian S e SCALE:Public/Social

9.1 Kirby Hill 4 In search of the identity of Kirby Hill

consideration of socio-economic variables and ary. Also it is from here that visual contact is made length of residence, for example. But, inevitably, with the location occupied by the Blue Bell Inn as a consequence of the voluntary nature of partic­ which feels like the point of arrival, the potential ipation, only those ivho positively consented core of the village, although at present this sensa­ became involved, despite others being sought. tion is very weak. Just before this to the south Although the circumstances of the project meant another cluster contributes a further set of transi­ that this was more or less unavoidable, it is a tional and directional experiences that intensifies potentially significant limitation and indeed the the sense of either arrival (from the south) or findings do imply the possibility of an over-privi­ begins the sensation of departure (from the north). leging of certain places in the village that may Further clusters appear evident along Church reflect particular interest groups. Lane and the first of these suggests the possibility of a secondary and more semi-public village core. The research team phase The final cluster seems problematic in that, The project was carried out in two phases, the first although it provides potential as an element of of which involved the production of an experien- discovery in the village, it seems too detached \...... ,- tial landscape map of the villag~ recording the from the rest of the sequence and feels like an place perceptions of the research team. This isolated part of the village. In terms of the overall involved a tour of the village during which a themes the project focused on, this initial phase J oice-recorded commentary was made. This was did not reveal any significant or special qualities sub_sequently transcribed and evaluated to iden­ of the village taken as a whole from the research tify the distribution of CDTA around the village team's reading of its spatial structure. Kirby Hill's according to the observations made by the team. identity seemed to rest on little more than its exis­ The resulting map helped provisionally identify tence as a collection of generally unrelated and the range and distribution of distinguishable areas largely suburban style residential developments in the village: those places that had some kind of contributing little in terms of visual coordination. localised thematic continuity that stood out A number of potentially significant places were against the general village background. This clearly apparent although most spoke of unful­ would provide the opportunity to explore the filled potential, and linkage between them seemed concept of neighbourhood within Lhe village in to be weak, diminishing their impact on the char­ relation to the team's observations about the acter of the overall village. It also seemed clear spatial sensation of area. Findings from the that the sense of where Kirby Hill's boundaries are research team map were also used to inform the is complex and, to the south in particular, related v:ay in which the semi-structured interview in part to the incremental nature of the sense of themes v,rould be defined and configured. A very arrival. This evaluation of the research team's provisional picture of some of the experiential view formed the foundation upon which the next characteristics of Kirby Hill, according to the phase of the project was built. research team's reading of its spatial structure, gradually began to come into view (Plate 10). The resident participant phase This emergent picture of the experiential The next stage of the project involved interview­ characteristics of Kirby Hill revealed a linear ing residents so that similar experiential sequence of six Dobson Clusters. The first of these landscape maps could be made for each of them. shows a mainly directional and transitional The interviews followed after participants sequence that seems to mark the southern bound­ completed informed consent forms and were ary of the village signalling the beginning of a carried out in two teams of two: one of whom general sense of entry into the village without yet would lead the dialogue in a conversational style arrinng at its core. South of this location feels leaving the other to make written and graphical ~de of the \illage. The second cluster shows notes that would help with subsequent interpreta­ ngly centred and marks the tion. The procedure adopted first involved the - .:: - : ::ca.=::i. r.-.itl:.i:.1 me ,; a 0 e bound- development of semi-structured interviev1r themes 5 so that the dialogue with participants would cover will draw out the main implications for the village all the relevant topics and to ensure as much in terms of the original brief. consistency as possible across the three teams. A timetable for the interviews was established and Area participants attended at the allocated time to one The picture of the village presented by the area of three venues. Each interview lasted about map resembles in some ways an abstract cubist tvventy minutes to half cin hour depending partly painting ·with its many facets representing clear on the personality of the participant and partly on blocks that are distinguishable from one another. the amount of information imparted in response Some areas are well defined, particularly those to to each of the interview themes. As well as the the west and north of the village and also the tape recording equipment, other tools used in the rough "L" shape that corresponds with St John's interviews were maps of the village at various Walk, suggesting a strong level of consensus that scales and model houses. Starting the session by much of the village appears as a mosaic of discrete locating their house provided a useful way to blocks set side-by-side, each with characteristics orientate participants in relation to the village that set it apart from its neighbouring block and plan. from the wider village as a whole. It is interesting, The initial impression from evaluating the and potentially significant however, that there artial transcriptions of the interviews and appears to be less clarity evident in the bound­ playing them all back, was that the responses \.Vere aries of areas identified within the main body of unusually rich and detailed, sometimes quite the village, broadly extending from the Blue Bell emotionally charged, and full of personal anec­ down and to the south side of Church Lane as far dote. It was clear that this material brought a as the church grounds. This indicates a lower colourful and sometimes highly personal dimen­ level of consensus among participants about the sion, reminiscent of a more anthropological configuration of distinguishable places in this survey, which required careful consideration region of the village, suggesting perhaps that there during the interpretation. It seemed as though may be fuzzier boundaries between places here in much of the identity and character of Kirby Hill comparison to elsewhere in the village (Plate 11). was implicit in the psyche of its residents and, although this had clear spatial implications that Centre the interview structure was able to reveal, this \Vas Two main conclusions were drawn from reading 'lften so elusive and refined that it challenged the the distribution of recorded centres. First is that '-experiential landscape conceptual framework to there are places beyond the main body of the make it sufficiently explicit. Combining the village that are important to resolving a picture of graphical symbols on lhe experiential landscape what is significant about the village as a 1rvhole. It maps with text from the interviews made much of is as though some of the routine experiences of its this refined and personal detail more clearly inhabitants project meaning and association on visible. When all the maps were layered together these places to such an extent that a kind of to form a composite this helped to interpret more psychological gravity holds them as components clearly the significance of certain clusters of in a full definition of what the village means. symbols. Some places became more pronounced Examples of this include, at the extreme, the in the collective perception of villagers because of Hambleton Hills visible in the distance to the the accumulating effect of individual associations north, and closer in, but actually physically in the and meanings projected onto that place. What neighbouring village of Milby, the Coronation fo llows is an account of the principal findings Hall. It is also notable that there are places beyond from the resident participation phase summaris­ the main body of the village that are embraced as ing findings from the composite experiential part of Kirby Hill's capacity to deliver restorative landscape map. This gives a picture of the experi­ experiences. The plan shows these as arms ential characteristics of Kirby Hill as a whole and extending out from the village indicating that identifies key locations in the village. Finally we these are primarily related to short walks that b In search of the identity of Kirby Hill

people might take locally. The second is the strong east of the village to the directional experiences of emergence of the vicinity of Church Lane and to a village life. The experience of view again reveals lesser extent, St John's Walk, as the psychological that places and objects well beyond the village area core of the village. This is particularly powerful play a crucial role in the experiential character of because it holds associations of different kinds, Kirby Hill. This is especially notable to the north represented by the three types of centre, and at and north-east indicating again how important are different levels of scale that are nested together. At the distant views across open fields towards the the first level, because of the continuity and Hambleton Hills. That these distant vi<~ws are linkage evident in the distribution of symbols, this possible is partly due to the topography which has region can be regarded as a whole: a kind of super­ Kirby Hill situated slightly proud of its surround­ centre, although there are ·weaknesses in ings suggesting that this modestly elevated continuity between the war memorial and church position could be an important component to entrance. Within this there are component parts village identity, as well as its historical relevance that have a more localised significance, but still at as a settlement. The sensory map also appears to a relatively large scale, such as the Blue Bell, the reveal a focus in the region of Church Lane. Partly v space at the mouth of the driveway to the old this is from ·where many of the notable view sensa­ Vicarage, the school, the church and the triangle. tions are located but also where most of the view Centres are evident at yet smaller scales within focal points within the village are as well, with a these, demonstrating that the larger centres are in particularly interesting clustering around where fact nested and made up of smaller component the war memorial is located. This suggests that parts, each of which hold their ovm significance there is a predominance of visually notable in various 'l.vays (Plate 12). features in the vicinity of Church Lane as compared to the rest of the village. Another very Direction interesting observation is the intensity of sensory Findings from the spatial sensation of direction experience that seems to focus from a relatively tend to add further weight to conclusions high­ short stretch of Church Lane, beginning more or lighted above. Both categories (movement and less at the mouth of Glebe Close and intensifying at view) reveal the significance of experiences that Keepers Cottage. This appears to be a feature that are well beyond the built structure of the village, may be associated with the gradient of the road, and sensory tends to support that Church Lane has the way it changes direction and the sudden break a special significance in the experiential potential in the built form which dramatises the distant of the village. In terms of kinetic, Kirby Hill "iew (Plate 13). appears to be experienced largely in terms of two adjoining triangles. The smaller one corresponds Transition with the "triangle" walk around the Church. The The configuration of transitional experiences larger is formed by connecting Leeming Lane, highlights that these spatial sensations seem quite Church Lane and Dishforth Road. To some extent characteristic of Kirby Hill, suggesting a village this is fairly predictable in that these are the main character that is quite linear in nature composed traffic-carrying roads into and around Kirby Hill, of a sequence of corridor-like spaces, often with but their routine use links together Kirby Hill ,,vith quite well defined "gateways" between them. All the neighbouring settlements of Milby and the transitional experiences recorded are associ­ Langthorpc in the experience of movement associ­ ated with Leeming Lane and Church Lane only. To ated with village life. Also revealed is the the north, the roundabout to the east side of the significance of a roughly defined diagonal route Al appears strongly as a transitional experience that joins a point on Church Lane close to the and, although there are other points along the road · u..-cl: grounds with Leeming Lane south of the approaching the village, the next strongest sensa­ ·....,.=~=·:l= ... .=t John's Walk. That this appears quite tion is ,vhere the built form begins. Following that, the location defined by the mouth of Church Lane and the Blue Bell is a very significant thresh- 1 old experience. Leeming Lane to the north of the postcard view of a pretty North Yorkshire village. \·illage can be defined more or less in terms of It could justifiably be considered unremarkable, three segments. One between the mouth of Church however in revealing Kirby Hill's experiential Lane and the end of the village's built structure; landscape nothing could be further from the truth. the second and longest up to the Al; the last Kirby Hill has, hidden within it, a character and beyond the Al to the west. Leeming Lane to the identHy of tremendous complexity. This resides south is more complex although again three main in the relationship between its inhabitants' segments can be identified, broadly defined by the routine experience of village life and the ordinary location of strong thresholds. The configuration of places that sustain these experiences. Kirby Hill's threshold experiences to the south side of the experiential landscape is multi-layered and rich village contributes further evidence for the incre­ in character beyond what its visual appearance mental nature of the sense of village boundary might suggest. Furthermore, it appears to emanate here. The structure of this sequence, and its from a clearly identifiable village core into the impact on the incremental nature of the approach surrounding area like a magnetic field reaching into Kirby Hill, appears to be the result of a combi­ out to embrace distant locations, including them nation of subtle changes in road gradient, also in its sense of identity. Kirby Hill's core lies ~ direction, spatial containment, and the gradual broadly along Church Lane and within this ,isual resolution of the Blue Bell ~s a focus. The "magnetic field" has two poles: the Blue Bell main body of Church Lane appears broadly forming the western pole and All Saints' Church defined as two segments identified by strong the eastern. There is much that could be done to threshold experiences, first at the mouth of the realise the full potential of this part of the village Lane, second at the location of the war memorial as its defining core, but nevertheless, as it is, it is and finally at a point between Church Close and quite clear that currently it is Kirby Hill's richest the entrance to the primary school. The second of source of experiential potential. Emanating from these thresholds appears particularly strong and this core are waves of village essence. The further appears to be so because of a range of physical away you go the weaker is the sense of Kirby Hill triggers, including: changes in the direction and as a discrete independent place. It is as though, gradient of the road; two l~rge trees that arch the beyond certain points, Kirby Hill's essence, or road at this point; the presence of the war memo­ sense of place, gradually begins to blend ,,vith the rial; and an expansion of space here immediately surroundings. The closer in, the more intensely is before a pinch point between buildings on either the sense of Kirby Hill felt. From an experiential "-..-,-side of the road. Especially along Leeming Lane, perspective Kirby Hill cannot be thought of as the sequencing and character of these corridors having boundaries, like a castle, inside of which it and the threshold experiences that link them is and outside of which it is not. Instead, its sense influences the way the village boundaries are of place seems to stretch out, embracing the understood, and the experience of arrival and surrounding fields, elements of the neighbouring departure. It also demonstrates, particularly when settlements, and even the distant Hambleton Hills considered in the light of other findings, that the (Plate 15). mouth of Church Lane is of pivotal significance to The sense of Kirby Hill projects for some the spatial structure of the village for many participants out as far as the A 1 to the west, over reasons. Not least of which is that it defines the the fields and as far as Hambleton Hills to the western pole of what appears to be the main expe­ north, and beyond Dishforth Road to embrace riential core of the village (Plate 14). places along the tracks that run to the east. The southernmost point at which a sense of the village remains detectable is at the bridge over the river at The experiential landscape of Kirby Hill Boroughbridge. These locations, even though quite distant from the main body of Kirby Hill, With some notable exceptions in certain places, feature as experiences that some inhabitants inter­ Kirby Hill does not represent a typical picture- viewed associate ·with aspects. of their village life i In search of the identity of Kirby Hill

and in this sense mark the experiential boundaries consensus, that the developments of Hill View of Kirby Hill, at some points overlapping with and East View, clearly physically attached to neighbouring places. For example, the bridge over Kirby Hill's main body of built form, do not in fact the river at Boroughbridge was revealed as a small form a part of Kirby Hill. Some even go so far as to part of the identity of Kirby Hill, because it repre­ jettison nearly everything to the west side of sents for at least one participant the point at Leeming Lane, apart from the Blue Bell, from their ·which Kirby Hill finally finishes and becomes perception of what constitutes Kirby Hill. To some somewhere else. But, physically it much more extent this is encouraged by the counterintuitive obviously makes a contribution to the sense of position of the political boundary between place that is Boroughbridge. A more significant Langthorpe and Kirby Hill and the location of example is Coronation Hall, technically in Milby. village name signs. But, along with other evidence Although this is relatively distant from the main from the evaluation, this seems indicative of a body of Kirby Hill, its influence on the village's feeling that the "real" Kirby Hill actually lies to sense of place appears disproportionately large. the east of Leeming Lane. Examination of the This seems to be because of the significance that it historical record tends to lend weight to this point holds as a symbol of Kirby Hill's community cohe­ of view. As well as the influence of the settlement sion, along ·with the church and the school. It boundaries, this may also have something to do seems apparent from the interviews that, for many ·with the bisecting effect of Leeming Lane and a participants, these are not regarded as three sepa­ certain ambiguity in the character of the location rate places but are viewed much more as three formed by the Blue Bell and the mouth of Church parts of the same whole, with their physical sepa­ Lane. This place emerges as a pivotal location in ration being almost incidental in this respect. the village, particularly from the south and is The increasing strength of Kirby Hill's iden­ strongly perceived as the location signalling tity can be experienced particularly by travelling arrival at the village. But once there, partly north along Leeming Lane. There is a case to be because of the influence of the road, there is little made for Kirby Hill beginning at the Leeming that sustains the sense of arriving at somewhere. Lane, Skelton Road junction, developing in Instead it appears to be a location that marks the strength at the southern boundary of East View outpost of somewhere more interesting and invit­ and continuing to intensify at Broadacres, eventu­ ing, and that somewhere happens to be to the east. ally culminating in a sense of arrival at the mouth The essence of Kirby Hill seems to intensify of Church Lane. Travelling north, most people still further at a closer level of scale. This includes experience an abrupt change at this point from The Blue Bell and the neighbouring Grange Farm arrival to the beginning of a sense of departure. as a western outpost. The northern boundary The village sense of place is generally stronger appears marked by the buildings and other physi­ beginning at East View which locates its southern cal features that enclose Church Lane at the north boundary, includes all the built development to side, and to the east the triangle of Church Closes. the west side of Leeming Lane, and up to the pond The southern boundary is effectively given by the just past The Grange to define the northern bound­ Church Banks field boundaries and includes the ary, The eastern boundary is the Dishforth Road. area kno,,.,n as Willow Garth. It is interesting to This probably corresponds with what most people note that the majority of the village defined in this would intuitively think of as constituting the way is constituted from green open space on the village of Kirby Hill since it includes all its built south and east sides of a relatively small residen­ elements and its landscape setting of immediately tial settlement currently configured in such a way adjacent fields. It is clear from the analysis as to almost entire!y turn its back on this open however, that this does not constitute the space (Plate 16). strongest sense of village identity in its entirety The experiential landscape of Kirby Hill and here are some examples why. To start with, shows clearly though that this is not the whole there is a significant perception among the inhab­ picture. There is another level of detail revealing itants interviewed, although by no means a that the routine experiences of its inhabitants,

161 q their feelings about places in the village and the tially important and complex location. Partly this meanings and associations they hold, collectively appears to do with the social opportunities gener­ define a distinct village core. This is where the ated by the presence of the school and the church, experiential character of Kirby Hill's village life and the wide range of associations that the church comes to focus and is where the strongest essence holds for people in the village. It seems also related of what Kirby Hill is appears to reside. Its most to the strong sense of transition which marks the ·westerly point is at the mouth of Church Lane and boundary of the main residential body •Of the includes the Blue Bell Inn, its surrounding village. It is here also that strong and dramatic grounds, and the neighbouring Grange Farm views are available across the landscape to the buildings. This works as a beacon signalling north and east, and where the church as a visual where the village core appears to be on its and symbolic landmark becomes clearly apparent. approach. It is far less successful though in deliv­ In fact the strong sense of location that appears to ering a sense of arriving at somewhere distinctive be apparent here probably has a lot to do ·with a and significant once there. This seems related to a sensation of discovery, both of view and of church, range of factors including weak spatial definition afforded by the particular way the road bends and on the Church Lane side, the bisecting impact of by the abrupt break in the building massing. This Leeming Lane and the surfacing treatment of the aspect of the village core includes the triangle '--' Blue Bell car park which continues the tarma­ routeway around the Church Closes which appears cadam of the main road compromising the pub's as one of the most treasured aspects of the village sense of definition as a separate place. Further in terms of leisure activity and relaxation. It also down Church Lane a distinctive corridor-like appears at the junction with the Dishforth Road to quality begins to develop, given partly by the rows be a crucial part of the sense of arrival at the village of pollarded trees, and culminates with an from the east and for many represents the first implicit sense of arrival at an expansion in the signal that home is close at hand. It also includes open space afforded by the road swinging a little the relationship that is clearly apparent between to the north. This is quite a complex place, partly the church, school and Coronation Hall. Although because the spatial containment makes it one of all obviously have independent functions, it is the few open spaces in the village that does not clear from some of the resident interviews that, at have a distinct linear emphasis and partly because a very fundamental level, they are thought of as of features that give a very strong sense of transi­ more or less interchangeable ·with respect to the tion out from it. That two of the buildings front social and community identity of the village. They directly onto this space seems to lend a sense of a are clearly more than mere buildings within which traditional village green that has. in other places social activities, functions and meetings are held, along Church Lane, been lost as a consequence of but seem to represent three parts of the same insensitive private development. The fact that whole that collectively symbolises Kirby Hill as a Church Lane changes both direction and gradient close knit and active community. The church and at this point, coupled with the presence, either school are spatially proximate and this is one thing side of the road, of hvo large trees creating an that contributes to the experiential strength of that archway gives a very strong sense of a gateway out , part of the village, but Coronation Hall is in fact in from this space and into the next. Unfortunately, Milby, virtually a mile away and yet it is very clear there seems to be a break in continuity of experi­ that this location is just as much a part of the iden­ ential intensity at this point and this does not pick tity of Kirby Hill as the other two (Plate 17). up again until the entrance to the school. This has the effect of breaking the sense of a village core into h-vo distinct parts. The identity of Kirby Hill The next component of the village core begins broadly at the school entrance and includes the Next we tun1 to consider how revealing the expe­ grass area in front of the church Lych Gate and the riential landscape of Kirby Hill has helped inform church grounds together. Again this is an experien- the aspects of the Village Design Statement by 10 drawing out some issues in relation to the require­ pendence from surrounding settlements. This ments of the original brief. seems in part to be associated ¼ith reports of a rarefied quality to the air in Kirby Hill lb.at is What is special and important about somehow different and superior to that of Kirby Hill? Boroughbridge. This perception is attributed lo Because of the over-riding impression presented the relatively elevated locatjon of Kirby Hill and by the village's physical-structure as a collection introduces a topographical dimension to the sense of independently designed residential develop­ of physical independence that for some seems ments, largely devoid of any reference to village significant. The openness and vievvs to Hambleton vernacular, it is not immediately apparent what Hills and "The White Horse" are very important special and important qualities Kirby Hill has. and in part explain the attraction to walk the The region around the church as well as a scatter­ "triangle" a particular way round. ing of other older buildings and elements of open space are without doubt special, but their pres­ Where is the neighbourhood? ence in the village as a ,,vhole seems overwhelmed The team's initial survey anticipated a multiplic­ by the impact of the newer development. Visually ity of neighbourhoods largely because of the it has overall coordination only in the sense that it prevalence of block-like, inward looking residen­ collective of built form distingui$hable against tial developments. Whilst this was confirmed by a wider rural setting. Interviews carried out with the interviews to some extent the experiential village residents reveal this to be a misleading reality is predictably more subtle. By far the most impression. There is an emphatic sense from prominent impression to emerge from the inter­ virtually all participants interviewed of a village views is that, as with the wider village, people defined as primarily a social entity and that the seem to think of the concept of neighbourhood in sense of, and desire to sustain and further a social and community sense, rather than in develop, social cohesion in Kirby Hill overrides terms of physical or visual coherence. There are the physical structure of the village as its most exceptions, but many seem to feel that the entire important characteristic. It is nevertheless clearly village constitutes their neighbourhood and the evident that there is a spatial and physical expres­ reasons for this seem predominantly to do with sion to this sense of social and community feelings of safety, fellowsMp and shared commu­ identity. This seems best understood in terms of a nity interests, rather than a consequence of spatial ,f!radation of intensity emanating from and with its or physical factors. Again though the experiential --~·ongest expression at ·what we have defined as landscape analysis reveals that this conception of the village core. Strong and valued though this is neighbourhood does have a spatial expression, we detect an undercurrent of regret or frustration although this manifests as a very elastic structure that the green spaces here do not entirely deliver depending on what individuals wish to include as what people would wish. This seems partly to do part of their realm. As detailed earlier, for some with their erosion in recent decades as a conse­ this can be quite expansive, extending way quence of development pressure, lack of places beyond where the village boundaries might intu­ within it for respite and relaxation, and some itively be considered to exist, while others have a conflict of interests over its use. There are oppor­ more compressed perception of neighbourhood. tunities present to improve on this situation through judicious integration of parts of the large What is the distinct identity of the village? square of land to the west of the junction of There is a strong sense of village identity in a Church Lane and St John's Walk. It seems however social and community sense and this over-rides its that this may have been missed as infill residen- physical structure .. At one level this appears to tial development continues to remove this from ' have the effect of weaving together the Church, the public realm. Other special and important ~ School and Coronation Hall into a unified social aspects are that Kirby Hill is surrounded by open institution and, because the latter is not actually fields and thereby retains a sense of physical inde- in Kirby Hill at all, seems to generate fo r some, the JI feeling that Milby features in some sense as part of vievved seem to regard the A 1 to mark the western the identity of Kirby Hill. In a strictly social sense boundary, although Back Lane to the eastern this also appears to extend to Langthorpe as well. boundary of Cover Beggar Field seems to mark a This appears to be because of the galvanising significant edge for some. It seems clear that all effect that the making of the Coronation Hall has built form to the east of Leeming Lane is certainly had on residents in the three communities. It Kirby Hill, but there is substantial ambiguity seems very clear that the Hall is much more than about the extent to which the buildings to the a convenient shared facility, a receptacle for meet­ west of Leeming Lane are included within percep­ ings and social events. It also seems to have an tions of Kirby Hill's boundaries. This seems to be important symbolic meaning representing the due in part by the impact of Leeming Lane as a collective effort put in by those that participated boundary, and also to the presence of road signs in bringing it about. This seems to have had a indicating where Kirby Hill and Langthorpe are. curious effect. On the one hand it seems very clear These road signs seem to be providing informa­ that there is a desire for the built mass of Kirby tion about the village boundaries that runs Hill to remain physically separate, but that in a counter intuitive to many people's perceptions social and community sense, Milby and and this generates a significant lack of clarity r angthorpe are embraced into the definition of about what is in and out along this western edge. irby Hill as a village community. This feeling of Northern boundaries appear to be marked by the social cohesion appears to be strengthened by roundabout at the road junction at the Al and the bonds of association relating to the school catch­ T junction on the Dishforth Road to the north-east ment area and the fact that people from all three of the village. The significance of the roundabout places worship at the same Church. This appears as a village edge seems to have been heightened to suggest t\vo things that may be significant: first by it being the location of a recent village protest is that the sense of community is slightly at odds against the proposed motorway service station, with the village's physical configuration; second and to this extent, rather like Coronation Hall, is that Coronation Hall appears as an example of provides another example of a physical structure how community cohesion can be strengthened by that has acquired a symbolic significance as a new development projects ;:is long as they are seen consequence of cohesive community action. The to be in the collective good, are generated by local village's eastern boundary seems clearly to be the initiative, and are amenable to local participation Dishforth Road. The southern boundary is much .. ..,_decision-making processes. more difficult to define, but seems to extend down ..__/ as far as Milby, and for some includes Milby, to Where does the village start and finish? the eastern side of Leeming Lane. To the west side Possibly because of factors to do with the relation­ of Leeming Lane, the gap in continuity of build­ ship between the village's sense of identity as a ings at the southern edge of East View represents community and its physical and spatial structure, an obvious boundary, although some seem to defining _where it begins and ends seems excep­ regard Hill View and East View to fall outside the tionally complex. T·wo principle themes emerge village boundary. This sensation seems strength­ though which help to illuminate the situation. ened by the effect of the poultry farm as First are issues relating to the village boundaries, presenting an undesirable feature that many and second are issues relating to the sense of would prefer to be associated i\.ith somewhere arrival and departure from the village. Both have that is not Kirby Hill. There is some evidence that, an incremental nature in that there appears not to for some, Kirby Hill actually really finishes at the be specific locations that mark where the village roundabout by the canal before turning into begins and ends, or where one feels a conclusive Boroughbridge. sense of arrival and departure. Arrival and departure: there is a build up to Village boundaries: broadly these appear to the sense of arrival and departure, rather than a extend beyond the line of the built settlement to single "gateway" type experience at each point of include the surrounding fields. Most people inter- entry. The clearest to define is at the eastern point 12 of entry. Most people identify the cross roads on feeling that the integrity of the village green has the Dishforth Road as the point at which they feel been eroded over the years as a consequence of a sense of arrival at the village, and this seems development pressure and there are signs of this driven by the sensation of change in direction continuing. In many ways this idea of a village towards the village and sight of the church as a green has the potential to act as a unifying green landmark. From the north-west, the A1 round­ spine for the village core, linking together about seems to provide the first gateway point into features and places along it that have emerged the wider village environment. The location at the from the analysis as significant. These include lay-by and pond provides a second significant the vvar memorial and its setting, the post box, point of arrival and then at the point where the and larger open space features like the triangle road enters between The Grange and Manor Drive. around Church Closes. This h~s emerged as a The mouth of Church Lane seems to be the point highly significant and complex social and at which most feel they have arrived at the village restorative experience shared by many residents core, possibly heightened by the presence of the and is an extremely important component of the Blue Bell. From the south there seems to be a more physical and social identity of Kirby Hill. complex incremental sense of arrival and depar­ The church building and its landscape ture that has much to do with a sequential setting, perhaps unsurprisingly, has emerged from '----combination of corridors, gateways and focal the analysis to be at the heart of the village, from points acting together. Significant elements which, as one participant put it, "all else radi­ include the strong "corridor" effect at intervals ates". The significance of the church does not along Leeming Lane, given by property and road appear to lie only in its spiritual significance, boundary treatments; "horizon effects'" due to the although this is clearly important, but more in topography of the road including subtle change in what it represents as a symbol of Kirby Hill's direction; the visual impact of a brick building community and social identity. This seems opposite the entrance to St John's Walk. and the strengthened by its historic, landscape and archi­ visual dra·w of the Blue Bell gable end ,vhich tectural value as a village focal point and seems to signal the point of arrival. landmark. It is equally apparent that the church is regarded as one, although possibly the most Significant places significant, component in a wider social and Three themes appear to characterise the attach­ community entity that includes the school and 'Uent of significance to places in the village. Coronation Hall as an integrated whole. Many '--i'hese are: because they have historical connota­ seem to regard these buildings and what they tions and provide links to the past; because they provide and represent socially, as a collective are socially meaningful; and because they are entity beyond what might be expected by their reminiscent of past enjoyments no longer avail­ spatial separation. Importantly, there remains the able. Most of these are concentrated within the essence of a vievv that the Blue Bell should also be location we have defined as the village core and included as part of this "community whole", but seem to contribute in various ways to an implicit that recent developments have diminished its sense of a village green. The strongest perception value and appeal as a local village pub. There is a of a village green is the collective of linear grass general sense of loss apparent in this respect. This verges, trees and open spaces either side of sensation can also be detected in respect of the Church Lane and seems to extend from the mouth Willow Garth and its nearby hedgerows, and the of Church Lane including the Blue Bell as its pond to the north-west of Kirby Hill. These are western boundary, down to the war memorial. associated with pleasures past, relating to wildlife There is however, a sense in which for some the observation, relaxation and contact with nature totality of the village green extends beyond this to that are no longer available probably largely include the verges along the approach road from owing to changes in agricultural practice. They the A1, and further to the east to include the grass remain though an important part of the way area in front of the church. There is a strong people see the totality of village life. 13 Conclusions they make a positive contribution to community life. \'Vhat this actually means in practical terms is The analysis carried out at Kirby Hill has helped hard to define, but it reflects a growing concern in reveal and illuminate in some detail dimensions the village that something of its identity as a to village life, crucially relevant to the sense of community may be gradually eroded by an village identity, that transcend its superficial increase in the number of inhabitants that reside vi sual appearance. These dimensions emanate there but do not otherwise engage vvith village life. from the ·way in which inhabitants experience The really interesting question here then is if village life, often subconsciously, through the social sustainability is as central to the identity of places they come into contact with routinely and Kirby Hill as it appears to be then in what ways the meanings and associations they hold both at might any future development pressure on the the scale of the whole village and in relation to village either help of hinder if! The experiential places within and around it that have particular landscape analysis offers food for thought in this significance. Revealing Kirby Hill's experiential respect as follows. landscape has given this a spatial expression The most obvious thing not to do is alluw any through revealing patterns of open space experi­ further residential development of the sort that ence. These help to explain the complex and has brought Kirby Hill to its present state. stic nature of the village boundarws, ·where the Specifically this means the sort of small self­ essence of Kirby Hill is felt most intensely, and contained housing developments th,at ignore that the village core is a composite of several village vernacular or are arranged to look inwards distinguishable components working together to on themselves and turn their backs to the ,,-vider form its heart. It shows how the habits and village. This should apply to development emotions of individuals become embedded into proposals both at the extremities of the village and the village landscape and hm,v these aggregate into within its existing main body of built form. The a picture of Kirby Hill's collective social identity reasons for this are primarily to avoid a spread of and how this is expressed through its buildings anonymous suburban style mediocrity that and open spaces. It provides a benchmark from contributes nothing to the visual identity or which to examine Kirby Hill's strengths and weak­ appeal of the village. It is also to reflect that inter­ nesses in terms of how its sp.atial organisation nally orientated cul-de-sac type spatial layout is might sustain the future evolution of its commu­ extremely unlikely to be conducive to the sort of nity. In this respect a number of themes can be social interactions necessary to meet the village's ,--cntified. aspirations. What is required instead is develop­ Underpinning all of them is the universal ment that encourages greater permeability in the consensus that the social cohesion and commu­ village because the more people can walk about, nity identity of Kirby Hill must be sustained. It is the more they will meet each other and the more widely appreciated that for this to happen it is they will gradually develop a sense of attachment necessary to realise that the community of Kirby to locations in the village they come across. This Hill is a living and dynamic entity and that its is graphically illustrated by the collective experi­ continuation relies on periodic revitalisation that ential landscape map which records such an has two principal and related implications. The intensity of experience focused on Church Lane fi rst of these is a collective desire to find ways to and, albeit to a lesser extent, St John's ·walk. It is encourage greater participation in village life. no coincidence at all that these two streets are This seems particularly important for people who literally the only ones in the whole of Kirby Hill do not currently share in the elements of social where you can go in at one end and come out at and community life focused on the church, school another. Every other street in the village is a cul­ and Coronation Hall. The second lies in the gener­ de-sac of one kind or another and the only reason ally inclusive attitude to welcome and embrace to use these streets is if you live there or if you are ne-wcomers, particularly young families, to diver­ visiting. This might offer certain attractions but at sify and sustain life in the village but providing the same time this sort of spatial organisation ster- 14- ilises diversity of social activity and interaction to might be because many of the green spaces in the such an extent that the build up of experiential village had become so compressed and disjointed intensity so evident along Church Lane, and so as a result of development pressure that a clear central to its role as the core of the village, will sense of the village green had diminished in the never be generated. collective psyche. During the analysis however, it It is very clear, for many reasons and in many began to clarify that Lhe largely linear green open ways, that the inhabitants of Kirby Hill see them­ space either side of Church Lane was most often selves as distinct from Boroughbridge in identified as village green-like, particularly the particular. Even though there are peculiarities wider open space ,,-vhere the war memorial stands. with respect to their perceived relations to Milby There ,,vas also an expression about the desirabil­ and Langthorpe, Boroughbridge is different: it ity of the grass area in front of the church as a even has different air! It is a matter important to potential village green and the experiential land­ village identity that a respectable gap be main­ scape map clearly sho\lVS this area in particular to tained to preserve Kirby Hill's sense of physical be pivotal in the village. It is a pity in some ways independence from Boroughbridge. There are also that there is an unfortunate break in the sense of implications for perceptions of Kirby HilJ's continuity between these two locations as lioundaries and the sense of arrival and departure together they are obviously important elements in o and from the village. The analysiis reveals that the core of the village. Nevertheless it raises the Kirby Hill's inhabitants hold a diversity of views interesting prospect that, rather than having one about where the boundaries are and as a result we single central green open space as might be typical concluded, from an experiential perspective, that of many traditional villages, Kirby Hill might where the village starts and finishes is fairly fluid. strike out for independence and be distinguish­ Perhaps more importantly though is the existence able by having a sequence of small linked green of quite a strong feeling that approaching and spaces each associated v,rith, and giving specific leaving the village 1s incremental. This identity to, a particular part of the village. It is in contributes to a sequential experience which fact possible to see in the current village layout begins at or culminates at the Blue Bell, depend­ that potential for this might once have existed as ing which way one is going. It seems possible that there are open spaces that could have contributed the sensation of arrival at Kirby HiJl could be had they been available. All of these are however, further improved by appropriate enhancement of already in private 01-vnership, or are in the process the spatial sensations that contribute to this rather of being built on. In addition to being related to han through attention to boundaries. The loca­ issues of village identity, the lack of socially rele­ tion at the Blue Bell is extremely important vant open space, particularly in relation to because it also signals the beginning of what vve provision for children and to reduce conflicts in have identified as the village core, and this dual use of current open spaces, appeared as a recur­ role could be strengthened considerably to the rent theme from the analysis. This is a very benefit of village identity. problematic matter for the village because the During the course of the project there began to combination of past and continuing development emerge a strong feeling that Kirby Hill did not pressure ,,vithin the village is reducing ever faster really have a core or centre, at least not in the ·way the potential to respond effectively. It is clear this is normally understood in relation to North though that there are valued and used open Yorkshire villages. Nevertheless, many residents spaces, particularly within the fields immediately mentioned a village green, although where this to the south-east of the village that already feature actually was varied just about as much in local strongly in the village identity. perception as did the village boundaries. It appeared important though that the village should have a clear and distinguishable village green but that somehow the possible candidates were insuf­ ficient in this respect. The analysis suggested this 15