KCS Developments Ltd

Historic Settlement Study

KCS Developments Ltd

Historic Settlement Study Wetherby

m b Heritage & Planning Ltd

E: [email protected]

m b Heritage & Planning Ltd : Registered in 06873383 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY WETHERBY JULY 2017

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 This Study report, prepared on behalf of KCS Developments Ltd, sets out a desk-based summary of the historic development of Wetherby in the Outer North East area of Leeds and identifies key built heritage assets, designated and non-designated which may influence or constrain future potential housing development.

1.2 Baseline data on historic development and the identification of designated heritage assets has been informed by reference to the following sources:

§ The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) § The National Record for the Historic Environment/National Monuments Record (NRHE/NMR) § The Heritage Gateway online resource § The West Historic Landscape Characterisation Project - Archaeology Advisory Service (January 2017) § Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans § Historic Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping record

1.3 The summary provided below is essential a ‘snap-shot’ overview of historic settlement morphology and principal built heritage assets that may be affected by future development proposals. It identifies areas within and adjoining the two settlements where potentially significant effects upon the historic environment are anticipated, for example where development would impact upon significant elements of the setting of a heritage asset. It is intended as an initial baseline to inform more detailed site-specific studies for the settlement. The archaeological potential of land falling within the setting of the study areas is not considered within this report.

1.4 The Study report is intended to inform future representations by KCS Developments Ltd in regard to the Leeds City Council Site Allocations Plan Revised Publication Draft Outer North East (May 2017).

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HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY WETHERBY JULY 2017

2.0 SETTLEMENT STUDIES

WETHERBY Historical Development 2.1 Whilst some limited evidence of activity within the area has been found dating to the prehistoric era there is little evidence to suggest occupation prior to the Romano-British period. Archaeological evidence does indicate a sizable Roman settlement at Wetherby (Archaeological Services WYAS, 2002) located near to Wattle Syke to the south of the town. A number of burial finds, pottery and coins were identified dating between the 1st and 4th centuries during construction works suggesting a small Roman town (NRHE 54862, NRHE 53036).

2.2 The settlement is referenced in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as Wedrebi and was part of the extensive post-Conquest estate of the Percy family. A short lived castle was constructed by the Percys in around 1140 and was located to the west of the current Market Place near to the river crossing (NRHE 54835). Wetherby gained importance during the 13th and 14th century following the granting of land and buildings to the Knights Templar in the early 13th century and the grant of right to hold a weekly market. By the end of the 13th century the settlement contained a mill, a bridge, chapel and the castle with around 97 tax paying inhabitants listed by 1379 (Archaeological Services WYAS, 2002). Settlement focus during this period was around the Market Place.

2.3 The Wetherby estate was forfeited by the Percy family in 1572 and was held by the Crown before passing to the Earls and Dukes of Devonshire in 1602. The Great North Road encouraged travellers through the settlement and a number of coaching inns had been established by the mid-16th century know acknowledged in the names of the Swan and the Black Bull public houses. Growth was further stimulated by improvements to the western branch of the Great North Road through Wetherby during the second half of the 18th century.

2.4 In 1824 the 6th Duke of Devonshire put up the Wetherby estate for sale and the town along with much of its surrounding land was divided into lots for auction. An 1824 map of the

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HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY WETHERBY JULY 2017

Town shows the historic core of Wetherby formed by the High Street running north from the bridge crossing and continuing as North Street. Nucleated development can be seen around Market Place and Chapel Hill and linear built form, including a number of terraced houses, continues along Victoria Street to the east. More dispersed patterns of development, likely farmsteads, continued to the west along the route of the current A661, Westgate.

2.5 The nucleated form of settlement, focused around Market Place and High Street remains evident on 19th century mapping with a notable elliptical pattern of development along Chapel Hill and Bank Street continuing eastwards towards Horse Fair. Croft and/or burgage plots are indicated on the 1849-50 and 1894 published OS maps to both sides of High Street with Scott Lane likely an earlier back lane to the plots. These tend to confirm the location of the medieval core and suggest a planned settlement, likely established by the Knights Templar in the early 13th century.

2.6 Wetherby underwent steady growth during the 19th century with population rising from 1114 inhabitants in 1801 to 1657 in 1871. A number of town houses, later converted to shops, were built in the core of the settlement and St. James’s Church was built to north side of the town in 1839-42. A number of terraces were also constructed to the east and north and mapping indicates a series of villas constructed overlooking the River to the west. Wetherby rail station was opened in 1848 and likely encouraged further growth during the latter half of the 19th century.

2.7 The 1894 OS map shows the nucleated form of the settlement along with the evolving linear expansion of development along the main arterial routes out from the core. A number of villa developments are indicated in the vicinity of the station around Raby Park and the Union Workhouse (1863), now converted to apartments, is a notable outlier on West End. Industrial activity is also indicated with Wetherby Mills located to the south of the town and a brewery to the north. The map also indicates the construction of a gas works to the east. Further linear development is shown extending northwards along North Street. The map is also notable in indicating very limited development to the south side of the River the exception being Micklethwaite Farm and West Lodge.

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HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY WETHERBY JULY 2017

2.8 A significant increase in construction took place during the inter-war period to all sides of the Town with the exception of land to the south of the River. This phase saw linear development to the west along Spofforth Hill and the construction, to the north, of residential estates around Woodland View, Crescent and Deighton Gates. During WW2 a naval camp was established to the east of the settlement (HMS Ceres) with part of the camp off Lane later redeveloped for housing and as the site of . The area of the main headquarters to the north-east was later adapted to a borstal then prison in around 1958 and is now a HM Young Offenders Institute.

2.9 Residential suburban development continued throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Large scale development took place around Deighton Gates and Priest Hill and to west estates at Grasmere Avenue and Fledborough Road were built during the 1960s and 1970s largely in the form of detached and semi-detached houses. This also extended ribbon development along Linton Lane linking with the settlement of Linton. Development to the east included Hall Orchards Avenue and Templar Gardens. To the south social housing development around Third Avenue was constructed during the 1960s. In the 1990s the Glebe Field Drive estates was built to the north of the historic Town core. Further development included the construction of the Sandbeck Industrial Estate and Wetherby Business Park to the north east.

2.10 The later 20th century development was constructed in a notable circular pattern to the west, north and east of the settlement, to some degree emphasised by the physical boundary of the A1(M) corridor, divorcing the historic core from its historical agricultural hinterland. Development to the south of the River Wharf has been highly limited with development principally comprising a housing development around Micklethwaite Grove and the laying out of sports fields on .

Principal Heritage Assets 2.11 The majority of designated heritage assets records on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) are located within the historic core of the Town around Market Place and High Street and comprise listed buildings related to the 18th and 19th century growth of settlement. These include a number of town houses now adapted to shop and commercial uses and notable landmark buildings such as the Church of St. James (list entry number 1313467,

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Grade II), (list entry number 1135070) and (list entry number 1313468, Grade II). The Bridge is also a scheduled monument (list entry number 1005798) as is the site of Wetherby Castle (list entry number 1433268) extending to the banks of the .

2.12 The NHLE includes a number of records at the edge of the current settlement boundaries. These include the remains of West Lodge (list entry number 1313466, Grade II) to the south on Boston Road and Wetherby Lodge (list entry number 1315563, Grade II) to the west on Spofforth Hill/ Road. A number of important estate houses, with associated parkland are also identified. Stockeld Park House (list entry number 1149986, Grade I), located to the west, was constructed 1758-63 by James Paine for William Middleton and Wetherby Lodge, of similar dating, marks the eastern entrance to the estate although falls outside of the formal landscaped grounds. To the north-east is Ingmanthorpe Hall (list entry 1150324, Grade II) which dates to the early 19th century. The historic parkland associated with the Hall extended to include the site of the current Young Offenders Institute although evidence of the park is now largely absent. The Wetherby Grange estate was also located to the south of the River Wharf with its extent now indicated by the surviving West Lodge and South Lodge further to the south and also Grade II listed (list entry number 1313461).

2.13 Wetherby Conservation Area was originally designated in 1971 with subsequent reviews and modifications undertaken in 1981 and 2010. The current boundary extends to take in the historic medieval core of the settlement around Market Place and High Street along with later 19th housing development around Raby Park and along Walton Street. It extends south of the River to the Wetherby Road roundabout and takes in the northern section of Wetherby Ings, excluding the areas of sports pitches to the south.

2.14 The Council’s Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan was published in 2010. It notes that the Town plan form is typical of a market town of early foundation with a large triangular market place which has been gradually infilled over time. The River was a focus of activity with the line of Scott Lane/Scott Mews extending to the river edge and the weir, associated with the former water mill a key element in the character of the town. The appraisal identifies a number of key landmarks within the conservation area and these include the former West Lodge to Wetherby Grange that also provides a gateway into the

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area from the south. It also identifies a number of key view into and from the conservation area:

§ Progressive views towards Wetherby Bridge § Long distance views to the south across low lying open land south of the River from Raby Park and West Gate and also from the north bank of the River § Linear views along the River corridor

2.15 Given the extent of later 20th century development to the west, north and east of the settlement no significant views are identified from these aspects. To the south-west Linton Conservation Area was designated in 1981 and has a boundary which connects with its historical agricultural hinterland to the north-east. An important gateway is identified on Linton Road although the planned landscape of Wetherby Golf Club restricts inter-visibility with the land south of Wetherby. The Conservation Area, designated by Harrogate Borough Council in 1979 is located to the north. The boundary of the conservation area extends to the south of the settlement to the boundary with Wetherby Road in relatively close proximity to the north urban edge of Wetherby. The Councils Conservation Area Appraisal, published in 2008 identifies a number of significant field boundaries to the south of Kirk Deighton and important views southwards over agricultural land from Lime Kiln Lane.

Potential Development 2.16 Whilst much of the historic medieval core of Wetherby is now contained by later 20th century suburban development the land to the south beyond the River Wharfe retains an important historical openness that, whilst diluted to some degree by development around Boston Road, is highly significant. The open space provided by Wetherby Ings and King George’s Field and the longer distances views over lower land to the south of the River are important to the setting of the conservation area and to the scheduled monuments of the Castle and Bridge. As such the land to the south of the settlement can be considered highly sensitive to development change.

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2.17 To the north of the Town the land around Wetherby Road provides an important visual and physical separation from Kirk Deighton. The open agricultural land holds significance in evidencing the historical agricultural hinterland associated with Kirk Deighton and is a significant element to the setting of the conservation area. Whilst some limited development may be viable the settlement edge to Wetherby is reasonably defined and well established in this location and any new built form will likely give rise to harm to the significance of the conservation area.

2.18 To the west and south-west lesser sensitivity is indicated around the A661 and Road although some regard should be had to the parkland setting of Stockeld Park. Field boundaries are however largely the result of later field enlargement during the 19th and 20th century and largely comprises arable land with little inherent heritage value. Similarly land to the east of the A1(M) corridor is divorced from the historic core and can be considered to hold lesser sensitivity to development change. Whilst historically part of parkland associated with country estates such as Wetherby Grange and Ingmanthorpe Hall evidence of the extent of these estates is now fragmentary.

2.19 Areas of potential development sensitivity are highlighted on the plan included at Appendix 1. This provides a high level overview based upon identified designated heritage assets including conservation areas and their settings.

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HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY WETHERBY JULY 2017

APPENDIX 1 DEVELOPMENT SENSITIVITY

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Wetherby CLIENT: KCS Developments Ltd SITE: Wetherby Development Sensitvity PROJECT: Historic Setlement Study OS Mapping (c) Crown Copyright and Landmark Informaton Group 2016