KEMSING Conservation Area Appraisal
SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE
December 2003
Kemsing Conservation Area Appraisal
The historic environment is a social asset of immense value and one of the keys to the continuing prosperity of Sevenoaks District. Conservation Area Appraisals are part of the process of ensuring that we make the best use of our historic environment. They are tools for the positive management of change, not a means of preventing development. Conservation is focused on the entire historic environment, not just listed buildings. Trees, open spaces, buildings, uses, roads and streets all contribute to the character and local distinctiveness of the District’s conservation areas.
The man-made environment of our conservation areas has used energy and materials moulded by people both past and present. The District Council will creatively manage the fabric of these areas in a sustainable way as a legacy for future generations.
It is intended that this appraisal will inform the activities of the Council, the public and other bodies where these impact on the conservation area. The appraisal was approved by the District Council in December 2003 and adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance.
Sevenoaks District Council is not liable for any loss or damage, however sustained, by others arising from reliance on the contents of this document.This document must not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission from the Council.
© Sevenoaks District Council, December 2003
Published by Sevenoaks District Council Strategic Services Department Policy & Regeneration Section Council Offices Argyle Road Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1HG
Tel: 01732 227000 Fax: 01732 451332 Website: www.sevenoaks.gov.uk Email: [email protected]
KEMSING CONSERVATION AREA
Contents Page
1.0 General Introduction
1.1 Definition and Purpose of Conservation Areas 1 1.2 Purpose of Appraisals 2 1.3 Local Conservation Area Policies 3 1.4 Local Plan Policies 4
2.0 Description of Conservation Area
2.1 General Description 5 2.2 Location and Geographical Location 6 2.3 Historical Development 7 2.4 Architectural Description 9
3.0 Character Appraisal
3.1 Setting of the Area and Spatial Relationships 14 3.2 The impact of Individual Elements/Features/Groups of Buildings 18
4.0 Future Trends
4.1 Current and Future Pressures on the Area 25 4.2 Potential for Enhancement 25 4.3 Considerations for Future Policy Recommendations 26
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Maps
Map 1 Geographical Location Map 2 Kemsing in 1869 Map 3 Extent of Conservation Area Map 4 Character appraisal Map 5 Recommendations Future Policy Change
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1.00 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definition and Purpose of Conservation Areas
Conservation Areas first came into being as a result of the Civic Amenities Act of 1967 and are intended to identify any valuable visual or historic characteristics in a locality that may warrant special measures in order to protect and preserve them.
The Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act of 1990 recognises that there are particular areas of ‘architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ and charges planning authorities with a duty to designate any such locations within their jurisdiction as Conservation Areas. This designation then empowers the local authority to pay particular attention to planning considerations and development within them and gives greater control over such matters as demolitions, landscaping and trees, and the display of advertisements.
Designation also raises the awareness of local residents and businesses to the quality of their surroundings and is intended to encourage an active interest in the care and maintenance of their properties and surrounding land, thereby fostering a sense of communal pride.
It has been recognised that designation, because of the responsibilities and obligations it places on both owners and the local authority, should only be imposed on areas that are demonstrably suitable. Where the criteria have been met, the area should then benefit from the additional control and protection that designation confers, and from official recognition of the special architectural and historic character of the locality.
The management of our national cultural and historic inheritance is of paramount importance and Conservation Areas are a vital ‘grass roots’ starting point from which to safeguard the continuing care of our environment.
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1.2 Purpose of Appraisals
As their number grows, it has become even more important for local authorities to include a well defined and considered policy for their designated Conservation Areas in their Local Plans.
Planning pressures are such that any designation is likely to be subjected to detailed scrutiny and must be readily and demonstrably defensible against adverse criticism. The criteria for designation should be kept as uniform as possible and the public should be kept fully aware of the reasons for any proposed changes in their area.
The 1990 Act charges local authorities with the responsibility of undertaking a review of their Conservation Areas from time to time, both to consider the possibility of revising their extent, and to identify any past changes or future pressures which may affect the original reasons for their designation.
English Heritage published an advisory leaflet on the subject in March 1997, which outlines the preferred approach to these appraisals and gives examples of the type of content that it would be useful to include.
The appraisals should define the key elements that together give the area its character, and objectively analyse how they interact to enhance their individual impact.
They can then provide suggestions for future policies and improvements based on a clear understanding of the special architectural and historic qualities that highlight the area and give it its local distinctiveness.
These appraisals can also be used as a valuable means by which the impact of planning policies and the implementation of enhancement measures can be assessed.
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1.3 Local Conservation Area Policies
The Sevenoaks District Local Plan (adopted March 2000) lists the following policies which relate to conservation areas:
EN21 In the designation and review of Conservation Areas the Local Planning Authority will assess all the following matters:
1) The special architectural or historic interest of the area.
2) The cohesive character and integrity of the area including spaces round buildings their settings and trees.
3) The desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area.
4) The pressures for change which may encourage piecemeal development which would threaten the character of the area.
5) The need to promote economic prosperity, through schemes of environmental enhancement, to overcome vacancy, neglect, decay or dereliction.
EN22 Proposals to demolish buildings which contribute to the character or appearance of a Conservation Area will not be permitted in the absence of overriding justification. Preference will be given to conversion and/or refurbishment as opposed to outright demolition of a building. Proposals to demolish extensions to original buildings or outbuildings will be judged on their contribution to the overall character of the area.
EN23 Proposals for development or redevelopment within or affecting Conservation Areas should be of positive architectural benefit by paying special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area and of its setting. The design of new buildings and alterations to existing buildings should respect local character, whilst the treatment of external spaces including hard and soft landscaping, boundary walls, street furniture and signs should be compatible with and enhance the appearance of the area.
Buildings which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area are identified on the character appraisal plan at the end of this document . English Heritage national guidance on conservation areas sets out the criteria used to identify these buildings.
The Sevenoaks District Local Plan also states that the Local Planning Authority will undertake detailed assessments of designated Conservation Areas and will prepare proposals for their preservation. Development proposals will be judged against their overall contribution to the enhancement of the character and appearance of the area as set out in any scheme which may have been prepared. This assessment and the detailed analysis of the area contained in the report are intended to fulfil this commitment and provide the background for enhancement schemes.
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1.4 Other Local Plan Policies
The Local Plan also identifies specific policies designed to protect the natural environment and historic buildings.
Policy EN6 places restrictions on development within the Kent Downs and High Weald Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and EN7 gives priority to the enhancement of natural beauty, landscape, open space, geographical features and wildlife over other planning considerations within the North Downs and Greensand Ridge Special Landscape Areas. Other Areas of Local Landscape Importance where development may be restricted are noted in policy EN8.
Landscape features and wildlife habitats beyond the confines of the urban areas, towns and villages are also protected by policy EN11.
Important areas of greenspace within the built confines are safeguarded under policy EN9 and EN10 protects important areas of urban fringe.
Listed building policy is defined in sections EN18 and EN19 and the reuse rather than the demolition of unlisted buildings of local interest is promoted by policy EN20.
Trees over a certain size are automatically protected within Conservation Areas, with any proposed work to them having to be notified to the local authority in writing six weeks in advance.
Transport strategy for the District is summarised by the following section.
T1. A co-ordinated transport strategy will be implemented including:
1) Encouragement of the provision of appropriate public transport services and facilities.
2) Use of traffic management to achieve a safer and more efficient use of existing roads.
3) An integrated car parking strategy involving residents’ parking, local enforcement and consideration of the need for park and ride facilities.
4) New highway construction and improvements to the existing network.
5) Encouragement of walking and cycling.
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2.0 DESCRIPTION OF CONSERVATION AREA
2.1 General Description
Kemsing Conservation Area covers some 24 hectares and contains 21 listed buildings and walls. It was designated in 1972 and was extended in 1990. It includes the Church of St Mary and its churchyard, the triangular green in the centre of the village with the War Memorial and St Edith’s Well, the two public houses and the converted buildings of Dynes Farm in the south. The eastern extremity stretches to include Wybourns, an early 20th Century replacement for an older house lost in a fire, and in the north to the former vicarage which has been converted to a youth hostel with new housing in the grounds.
The countryside around is part of the Metropolitan Green Belt and this extends into the boundaries of the Conservation Area to the south and east. The eastern part of the area also lies within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the village is surrounded by a designated Special Landscape Area.
Kemsing is a large village of around 4000 inhabitants. It has extended westwards from the historical heart of the village and there are now large 20th Century housing estates stretching almost to Otford. Development has generally been restricted to the south of the Pilgrims Way because of the steep slopes on the east side of the Darenth Valley that leads up to the North Downs and forms a backdrop to the village.
Kemsing has good local services, including village shops, primary school, pubs, church, library and garage.
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2.2 Location and Geographical Context
Kemsing lies on the east/west route between Wrotham and Otford and is linked to Seal and the A25 by Childsbridge Lane that runs south from the west side of the village. To the east is the small hamlet of Heaverham.
The M26 runs to the south of the village and the nearest junction is at Chevening, although the Wrotham intersection with the M20 is within easy distance giving good access to a network of major routes into London. There is a station south of the M26 a little way outside the village near Noah’s Ark.
Kemsing is more fortunate than the neighbouring villages of Seal and Otford because it does not have a major transport artery running through the historic core. Although within easy reach of Sevenoaks the village is set within agricultural land and is isolated from the traffic pressures nearby. The M26 can nevertheless be heard in the southern parts of the village.
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Map 1 Geographical Location
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2.3 Historical Development
The first record of the village of Kemsing dates back to AD 822 and it is probable that the settlement grew close to the line of springs that emerge where the chalk of the Downs meets clay.
A Church was built in Saxon times and St. Edith was born at a local Convent in 961. She was the daughter of King Edgar and after his death her brother Edward was murdered and she was offered the throne in preference to her half brother Ethelred. Edith had taken holy orders and refused the crown. She died at the age of 23 but was renowned for her life of devotion and was canonised in 987. Her shrine in the Churchyard attracted pilgrims travelling the nearby Pilgrims’ Way. The wooden Saxon Church was replaced with a stone and rubble building about AD 1060, and a Castle was built some time in the 12th Century. This Castle was apparently a noted stronghold during the reign of Henry II, but was demolished in the early 14th Century.
Kemsing on the 1869 OS Map
The Earl of Pembroke was granted the Manor of Kemsing by King John, who later reclaimed it, but the Earl regained it from Henry II. Pembroke married the King’s sister Eleanor, who established a market in the village.
The Manor passed through many owners after Eleanor’s death, including the Boleyn family, and the Sackvilles who owned the land until the 19th Century. By the end of the 17th Century Kemsing was a largely agricultural community divided into a number of farms.
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Figure 1 The Well in 1886
It was not until the beginning of the 18th Century that Kemsing, and the neighbouring hamlet of Heaverham, developed into seperate communities; the villages of Kemsing and Seal were a combined parish up to 1874. It was at this time that the Church was refurbished, after suffering years of neglect.
Figure 2 Old Wybournes sketched by R. Caldecott
During the 19th Century the population of the village changed, as the people had to travel around the countryside to find work. At the same time several larger houses were built in the vicinity, including the new Vicarage now called “Cleves” and used as a youth hostel.
Kemsing grew rapidly after the Second World War and is now a popular and thriving community.
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2.4 Architectural Description
The Kemsing Conservation Area contains examples of most of the vernacular features that are typically found in traditional Kentish buildings.
Figure 3 The village centre from the west
Roofs are generally covered with clay tiles hung on pegs or nibs with some slate roofs, most notably Cleves now a youth hostel, but the Vicarage from 1875 to 1924.
Figure 4 Cleves - the former vicarage
The use of full or half hips to one side of the roof with a gable end on the other is common.
Figure 5 The Old Forge built in 1930
Chimney stacks are often tall and decorative and many gables have deep decoratively carved bargeboards. Dormer windows are often inserted into the roof slopes, giving light to attic spaces which can then be utilised as additional accommodation.
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Figure 6 Dormer Cottage and 10 St. Ediths Road
The pitches of tiled roofs tend to be steep, and contrasting heights of ridge lines and details such as gablets or the cupola seen on The St. Edith Hall lend variety and interest to the street scene.
Figure 7 The St. Edith Hall
‘Cat slide’ roofs, which sweep down from the ridge to ground floor ceiling level have long been a popular way of covering a single storey extension to the side or rear of a building. Oast houses with their tall conical roofs are a typical Kentish building and there is an example off St Edith’s Road that has now been converted to residential use.
Figure 8 Oast House at Dynes Farm
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The Church spire is clad in cedar shingles.
Figure 9 St Mary's Church
Many timber framed buildings survive from the era before brickwork became a popular and affordable alternative construction material, although some now have brick infill panels, replacing the wattle and daub of their original construction.
Figure 10 Rose Cottage and Well Cottage
In some cases the first floor timber frame remains exposed, with rendered panels between the structural members; in others the frame is clad with vertical tile hanging or painted weatherboarding. More recent buildings have carried on this tradition, although in some cases the timber framing is purely decorative.
Figure 11 New housing in the grounds of Cleves
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Yew Tree House, dating from the early 18th Century has in recent years had its timber framing restored and exposed after many years of being clad in weatherboard.
Figure 12 Yew Tree House
Brick is probably the most common building material and the local red stock bricks have been used on many buildings, together with decorative arches above doors and windows. Sometimes the brickwork is rendered and painted or roughcast.
Figure 13 Glen Cottage and Gwen’s Cottage
The use of local ragstone is also popular on buildings of all ages and is often combined with brickwork where it adds another colour and texture to the built environment. Many buildings are founded on a base of stonework, with brick and timber framing above, and the mortar joints sometimes including galleting, another local method of detailing.
Figure 14 Castle Bank
Windows are either timber casements or sliding sashes and there are a few examples of leaded lights. 12 Policy & Regeneration APRIL 2003 STRATEGIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT
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Boundary walls are a prominent feature in the village. Many are built in stone and there is a particularly good listed example in front of The Box House. The churchyard has an undulating brick ‘crinkle crankle’ wall that was built in 1922, and there is a modern copy adjacent to the Oast House in Park Lane.
Figure 15 Wall surrounding The Box House
Some former agricultural buildings have been converted to residential use, including the previously mentioned oast house and attached barn and a large oak framed barn on the Dynes Farm site.
Figure 16 'Crinkle crankle' wall at the oast house Figure 17 Converted barn at Dynes Farm
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3.1 Setting of the Area and Spatial Relationships
Although Kemsing Village has expanded rapidly in the 20th Century, the historic heart of the settlement and that of the Conservation Area has remained. At the junction of St. Edith’s Road, West End and the High Street is St. Edith’s Well, commemorating the Saint who was born in the village.
Figure 18 St Edith's Well at the heart of the village
There are a number of listed buildings sited around this historic village centre, particularly on the rising ground to the north, on the site reputed to be that of the Castle.
Figure 19 Castle Bank from the south east
The Box House and the adjacent West House are substantial properties set amongst mature trees with boundary walls and hedges that define the area around St. Edith’s Well.
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Figure 20 The Box House
The Church, Churchyard and former Vicarage are set in the northern part of the Conservation Area on land that rises towards the North Downs. The area is heavily wooded and the trees form a backdrop to the buildings, old and new, that are sited in this part of the village.
The High Street is dominated by The Saint Edith Hall, The Wheatsheaf and The Bell public houses. The road rises gradually to the east, leading to the less densely developed area that forms the grounds to Wybourne, at the boundary of the Conservation Area and village.
Figure 21 Wybournes
To the south, down St. Edith’s Road, the buildings formerly associated with Dynes Farm, including a barn and oast house, have been converted to residential use. There has been considerable infill development around the original farm, but the farmhouse and associated cottages remain.
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On the east side of St. Edith’s Road and close to the Post Office a row of early 20th Century cottages are a reminder that the village has seen continuing change through the centuries.
Figure 22 Cottages in St Edith's Road
There are a number of interlinking footpaths that lead north from the centre of the village towards the Church and School. These afford glimpses of both the Downs and village from various vantage points.
Figure 23 The Keep adjacent to the car park
Perhaps the best view into the village is from the eastern approach. The road leaves the open countryside and drops into the High Street, passing a number of attractive properties on the south of the Street and the imposing facade of the hall on the north and then opens out at the well and war memorial.
Figure 24 View along the High Street from the east
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The approach from the south, up St. Edith’s Road, gives a good view of the wooded hills behind the village and the cluster of historic buildings around the road junction.
Figure 25 View north from St. Edith's Road
From the west, the centre of the village comes as a pleasant surprise after the bend at the eastern end of West End. There are some interesting properties, such as Ivy Farm House on the south side of West End, that are outside the Conservation Area, but the majority of the development is post-war housing estates.
Figure 26 Ivy Farm House in West End
The area around Little Wybournes and Ark View is a contrast to the more open aspect of the rest of the village. In a narrow footpath leading off the High Street are a number of tightly grouped picturesque cottages before the vista opens out to agricultural land that bounds the south of the village.
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3.2 The Impact of Individual Elements/Features/Groups of Buildings
The main focal point of the village and Conservation Area, is St. Edith’s Well, the War Memorial, and the buildings clustered around this triangular site. Castle Bank, The Keep, Rose Cottage and Well Cottage are buildings dating from the 16th Century or earlier, of typical Kentish design, that form a prominent and attractive group on the north side of the junction. Castle Bank is in a particularly dominant position when viewed from both east and west, and with its neighbour The Keep forms a similar visual stop when viewed from the south. The stone walls and white painted low timber fencing provide the setting for these buildings. It is a pity that the adjacent garage, although largely covered in vegetation, has such a prominent position.
Figure 27 Castle Bank and its garage
The Edwardian house next to Castle Bank and The Keep is well detailed and does not seem out of place against its more historic neighbours.
The Wheatsheaf Public House, despite garish signage, plays an important role in the streetscape of the village. It is set back from the road behind an oval of grass and trees, and has all the attributes of an attractive local hostelry.
Figure 28 The Wheatsheaf
The open space in front visually contrasts with the more closely grouped row of shops and houses opposite, on the south side of the road. These show a variety of stone and detail and date from the 17th and 18th Centuries.
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Figure 29 Former High Street shop now dwelling
Next to the Wheatsheaf stands St. Edith’s Hall, dating from 1911 but extended in later years. It was constructed using local materials and details in a confident individual fashion, and adds considerable character to the conservation area.
The area to the north of the church and churchyard has a large number of mature trees, amongst which some new houses have been built on the lower slopes of the Downs. The churchyard is a pleasant open space and there is a private wooded footpath to the east that leads up to Cleves, amongst whose grounds the new properties are distributed.
Figure 30 Track by the Churchyard
Cleves itself is an impressive building which has been significantly altered and the views from the grounds across the village to the south are important.
Figure 31 The view from the grounds of Cleves 19 Policy & Regeneration APRIL 2003 STRATEGIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT
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The hall, to the west of the Church, is an unattractive timber boarded hut with a shallow pitched felted roof that detracts from the Churchyard.
Figure 32 The hall adjacent to the Church
The public car park, behind the Wheatsheaf, is a rather bleak expanse of tarmac with suburban style lighting, but it has the benefit of being generally screened from the High Street and separated from the Churchyard by a high brick wall.
Figure 33 The car park behind the High Street
The modern houses and flats in Mary Burrows Gardens are bland and featureless, and do not provide any positive contribution to the character of the conservation area.
Figure 34 Mary Burrows Gardens
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The group of buildings at the junction of Church Lane and the High Street include the Vicarage, whose front elevation is marred by a single storey flat roofed extension, and Wybournes Cottages that have been much restored and have had a front porch added.
Figure 35 The Vicarage
Little Wybournes is tucked down a narrow public footpath, and has an interesting weatherboarded and stone barn with an impressive clock and a front entrance portico with a very different character to the main house. The footpath leads to St. Edith’s farm cottage, a new house set on the fringes of the farm land between the village and the M26.
Figure 36 St. Edith's Farm Cottage
The garages adjacent to Ark View detract from the east elevation of Wybournes Cottages, located adjacent.
Figure 37 The garage to Ark View
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There are good views back to the village from the field behind the Old Forge and New Cottages.
Figure 38 The view from the south
Opposite St. Edith’s Hall there are a variety of cottages of differing styles and ages, but similar in design and size, that are as a good illustration of the changes in popular building materials over the years.
Figure 39 Cottages opposite St. Edith's Hall
Clement House in the High Street, built in 1896, was for many years the local Post Office. Wybournes, at the edge of the village, is a large house dating from 1906 that replaced a former property that burnt down. From old photographs and drawings of its predecessor, Wybournes appears to have been built in a similar style which would explain its detailing. The garage in the front drive detracts somewhat from the setting.
Down St. Edith’s Road, on the east side, are a series of early 20th Century terraced cottages that are unremarkable but use good materials and have some details. Unfortunately many of their windows have been replaced with UPVC substitutes which has spoilt their original character.
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Figure 40 Edwardian Villas in St. Edith's Road
On the opposite side of the road are impressive Edwardian villas next to Dormer Cottage and number 10, which could be a mediaeval hall with later side addition.Their neighbours are modern and include some backland development at St. Edith’s Court.
Figure 41 Modern development in St. Edith's Road
At Dynes Farm, there is an interesting contrast between the front elevation that has had two large bay windows and an entrance porch added to a very old core with a jettied roof behind the Victorian frontage, and the mainly stone and weatherboarded rear extension. A number of new properties have been built in the former farmyard.
Figure 42 Dynes Farmhouse Figure 43 The rear of Dynes Farmhouse
St. Edith’s Farmhouse on the east side of the road and just outside the Conservation Area, has suffered from windows of unsympathetic proportions added as part of a rebuild in 1956.
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Figure 44 St Edith's Farmhouse
The lane that leads to the Primary School passes some pleasant 20th Century houses and also serves as access to the new doctor’s surgery that has been converted from the old 1885 school. The majority of this surgery is interestingly and boldly detailed, but the effect is spoilt by the mediocre single storey extention tucked in the north west corner of the adjoining house.
Figure 45 The new surgery extension Figure 46 The north west extension
On the western edge of the Conservation Area in West End, The Old Barn and West House are properties of character and historic interest with attractive stonework to the front entrance walls and outbuildings; they suffer from their close proximity to the garage. The large canopy and prominent signage has an adverse impact on the character of the Conservation Area.
Figure 47 The garage in West End
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4.0 FUTURE TRENDS
4.1 Current and Future Pressures on the Area
Villages like Kemsing risk becoming cut off from larger towns as public transport gives way to the private car. There are frequent pledges to support rural buses, but these routes are rarely economically viable, and residents in such places have to rely on their own transport. In some places this has led to the demise of local shops as people patronise larger establishments outside the area, and in turn, the sense of community can disappear. Kemsing has retained its school, shops, church and public house, but car ownership is virtually a prerequisite for living in such a setting.
Kemsing is a large village and has a number of pre and post war housing estates to the west of the historic centre of the village, stretching toward the boundary with neighbouring Otford. Development to the north of Pilgrims Way has been restricted by the topography and there is still some open agricultural land to the south, between the village and the motorway.
The need to find residential development sites in this popular region within easy reach of London puts any village in the spotlight in the search for suitable building land. Whilst new development within a Conservation Area is not necessarily unwelcome, the impact that this can have on the traditional form of the village needs to be carefully considered before consent is granted.
As farming methods are less labour intensive than in previous times, many agricultural buildings and farm workers cottages have been converted to residential use. On the outskirts of Kemsing there are buildings that have been so converted or may be in the future, and there are many other examples in the vicinity. It is always difficult for the Local Planning Authority to strike a balance between the desire to find an alternative viable use for them, whilst preserving some of the character of their original form and function.
4.2 Potential for Enhancement
Previous sections have noted those buildings which are considered to detract from the Conservation Area, such as the hall by the Church and the garage forecourt. When these come up for repair or rebuilding any alteration or replacement should be considered carefully to ensure that they enhance the character of the area.
Telegraph poles and overhead cables can visually intrude into views across the Conservation Area and adversely affect architectural and historic character. Service providers should be encouraged to run cables underground in the future.
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4.3 Future Policy Recommendations
The buildings in Mary Burrows Gardens as previously noted are not really worthy of inclusion in the conservation area and could perhaps be excluded.
The boundary could be extended to include the listed Ivy Farm House and the adjacent older cottages in West End, but excluding the garage.
Figure 48 Ivy Farm House
St Edith’s Farm Cottage and the field behind could be included in the Conservation Area. The pond, farm cottage and adjacent open land arguably form part of the setting to the area.
North of Wybournes an area of woodland and mature trees form part of the eastern approach to the conservation area. This wooded area and the mature trees edging the Commmon Field are a visually significant part of the setting to the conservation area and could be included.
Buildings that have had replacement windows and other insensitive alterations have already been noted. The insertion of such inappropriate modifications in older unlisted buildings is a frequent occurrence and restriction of this practice by an Article 4 Direction should be considered.
Figure 49 Replacement windows in older cottages
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Acknowledgements:
The draft appraisal was prepared by Donald Insall Associates Ltd.
Bibliography:
Sevenoaks District Local Plan (adopted March 2000) Sevenoaks District Council
Development in the Historic Environment English Heritage 1995
Conservation Area Appraisals English Heritage 1997
Conservation Area Practice Planning Policy Guidance: 15 English Heritage 1995
Planning and the Historic Environment D. o E. & D.N.H 1994
History & Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol iii 1797 Edward Hasted
A guide to the Listed buildings of Kemsing Kemsing Parish Council 1991
An outline history of Kemsing in Kent VE Bowden, Kemsing Historical and Art Society 1991
Kemsing Remembered ed. A M Parkin 1994
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