Erection of Visitor Centre Bugsworth Canal Basin, Derbyshire Scheduled Monument Consent Heritage and Design Statement Andrew Tegg MRTPI IHBC Heritage Advisor British Waterways Waterside House Waterside Drive Wigan WN3 5AZ 1 TYPE OF APPLICATION This statement accompanies the scheduled ancient monument consent application in relation to the erection of a visitor centre building at Bugsworth Canal Basin. It should be read in conjunction with the Planning Application Design and Access Statement (October 2009), prepared by John McCall Architects and attached to this application. LOCATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT Bugsworth Canal Basin, Buxworth, Derbyshire. Scheduled Monument Number: 242 – see Appendix 1 for SAM Citation. DATE OF PREPARATION 19 th October 2009 APPLICANT British Waterways STATEMENT PREPARED BY Andrew Tegg BA(Hons) DipTP DipBldgsCons MRTPI, IHBC Heritage Advisor, British Waterways, Waterside House, Waterside Drive, Wigan, WN3 5AZ. Telephone – 07920 825690, Fax – 01942 405710, e-mail –
[email protected] Much of the information within this statement is taken from previous research undertaken by IWPS over the period of their restoration of the site. Their knowledge and assistance has proven invaluable within the preparation of this document. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE SITE Bugsworth Canal Basin can rightly be considered as one of the most important industrial heritage sites in the United Kingdom, although this significance can also to assessed on an international basis. However when assessing the significance of the site, an important consideration to make initially is to emphasise that the Basin is an entirely man made resource which has been imposed on the River Blackbrook valley landscape. Between 1794 and c.1870, Bugsworth Basin developed from a small canal-head wharf into a full scale transhipment port through the construction of a series of additional channels, wharves and lime kilns, combined with the continuing development of the Peak Forest Tramway to satisfy the increasing industrial demand for limestone, gritstone and lime.