Outer North East Consortium Historic Settlement Study Leeds Outer North East Outer North East Consortium Historic Settlement Study Leeds Outer North East m b Heritage & Planning Ltd Leeds E: [email protected] m b Heritage & Planning Ltd : Registered in England 06873383 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY LEEDS OUTER NORTH EAST AUGUST 2017 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Study report, prepared on behalf of the Outer North East Consortium, sets out a desk- based summary of the historic development of a number of settlements falling within 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. Six settlements are reviewed and comprise: § Boston Spa § Bramham § Collingham § Bardsey-cum-Rigton § Barwick-in-Elmet § Scholes 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 Yorkshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Project - West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service (January 2017) § Leeds City Council Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans § Historic Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping record 1.3 The summaries provided below are essentially ‘snap-shot’ overviews of historic settlement morphology and principal designated heritage assets that may be affected by future development proposals. It identifies areas to the urban fringes of the study settlements where potentially significant effects upon the historic environment are anticipated, for example where development would impact upon significant or positive elements within the setting of a heritage asset or where development would lead to the coalescence of historic settlements. It is intended as an initial broad baseline to inform more detailed site-specific 1 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY LEEDS OUTER NORTH EAST AUGUST 2017 studies for each settlement. The archaeological potential of land falling within the setting of the study areas is not considered in detail within this report. 1.4 The Study report is intended to inform future representations by the Outer North East Consortium with regard to the Leeds City Council Site Allocations Plan Revised Publication Draft Outer North East (May 2017). 1.5 For the six study settlements a sensitivity map has been produced to indicate areas where development may potentially impact upon the significance of one or more heritage assets, including conservation areas and their setting. Where potential development sites fall within these areas further more detailed study is recommended in order to fully understand the nature and extent of impacts upon the built historic environment. This current study does not consider potential site allocations. 1.6 The Assessment set out below is desk-based and undertaken at a high level predominantly focussing upon potential development constraints arising from designated heritage assets. Given this, the assessment and accompanying maps, should not influence the determination of future planning applications within or adjoining the study settlements where more detailed studies will be required. 2 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY LEEDS OUTER NORTH EAST AUGUST 2017 2.0 SETTLEMENT STUDIES BOSTON SPA Historical Development 2.1 Some evidence of Iron Age and Roman period activity in the area around the existing settlement does exist and Roman Road number 280, now known as Rudgate ran to the east of Boston Spa close to the Roman fort at Newton Kyme. 2.2 Unlike settlement at nearby Clifford and Thorpe Arch, both of which evidence medieval foundation, Boston Spa itself is not of ancient origin and emerged as a spa town during the mid-18th century. Originally known as Boston and falling within Clifford Township the Spa name extension was added during the 19th century. Prior to settlement the land on which the town is now situated formed part of the open field system connected with Clifford. The lanes of Church Street, Clifford Road and Clifford Moor Road mark the edges of the former field system and land between the fields and the River Wharf, known as Oxclose was used as common grazing land. 2.3 The spa was discovered by a farm labourer, John Shires, in 1744. Joseph Taite constructed the first house, the Royal Hotel, for the accommodation of visitors in 1753 and in 1767 a pump was fitted to the spring. Following this people were charged for access to the spa water and the town began to develop as a spa resort. A second hotel, The Terrace, was built in 1788 and during the late 18th and early 19th centuries buildings, both for visitors and residents, were constructed along the High Street. 2.4 Growth continued throughout the 19th century with a mix of villa development and high status terraced rows contrasting with simpler dwellings built for working-class families, many employed as servants to the wealthier families. The latter were constructed in linear strips along lanes leading off the High Street and set away from the grander residences within the village. The 1842 Clifford cum Boston tithe plan and the 1849 OS map (surveyed 1846-47) confirm the predominantly linear form of development along the High Street with development extending along lanes off the main Street, most notably along Church Street (west side) and the northern section of Clifford Street. The majority of development falls to the south of the High Street notable exceptions being the Boston Spa, Spa Lane Baths, St. 3 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY LEEDS OUTER NORTH EAST AUGUST 2017 Kits House and St. Mary’s Church. The land between the High Street and River retains evidence of the historic field enclosure patterns. 2.5 By the mid-19th century the popularity of the spa town began to decline reflected in the bankruptcy of one of the town’s spa companies. Development did however continue during the latter half of the 19th century with suburban growth stimulated in part by the construction of the Thorp Arch Railway Station in 1848 (the rail line was closed in 1964). This development included additional villa and town house development along with civic development including chapels and Sunday schools. The linear form of settlement continues during this period and is shown on the 1894 OS map and remains largely intact through the early part of the 20th century. 2.6 The 1938 OS map highlights the sub-urban expansion of the settlement and the erosion of the linear patterns of historic development and gradual loss of historic field divisions surrounding the 18th and 19th core. By 1938 residential estate development has taken place around Boston Grove to the south-east of the settlement and smaller pockets of development can be seen to the north side of the Main Street around Lynton Avenue and Pine Tree Avenue. To the south continuing linear development along Clifford Road, in the form of detached and semi-detached plots, is evident. 2.7 The construction of the Thorp Arch munitions factory during World War II in around 1940 provided a further stimulus to growth with incoming factory workers, many of whom were housed in Boston Spa. The West End estate to the north of Boston Lodge and High Street West was constructed during this period, originally as an accommodation camp consisting of pre-fabricated housing. The 1958 OS map also shows estate development within the grounds of Chesnut Grove House, this originally being an RAF camp. The later 20th century saw the rapid expansion with substantial housing development to the west of the settlement and south of the High Street around Clifford Moor Road and north of Primrose Lane. Further development to the east has included estate development around Lonsdale Meadows and River View and more recently the Church Fields development to the north of the High Street. 4 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT STUDY LEEDS OUTER NORTH EAST AUGUST 2017 Principal Heritage Assets 2.8 The majority of designated heritage assets recorded on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) relate to buildings and structures comprising the linear development of Boston Spa during the 18th and 19th century along the High Street and extending along Bridge Road towards Thorp Arch to the north. These are all listed buildings, Grade II, and include residential and commercial developments along the High Street and 19th century villa development set back from the road and originally in extended grounds. Religious and civic buildings are also listed and include significant landmark or gateway buildings such as the Church of St. Mary the Virgin (list entry number 1299362, Grade II). A number of buildings to the north of the River Wharfe are also notable given visual prominence and landmark qualities. These include buildings and land associated with Thorpe Arch Mill (list entry numbers 13113486 and 1319990, Grade II) and Thorpe Arch Hall (list entry number 1116216, Grade II*). 2.9 The Boston Spa Conservation Area was designated in 1969 and originally extended to take in land and buildings falling within Thorp Arch. The boundaries were reviewed in 2009 and split into two conservation areas following parish boundary lines. The extent of the Boston Spa area was also amended to exclude areas of post-1969 residential development and extended west to include the West End and eastward along the High Street towards the western edge of Firgreen Beck. Coinciding with the review of the conservation area in 2009 the Council published the Boston Spa Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan. 2.10 The Appraisal notes the linear form of settlement, running either side of the A659/High Street and parallel to the River Wharfe. The central point within the historic core is at the junction of High Street with Bridge Road. It notes strip forms of development off the High Street following historic strip field patterns and tracks/footways.