Conservation Area Appraisal Conservation Area Appraisal Ecchinswell …making a differenceEcchinswell Conservation Area Appraisal Introduction The Ecchinswell Conservation Area was designated in 1990 by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in recognition of the special architectural and historic interest of the village. Having designated the Conservation Area, the Local Authority has a statutory duty to ensure that those elements that form its particular character or appearance should be preserved or enhanced, especially when considering planning applications. It is therefore necessary to define and analyse those qualities or elements that The School House, High Street contribute to, or detract from, the special interest of the area and to assess how they combine to justify its designation as a Conservation Area. Such factors can include: • its historic development; • the contribution of individual or groups of buildings to the streetscene and the spaces that sur round them; and • the relationship of the built environment with the landscape. The less tangible senses and experiences, such as noise or smells, can play a key part in forming the distinctive character of an area. Malthouse Farmhouse, High Street The Appraisal takes the form of written text and an Appraisal plan. In both respects every effort has been made to include or analyse those elements key to the special character of the area. Where buildings, structures or features have not been specifically highlighted it does not necessarily follow that they are of no visual or historic value to the Conservation Area. The document is intended to be an overall framework and guide, within which decisions can be made on a site- specific basis. This Appraisal of the Ecchinswell Conservation Area follows its review in 2003 by the Borough Council and explains what its designation means for those who live and work in the area. Woodley Cottage This document was adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on 20 February 2003 and complements the policies of the Borough Local Plan (review). It has been subject to consultation with Councillors, the Parish Council and local amenity groups. A full list of consultees, copies of their responses, and details of the Council’s consideration of the issues raised during the consultation period are available for inspection, by appointment, at the Civic Offices, during normal office hours. 2 Ecchinswell Conservation Area Appraisal Location and Population The village of Ecchinswell is located two miles (3km) north-west of the town of Kingsclere, and lies in the shallow valley of a small stream within the North Hampshire Downland. The surrounding countryside is strongly undulating with fields intimately enclosed within valleys, but with higher ground providing extensive views across the surrounding downland. The population of the Ecchinswell Conservation Area in 1998 was approximately 132 (projection based on the Hampshire County Council Planning Department Small Area Population Forecasts 1995). St Lawrence’s Church Historic Development Settlement Origins The name Ecchinswell may have originated from the Old Saxon word ‘eikena’, meaning oak (thus describing the well by the oaks). The village of Ecchinswell, along with Sydmonton, formed part of the Parish of Kingsclere until 1852. The Manor of Ecchinswell, sometimes called the Manor of Nuthanger, was included in the original endowment of the See of Winchester. It remained part of the Bishopric until 1648, when, as a result of the Root and Branch Act, it was sold to Nicholas Love and George Wither. In 1660, it returned to the Bishop Ancillary buildings to Ecchinswell House and continued to be held until the mid 18th century when the Herbert family acquired the Lordship. Henry John George Herbert, Lord Porchester, was the son and heir of Henry George, second Earl of Carnarvon. Settlement Development The village of Ecchinswell has evolved as a linear settlement with irregular and loosely formed clusters of buildings. There is perhaps one planned area, consisting of a regular row of houses. Between the main north/south road and the river, is an irregularly shaped area which originally contained a church along with other buildings. North of this, on the west side of the stream, are three plots which appear to have encroached View south, Ecchinswell Road onto a former open area. On the east side of the river are a group of buildings that have a common rear boundary, and at the north of this area is the mill. Backing onto part of this area are a number of long narrow strips of land, which may be the remnants of the open field strip system. To the north of the main concentration of settlement is an area with an internal curving boundary, suggesting that the road system may once have been different to the present day narrow roads. On the northern boundary of the village is a small cluster of cottages around a small green and pond, suggesting a later phase of settlement within the village. Riverside Cottages Ecchinswell 3 Conservation Area Appraisal The village has developed around two foci with the Church of St Lawrence located between the two. The southern focus is the more historical centre of the settlement, formerly containing the original church within the village. The northern focus has developed around Ecchinswell House and Malthouse Farm, spreading to the north to centre on a pond. The prevailing former employment within the village was agricultural, with two farms situated within the boundaries of the Conservation Area, and a further three farms located to the east of the village. The mill also provided local employment along with the tannery. A number of watercress beds existed in the south of the village. The cress was cut, bundled and packed into wicker crates to be sent to Old Burghclere Station for delivery to markets. View south along High Street to Riverside Cottages An Appraisal of the Conservation Area An Overview The Appraisal plan identifies those buildings, views, and key features considered essential to the special character or appearance of the Conservation Area. In addition to listed buildings it also includes unlisted buildings of particular individual or group value, which are indicated on the plan as notable. This is not to undermine the value of other unmarked buildings or structures that reflect the historic development of the village in a way that does not detract from its special Bramley Cottage, High Street qualities. Individual hedgerows have not been included on the Appraisal plan. However, their contribution to the character of the Conservation Area cannot be underestimated, and their significance is implicit in the Appraisal. The special appearance of the Conservation Area is derived from the combination of small informally grouped pockets of settlement punctuated by open areas, which afford long range views of the surrounding countryside. This contrast in appearance is reinforced by the well established hedgerows and mature trees which draw the otherwise well spaced buildings together to create an intimate and cohesive streetscene. In addition, although of varied dates, the buildings Church Villa have a strong visual relationship to each other derived from the vernacular form, scale and materials particular to this part of Hampshire, especially timber-frame, thatch, and mellow red brick (often mixed with blue headers). The essential character of the village is of a rural settlement, a significant feature of which is the inter-relationship of the plan form with the surrounding countryside, and the informal quality of the uncurbed lanes. 4 Ecchinswell Conservation Area Appraisal Built Form Within the Conservation Area there are twenty six buildings included within the list of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The buildings are all listed as being of special regional or local interest (Grade II). The listed buildings represent a variety of building types, mainly dating between the 17th and 19th centuries, and are dispersed throughout the village. The majority however are situated within the southern focus of settlement, on the eastern side of the main north/south road. Often located at key visual points within the streetscene, they make a significant contribution to the special qualities of the Conservation Area. Some of these older buildings have been altered over successive periods to accommodate changes in their use or Long vista to the church tower, High Street contemporary architectural fashions, as for example Hillside Cottage which dates from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. However, a significant number of listed buildings have retained more completely their vernacular form and materials. Woodleys Cottage is a 17th and 18th century house of timber-framed construction with hipped thatched roof slopes. It is of one storey and attic with lower outshots at each end. The use of mellow red brick (usually interspersed with blue headers) is also a strong architectural characteristic. Notable buildings include Villa Cottage, Mill House and The Old Tannery. There are a number of unlisted buildings in the village that contribute positively to the special character of the Conservation Area. These buildings, dating mainly from the 19th and early 20th centuries, are scattered amongst the listed buildings Oak Cottage representing an expansion of the village. They are predominantly constructed of vernacular materials and strongly reinforce the street pattern of the new village. Significant Individual and Groups of Buildings The Church of St Lawrence is situated in a semi-isolated position in a rural setting between the two foci of development. Constructed on raised ground above the road on the eastern side of the High Street, it is a significant landmark building and a focus for views along the High Street from the cluster of buildings to the south-west. The building is screened by trees, and the sharp bend in the High Street, in views from the north-east. However, the immediacy of the building and churchyard as it is revealed around the bend adds a notable element of variety to this part of the Conservation Area.