Land off Church Place Lydiard Millicent Swindon Wiltshire Proposed Development Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment AH Project Ref. AH500 AH Report Ref. AH500/1 Prepared Rob Armour Chelu by Date September 2017 Issue no. 02 Checked Sue Farr 04/09/2017 Armour Heritage Limited accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Armour Heritage Limited 2017 Foghamshire Timber Yard Foghamshire Lane Trudoxhill Frome Somerset BA11 5DG T: 01373 836448 E: [email protected] W: www.armourheritage.co.uk Land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire: Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 6 2. PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE 8 3. METHODOLOGY 13 4. RECORDED HERITAGE RESOURCE 19 5. ASSESSMENT OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DESIGNATED HERITAGE ASSETS 26 6. POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED WORKS 31 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEDATIONS 34 8. SOURCES AND REFERENCES 37 Figures and Plates Fig. 1 Site location plan Fig. 2 Designated sites and monuments, 1km study area Fig. 3 Romano-British HER data, 1km study area Fig. 4 Medieval to 19th century HER data, 1km study area Fig. 5 20th century and undated HER data, 1km study area Fig. 6 HER events data, 1km study area Fig. 7 Historic Landscape Character Fig. 8 1773 Andrews and Dury Map of Wiltshire Fig. 9 1839 Lydiard Millicent Parish tithe map Fig. 10 1886 Ordnance Survey 25” map Fig. 11 1900 Ordnance Survey 25” map Fig. 12 1970 1:2,500 Ordnance Survey map Plate 1 View south across the Site from access to north Plate 2 Tree marking location of former field boundary Plate 3 View west toward graveyard wall Plate 4 View toward southwest corner of the Site – low earthwork visible just beyond white pole Plate 5 Small outbuilding with barns beyond Plate 6 View north across the Site toward Church of All Saints Plate 7 Grade II* Listed Church of All Saints, view from east Plate 8 Two Grade II Listed monuments in graveyard of Church of All Saints Plate 9 Church of All Saints with adjacent War Memorial and car parking, from east Plate 10 Cottages on corner of Church Place, Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area Plate 11 Dwellings on The Butts, Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area Plate 12 Twentieth century house on north side of The Street – Conservation Area boundary is on south side, opposite houses Plate 13 Modern development on The Beeches Plate 14 Modern development on The Close Plate 15 Lydiard Millicent Parish Hall 2 Ref. AH500/1 Land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire: Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment Appendices Appendix 1 Gazetteer of heritage assets Appendix 2 Plans and elevations 3 Ref. AH500/1 Land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire: Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment SUMMARY PROJECT NAME: LAND OFF CHURCH PLACE: PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT LOCATION: LYDIARD MILLICENT, SWINDON, WILTSHIRE NGR: 409372, 185896 (CENTRE) TYPE: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT DESK BASED ASSESSMENT Armour Heritage was commissioned in April 2017 by the developer, to complete an historic environment desk based assessment with regard to the proposed development of a plot of land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Swindon, Wiltshire, centred on NGR 409372, 185896. The Site lies to the south of the junction of Church Place and The Street, just southeast of the Grade II* Listed Church of All Saints and west of the Grade II Listed Honeywood House. A number of other Grade II Listed monuments lies within proximity of the church, including the Lydiard Millicent War Memorial and the Churchyard Cross. It is also situated within the Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area. The Site comprises a broadly rectangular parcel of land comprising an area of c. 0.87ha. The area proposed for development comprises the southern part of the Site, with the northern area currently proposed to be retained as a green buffer. At the time of completion of this assessment, the Site was under rough pasture. The village of Lydiard Millicent lies in the north of Wiltshire, approximately 1km west of the urban extents of Swindon and some 1.4km south of Purton. No fixed proposal or site plan has been produced, although it is understood that the construction of six to ten new units is being considered, along with access and landscaping. The design process will be informed in part through the results of this assessment. The aims of this assessment comprised: • Assessment of all sites, monuments and features within 1km of the Site; • Assessment of the potential of the Site to contain hitherto unrecorded archaeological finds, features or deposits; • Scoping and, where appropriate, detailed assessment of all designated sites, monuments and areas within the 1km study area, and assessment of the potential impact any development at the Site may have on their settings and their significance. Where considered appropriate, designated and undesignated sites situated outside the study areas will also be considered. Particular emphasis will be placed on potential impacts upon the settings of Honeywood House, the Church of All saints and the character of the Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area; and • An appraisal of the best options for development at the Site in terms of reducing or entirely removing heritage impacts. In respect of the significance of the two nearby Listed Buildings, it has been assessed that development at the Site would result in No Harm with regard to either the Grade II Listed Honeywood House, or the Grade II* Listed Church of All Saints, which lies to the north of the Site. The proposals include provision for new Public Open Space in the north of the Site, creating an effective green buffer between the Site and the Listed church. In addition, provision of an information board within the POS will enhance the Listed Building’s significance through increased public engagement, appreciation and understanding of the heritage asset. The Site has further been assessed to make no significant contribution to the special character or setting of the Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area and development at the Site would not extend village boundaries beyond their current limits. It is considered that the heritage related enhancements 4 Ref. AH500/1 Land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire: Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment described above will increase public awareness of the character and value of the Conservation Area resulting in a Positive Effect. In heritage planning terms, No Harm is assessed with regard to the Conservation Area’s special character or setting due in part to the very secluded nature of the Site. In addition, No Harm has been identified with regard to the Historic Landscape Character of the area. In consideration of the potential for buried archaeological remains at the Site, it is recommended that, for the avoidance of doubt, a geophysical should be completed across the Site to further assess the potential for the survival of archaeological remains. 5 Ref. AH500/1 Land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire: Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment 1. INTRODUCTION Outline Armour Heritage was commissioned in April 2017 by the developer, to complete an historic environment desk based assessment (DBA) with regard to the proposed development of a plot of land off Church Place, Lydiard Millicent, Swindon, Wiltshire, centred on NGR 409372, 185896 and referred to hereafter as ‘the Site’ (Plates 1-15; Fig. 1). The Site lies to the south of the junction of Church Place and The Street, just southeast of the Grade II* Listed Church of All Saints (Fig. 2, LB14; NHLE No. 1356045) and west of the Grade II Listed Honeywood House (Fig. 2, LB4; NHLE No. 1198049). A number of other Grade II Listed monuments lies within proximity of the church, including the Lydiard Millicent War Memorial (Fig. 2, LB11; NHLE No. 1438949) and the Churchyard Cross (Fig. 2, LB1; NHLE No. 1023144). It is also situated within the Lydiard Millicent Conservation Area (Fig. 2, CA2). Planning Proposal Heritage input The Site layout has been informed, in part, through the consideration of heritage matters and Armour Heritage has been involved throughout the design process. Proposals The planning proposal includes provision for new housing in the southern part of the Site, as illustrated in Appendix 2, accessed via an improved site entrance at the Site’s northeast corner. Beyond the proposed new buildings, the proposals also include a number of measured designed to mitigate effects on the character of the Conservation Area which have been included as a result of the previously mentioned heritage consultation process. It is considered that the additional proposals offer not only mitigation, but enhancements to the Conservation Area. Additional measures comprise: x a new heritage info board at the front (northern extent) of the Site which will include details of the Conservation Area and the Grade II* Listed Church of All Saints ; x a new area of Public Open Space (POS) offering an attractive and appropriate area to appreciate the significance of the Listed church and this part of the Conservation Area. This POS also serves as a substantial green buffer between the Listed Building and the proposed development. x enhancement of the Conservation Area through good design in respect of both the architectural quality of the proposed new residential buildings and in their layout within the boundaries of the Site. Location and landscape context The Site comprises a broadly rectangular parcel of land comprising an area of c. 0.87ha (Fig. 1). The area proposed for development comprises the southern part of the Site, with the northern area currently proposed to be retained as a green buffer.