Newbold Verdon framework knitting had disappeared and mining Conservation Area was a common occupation. Appraisal In the 19th century the settlement remained a key Newbold was first local centre and boasted a mentioned in the parish church, hall, Domesday Book (1086) parsonage, school, several when reference was made inns and windmills, to Huard, a Saxon, who almshouses, a smithy and held land forming part of numerous cottages. the numerous manors granted to Hugo de Since the Second World Grentemaisnell, the Earl of War the village has Leicester. Newbold literally expanded rapidly, with means ‘new building’. modern housing However, it was not until development primarily to the 13th century that Verdon north and east of the was added as a result of historic core of the village. the Verdun family settling in Following this growth the the area from France. population in Newbold Verdon by the 2001 census The village originally grew was 3,193. due to agriculture. By 1801 Newbold Verdon contained 80 houses inhabited by 339 people of whom 89 were employed in agriculture and 116 in trade and manufacturing etc. The census in 1841 showed the main occupations to be in either agriculture or framework knitting, though by the 1891 census Setting entrance from Dragon Lane is dominated by the visually Newbold Verdon is a large intrusive 1950s extension village located to 20 Main Street. The approximately 3 miles east public footpaths adjacent to of Market Bosworth. The the Hall and to the rear of surrounding countryside is the primary school offer gently undulating primarily excellent views of the Hall used for arable farming with and its ruined walled some pasture. The village garden. itself is fairly flat with the conservation area covering Character Statement the historic core of the village principally along The village of Newbold Main Street. Verdon developed as a small agricultural village Gateways and Views around the Parish Church and Hall. It later spread The conservation area is eastwards along Main approached from the north Street where terraced along Dragon Lane, from cottages and Victorian the south along Brascote houses were built to house Lane or from the east along agricultural and later mine Main Street. Brascote Lane workers. The Church and is an important gateway Hall have retained their terminating in views of the dominant position within the Old Rectory gates and the historic core of the village red telephone box, all of and are visible from several which are listed. From the vantage points within the village centre the entrance conservation area. is defined by views of Cob Cottage, the mature trees of the former Rectory gardens, and the Methodist Church. In contrast the Appearance and 1899. The church is built of brick and stone in The conservation area can the Early English style and be divided into four distinct has a small, broad, sloping areas: ‘Sussex’ steeple added in 1960. The churchyard and • Newbold Verdon Hall, cemetery are key spaces grade I listed: within the conservation One of the key spaces of area, with various mature the conservation area is the trees around the church Hall and its surroundings, grounds. which provide a focal point along Main Street. The Hall • Main Street: was built around 1680 for The west end of Main Nathaniel Crewe and Street is the heart of the stands just to the north of a conservation area. This moated site which wide street is characterised surrounded the earlier by the rows of small, two manor house, which is now storey flat fronted terraced a scheduled ancient cottages which form its monument. Originally a edges. Its surface is a country manor, the Hall is random mix of cobbles, now used as a farmhouse. tarmac, and granite setts Fronting the Hall is a long broken only by a series of axial cobbled forecourt small trees on its eastern defined by three of formerly edge. Whilst the wide street four pavilions, one in each channels views along Main corner of the court. Street towards the Hall and the church, it also provides • St James’s Church, opportunity for on-street grade II listed: parking which detracts from The Church of St. James the traditional street scene. dates back to the 12th Other buildings of interest century although it was in this area include a group heavily restored in 1832 of Victorian terraced houses and the late 18th Traditional two storey century Church Farm which buildings at or near the is grade ll listed. back edge of pavement are the characteristic built form • The Old Rectory, grade ll in the area. Buildings in listed: general have simple Built in 1820, this fine rectangular plans, gabled building stands in its own roofs and flat elevations landscaped grounds behind broken by an occasional high brick walls and cast single storey bay. Only the iron gates. Views of the Hall, the Old Rectory, and a building are restricted by few properties on Main the dense tree screen Street have hipped roofs. around the edges of the Modern development within Rectory gardens. Opposite the conservation area the Old Rectory stands the varies in style and materials former village school and is generally set back erected in 1874. Set from from the road behind low behind low brick walls it walls with hard landscaping features decorative blue and unsympathetic surface brickwork, tall windows and treatments. gables. Red brick in Flemish bond Building Style, Scale, is the predominant building Detail, and Traditional material within the historic Building Materials core occasionally covered by modern render. This is In the conservation area usually set on a stone or there is no dominant brick plinth which building style. The area sometimes has been displays a rich mixture of painted. ecclesiastical buildings, traditional cottages, large Sash windows feature in Victorian houses and the more distinguished modern dwellings. houses while traditional cottages have either brick or red brick walls with flat or segmental arches various copings, some over windows with thin saddleback, that enclose wooden frames, large gardens and provide a window panes and no sills. strong sense of enclosure In some cases houses which adds to the local have retained their original identity. The more windows though many have distinguished houses often been unsympathetically have unique boundary replaced by metal or plastic features such as wrought equivalent with thick iron fences. Modern frames. buildings have open frontages or walls built from The predominant roof non-traditional materials material is Welsh slate. which are often out of Replacement concrete tiles character with the are inappropriate. conservation area. Cottages have straight Contribution of Spaces ridges and dentil eaves in and Natural Elements contrast to the decorative ridges and bargeboards of Green spaces and mature Victorian houses. Red brick trees are limited to the chimney stacks are also a areas around the Rectory, distinctive surviving feature. the Old Rectory, the church and the Hall. Elsewhere Boundary Treatments the prevailing frontage development along Main There is not a strong Street provides little tradition of boundary opportunity for significant treatments in the village as tree planting. Only at the many properties are built southern end of the close to the back edge of conservation area where the pavement. However modern houses are set there are a number of stone behind front gardens does greenery return but only as with the traditional ornamental planting streetscape. sandwiched between driveway parking. The open A further threat to the fields which surround the character of the village are only noticeable conservation area comes where they abut the from minor alterations to grounds of The Hall. historic buildings such as the replacement or original FACTORS HAVING A windows with upvc. Where NEGATIVE INFLUENCE unsympathetic minor ON THE CHARACTER OF alterations have been made THE CONSERVATION to more traditional AREA buildings, the cumulative effect has had an adverse Buildings of Poor Visual impact on the character Quality and appearance of the conservation area. These Modern development, changes have included the particularly at the eastern erection modern porches end of Main Street, detracts and garages, concrete roof from the prevailing scale tiles and imitations in place and form of the of natural slate, and conservation area. replacement plastic Typically these are windows and doors detached houses set designed to a non- behind front gardens which traditional specification. are often dominated by garages and car parking. Enhancement These buildings do not have a close relationship to The enhancement of the the street and by reason of character and appearance their design scale and of the conservation area layout appear discordant can be defined as the reinforcement of the qualities providing the special interest, which • Ensure new development warranted designation. It preserves or enhances the may be through the character and appearance sympathetic improvements of the Conservation Area: to site frontages identified siting, scale, design and in the detailed analysis of materials used. the area; it may involve physical proposals or the • Ensure house extensions application of sensitive, satisfy the Borough detailed development Council’s Supplementary control over extensions and Planning Guidance or alterations. Areas which subsequent warrant special attention for Supplementary Planning enhancement are marked Documents. as weak areas on the conservation area appraisal • Seek to resist plan, and specific locations unsympathetic are identified on the development proposals conservation area that would have a harmful management plan. effect on the character or appearance of the GENERAL conservation area. CONSERVATION AREA GUIDANCE, PLANNING • Ensure the consistent CONTROL AND POLICIES application of positive, sensitive and detailed To maintain the distinctive development control over character and appearance proposals to alter former of the Newbold Verdon farm buildings, yards and Conservation Area it will be jittys. necessary to: • Ensure important views of • Retain listed buildings and the church into and out buildings of local interest.