Whitchurch Historic Town Assessment Draft Report Whitchurch Historic Town Assessment Report Consultation Draft Aerial view of Whitchurch with Bolebec Castle in the centre Whitchurch Historic Town Assessment Draft Report Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 4 I DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................................... 8 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Project Background and Purpose ............................................................................................ 8 1.2 Aims ......................................................................................................................................... 8 2 Setting ............................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Location, Topography & Geology ............................................................................................ 9 2.2 Wider Landscape ..................................................................................................................... 9 3 Evidence.......................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Historic Maps.......................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Documentary Evidence .......................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Built Heritage.......................................................................................................................... 22 3.4 Archaeological Evidence........................................................................................................ 23 3.5 Environmental Evidence ........................................................................................................ 24 4 Archaeological & Historical Development................................................................................... 27 4.1 Prehistoric to Roman period (c. 10,000 BC – AD 410) .......................................................... 27 4.2 Saxon synthesis and components (AD 410 – 1066).............................................................. 29 4.3 Medieval period (1066-1536) ................................................................................................. 31 4.4 Post medieval period (1536-1800)......................................................................................... 40 4.5 Modern period (1800 - Present)............................................................................................. 44 II ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 52 5 Designations................................................................................................................................... 52 5.1 Conservation Areas (CA) ....................................................................................................... 52 5.2 Registered Parks and Gardens.............................................................................................. 52 5.3 Archaeological Notification Areas .......................................................................................... 52 5.4 Scheduled Monuments .......................................................................................................... 52 5.5 Listed Buildings ...................................................................................................................... 52 6 Historic Urban Zones..................................................................................................................... 54 6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 54 6.2 Historic Urban Zones ............................................................................................................. 54 6.3 Archaeological Assessment................................................................................................... 54 6.4 Heritage Values...................................................................................................................... 57 6.5 Historic Settlement ................................................................................................................. 59 6.6 Modern Settlement................................................................................................................. 66 7 Management Recommendations .................................................................................................. 68 7.1 Conservation Area Appraisals................................................................................................ 68 7.2 Registered Parks and Gardens.............................................................................................. 68 7.3 Archaeological Notification Areas .......................................................................................... 68 7.4 Scheduled Monuments .......................................................................................................... 68 8 Research Agenda ........................................................................................................................... 70 8.1 Prehistoric and Roman........................................................................................................... 70 8.2 Anglo-Saxon........................................................................................................................... 70 8.3 Medieval Period ..................................................................................................................... 70 8.4 Post Medieval......................................................................................................................... 70 8.5 Modern Period........................................................................................................................ 71 8.6 Historical research (general).................................................................................................. 71 9 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 72 10 Addresses ................................................................................................................................... 75 1 Appendix: Chronology & Glossary of Terms .............................................................................. 76 1.1 Chronology (taken from Unlocking Buckinghamshire’s Past Website).................................. 76 1.2 Glossary of Terms.................................................................................................................. 77 2 Appendix: HER Records................................................................................................................ 78 2.1 Monuments HER Report........................................................................................................ 78 2.2 Landscapes HER Reports...................................................................................................... 78 2.3 Find Spots .............................................................................................................................. 79 2.4 Listed Buildings ...................................................................................................................... 80 3 Appendix: Trade Listings and Population Data .......................................................................... 82 4 Appendix: Historical Consultancy Report................................................................................... 83 2 Whitchurch Historic Town Assessment Draft Report List of Illustrations Figure 1: Urban Character Zones for Whitchurch ..................................................................................... 6 Figure 2: Whitchurch’s location and topographical setting..................................................................... 10 Figure 3: Geology (Whitchurch outlined in black) (BGS) ....................................................................... 11 Figure 4: Diagram of Connections from Whitchurch (representational only) .......................................... 12 Figure 5: Whitchurch in the wider historic landscape using routes and Bucks HLC............................... 13 Figure 6: Historic settlement pattern around Whitchurch ........................................................................ 14 Figure 7: Looking north towards Bolebec Castle over fields to the west of High Street ......................... 15 Figure 8: Ridge and furrow north of Bushmead Road............................................................................. 15 Figure 9: Water from the Fair Alice Spring at Bolebec castle ................................................................. 15 Figure 10: Aerial view of Whitchurch in the enclosure landscape..........................................................