Conservation Area Character Statement CA Character...September 2019...

North Hertfordshire District Council

Gosmore

Conservation Area Character

Statement

Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited – September 2019

3 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited

September 2019

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Contents

1. Background 4

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 Setting of the Conservation Area 4

1.3 Historical Development 4

2. Character and Special Interest 5

2.1 Character 5

2.2 Statement of Special Interest 7

3. Key Assets and Views 8

3.1 Designated Heritage Assets 8

3.2 Non–designated Heritage Assets 9 Buildings of Local Interest 9 Buildings or Features that make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area 9

3.3 Key Views 9

4. Opportunities for Improvement 10

5. Bibliography 11


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1. Background

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Gosmore Conservation Area was designated by North Hertfordshire District Council in 1970 and its

boundary has not been amended since. The boundary includes High Street and Hitchin Road

running north from the junction of High Street, Maydencroft Lane, Waterdell Lane and Preston

Road, and Maydencroft Lane running west from it. It includes a small part of Waterdell Lane and

Preston Road, and north of these, of Mill Lane. A large part of the Conservation Area is occupied

by the grounds of Gosmore Care Home.

1.1.2 This report has been produced for the purpose of appraising the character of Gosmore

Conservation Area. It includes a character assessment highlighting key features, a statement of

special interest, a list of designated heritage assets, non–designated heritage assets and key views

within the Conservation Area, and opportunities for improvement. It is accompanied by an

annotated map of the Conservation Area which can be found in Appendix A. This report does not

consider potential boundary changes in the Conservation Area.

1.2 Setting of the Conservation Area

1.2.1 Gosmore Conservation Area lies to the south of Hitchin, a short way south of a large estate of

modern housing on the south side of the town. The Conservation Area is surrounded on three

sides by agricultural fields, although to its east there is residential development extending beyond

the Conservation Area boundary which merges with St Ippolyts.

1.3 Historical Development

1.3.1 Gosmore has its origins as a hamlet, the name of which was first recorded in the 14th century. It is

part of the parish of St Ippolyts, whose centre lies to the east. It appears to have grown up around

the crossroads where High Street/Hitchin Road, Maydencroft Lane, Preston Road and Waterdell

Lane meet. The buildings in Gosmore suggest a small central hamlet surrounded by larger farm

buildings which have gradually become part of the village as residential development has

expanded, although Gosmore does not contain much modern housing.


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2. Character and Special Interest

2.1 Character

2.1.1 Gosmore Conservation Area centres on two principal routes; High Street/Hitchin Road, which runs

roughly north to south through the Conservation Area, and Maydencroft Lane which runs west

towards Charlton from its junction with Waterdell Lane and Preston Road at the south end of High

Street. There is no church in Gosmore, the village being within the parish of St Ippolyts, but seems

to have been established as a settlement around the aforementioned crossroads.

2.1.2 Although there is some distance between the Gosmore and St Ippolyts Conservation Areas, the two

settlements are more or less connected by the continuous 20th century housing along Waterdell

Lane. However, Gosmore can be readily distinguished.

2.1.3 The majority of buildings in Gosmore Conservation Area are in brick, although in a variety of styles

and ages. Modern brick buildings are of a uniform red brick with some panels of render, entirely

rendered facades or steeply sloping roof forms, bay windows and tile hung facades. There are also

a number of timber-framed buildings within the village. The diverse range of housing styles can be

appreciated along the east side of High Street.

2.1.4 Exposed timber framing can be seen at the first floor of 1 Maydencroft Lane, which is of generous

close-studded scantling. Under the jettied first floor, the ground floor of this building has been

underbuilt in brick with a brick dentil cornice capping the wall. Other examples of surviving timber

framing include The Olde Cottage on High Street, View Cottage and Avenue Cottage, and

Whitbank and Jenny Cottage on Maydencroft Lane. Some timber-framed houses are encased in

brick, for example, the original three bays of Maydencroft Cottage on Maydencroft Lane are timber

framed and encased in brick.

2.1.5 There are a greater number of large brick buildings within the Conservation Area. Examples include

The Bird in The Hand, a 20th century building in brick, Victoria House, an 18th century plum and blue

brick building, and the early 18th century Rose Cottage.

2.1.6 The earlier of the brick buildings in Gosmore are generally highly decorative and architecturally

distinctive. Victoria House has interesting polychromatic brickwork in plum and blue, and at the

ground floor eight-over-eight sash windows with margin lights, while Rose Cottage follows this

broad design with a more regular chequered pattern. Hindsmount, on Maydencroft Lane (Fig 2.1),

also has wide ground floor windows on the principal elevation and an interesting near-circular light

above the front door, which is echoed in the neighbouring Hindsmount Cottage, and by circular

features on Rosedale to the east and the later 5 Maydencroft Lane. The wide ground floor windows

are matched on the timber-framed Gosmore House to the north. There are a number later 19th and

early 20th century brick buildings that although non–designated, make a positive contribution to

the character of the Conservation Area, including Letterbox Row and the cottages between

Gosmore House and Gosmore Ley Close.

2.1.7 Roofing materials are generally slate or red clay tile and there are many old tile roofs evident.

Some buildings, such as Rose Cottage and Victoria House, have very deep cornices, while others are

shallow.

2.1.8 The roads in Gosmore Conservation Area are generally narrow and are well defined by hedges,

boundaries and properties.

2.1.9 Sections of the road along Maydencroft Lane are ‘bridged’ by trees rising from of shallow grassed

margins to the road. As the Conservation Area is approached along Maydencroft Lane hedging


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characterises the boundaries of this lane, punctuated with walls, fencing and areas clear of planting

providing views of houses and front gardens. As the centre of the village is reached the building

density increases, however, the brick and weather boarded farm buildings at Avenue Farm reinforce

the village’s agricultural heritage.

2.1.10 At the south end of High Street (Fig 2.2), The Bull public house and other buildings to its north

stand at the back-edge-of-footpath, with small forecourts fronting the continued terrace until The

Bird in The Hand public house steps back from the street line behind a forecourt defined by

bollards. Buildings continue along the High Street and Hitchin Road rising behind the edge of the

road at The Olde Cottage, a timber framed one-and-a-half storey house with gable towards the

street. North of this house Hitchin Road widens, and housing is generally located within generous

grounds. Contrasting with this, there are occasional buildings are set back from the street behind

gardens or other green space, including Letterbox Row, Gosmore House (the only building in

Gosmore orientated away from its nearest road), Hindsmount, and 1-4 Gosmore Ley Close.

2.1.11 Elsewhere, there are wide grass verges along the west side of High Street, although these are

perhaps better thought of as part of the village green, despite a hedge separating it from the

street. The side of the village green that runs up to Maydencroft Lane is separated from it by a line

of trees and other planting while the grounds of Gosmore Care Home have a hedge boundary to

Hitchin Road. Mill Lane is edged with trees and other planting, where house driveways do not

open onto it. There are no pavements within the Conservation Area.

2.1.12 To the rear of buildings, boundaries are generally timber fencing and planting, although parts of

the Gosmore Care Home property are bounded by a red brick wall, for instance behind The Old

Coach House on Maydencroft Lane.

2.1.13 The most significant green space lies at the centre of the village and is the publicly accessible

village green. The green is defined by a planted boundary to Maydencroft Lane but is defined by

timber bollards, low hedging and some trees to the High Street, with a generous grass margin

separating the hedge from the street.

2.1.14 The grounds of Gosmore Care Home are another ‘green space’ but are not publicly accessible and

can only really be observed from along Hitchin Lane. There is significant tree planting within the

grounds, as well as along Mill Lane (the rear of the Gosmore House property), at the rear of

Letterbox Row, and south of Maydencroft Lane and generally a good spread of trees through the

Conservation Area. There is a tree-lined avenue extending eastwards from Avenue Farm House

towards Waterdell Lane. The part of it west of Preston Road is within the Conservation area while

the part to the east is outside it.

2.1.15 Street furniture is limited in Gosmore, although there is a bus stop and telephone kiosk on High

Street (Fig 2.3), and occasional lampposts and signage. Timber bollards define the edge of the

High Street and the green.


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2.2 Statement of Special Interest

2.2.1 Gosmore Conservation Area is centred on Hitchin Road and Maydencroft Road, and two significant

green spaces are located between them, the village green and the grounds of Gosmore Care Home.

Through the village, there are a number of prominent red brick buildings, showing a variety of

styles, but of similar date and with occasionally similar architectural detailing. These are

interspersed with large timber-framed buildings, from an agricultural barn to the large residential

building, Gosmore House. Later buildings complement this character.

2.2.2 The management of streets, with minimal definition, and soft green verges meeting the

carriageway has preserved a rural character. In many cases the expansive planting of trees, hedges

and shrubbery provides an almost bucolic character in areas where trees meet across the road.

2.2.3 The punctuation of the street definition provides views to houses in many cases set behind planted

gardens. Recent housing on Mill Lane is set back from the road and preserved planted front

gardens; even in this part of the Conservation Area the loss to parking has been minimal.

2.2.4 Views within the Conservation Area confirm the rural character of the village with many framed

views along streets closely defined by planting and the rise of buildings from the margins of the

road.


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3. Key Assets and Views

3.1 Designated Heritage Assets

Table 3.1 Listed Buildings

List Entry Name Grade NGR

1102503 View Cottage and Avenue Cottage II TL 18648 27057

1102504 2 adjoining Barns next to the road at Avenue Farm II TL 18678 27056

1102505 Avenue Farm House II* TL 18704 27029

1102536 Outbuildings to Victoria House adjoining Number 9 (The Old Cottage) II TL 18785 27138

1102537 Holly Tree Cottage II TL 18765 27072

1102543 Hindsmount II TL 18630 27111

1102544 Maydencroft Cottage II TL 18455 27171

1175085 Rose Cottages II TL 18760 27192

1175099 Victoria House II TL 18775 27120

1175112 The Bull Public House II TL 18786 27060

1175196 Rosedale II TL 18737 27052

1175224 Hindsmount Cottage II TL 18613 27104

1295446 Gosmore House II TL 18735 27247

1347423 The Old Cottage II TL 18780 27088

1347424 2,3 and 4, High Street II TL 18783 27077

1347428 1, Maydencroft Lane II TL 18766 27054

1347447 Whitbank and Jenny Cottage II TL 18629 27063

Table 2 Listed buildings in Gosmore


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3.2 Non–designated Heritage Assets

Buildings of Local Interest

3.2.1 Recommendations for buildings to be included on North Hertfordshire’s Register of Buildings of

Local Interest will be included in the Summary Report at the conclusion of the project.

Buildings or Features that make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the

conservation area

3.2.2 The following non-designated buildings are considered to make a positive contribution to the

character or appearance of Gosmore Conservation Area. These buildings have been selected

through the contribution they make to the townscape of the Conservation Area.

⚫ 3-5 Maydencroft Lane

⚫ The Old Coach House, Maydencroft Lane

⚫ 1 High Street

⚫ 1-9 Letterbox Row

⚫ Gosmore House Cottage

⚫ Bow Cottage

⚫ White Cottage

⚫ Easter Cottage

⚫ 1-4 Gosmore Ley Close

3.3 Key Views

3.3.1 There are nine significant views within Gosmore Conservation Area which have been identified.

These are:

⚫ the view north-east across the green towards The Bird in The Hand public house, Victoria

House, The Olde Cottage, and Rose Cottages (KV1)

⚫ the view north along High Street from the end of High Street, Preston Road, Maydencroft Lane

and Waterdell Lane (KV2)

⚫ from Preston Road west towards Avenue Farm House (KV3)

⚫ from Avenue Farm House east towards Preston Road and the tree-lined avenue beyond (KV4)

⚫ from Preston Road north towards High Street (KV5)

⚫ from High Street north towards Rose Cottage and Hitchin Road (KV6)

⚫ from Hitchin Road north (KV7)

⚫ from Hitchin Road south (KV8)

⚫ from Maydencroft Lane east (KV9)


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4. Opportunities for Improvement

4.1.1 There is one clear opportunity for improvement within Gosmore which could improve the general

character of the Conservation Area. This is the area of land to the south of the junction of Preston

Road and Waterdell Lane.


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5. Bibliography

Online mapping from National Museum of Scotland <https://maps.nls.uk/>

Pevsner, N. 2002. Hertfordshire (second edition). London: Yale University Press

Victoria County History. 1912. A History of the County of Hertford: Volume 3. London: Victoria County History

A1 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited

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Appendix A

Conservation Area Map

© Historic England 2019. Contains Ordnance Survey data © CrownCopyright. All rights reserved. Licence number AL 100001776.

WATERDELL LANE

MAYDENCROFT LANE

HIGH STREET

PRESTON ROAD

HITCHIN ROAD

1175085

1175099

1175112

1102503

1102504

1102505

1102536

1102537

1102543

1102544

1175196

1175224

1295446

13474231347424

1347428

1347447

KV1

KV2

KV3

KV4

KV9

KV5

KV6

KV7

KV8

518400 518600 518800

2270

0022

7200

2274

00

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Conservation areaListed Buildings

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#* Grade IIScheduled monumentHistoric parks and gardensHeritage at riskBuilding or feature that contributesto the character of theConservation area

E Significant key viewSignificant areas of trees

qp Significant treeSignificant green spaceSignificant blue space

Note:The Historic England GIS data contained in this material was obtainedon 12/04/2019. The most publicly available up to date Historic EnglandGIS Data can be obtained from http://www.historicengland.org.uk

B1 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited

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Appendix B

Photographs

B.1 Character Photographs

Fig 2.1 Hindsmount, Maydencroft Lane. This is a Grade II listed building set back from the lane.


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Fig 2.2 South end of High Street, looking south towards the junction with Maydencroft Lane.


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Fig 2.3 Bus shelter and other street furniture on High Street, looking south with the village green on the right.


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B.2 Key Views

Key View KV1: View looking north-east across village green towards listed buildings on High Street.


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Key View KV2: View north along High Street from outside The Bull public house.


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Key View KV3: View west along tree lined avenue towards Avenue Farm House, Grade II* listed building, from

Preston Road.


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Key View KV4: View from Avenue Farm House Grade II* listed building, east towards Preston Road and the

tree lined avenue beyond.


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Key View KV5: View northwards along Preston Road towards the junction of High Street and Maydencroft

Lane.


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Key View KV6: View from High Street north towards Rose Cottage and Hitchin Road


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Key View KV7: North view along Hitchin Road from outside Bow Cottage.


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Key View KV8: South view along Hitchin Road from the northern edge of the Conservation Area.


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Key View KV9: View from Conservation Area boundary on Maydencroft Lane looking east.

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