Bath and North East SomersetPlanning Services

Pensford ConservationArea Character Appraisal

March 2008

ContentsIntroduction 3

Summary of Special Interest 3

Assessment of Special Interest 4

Character Analysis 11

Summary of Issues and 15Recommended Management Proposals

Community Involvement 15

Planning Policy Context 15

General Guidance 15

Further Reading 16

Contact Details 16

3

The exceptional landscapesetting within the gentlyundulating countryside of theChew Valley

The medieval street patterncentred on the old market place

The central features of the RiverChew and Salter’s Brook whichphysically divide the village

The strong association with themedieval cloth trade and vestigesof the industry including waterwheels and mill leats

Evidence of the former miningindustry including miners’cottages, the miners welfare andabandoned mineworks in thesurrounding area

The dominant landmark of thedisused North Somerset railwayviaduct and associatedstructures

The close grain of the buildings,often built hard on to the road

A significant number of listed andother historic buildings

The prevalent use of locallydistinct materials, particularlypennant sandstone and clay pantiles

The contrast between intimateenclosure within the village andthe fine open space of thesurrounding countryside

The characteristic roofscape ofpitched roofs, clay tiles andchimney pots, more visible dueto the undulating nature of thelandscape

Summary of Special Interest

Pensford was identified as being ofspecial architectural and historicinterest and was designated aConservation Area in May 1988.

The Council has a duty to payspecial attention to preserving andenhancing the character andappearance of Conservation Areasin exercising its planning powers,including periodic re-appraisal ofboundaries. This provides aconsistent and sound basis uponwhich to determine planning andother applications.

The appraisal identifies featureswhich contribute toward thecharacter of the area and those thatdetract from it. This provides a baseupon which to develop proposalsfor preservation and enhancement.

The preparation of the statementalso enables local residents toparticipate in the identification offeatures which are important to thespecial character of the area inwhich they live.

Introduction

Assessment of Special Interest

Modern map of Pensfordshowing ConservationArea shaded in green

4

Location and setting

The village of Pensford is locatedon the lower slopes of the ChewValley about six miles from Bristoland 11 miles east of Bath.

Administratively, Pensford on thesouth bank of the river has alwaysbelonged to the parish of Publow,whilst on the north bank of the riverthe village used to belong to theParish of Stanton Drew. The parishboundaries were relocated to bringthe whole of Pensford into Publowparish, but the old administrativedivisions have shaped thedevelopment of the village.

General Character and Plan Form

Pensford is a small village with aloosely nucleated form.Development is clustered aroundthe focal points of the river crossingand the market place with lineardevelopment along the old HighStreet.

Later ribbon development lines the‘new’ route through to Bristolformed in the 19th century andthere is a substantial amount ofnew housing development outsidethe Conservation Area boundary.

Early development is clusteredaround the river crossing

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During the late 14th and 15thCenturies Pensford had the mostimportant market in northSomerset, a developing textiletrade, agriculture and a major roadbetween the expanding city ofBristol and the channel ports to thesouth. These influences, along withthe changes to the parishboundaries, have shaped the olderparts of the village.

Evidence of the early industry andcommerce is apparent today in thestreet patterns, the type andappearance of the buildings and inthe surrounding countryside.

Historic map of Pensford (1885)

Traditional buildings are typically built hard ontothe road emphasising the sense of enclosure

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1 Area 2 of the ‘Rural Landscapes of Bath & NorthEast Somerset Landscape Character Assessment’SPG which may be read in conjunction with thisdocument.

Landscape setting

Pensford lies within the gentlyundulating landscape of the ChewValley1, characterised by rollinggrassland and arable farmlandwhich forms an irregular pattern offields bounded by hedgerows.

Trees and woodland cover thevalley sides, enhancing the intimatecharacter of the settlement. The oldcoal spoil heap just south of thevillage has modified the locallandform in a dramatic way.

The village straddles the RiverChew and its tributary Salter’sBrook. The river valley is framed bysteep slopes on all sides exceptthe north east giving the impressionof Pensford being dominated by itssurroundings. This impression isheightened by the presence of thedisused railway viaduct. Thisimposing structure is formed ofsixteen tall stone arches whichcarried the railway across the valleyat the western edge of the village.

Pensford’s inclusion within theBristol-Bath Green Belt signifies theimportance of the landscapesetting and helps preventdevelopment which would beharmful to the area.

The landscape setting of rolling grassland is essential to the rural character of Pensford

The River Chew physicallydivides the village

Trees and woodland frame the built form

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Historic Development

The earliest reference to PensfordChurch appears in 1291 in theTaxatio of Pope Nicolas II, where itis described as ‘a Chapel of Ease tothe St Loe family and a Chapelry ofPublow’. Nearby Publow Churchbelonged to Keynsham Abbey untilthe dissolution of the monasteriesin 1538. The Abbey exercised aconsiderable influence over theparish, particularly in theestablishment of the Market atPensford and the development ofthe textile trade.

Pensford rose to importance withthe textile industry and thedevelopment of its market. By themiddle of the 14th CenturyPensford Market was one of themost important in the county,specialising in Broadcloth for whichthe West Country was famous. Itcontinued to be pre-eminentthrough the following two centuries,although by the end of the 16thcentury it was beginning to decline.

In the mid 16th Century Lelanddescribed Pensford as a ‘prettymarket townlet, occupied withclothing’ with a few tucking mills onthe river.

Following the decline of the textileindustry iron mills were established,but were quickly superseded by theopening of Publow Mill in 1718 byJohn Freeman & Copper Company.The copper and brass industryflourished and was a major sourceof employment in the parish until1860 when Publow Mill closedfollowing the diversion of waterfrom the river by Bristol WaterWorks.

Coal was mined from pre-medievaltimes in Pensford but the first shaftat Pensford Mine was not sunk until1911. Many of the houses datingfrom the 18th and 19th Centurieswere built for miners, mostly oflocal brown Pennant sandstone.Cottages from the woollen, copperand coal mining eras still front theHigh Street. The nearest visiblemine works are a mile south of thecentre.

The opening of the Bristol andNorth Somerset railway in the late19th century had a dramatic effecton the village. The commercialimportance of Pensford at the timeis signified by the fact that it wasthe only place in the Chew Valley(apart from Keynsham) which had arailway station. The line ceased tocarry passengers in 1959, a victimof Dr Beeching, and the railway lineand station were closed after thegreat floods of 1968. This disasteris discreetly commemorated bymarkers indicating the flood levelon several houses in the village.

The philosopher John Locke grewup in nearby Belluton, andbenefited from the patronage of SirAlexander Popham, the lord of theManor, for whom his father workedas Attorney and Agent. Later in hislife John Locke owned considerableproperty in Pensford and Publowand in his will he left money to bothChurches and to the poor of theparish. Many of his notebookssurvive with comments about histenants.

The 1968 floods had a significant impact throughout the Chew Valley

The imposing viaduct is a silentreminder of the importance of industryto the area

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Wes

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Pensford Conservation Area

Key

Principal listed buildings*

Unlisted buildings whichcontribute to the character of theConservation Area

Scheduled ancient monument

Important views

Existing Conservation Area

*This map does not show all listed wallsor curtilage listed buildings

Cha

pel

Bar

ton

The

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Archaeological Significance

Little archaeological field work andexcavation have taken place inPensford itself but the village hasbeen identified as havingconsiderable potential for furtherresearch. Excavations during the19th Century revealed the remainsof a Market House where thetriangle of grass lies in front of theLock-up.

The most important ancientmonument in the area, theWansdyke, passes the villages ofPensford and Publow around a mileto the north.

Spatial Analysis

The Conservation Area takes in thehistoric core of the village, centredon the cross-roads of the HighStreet and the A37 (Bristol Road).The traditional buildings aregenerally built hard on to the road;while 19th century and later ribbondevelopment tends to constitutelarger buildings set back in moregenerous plots of land.

The former market shaped thespatial character of the village, withthe High Street and lesser roadsand lanes leading to and from it.Although much historic detail hasbeen erased by modern alterationsand re-development, Pensford’soriginal tight nucleus, formedaround the market place, churchand river crossing, has retained itsmedieval form and character. This isprobably due to the fact that themodern A37 road and bridge arebased on an early 19th century linewhich effectively by-passed themedieval core, leaving the roadpattern intact.

The combination of a loop of theriver Chew and the mill stream hasleft the church on an island, one ofonly four island churches in England.

Key Views and Vistas

The railway viaduct dominates thevillage and can be seen from manyvantage points within the villageand in the immediate area. Viewsfrom up near the viaduct into thevillage and to the surrounding hillsare superb although sadly there isno access on to the viaduct itself.

There are several fine views out ofthe village into the opencountryside, particularlynorthwards. Here a break indevelopment allows open views outto the surrounding pasture wheregrazing cattle and vegetationenhance the rural character of thevillage.

Views from the top of High Streetand higher ground around thevillage highlight the importance ofPensford’s roofscape. The irregularpattern of pitched roofs withtraditional clay tiles and chimneypots is a characteristic of thevillage. Development within andaround the Conservation Areashould reflect this.

The pattern of pitched claytiled roofs is characteristic of the Conservation Area

Narrow, unmarked lanes contrastwith the busy main road

Architectural and HistoricQualities of the buildings

There are sixteen structures on thestatutory list of Buildings of SpecialArchitectural and Historic Interest.These include the church, therailway viaduct, the village ‘lock-up’, the medieval bridge, severalpublic houses and a mixture ofmostly eighteenth and nineteenthcentury houses and cottages.Unusually there is a lack of finegentry houses which are oftenfound in wealthy mill villages. Mostof the domestic buildings aremodest in scale and appearance.

The most important building is theparish church of St. Thomas aBecket which is listed Grade II*,largely on account of its 14thCentury tower. It is first recorded asa chapel-of-ease for the St Loefamily. It has never been a ParishChurch, but in most ways hasfulfilled the function of one for thepeople of the parish. Pevsnerdescribes the tower as ‘typical of itsperiod, a simple, sturdy andcommanding presence’.

The George and Dragon Inn was astop for stage coaches on theBristol -Wells road when the HighStreet was the main road. It bearsthe date 1752.

In the 18th century the Lock-upwould have been used for localdrunks and for safe keepingovernight of prisoners being movedby stage coach. This is a fairly raresurvival and is listed Grade II.

The bridge in Church Street ismedieval, although it was largelyrebuilt following the 1968 floodswith white lias stone. At its east endstands a curious group of medievalbuildings, the most prominent being‘Bridge House’, so called because itis partly built on a bridge overSalter’s Brook. Bridge House is a16th century timber framed buildingfaced with Bath stone ashlar. This israre in Pensford and indicates thatit was a building of somesignificance. At one time it was theChurch House.

Fragments in the walling of twoderelict cottages depicting thecrucifixion are thought to be fromthe medieval market cross. Theseprecious relics are incongruouslyattached to the wall of a veryordinary looking building in TheBarton.

Pensford contains many modest18th and 19th century houses andcottages, mostly built of brownPennant sandstone from theimmediate neighbourhood. This

Character Analysis

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gives the Conservation Area acharacteristic appearance quitedifferent from the pale Bath stoneto the east or the greycarboniferous limestone to the westtowards Mendip.

Natural clay roof tiles are a highlyvisible and attractive feature of theConservation Area. Where roofshave been covered in concrete tilesor poorly detailed machine-madereplacements the appearancedetracts markedly from the generalcharacter of the buildings.

Simple cast iron fingerposts foundat road junctions are appropriate inthis rural setting and many caseswould benefit from restoration.Pennant stone paving, kerbs andsetts survive in places and make animportant contribution to thestreetscape. In contrast, the harshurban detailing of the main roadthrough the village detracts fromthe generally rural character of thearea.

Unlisted Buildings of Merit

While the most significant buildingsin Pensford are statutorily listed,many modest cottages and otherbuildings make up the bulk of thebuilt form and knit the ConservationArea together into a coherent whole.

A number of these buildings make asignificant contribution to thecharacter of the area eitherindividually or as a group, andcould be considered for inclusionon the Council’s list of LocallyImportant Buildings. A moredetailed survey is necessary toidentify possible candidates.

Pensford Primary School is atypically detailed late Victorian-styleinstitutional building from the early20th Century, which occupies aprominent spot beside PensfordBridge.

The Miners Welfare opposite theschool is a reminder of the strongassociation with coal mining in thearea. This building would benefitfrom restoration.

The group of cottages around theGeorge and Dragon and furtheralong the High Street, the cottagesalong Church Street and the groupof buildings around Gays Farmprovide an attractive backdrop forthe listed buildings.

Other buildings of note are TheHollies and the former Methodistchapel at the northern edge of theConservation Area.

Traditional surface details and cast ironsigns enhance the streetscape

Many unlisted buildings make a contribution to the area’s character

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Activity and former uses

Whilst the textile industry, copperindustry and coal mining have beenthe main influences in Pensford,there is also a strong agriculturaltradition and this still provides someemployment within the village.There are a number of localbusinesses but there is no longermajor employment within thevillage. Activity is dominated bythrough traffic on the A37.

Various buildings and featuressuggest their former associationsboth in their architectural styles andtheir names, such as The OldBakery, Old Railway Tavern,Millstream Cottages, Old SchoolHouse and Chapel House.Retaining the local names and oftendistinctive physical features ofbuildings helps preserve thecharacter of the village, despitemodern changes of use.

Trees and Green Spaces

In the past orchards were commonaround Pensford, as throughout thearea, and there are some remnantsof these in and around the village.The remains of orchards make asignificant contribution to thecharacter and setting of theConservation Area.

The village wraps around an area ofrich wet grassland immediately tothe north, which brings thecountryside into the centre of thevillage and provides a pleasantlypastoral scene, in contrast to thebusy main road. This area is asignificant green space with a clearrelationship to the village anddevelopment in this area wouldhave a detrimental impact on thecharacter of the area. As this area isoutside the Housing DevelopmentBoundary and within the Green Beltit is not considered necessary toinclude it within the ConservationArea.

Another area of important GreenSpace which forms part of thesetting of the Conservation Area isthe area between the church andthe viaduct at the western edge ofthe village. This open area of greenspace connects the village visibly tothe immediate countryside, helpingto reinforce its rural character.

Orchards are an historic feature of mostvillages in the area

The pastoral setting of the Conservation Area is essential to its rural character and should be protected

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Opportunities for Enhancement

The busy main road to Bristol is adominant and noisy feature, splittingthe settlement in two. The impact ofspeeding traffic could be reducedby careful traffic management andappropriately designed speedcontrol at the entrance and exit ofthe village, or other traffic calmingmethods in line with Manual forStreets where appropriate.

Although the medieval street patternand many of the buildings in thevillage have survived, much of thevisual character has been lost as aresult of unsympathetic changes todetails such as windows, doors,roof-coverings and externalcladding. Restoring traditionalpainted timber windows and doorswould enhance the character of theConservation Area.

Alterations which materially affectthe appearance of buildings shouldbe managed through the planningsystem where possible.

It is a great shame that the disusedrailway line running across theviaduct has been blocked at bothends, preventing the railway linefrom being used for anotherpurpose, such as a footpath and acycle track. Bringing this historictransport route back into use insome form would enhance thecharacter of the village and benefitthose who live in or visit the area.

Neutral Areas

There are some areas of modernhousing on the edge of theConservation Area and dottedaround as infill in the village. For themost part these have a neutral

impact on the Conservation Areaalthough in places a lack ofattention to details such as externalmaterials has had a negative effecton the appearance of the area.

General Condition

The general condition of buildings inPensford is fairly good, however thechurch of St Thomas a Becket is onthe English Heritage Buildings atRisk Register due being unoccupiedand vulnerable to deterioration.

There are also a number of ratherrun-down and derelict buildings inthe village which would benefit fromrepair or renovation. Finding a usefor empty buildings and ensuringthey are maintained is a priority ifthey are to survive in the long term.

Excessive or intrusive signage can detract from Pensfords rural character Restoring derelict buildings wouldenhance the area’s appearance

Sadly the railway viaduct is blocked at both ends, preventing an alternative use

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Summary of Issuesand RecommendedManagementProposals

It is recommended that an Article4 Direction be considered tocover changes to doors andwindows, roof coverings,insertion of rooflights and thedemolition of walls under 1mhigh. This would help preventloss of traditional details andprotect the visually importantroofscape.

Enforcement action should beconsidered in cases ofunauthorised works whichadversely affect the character ofthe Conservation Area or listedbuildings.

The use of underground cablesfor services would help preventthe streetscape and widerlandscape being interrupted byoverhead wires.

Unlisted buildings of note shouldbe considered for inclusion onthe Local List.

When works are carried out tothe highway or streetscape theopportunity should be taken toreinstate traditional signage and,where relevant, should beconsidered with reference to theadopted Streetscape Manual2 andManual for Streets3.

Trees provide a significantcontribution to the specialcharacter of the ConservationArea. Where appropriate theCouncil will use its powers tomake Tree Preservation Orders toprotect trees that are underthreat.

The policies that governdevelopment in ConservationAreas in the Bath and North EastSomerset Local Plan should becarried forward into the anyreplacement Local DevelopmentDocument.

CommunityInvolvement Public support and involvement isessential to the successfulmanagement of Conservation Areas.Following the production of a firstdraft by Bath & North EastSomerset Council, copies of thisappraisal were provided for localamenity groups, Councillors andLocal Libraries. A copy was postedonto the Council’s website and apress release sent to local papers.Six weeks were allowed forcomments to be submitted, afterwhich the final draft was completed.This appraisal was approved by theCouncil on [insert date].

Bath and North East SomersetCouncil thank Publow with PensfordParish Council, local residents, andespecially local historian BarbaraBowes for their invaluablecontribution of local knowledge andsupport during the production ofthis document.

Planning PolicyContextA Conservation Area is designatedunder the provisions of Section 69of the Planning (Listed Buildingsand Conservation Areas) Act (1990)and is defined as ‘an area of specialarchitectural or historic interest, thecharacter or appearance of which itis desirable to preserve or enhance’.The quality and interest of the areaas a whole, rather than individualbuildings, is the main considerationwhen designating such areas.

Section 71 of the Act requires thelocal planning authority toperiodically formulate and publishproposals for the preservation andenhancement of Conservation Areaswithin the district. Section 72requires that in consideringapplications for development in aConservation Area, attention shallbe paid to the desirability ofconserving or enhancing thecharacter of that area.

Conservation Area appraisals areconsidered by English Heritage tobe vital to the conservation of thesespecial areas. The content of thisstatement is based on thesuggested approach set out byEnglish Heritage4.

Regional Planning Guidance 10(2001) and the saved policies fromthe Joint Replacement StructurePlan (2002) (to be replaced in 2008by the Regional Spatial Strategy forthe South West) contain broadpolicies regarding the built andhistoric environment and Green Belt.

More detailed policies are to befound in the Bath and North EastSomerset Local Plan. This wasadopted in October 2007 and willbe ‘saved’ for three years in theCouncil’s Local DevelopmentFramework.

General GuidanceBath & North East Somerset LocalPlan 2007

Bath & North East SomersetCouncil, Rural Landscapes of Bath& North East Somerset, (Adopted asSupplementary Planning Guidance2003)

Bath & North East Somerset, Living in a Conservation Area, 2003

Bath & North East SomersetStreetscape Manual, (Adopted April2005)

Manual for Streets, DoT, 2007

Avon Historic LandscapeCharacterisation Methodology,Chapman, 1997

Guidance on Conservation AreaAppraisals, English Heritage, 2005

Guidance on Conservation AreaManagement Plans, EnglishHeritage, 2005

The Conversion of Traditional FarmBuildings: A Guide to GoodPractice, English Heritage, 2006

Planning Policy Guidance 15:Planning and the HistoricEnvironment

Planning Policy Statement 22:Renewable Energy

2 ‘Streetscape Manual, A guide to the selection, design installation and care of the District’sstreetscape and its historical preservation’, Bath & North East Somerset Council, adopted April 2005

3 Manual for Streets, DCLG et al. 2007

4 ‘Guidance on Conservation AreaAppraisals’, English Heritage, 2005

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Further Reading

The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, Pevsner N. (1958)

Pensford, Publow and Woollard: A Topographical History, Rowland Janes, (1989)

www.pensford.com is a local history site with further information on Pensford and the surrounding areas

Glossary

Listed Buildings: Buildings on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest compiledby the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under the Planning (Listed Buildings and ConservationAreas) Act 1990.

Conservation Area: Defined by English Heritage as ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the characterof which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Some permitted development rights are removed for owners ofbuildings in a Conservation Area and special planning controls may apply.

Article 4 Direction: A direction under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)Order 1995. Article 4 Directions remove specified permitted development rights and can be made to cover parts ofa Conservation Area where there is a clear and immediate threat to the amenity of the area.

Locally Important Buildings: Buildings of particular local importance for their architectural interest, theircontribution to the local environment or for their historical associations. Although these buildings do not benefitfrom the same statutory protection as listed buildings, their inclusion on the local list will be a materialconsideration in determining applications for planning permission. The council is currently in the process ofdrawing up a list of Locally Important Buildings.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO): An order made by a Local Planning Authority in respect of trees or woodlands toprohibit works to trees without consent (part VIII of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town andCountry Planning (Trees) Regulations 1999)

Contact Details

Contact Planning Services for advice regardingListed Buildings and Listed Building Consent: 01225 477632Unlisted Buildings and Conservation Area Consent: 01225 477632Works to trees within Conservation Areas: 01225 477520Planning Permission: 01225 477722Archaeology: 01225 477651Planning Policy: 01225 477548

Email: historic_environment@bathnes.gov.uk

All the above teams are located at Planning Services, Trimbridge House, Trim Street, Bath, BA1 2DP

This document about the Pensford Conservation Area can bemade available in a range of community languages, large print,Braille, on tape, electronic and accessible formats from PlanningServices on 01225 394100Prepared by Bath & North East Somerset Council Planning Services.