Stratton Conservation Area Appraisal - Cornwall CouncilThis Conservation Area Appraisal was undertaken by North Cornwall District Council in 2009. It was endorsed by North Cornwall

Stratton Conservation Area Appraisal

March 2010

This Conservation Area Appraisal was undertaken by North Cornwall District Council in 2009. It was endorsed by North Cornwall District Council’s Planning & Development Committee on the 23rd March 2009 and was subsequently endorsed by Cornwall Council as a material consideration within the emerging Cornwall Council Local Development Framework on 24 April 2010. The recommended changes to the boundaries of Stratton Conservation Area were authorised by Cornwall Council and came into effect on 24 April 2010.

Contents

11 Introduction

1The purpose of a Conservation Area Appraisal

1Scope and structure

1General identity and character

1Date of designation

1The Conservation Area within the wider setting

22 Planning Context

2National

2Regional

2Local

33 Location and setting

44 Designations

55 Historic and topographic development

5Early Origins

5Medieval

7Post-medieval and Seventeenth Century

8Eighteenth century

9Early Nineteenth century

10Late Nineteenth century

12Twentieth century

13Present Day Stratton

156 Archaeological potential

167 Present settlement character

16Understanding Character

16Topography and Settlement Form

16Standing historic fabric

21Key Buildings

23Local and traditional building materials

26Local details

31Activity and use

32Spatial analysis

34Streetscape and views

39Public realm

44Greenery and green space

46Loss, intrusion and damage

48Neutral Areas

48General condition and Buildings at risk

508 Problems and pressures

50Buildings

50Designation

50Public Realm

529 Recommendations

52Buildings

52Designation

53Public Realm

5410 Opportunities

551 Sources


1 Introduction

The purpose of a ConservationArea Appraisal

The purpose of this conservation areaappraisal is to clearly define the specialinterest, character and appearance of theconservation area, and to suggest anypossible amendments to its boundary. Theappraisal should then inform developmentcontrol decisions and policies and act as afoundation for further work on designguidance and enhancement schemes.

Scope and structure

This appraisal describes and analyses thecharacter of the Stratton conservation areaand the immediately surrounding historicenvironment. The appraisal will look at thehistoric and topographical development ofthe settlement, analyse its presentcharacter, identify problems and pressuresand make recommendations for its futuremanagement. More detailed advice on themanagement of the conservation area canbe found in the Stratton Conservation AreaManagement Plan which is designed tostand alongside this appraisal.

General identity and character

Stratton has a fascinating history and isfortunate in retaining many historicbuildings from the different periods of itsdevelopment. For many years it was thecommercial and administrative centre fora large hinterland and consequentlyenjoyed a degree of prosperity. Strattonremained the major settlement in the areauntil the Victorian period and the arrival ofthe railway when this role was appropriatedby nearby Bude. The quaint medievalstreets and wealth of surviving historic

buildings has meant Stratton continues tobe a popular village to live in, but its roleas a commercial centre has significantlydeclined.

Date of designation

The Conservation Area was designated in1973 and extended in 1981.

The Conservation Area within thewider setting

The present conservation area boundaryincludes the historic core of the town androughly follows the 1907 developmentboundary. It extends to take in the ruralsetting of the fields to the north west andnorth east of the settlement.

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Stratton Conservation Area Appraisal March 2010

2 Planning Context

National

In 1967 the concept of protecting areas ofspecial merit, rather than individualbuildings was first brought under legislativecontrol with the passing of the CivilAmenities Act. Whilst listed buildings areassessed nationally with lists drawn up bythe government on advice from EnglishHeritage conservation areas are designatedby local authorities. The current Actgoverning the designation of ‘areas ofspecial architectural or historic interest, thecharacter or appearance of which it isdesirable to preserve or enhance’ is thePlanning (Listed Buildings andConservation Areas) Act 1990. Under thisAct local planning authorities are requiredto designate conservation areas, to keepthem under review and if appropriate todesignate further areas. Designationremains the principal means by which localauthorities can apply conservation policiesto a particular area.

Regional

Broad polices relating to the protection andenhancement of the natural and builtenvironment is currently contained in theCornwall Structure Plan (2004). The policyemphasis is that development shouldrespect and consolidate local character. In2008 the Structure Plan will be replaced aspart of the statutory Development Plan bythe South West Regional Spatial Strategy.The contained policy approach in respectof the built and natural environment will bemaintained in accordance with nationalguidance.

Local

The adopted North Cornwall District LocalPlan (1999) contains detailed policesrelating to listed buildings and conservationareas. For this reason, anyone consideringmaking an application for consent fordevelopment or demolition within aconservation area or which would affect alisted building should consult the LocalPlan. The document is available forinspection at the Council’s offices andonline www.cornwall.gov.uk . Pre-applicationadvice can also be sought from theCouncil’s Conservation and DevelopmentControl Officers.

The Planning and Compulsory PurchaseAct 2004 introduced changes to theplanning system that will result in the NorthCornwall District Local Plan replacementby a Local Development Framework. Aportfolio of Development Plan Documentswill set out the spatial planning strategies for Cornwall and provide detaileddevelopment control policies includinglocally distinct polices relating to listedbuildings and conservation areas.

The saved polices of the North CornwallDistrict Local Plan will remain part of thestatutory development plan until replacedby adopted Development Plan Documents.

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3 Location and setting

Stratton is one of the most northerlysettlements in Cornwall. It is situatedaround 6 km (4 miles) to the west of thecounty boundary with Devon. Thesettlement adjoins the A39 trunk road andis approximately 3km from the beach resortof Bude. The nearest major towns areBideford (43 km/27 miles) to the north,Wadebridge (48km/30 miles to the south)and Holsworthy (11 km/ 6 miles) to theeast. It lies within the parish ofBude-Stratton, in the district of NorthCornwall.

The village lies approximately 1 ½ milesinland and is surrounded by rollingagricultural land. The River Neet flowsthrough the village and the bulk of thesettlement lies on the hillside to the east ofthe river valley. Another river joins the Neetto the south of the village and this rivertraditionally formed the settlement’ssouthern boundary. To the north east andthe south east of the village the landcontinues to rise to hills of 90 and 85metres above sea level respectively. To thewest lies the slightly lower Stamford Hillsite of a famous Civil War battle, whilst tothe southwest the land rises to a ridgeway,now the route of the A39.

The surrounding farmland was traditionallyarable with a number of market gardens,but is now mainly used for pasture. Garlicwas traditionally grown in the fields aroundthe hamlet of Bowden and there is still aquantity of wild garlic growing in this area.During the twentieth century the hillside tothe west of the River Neet was developedmainly for housing blurring the boundarybetween Stratton and Bude.

Historic Landscape Characterisation

Under the historic landscapecharacterisation survey carried out byCornwall County Council HistoricEnvironment Service in 1994 most of theland surrounding the village ischaracterised as medieval farmland. Thereis an area of twentieth century farmland tothe south-east.

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4 Designations

Scheduled Monuments

There are no scheduled monuments

Historic Buildings

There are 34 listed buildings all of whichare listed Grade II apart fromChurch Houseand the old Post Office and adjoining houseto the south, the Drangway and part of thepassage to the east between ChurchSquare and Gibraltar Square which arelisted grade II*, and the Church of StAndrew which is listed grade I.

There is no local list

Historic Area Designations

The historic core of the settlement lieswithin a conservation area

Other Designations

(All policy numbers refer to North CornwallLocal Plan adopted April 1999)

The land to the south of the settlement isdesignated as Area of Great LandscapeValue (AGLV) – (ENV1)

The land to the east and north of thesettlement is designated an Open Area ofLocal Significance (OALS) – (ENV 2)

The settlement is designated an HistoricSettlement – (ENV14)

To the north west of the settlement is anHistoric Battlefield – (ENV15)

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5 Historic and topographic development

Early Origins

Development took place in the area aroundStratton from a very early period. To thewest of the village the site of the A39follows a ridgeway leading from the Devonborder to Padstow around which campswere sited during the Iron Age. Leigh to theeast of Stratton and Herdbury both datefrom this period and it is possible there wasan Iron Age settlement nearer the ridgewayon the site of Stratton itself. Roman coinshave been found near Bude suggesting thearea was occupied in Roman times.

Initially it was believed the name Strattonwas derived from the Latin stratium, butthis is unlikely, as the ridgeway would nothave been accorded this status. The namecould derive from straetneat meaning roador way across a river, or from strat meaningstreet and ton meaning farm or manor.

We know for certain that the settlement wasin existence by the Saxon period, and thefirst recorded reference to Stratton wasmade in the will of Alfred the Great in 901.It is quite possible that during this periodthe settlement had a wooden church.

Medieval

By the time of the Domesday recordings in1086 the settlement was described asStraneaton Trisconscire – Stratton in theShire of Trigg. The settlement wassurrounded by woodlands and the remainsof two woods - Leigh Wood and ScarsamWood still survive to the east of the village.During the Norman period a stone churchwas built, some of the remnants of which

were discovered during the Victorianrestoration of the present building. TheNorman font also still survives.

In 1184 the Manor of Stratton was dividedinto two separate manors - Binhamy andEfford. The area of the modern village ofStratton falls within the Manor of Binhamy,originally owned by the Blanchminsterfamily. In 1207 a Charter from King Johnallowed for a fair to be held twice a year on19thMay and 10th December. The principalindustry was agriculture mainly based ongrain cultivation, but garlic was also grownin large quantities and used as a cure foranimal diseases. Some of the land wasgiven over to grazing and a cattle marketwas held in the village.

The village was recorded again in 1294when it was mentioned in the Inquisition ofthe Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester asEcclesia de Stratone. In 1291 LauncestonPriory acquired a parcel of land to the eastof the church which became known as theManor of Sanctuary.

In the fourteenth century the StrattonHundred was created, an administrativearea that stretched from Kilkhampton toWeek St Mary. This area of localgovernment remained more or less intactuntil the demise of Stratton Rural Districtduring the local government re-organisationin 1970. Stratton was by this time a centrefor local justice and a Court Leet and CourtBarton were held annually at the Tree Inn.At this point the Tree Inn was known as theManor House and used to collect themanorial rents. It was during this periodthat the Norman church was rebuilt withfunds provided by Sir Ralph deBlanchminster. The tower was added

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during the fifteenth century and Henry VIIIcontributed to the costs of the rood screen,which was destroyed twenty years later.

Picture 5.1 Stratton Church was rebuilt in thefourteenth century

By 1584 the topographical writer Nordendescribed Stratton as ‘Amarket towne veriewell served of all kind of neccessaries’.There was no resident squire and thevillage, or town as it was considered at thetime, was run by the churchwardens andeight men who were the GeneralInspectors, Stockwardens and Overseersof Accounts. These were known as theEight Men of Stratton elected by parishmeeting. They administered a fund knownas the Blanchminster Charity after a legacyfrom the local landowner Sir RanulphBlanchminster of Binhamy. The fund wasmainly used to equip soldiers and for almsfor the poor. In 1577 however it was usedto repave the streets.

During the sixteenth century the Manor ofStratton passed into the hands of SirRichard Grenville. The Grenville family didnot live in the village but in a castle calledStowe in the Coombe Valley to the northof the settlement. The original house waspulled down in 1662 and replaced with alarge redbrick mansion.

By the sixteenth century thanks to thewealth generated locally from farming thesettlement had grown to a significant size.Surviving houses from this period help togive an indication of the settlement’sfootprint - it stretched southwards to CornerGardens, with the Tree Inn on Fore Streetand the area around the church highlydeveloped including the old post officebuilding, Church Cottage and ChurchHouse. At the northern end of the villagein the area known as Townsend was a tithebarn.

Picture 5.2 Parts of the fabric of the old post officedate from the sixteenth century

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Picture 5.3 The slit window on the Tithe Barn is asixteenth century survival

Post-medieval and SeventeenthCentury

By 1600 the travel writer Leland describedStratton as ‘a prettye towne’. Thesettlement continued to develop. To thewest an almshouse Avery’s was built in1684 on the land known as the Manor ofSanctuary. In the centre of the village TheRing of Bells public house was builtopposite the church and a further cottageto the south of the old post office. Thevillage expanded northwards as far asTownsend Cottage on Maiden Street -which was originally built as two houses.Cot Hill was developed by this period withthe house now known as Chy-An-Englosand No. 24 both on its west side. Otherdevelopment from this period included thebuilding adjoining the Tree Inn to the north.It seems highly likely that earlydevelopment would have occurred on the

land around the river but the earliestsurviving buildings date from this time - 1and 2 Bridge Cottages on Howells Roadand West Cottage on The Leat. By 1683 avicarage had been built on land to the southof Diddies Road. During the seventeenthcentury the streets were repaved againfunded by the Blanchminster charity.

Picture 5.4 The seventeenth century West Cottageon The leat has a massive external stack chimneytypical of buildings of this period.

Stratton was touched by national eventsduring the seventeenth century. In 1643the Battle of Stratton was fought atStamford Hill just to the north west of thesettlement. This was a Royalist victory forSir Ralph Hopton and his men againstMajor General Chudleigh leading theParliamentarians. Stratton was a staunchlyRoyalist settlement. During this periodAnthony Payne lived in the Manor Houseat Stratton (later the Tree Inn). He was agiant of 7 foot 2 inches who became ayeoman of the guard to Charles II.

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Picture 5.5 Memorial to the Battle of Stamford Hillon the Tree Inn

Eighteenth century

During the eighteenth century Strattonbecame established as an important localcommercial centre. The 1791 edition of theUniversal British Directory lists all the usualtrades one might expect to find in a smallcommunity such as grocer, draper andblacksmith. In addition there was a druggistand two physicians, a tailor, cordwainer,saddler, victualler, hatter and wig maker.The presence of the last two indicates therelative wealth of the community. The postcame three times a week and a there wasa coach from Exeter every Tuesday.Notably the village had more then twelvepublic houses indicating it serviced a largehinterland. At this time the population of theparish stood at c900.

Surviving houses dating from theeighteenth century include Gibraltar Housebuilt 1789 by a sailor wounded at the Battleof Gibraltar, the southern wing of theStratton Gardens Hotel, the barn adjacentto Chy-An-Eglos, Tudor Cottage onHowell’s Road, Rattenbury House andBirwood House on the west side of ForeStreet, Tree Hill Cottage on Old Post OfficeHill and Willoughby Cottage on SpicersLane. The number of these survivals, the

fact they were scattered throughout thetown, and the number of different traderspresent at this time all indicate the degreeto which the settlement had developed bythis date. This is reinforced by the 1809 firstedition Ordnance Surveymap which showsa village not dissimilar in size and shape tothe present settlement. All the streets arealready in place, and it shows developmentto the east beyond where Sanctuary Lanemeets Church Street. The land betweenCot Hill and Maiden Street is heavilydeveloped, there are buildings on thewestern side of Maiden Street, Fore Street,Old Post Office Hill and Church Street areall developed, and there is some sporadicdevelopment on Spicers Lane.Development spreads to the west ofHowells Road and along Bridge Streetnorth and south of the road and either sideof the river.

Picture 5.6 Rattenbury House on Fore Street datesfrom the eighteenth century

During this period Church House was usedby the churchwardens to brew beer, whichthey sold to provide revenue for the church.A lease dated 1771 shows the ManorHouse was used as an inn and by the1790s was known as the Tree Inn.

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Nonconformism came to Stratton duringthe eighteenth century and meetings wereheld in private houses.

The Blanchminster charity remained activeand provided funds once again for therepaving of the settlement. Following thedeath of William Henry Grenville, the ThirdEarl of Bath who had no direct heir themanor and all his property passed to hiskinsman Henry Thynne.

Early Nineteenth century

Stratton’s pattern of growth continuedunabated during the early nineteenthcentury. Surviving buildings from this periodinclude on Cot Hill - Little Cothill, the mainrange of Stratton Gardens Hotel and 23Cot Hill. In the southern part of the townTree View, Tree View Cottage and thehouse adjoining, Fore Street (which was ashop at this time), Tree Hill House andWoodley House (also a former shop), andthe house adjoining Willoughby HouseSpicers Lane. In 1832 the old vicarage wasreplaced by a new building on the samesite.

Picture 5.7 Little Cot Hill part of the town’s earlynineteenth century development

The 1840 tithe map provides a very goodpicture of the densely developed nature ofsettlement. On the eastern side of MaidenStreet and Market Street there were twentyfive small buildings - all built in a row apartfrom a gap just before the corner of MaidenStreet and Cot Hill. The western side of theroad was less intensively developed. Bothsides of Cot Hill were built on apart fromthe corner site at the northern end. Therewere buildings on the triangular greenwhere the war memorial now stands andall three sides of Church Square were linedwith cottages and houses including thesouthern side of the churchyard – herethere were ten cottages which hugged thelower curve of Cot Hill, south of the OldMalt House. South of the churchyardChurch Street had a few houses at itswestern end and then an open area of landbefore a further development of houseswhere Diddies Road meets SanctuaryLane. Both sides of Fore Street wereentirely built up with further developmentat right angles to the street behind the TreeInn. The triangle of land between ForeStreet and Old Post Office Hill was coveredin development both addressing the streetand some in a courtyard formation behind.There was only sporadic developmentalong Howells Road. Spicers Lane washighly developed on its western side withonly a few buildings on its eastern side. Thewedge of land between Bridge Street andHowells Road was fairly densely built on.The area known as Corner Gardens washighly developed with eleven cottagesbordering the tiny lane. There was buildingat the lower end of Hospital Hill on itsnorthern side and a fair amount ofdevelopment on the southern side of BridgeStreet.

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Picture 5.8 Harsh pebbledashed exteriors give thesenineteenth century terraced cottages aninappropriate modern character

The early nineteenth century developmentin Stratton included a number of shops aswell as increased housing. One of theinhabitants at the turn of the century wasCaptain Moyse who traded goods betweenBristol and Bude. In 1804 Stephen Hawker,who later became the well known rector ofMorwenstowe, was born in Stratton. Theindustries based around the river continuedto develop including a water mill andtanning yard. Cloth was hand spun andwoven in a form known locally as kersey.Development in the riverside area alsoincluded a blacksmiths. It seems likely thatthe intense development along CornerGardens housed workers involved in theseindustries.

By the mid nineteenth century the steadygrowth of the settlement abated as aconsequence of the agricultural slumpwhich followed the Napoleonic Wars. Thisled to a certain amount of emigration. TheStratton Agricultural Unions then opposedthe Poor Laws and this led to riots during1837 and during the 1840s there werefurther riots and emigration.

The support for Nonconformism in thesettlement continued to grow. In 1805 aMethodist Chapel was formed in ForeStreet from two houses and in 1837 a largerpurpose built chapel was erected on thewestern side of Maiden Street (now calledHideaway House). In 1839 a further UnitedMethodist Chapel was built on Back LaneHill (now Spicers Lane).

Picture 5.9 Hideaway House was built as the town’sMethodist chapel in 1837

Late Nineteenth century

The 1856 Post Office Directory gives agood picture of life in Stratton at this time.It describes how in 1851 the population ofthe parish stood at 1,696 but ‘this issupposed to be considerably reduced inconsequence of the number of persons whohave left this neighbourhood to emigrate toAmerica and Australia’. In order to meetthe needs of the growing number of poorin the parish the Union Poor House wasbuilt in 1856 to the west of the settlement.There were however still a variety ofdifferent trades being plied from Strattonranging from blacksmiths to boot makers,wine and spirit dealers to hat makers. Therewere three grocers and four shopkeepersand a number of specialist traders includinga watchmaker, a jeweller, and a glass andchina dealer. The magistrates’ court

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continued to operate from a new buildingon Maiden Street and there were threesolicitors and two registrars resident in thetown. The number of public houses hadreduced somewhat, but there were stilleight. The Directory lists nurserymen whowere presumably connected with the garlicindustry and a number of farmers. Fourstone masons are listed suggesting a fairamount of building work still being carriedout, but the presence of two emigrationagents suggests numbers of peoplecontinued to leave.

Picture 5.10 The construction of the Old CourtHouse dates from the late nineteenth century

During this period, in 1862 the Tree Innbecame The Tree Commercial Inn and wasused as a posting and excise office. By1877 it was listed as a hotel for ‘touristsand commercial gentlemen’. In 1863 apolice station was built at the foot ofHospital Road and in 1866 a cottagehospital was built by the local doctor, JohnKing. He then went on to build himself afine house, St Cyprian’s at the eastern endof the village. There were two nationalschools in the village and in 1890 a newchapel was built on the eastern side ofMaiden Street. The court house on MaidenStreet was also used as a market buildingon its ground floor. The famous tenor,

Charles Saunders (1865-1917) was bornin Stratton and lived at Lilac Cottage,Bridge Street.

Picture 5.11 The Methodist Chapel built in 1890 onMaiden Street

The 1880 first edition Ordnance Surveymap shows how the settlement had alteredsince the drawing of the 1840 tithe map.The row of tiny cottages to the south of thejunction between Maiden Street and CotHill had been demolished creating an emptysite. A further row of cottages to the westof the Stratton Gardens Hotel were alsodemolished and the northern end of CotHill was less intensively developed. MaidenStreet had developed however with morebuildings on its the western side. Thehouses along the southern side of thechurchyard had all gone by this date exceptfor one labeled New Inn, which had a firstfloor overhang connecting it to a buildingin the Church Square triangle. Two out ofthe three buildings in this triangle were still

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extant. A new vicarage had been built tothe south of Diddies Road. Some of thesmall cottages on the eastern side ofMaiden Street appear as larger buildings(possibly amalgamated or rebuilt). StCyprians appears on the map at theeastern end of Diddies Road beyond theSanctuary area. There was furtherdevelopment at the foot of Spicers Laneand a new school on the southern side ofHowells Road. The Bridge Street arearemained fairly unaltered, with the newpolice station on land on the corner ofHospital Road and a lecture hall on theopposite side of the road. The cottagehospital is marked half way up Hospital Hilland the Stratton Union Workhouse to theeast of the settlement. Themap also showsa sizeable leat marked as Mill Leat that rana straight course parallel to the river.

Already by this period the important historiccharacter of the settlement had been notedby visiting writers. In the 1870s Polsuedescribed ‘a place of considerable antiquity’and in 1897 Arthur Norway in Highwaysand Byways in Devon and Cornwalldescribed ‘Stratton that ancient town whichlies fast decaying in a hollow of thehills…Nowhere in Cornwall are the cottagesmore picturesque, the streets more narrowor more obviously ancient.’

Despite its undoubted decline, mainly dueto the fluctuating state of the agriculturalindustry, the settlement remained animportant commercial and administrativecentre, and during this period also becamean important centre in the area forhealthcare.

However in 1898 the railway arrived innearby Bude bypassing Stratton resultingin a reversal of roles for the twosettlements.

Twentieth century

Following the arrival of the railway Budeenjoyed a period of great expansion whilstStratton began a gentle commercialdecline.

Change however was gradual and duringthe first part of the century the settlementdid continue to evolve. As a comparisonbetween the 1880 and 1907 OrdnanceSurvey Maps shows, whilst the overallfootprint of the settlement remained thesame a number of changes to the fabrictook place. Two new houses were built atthe head of Maiden Street and the newWesleyan Methodist Chapel was built onthe eastern side of Maiden Street on thesite of former tiny cottages and a newparish room was built on Old Post OfficeHill. The buildings on the triangle of land inthe centre of Church Square weredemolished (in c1895), as was the New Innon the southern boundary of thechurchyard. In 1910 a row of almshouseswere built and following the First World Wara memorial was erected in Church Square.

Picture 5.12 The former parish room on Old PostOffice Hill

By 1926, despite the growth of Bude,Stratton still managed to maintain its statusas an important local centre. The edition of

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Kelly’s Directory for that year lists overninety entrants in the commercial sectionincluding three banks - Barclays, Lloydsand the National Provincial, three publichouses - the Bideford Inn, the Tree Hoteland, the Kings Arms and a temperancehotel. The settlement still housed theCounty Magistrates for Stratton PettySeasonal Division along with four solicitorsand three registrars. The hospital continuedto expand and a vaccination officer,physician and surgeon all lived in the town.

The town’s links with agriculture continuedwith thirteen farms of over 150 acres listedin the Directory and a number of marketgardeners. The cattle market still took placein Stratton until the 1980s.

During the late twentieth century thecontinuing growth of Bude, the arrival ofsupermarkets and the growth in carownership led to the closure of many ofStratton’s shops. However the settlement,which had now taken on the character of avillage rather than a town, still remained apopular place to live due to the picturesquenature of its ancient streets and historicbuildings. Modern development took placeto the east of Spicers Lane– TrewordenClose, along Diddies Road and to the southof Howells Road. The old Market House orOld Court House as it is now known wasrestored by the Cornwall BuildingsPreservation Trust in 1984.

Present Day Stratton

Stratton has continued to grow in recentyears with new developments of largedetached houses to the south of DiddiesRoad known as Huntfield Gardens and OldDrovers Way. Development has alsocontinued on the land to the south ofHowells Road.

There are three public houses in the village– the historic Tree Inn and the Kings Arms,and the modern Union Inn. The church andMethodist Chapel are still in operation, butthe church hall on Old Post Office Hill andthe chapel on Spicers Lane are bothconverted into domestic use. The earlychapel on the western side of MaidenStreet was used for a period as billiard hallbut is now a domestic building – HideawayHouse. St Cyprian’s was converted into anursing home and renamed StrattonManor– it is currently being refurbished. Theformer temperance hotel, StrattonGardens,now operates as a hotel. The school onHowells Road has been converted into anart gallery and museum and the formerlecture hall is the village hall and venue forevents. Nearly all the shops in Strattonhave closed but there is still a post officeand newsagent and a fish and chip shop.The cottage hospital continues to serve thelocal community.

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Picture 5.13 The post office and newsagent providesan important service in the town centre

Picture 5.14 The fish and chip shop on Fore Streetis one of the few remaining commercial premisesin Stratton

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6 Archaeological potential

There are no scheduled monuments inStratton but archaeology is potentially arich asset for the village. There is muchabout the village’s history that is obscureand archaeology is the only way in whichcertain key aspects of its historicdevelopment can be better understood.

Archaeology does not refer solely to buriedremains. Information on the historicalsequences embodied in standing buildingsand other above ground features could beextremely valuable and a building surveyof the village would be likely to yieldsignificant new information. Opportunitiesfor investigation and recording should besought when buildings are refurbished orundergo substantial alteration.Archaeological remains are an importantand non-renewable resource and as suchare protected by national and local planninglegislation. One component of futureinvestigation of both buried archaeologicalremains and standing buildings may bethrough more extensive targetedimplementation of PPS5 legislation aspart of the development control process.

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7 Present settlement character

Understanding Character

The analysis below is intended to give anunderstanding of the different features thatcontribute towards the town’s character,and make it of special interest. It is hopedthat by identifying and highlighting theseseparate elements they will form the basisfor maintaining and enhancing the town inthe future – to ensure that its specialcharacter is sustained and enhanced.

Topography and Settlement Form

Stratton initially developed around thechurch on a level area of ground half wayup the hill. Its sheltered position on ahillside, near a water source, but highenough to avoid flooding would haveprovided an attractive site for earlyoccupiers. Subsequently the area aroundthe River Neet was developed by earlyindustries, which used the water in itsprocesses and as a source of power. At thesame time the main street between theindustrial area and the church wasdeveloped. Ribbon development occurredalong the main street (Fore Street, MarketStreet and Maiden Street), including anumber of coaching inns and along thesmaller route (Spicers Lane) which leddown to the River Strat.

For many years the land to the east of thechurch remained undeveloped except forOld Sanctuary, but this land becameavailable for development after the manorwas sold in the nineteenth century. Thefields to the north of the church remainedundeveloped – possibly due to their steepgradient as did the fields to the west ofMaiden Street possibly for the samereason. For many years the land to the

south of Diddies Road was occupied bytwo large gardens belonging to the vicarageand to Stratton Manor.

Standing historic fabric

Building types–

As befits a settlement of this size Strattoncontains a large selection of differentbuilding types, which can be describedloosely as vernacular and fall into thefollowing categories.

Small vernacular cottages –

Simple two-storey structures withunadorned facades constructed from localmaterials. There are examples of thesefrom every period of Stratton’s developmentincluding the sixteenth century – ChurchHouse and Church Cottage, theseventeenth - Bridge Cottages andTownsend Cottage, the eighteenth century- Tudor Cottage and Willoughby Cottage,the early nineteenth - Tree View Cottageand 2-4 Crawford Cottages, and the latenineteenth - 1-4 Pollards.

Informal working buildings –

Small workshops, barns and former stablesusually one- storey high and constructedfrom stone with slate roofs. Many of theseare located behind the streetline, but moreprominent constructions include the barnunder conversion north of Trevanion andthe workshops, now used as a garage, atthe foot of Hospital Road. The Old Forgehas been converted into a house and LilacCottage was once a workshop. LongstoneHouse was originally the stable block forStratton Manor, and the cottages oppositeSanctuary were once the stables and

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carriage house for Old Sanctuary. Formermarket buildings next to the Old CourtHouse have been converted into domesticuse as has the Old Tithe Barn which stillretains its massive walls and tiny slitwindow openings.

Picture 7.1 The former forge on Bridge Street

Picture 7.2 The attractive regular eighteenth centuryfaçade of Old Sanctuary

Shops and former shops –

The number of surviving shopfronts aretestament to Stratton’s years as animportant commercial centre. Many of thesetake the form of remnants such as fasciaboards and larger than average windows– 2, 6 and 8 Bridge Street, 25 Maiden

Street, Hillcrest, Tree Cottage, Printers,Tree View Cottage and the brick houseadjacent to Rattenbury Gardens.

Picture 7.3 Remnants of former shop fronts onBridge Street

Picture 7.4 Former commercial premises onMaidenStreet

There are, however, two shops in MarketStreet, Nos. 22 and 23, that have fasciaboards and carved console brackets.

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Picture 7.5 Remnants of historic shop fronts onMarket Street

A number of shopfronts still survive inalmost their original form – the formerbutcher’s shop in Church Street which haspilasters, console brackets, the originalshop window, a fascia and cornice, TreeHill House with its two bay windows flankinga central door with nineteenth centuryfanlight all beneath a projecting fasciaunder a pent roof, and Woodley Housewhose nineteenth century shopfront hascanted bay windows with elegant glazingbars beneath a fascia and projectingcornice. According to its list description,the house adjacent to Tree View to thenorth had a nineteenth century shopfront,but this has recently been replaced by twomodern sash windows. Of the two shopsstill in use the fish and chip shop on ForeStreet has canted windows with a centraldoor and the post office and newsagenthas a modern shop front.

Picture 7.6 This shop front survives virtuallyunaltered

Picture 7.7 Former shop front on the façade of TreeHill House

Picture 7.8 Preserved historic shop front onWoodleyHouse

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Inns and former inns –

We know there were a tremendous numberof public houses in Stratton (twelve in theeighteenth century) but only two, the TreeInn and Kings Arms, are still in operation.The original function of three further innsthe Bideford, Ship and the Lower andHigher Ring of Bells is still recorded in theirnames and surviving features - such as thelong plat band on the façade of theBideford, the ornate door canopy to theShip and the cart entrance on the façadeof the Ring of Bells.

Picture 7.9 The former Bideford Inn onMarket Street

Former industrial buildings –

These buildings tend to be higher than theirdomestic neighbours, often three stories,and have irregular window openings.Examples include 1-3 Bridge Street, 1Crawford Cottages and theOldMalt House.1 Fore Street and the rear projections ofHighnam House and 6 Bridge Street – allhave a row of windows at first floor levelsuggesting they could have been weavinglofts.

Picture 7.10 The rows of first floor windows on 1Fore Street indicate it might once have been aworkshop – possibly for weavers

Architectural styles -

The importance and comparative wealth ofStratton throughout its history is reflectedin the number of buildings whosearchitectural design owes more to nationaltaste rather than local design. Thesebuildings fall roughly into the followingcategories.

Ecclesiastical –

The major ecclesiastical building in thetown is the parish church of St Andrew builtin the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries inthe decorated and perpendicular gothicstyles. Gothic, albeit in a more understatedform, was also the style chosen for thethree Methodist chapels. The earliestchapel, now Hideaway House, was built inan early nineteenth century interpretationof the Gothic style otherwise known asGothick. The early nineteenth century FreeUnited Methodist Chapel on Spicers Lanewas built in the Early English Gothic style,but its distinctive tracery was lost during itssubsequent conversion. The Early Englishstyle was also chosen for the presentMethodist Chapel on Maiden Street.

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Public buildings –

Gothic was also the style of choice for themajority of public buildings in Stratton. TheCommunity Hall built in the early nineteenthcentury from local stone has a gable endfaçade with central round headed doorway.The late nineteenth century school is typicalof many schools built in Cornwall at thistime with a gabled roof, local stone walls,granite dressings and large windows to giveoptimum light. The former church hall inOld Post Office Hill is an early twentiethcentury interpretation of the community hall,but with cream brick rather than stonedressings. The former police station at thefoot of Hospital Road, now known asStratton Court, is built in the Tudor Gothicstyle from brick with stone mullion andtransomed windows and four centred archchamfered stone doorways. The only publicbuilding in Stratton not to be built in theGothic style was the Old Court House,which was built in the Classical style witha symmetrical façade and large sashwindows with decorative glazing bars.

Picture 7.11 The façade of Stratton Community Hallincorporates a number of decorative featuresincluding carved bargeboards and a round headeddoorway

Picture 7.12 The gothic former parish room on OldPost Office Hill

Large houses –

The majority of large houses in Stratton arebuilt in the classical style with elegantsymmetrical facades such as Tregarthens,Old Sanctuary, Sanctuary and HillsideHouse. The former Bay Tree Hotel,however, adjacent to Town Bridge was builtin a more exuberant Gothic style withgables fringed by pierced bargeboards andsurmounted by wooden finials, red bricknogging in the tympanum of the secondfloor windows, a first floor conservatory andfish scale slates above the bay windows.The design of Stratton Manor incorporatesa mixture of architectural influencesincluding an Italianate tower.

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Picture 7.13 The attractive regular eighteenthcentury façade of Old Sanctuary

Picture 7.14 The façade of the former Bay TreeHotel incorporates a number of decorative featuresincluding pierced bargeboards, fish scale tiles andbrick nogging

Other buildings –

Architectural design was not just reservedfor the higher status domestic and publicbuildings in Stratton. The former bank onthe corner of Market Street and ChurchStreet was built in the style of EdwardianClassicism with banded rustication on theground floor, granite quoins, round-headedwindows and a decorative bracket cornice.The former stables to Stratton Manor, nowcalled Longstone House, were designed inthe Tudor Gothic style with arched windowsand large brick chimneys.

Picture 7.15 The classical Edwardian former bankon Market Street

Key Buildings

These buildings are of particular importancedue to their prominent positions and therole they play in the surroundingtownscape.

St Andrew’s Church – grade I.The Tree Inn – grade II

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Picture 7.16 The Tree Inn – parts of which date fromthe sixteenth century – dominates the streetscapeof Fore Street

Stratton Garden Hotel – grade II

Picture 7.17 Stratton Gardens Hotel - an importantelement in the townscape of the northern end of thetown

Old SanctuaryGibraltar House – grade II

Picture 7.18 The southern façade of Gibraltar Housewith charming historic fenestration including agabled and a raking dormer window

Bridge Cottages – grade IIThe Old Post Office – grade II*Church Square buildings – ChurchCottage (grade II), Lower and HigherRing of Bells (grade II), Church House(grade II*)Stratton Methodist Church

Other listed structures –

All are listed grade II

Sixteenth century –No.3 Corner Gardens

Seventeenth century – Westlake ChestTomb, Former butcher’s shop ChurchSquare, Chy-An-Eglos Cot Hill, No 24 CotHill, Townsend Cottage, House adjacent toTree Inn to the north, West Cottage TheLeat

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Picture 7.19 The ground floor windows on TownsendCottage are stepped to follow the gradient of the hill

Eighteenth century – Rattenbury House,Tudor Cottage, Tree Hill Cottage,Willoughby Cottage

Early nineteenth century – StrattonCommunity Hall, Little Cothill Guesthouse,No 23 Cot Hill, Tree View and Houseadjoining, Tree View Cottage, HideawayHouse, Tree Hill House, Woodley House,House adjoiningWilloughby Cottage to thesouth

Late nineteenth century – Stratton Court

Early twentieth century – Winand VanWulfften Palthe Memorial, The WarMemorial

Local and traditional buildingmaterials

Wall treatments throughout the town vary.The majority of houses and cottages arerendered with both smooth and texturedfinishes. There are however a number ofbuildings with untreated stone wallsincluding Church Cottage and Hillcrest, andsome with stone walls and brick surrounds– Lilac Cottage, Hillside Cottage, 12MaidenStreet and the Old Church Hall. Some ofthe cottages in Stratton are constructed

from cob such as 1 and 2 Bridge Cottages,whilst others are a mixture of stone andcob. The Ring of Bells has a stone groundfloor and rendered first floor which ispossibly cob, West Cottage is constructedof cob with a stone plinth and TownsendCottage has cob walls with a massive stoneexternal chimneystack.

Picture 7.20 Lilac Cottage, originally a workshop, isconstructed from local stone with later brickdressings

Although stone and cob were the traditionalmaterials for walls there are a few historicbuildings in the village constructed frombrick - these include Stratton Court and thehouse adjoining Rattenbury Gardens onFore Street. Rattenbury House is built frombricks which are believed to have comefrom Stowe, the country house of theGrenville family situated above the CoombeValley.

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Picture 7.21 Stratton Court, the former police station,is constructed from brick with stone dressings

The majority of roofs in the village are localslate and they greatly add to the quality ofthe town giving a sense of homogeneity tosome quite disparate building types. Thereare also a number of thatched cottagesincluding 1 and 2 Bridge Cottages, TudorCottage, Willoughby Cottage, JasmineCottage and Townsend Cottage. It is mostlikely that a larger number of the oldercottages were originally thatched. Forexample the positioning of the first floorwindows close to the eaves on the KingsArms suggests this building was originallythatched.

Picture 7.22 Church House roof is formed from tinyslates laid in regular courses by skilled craftsmen

Picture 7.23 Bridge Cottages have a traditionalthatched roof

Slate became widely used in the areafollowing the development of the slatequarries at Delabole and the extraction ofslate from the cliff faces along the NorthCornish coast. In addition to its widespreaduse as a roofing material it was also usedto provide protection for walls facing theprevailing wind and for its decorativequalities. Slatehanging can be found on theold post office, the first floor of StrattonGardens Hotel and the rear extension ofthe Old Court House. Slate was used toform window cills and for verges such asthose on Lilac Cottage and West Cottage.

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Picture 7.24 Slate hanging on the façade of the OldPost Office

Picture 7.25 Slate hanging on the Stratton GardensHotel

Picture 7.26 Slate and lead verge on Fore Street

The majority of chimneystacks in the townare brick but there are a number of earlystone survivals including 24 Cot Hill, LittleCot Hill, Townsend Cottage and WestCottage.

Picture 7.27 Bridge Cottage – a modern brickchimney on a historic stone stack

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Local details

There are a variety of different roof typesin the town. A number of roofs have gableends such as Lavender Cottage, StrattonCourt, Old Tannery House, and the formerBay Tree Hotel as well as amany examplesof hipped roofs – Drangway, HideawayHouse, The Old Coach House, 1 BridgeStreet. Most roofs have simple slate orterracotta ridge tiles but there are also anumber with decorative crested terracottaridges including Lavender Cottage, theformer Bay Tree Hotel and Sunnyside.

Picture 7.28 Hipped local slate roof on Drangway

Picture 7.29 Crested terracotta ridge tiles on theroof of Lavender Cottage

There are a number of historic dormerwindows in the town incorporated to provideaccommodation in the steeply pitched roofspaces. Full dormer windows can be foundon Gibraltar House, the old post office andthe house behind it, Huntfield andTregarthern (which also has slatehungcheeks). There are gabled half dormers on2-4 Crawford Cottages, the southernelevation of Hillside House and the Ring ofBells, and a raking dormer on GibraltarHouse.

Picture 7.30 Full gabled dormer with piercedbargeboards on the old post office

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Picture 7.31 Half-dormer windows with decorativebargeboards on Crawford Cottages

Picture 7.32 Half dormer window on the Ring ofBells

There is a very good survival of historicwindows in Stratton not only on listedbuildings but also on more modest terracedhouses.

Picture 7.33 Surviving historic fenestration enhancesthe character of Maiden Street

There are good examples of both sash andcasement windows. Casements can befound at Tatra, 23 Cot Hill, 17 Townsendand Townsend Cottage. Sash windows aremore prevalent, with six over six panewindows at 1 Bridge Street, Hammetts, TheSanctuary and the Kings Arms, andexamples of eight over eight at 4 CrawfordCottages, Tatra, Tree View Cottage,Willoughby House, Huntfield, Drangway,Rattenbury House, Hillside House,Tregarthens, Gibraltar House and StrattonGardens Hotel. Canted bay windows arefound on the facades of Pollards Farm and15 Maiden Street, and there is a first floorbay window on Tree Hill Cottage andHillside House.

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Picture 7.34 Canted bay windows on the façade ofPolaris Farm

Picture 7.35 First floor bay window on Tree HillCottage

Picture 7.36 First floor bay window projecting fromthe southern elevation of Hillside House

The Tree Inn has distinctive tripartitewindows whilst tall stair windows can befound at Tregarthens, Crispins andHighnams House.

Picture 7.37 Tripartite window on the Tree Inn

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Picture 7.38 Highnams House has a number ofdifferent window types – including a tall thin stairwindow on its western elevation and a row of sashwindows, which could indicate a former industrialuse

A distinctive wooden lattice porch framesthe door of Gibraltar House whilst a numberof cottages in the village have simple slatedoor canopies including Sanctuary Cottage,Church Cottage, Townsend Cottage, 26and 27 Maiden Street and Greenbank.

Picture 7.39 The front entrance to SanctuaryCottage has a simple slate canopy

Picture 7.40 The door canopy of Greenback hasslim iron supports

One of the delights of Stratton is thesurvival of historic paneled doors, so oftenlost to modern replacements. Examplescan be found at Sanctuary, the Old PostOffice, Rosmerryn, Bank House, the housenext to the old butchers on Church Street,Old Ship, Tree View Cottage, Tree View,Rattenbury House, Tree Hill Cottage andTree Hill House. Two wooden plank doorssurvive at Townsend Cottage with halfheight dog gates.

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Picture 7.41 Historic panelled door beneath adecorative door canopy on the façade of the OldShip

Picture 7.42 Fine six panelled door on RattenburyHouse

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Picture 7.43 The panelled front door of TownsendCottage with dog gate and slate canopy above

A feature of the town is the canting ofcorner buildings to give better visibility andto widen the road. Examples can be foundat 10 Bridge Street, the house on the cornerof Spicer Lane and the house on the cornerof Fore Street and Church Street.

Picture 7.44 Buildings with canted corners

Activity and use

Over the years the nature of the town hasaltered greatly. With the expansion of Budeand the subsequent closure of so manylocal businesses and shops Stratton hasbecome a far quieter place with theatmosphere of a sleepy village rather thana bustling small town. It is still an importantresidential area, however, and itspicturesque cottages and quaint streetshave made it a popular destination forcommuters and the retired. There are anumber of holiday homes, but a largeenough proportion of the town is lived in bypermanent residents to avoid theoff-season bleakness which affects somany attractive Cornish communities. Thepost office and newsagent is still an

3

tton Conservation Area Appraisal


important meeting place and the churchand chapel draw congregations on aSunday.

Spatial analysis

Travelling through Stratton there is anoverall impression of intensive historicdevelopment and a great sense ofenclosure due to the survival of narrowmedieval streets, many of which are flankedby buildings which rise as high as threestories in some cases.

Picture 7.45 A sense of enclosure on Fore Street isfostered by the narrowness of the road and theheight of the buildings

Picture 7.46 Examples of the intensive historicdevelopment of Stratton can be found throughoutthe town

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Picture 7.47 Examples of the intensive historicdevelopment of Stratton can be found throughoutthe town

The impression of dense development isheightened by glimpses of buildings behindthe streetline - Pollards, the Bideford Innand the Tree Inn, courtyard developments- Gibraltar Square, The Leat and thebuildings around Old Tannery House, androws of tightly packed cottages – CornerGardens.

Picture 7.48 Development beyond the street line tothe rear of the former Bideford Inn

There are a few historic open areas suchas the churchyard, but the general feelingis one of enclosure. Even the gardens arebordered by high stone walls – DroversWay, the gardens south of Sanctuary andthe garden south of Hammett’s. Otherareas of open space in the town such asRattenbury Gardens, Church Square andthe corner of Bridge Street and Howell’sRoad result from the demolition of historicbuildings – the town having been evenmore intensively developed in the past.

The sweeping expanse of Howell’s Roadas it enters the town to the east wasoriginally somewhat narrower – the roadwas widened by removing the playgroundin front of the old school.

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Streetscape and views

Streetscape

The majority of the streets in Stratton havepavements and these are modern tarmacwith concrete kerbs. There are however anumber of charming examples of historicstreet surfacing which greatly enhance thecharacter of the town. Cobbled gutters canbe found along the west side of SpicerLane, the west side of Cot Hill and on bothsides of the road alongside Little Cot Hillgarden, and to the side of HighnamHouse.

Picture 7.49 Cobbled gutter adjacent to Highnam’sHouse

There is a very picturesque expanse ofcobbles in Gibraltar Square, an area ofcobbles in front of the cottages on thenorthern side of Church Square and in frontof the Church Street elevation of GibraltarHouse.

Picture 7.50 A large expanse of cobbles greatlyadds to the charm of Gibraltar Square

Picture 7.51 Cobbled gutters and paving on thewestern side of Church Square

The setting of Little Cot Hill and the StrattonGardens Hotel is greatly enhanced by itsarea of cobbles and slate flags to the frontof the properties.

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Picture 7.52 Cobbles and slate flags in front of LittleCot Hill

Cobbled gutters and decorative cobbledstrips can be found in the churchyard andthe entrance to the churchyard is formedfrom wide slates bordered by cobblesleading to a checkerboard arrangement ofslate squares and edge bedded slatebeneath the lychgate.

Picture 7.53 The pathway through the churchyardis bordered by cobbled gullies

Picture 7.54 The approach to the church is formedfrom large slabs of slate bordered by cobbles

Picture 7.55 The distinctive chequerboard floorscapebeneath the lychgate

In addition to the historic surfaces someoriginal alleyways or drangs still survive inthe town centre. The Drangway alleywayis accessed from Gibraltar Square througha sixteenth century granite arch and half

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way along the passageway there is anothergranite arch with moulded jambs and leafcarvings in the spandrels.

Picture 7.56 Granite archway with carved spandrelsadjacent to Drangway

The floor of the Drangway passage isconstructed from cobbles and lengths ofgranite. Another surviving drangway leadsoff Maiden Street to the former chapel nowcalled Hideaway House. The floor of thepassageway where is passes alongside 17Maiden Street is formed from cobbles.

There are still a number of un-made roadsin the town which give the streetscape aninformal almost pastoral feel. Examples ofthese can be found along The Leat,Sanctuary Lane and the lane leading to theTithe Barn. This quality is shared by someof the smaller lanes such as Spicers Lane,Cot Hill and the eastern end of DiddiesRoad which do not have any pavements.In contrast Fore Street, Market Street andMaiden Street (which once formed themainroute to Bideford) have pavements on bothsides.

Picture 7.57 The gravel surface at the far end ofSanctuary Lane lends the character of an informalroute more appropriate for pedestrians than fortraffic

Picture 7.58 The lane leading to the Tithe Barn stillretains its agricultural character

In the main most buildings in the town arebuilt straight onto the street resulting in afairly hard landscape. Most of the housesaddress the street, but along the southernside of Diddies Road Hammetts, Tatra,Huntfield and Tregarthens are built facingthe view and their gardens with rearelevations facing the road.

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Picture 7.59 Huntfield and Tregarthens, the former,vicarage, were built facing the view with their rearelevations to the road

As the streets leave the village to the northand the east they revert into country lanesbordered by high hedges.

Picture 7.60 The streets leading from the town revertto rural country lanes

Views

As the town was built on a hill there are anumber of long ranging vistas from itsnorthern end. Looking west from the headof Townsend one looks out over the greenriver valley to Stamford Hill beyond. Fromthe lane above Stonewalls there are viewsacross steeply pitched roofs interspersedwith trees to the church tower to the westand views to the distant hills to the south.

Picture 7.61 View across the rooftops towards thechurch tower from Stonewalls – overhead cablesare particularly dominant

Picture 7.62 A very rural vista looking south fromthe lane above Stonewalls

The church tower is an important featureof many of the views within the town.

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Picture 7.63 View of the church tower from ForeStreet

Glimpses of the tower can be seen lookingeast from Kemyke Cottage at it rises behindthe outbuildings to the rear of the Tree Inn.Looking north along Spicers Lane borderedby tall buildings and high garden walls thechurch tower acts as a focal pointsurrounded by tall trees.

Picture 7.64 The church tower features in viewsthroughout the town

Picture 7.65 View of the church tower from SpicersLane

The church and its canopy of trees formsthe backdrop to the view west alongDiddies Road. Looking south from the topof Townsend the road curves, fringed withcottages and houses beyond which thechurch tower rises.

Picture 7.66 View of the church tower fromTownsend

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From Town Bridge there are delightful riverviews looking north and south whichcontrast with the very hard landscapelooking east, where the houses built straightonto the road march up the hill with theubiquitous church tower rising beyond.

Picture 7.67 View of the River Neet looking southfrom Town Bridge

In addition to the vistas there are a numberof charming intimate views and glimpseswithin the town itself including looking intoGibraltar Square from The Drangwaypassage, looking down to Hideaway Houseand along Sanctuary Lane.

Picture 7.68 Glimpse into Gibraltar Square from thealleyway

Public realm

Throughout the village walls play animportant part in the public realm. Some ofthe most attractive walls are thosebordering the River Neet. These walls arehigh mortared stone retaining walls withcast iron drainage covers.

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Picture 7.69 Stone retaining walls with cast-irondrainage covers bordering the River Neet

Garden walls are also an attractive elementof the town’s character. Many of these arebuilt from local stone including thebuttressed wall to the south of Sanctuary,Stratton Manor Garden Wall which greatlyadds to the character of Drover’s Way andthe walls to the gardens of Little Cot Hilland Townsend Cottage. Similar mortaredlocal stone forms the retaining wall to thechurchyard.

Picture 7.70 The garden wall to Sanctuary makesan attractive boundary to the northern side ofDiddies Road

Picture 7.71 Stratton Manor’s garden walls andmature trees enhance the character of Drover’sWay.

Picture 7.72 Little Cot Hill garden wall

Picture 7.73 The attractive buttressed garden wallto Townsend Cottage

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There are a few historic examples ofrendered walls in the village. The wallbetween the garage on Hospital Road andthe modern house Essex Cottage isrendered with a slate and terracotta coping,and the tall wall bordering the Sanctuarygarden on the northern side whichincorporates a glass house with clearstoreywindows is also rendered.

Picture 7.74 Rendered wall with slate and terracottacopings between Essex Cottage and the garage

Picture 7.75 The garden wall to Sanctuaryincorporates a glass house

The wall to the vicarage on Diddies Roadincludes areas of rounded stones whichcould possibly have come from the beach.

Picture 7.76 Part of the vicarage wall on DiddiesRoad appears to be constructed from pebbles

Steps can also add to the character of thepublic realm enhancing the streetscape andthe setting of buildings. Leading to OldSanctuary there are slate steps and a flightof stone steps can be found at the end ofthe garden to Highnam House.

Picture 7.77 Local slate has been used to form thesteps outside Old Sanctuary

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Picture 7.78 Stone steps at the north end ofHighnam’s House garden

There is a good survival of traditional ironwork in the village including railings – OldSanctuary, Greenbank, Crabhay Cottageand Highnam House.

Picture 7.79 Cast iron railings in front of OldSanctuary with palmette finials

Picture 7.80 Cast iron railings outside CrabhayCottage

More modern railings can be found outsidethe Methodist Chapel and the Old CourtHouse. Wrought iron gates lead intoHideaway House and the eastern end ofthe churchyard – here they are set withina stone gateway with a lintel forming thearch.

Picture 7.81 Wrought iron gates lead onto thecobbled alleyway to Hideaway House

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The entrance to the Old Court House isthrough a modern iron gate set withinrendered stone gate posts with pyramidalcaps. There is a wrought iron light bracketoutside the tree Inn with a modern lightfitting, and a K6 telephone box outside 12Maiden Street.

Picture 7.82 Wrought iron gates at the easternentrance into the churchyard

Picture 7.83 K6 telephone box on Maiden Street

Other features which enhance the publicrealm in Stratton include a stone blocklychgate with slate roof leading into thechurchyard from the west, the granite warmemorial and the stone well set into thewall along Diddies Road.

Picture 7.84 The sturdy stone walls of the lychgatesupport a local slate pitched roof in diminishingcourses

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Picture 7.85 The granite war memorial with engagedmoulded columns

Picture 7.86 Stone well on Diddies Road – part ofthe street ephemera that contributes to the characterof the town

Greenery and green space

The intensive historic development ofStratton had led to few areas of greenspace within the settlement. This makesthe surrounding areas of undeveloped

countryside such as the fields borderingthe River Neet, the farmland to the northeast and east of the town and theundeveloped area by the river either sideof Drovers Lane of great importance.

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Picture 7.87 The walk beside the River Strat at thefoot of Old Drover’s Way is an important area ofgreen space

The principal area of green open space inthe village is the delightful churchyard. Dueto its elevated position above Diddies Roadand its collection of beautiful mature treesit forms an important part in many of thesurrounding views and a green backdropto the surrounding historic buildings.

Picture 7.88 The churchyard with its mature treesand wild flowers provides an important open areaof green space at the heart of the town

Picture 7.89 The churchyard with its mature treesand wild flowers provides an important open areaof green space at the heart of the town

Many of the town’s gardens are hiddenbehind high walls, but the walls of thegarden opposite Little Cot Hill are lowenough to allow views of the charming

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garden within. The back gardens of theLeat and Bridge Street houses are visiblefrom Town Bridge.

Picture 7.90 Little Cot Hill garden is an importantarea of green space at the northern end of the town.

Picture 7.91 Charming views of the back gardensof The Leat seen from Town Bridge

Large mature trees throughout the townhelp to green up the streetscape. Inaddition to the churchyard trees goodexamples can be found at the foot of UnionHill and in the grounds of Stratton Manor.

Picture 7.92 Mature trees in the garden of StrattonManor

In addition to the traditional areas of greenspace there are also a number of modernareas of grass and planting in the town.These include the lawns and raised bed onthe corner of Howells Road and BridgeStreet, Rattenbury Gardens and the areaaround the War Memorial which includesa number of attractive trees.

Picture 7.93 Raised beds and trees in RattenburyGardens

Loss, intrusion and damage

Over the years a number of historicbuildings have been demolished within thetown for a variety reasons including tomake way for new development, as a resultof poor condition and to improve road

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visibility. The most notable losses are thebuildings on the corner of Bridge Street andHospital Road, the buildings on the cornerof Bridge Street and Howell’s Road,buildings on the western side of GibraltarSquare, the buildings on Fore Street whereRattenbury Gardens now stand, and thebuildings on the site of the present warmemorial.

Picture 7.94 The demolition of buildings on Old PostOffice Hill has revealed the rear elevations ofbuildings that were never intended to be seen

In the main the settlement has adapted wellto the twenty first century keeping much ofits historic integrity. However there hasbeen a certain amount of work carried outin modern times which has, in places, beendetrimental to its character. Throughout the

town the street lighting is extremelyutilitarian and in some cases insensitivelypositioned.

Picture 7.95 Views of the historic town are marredby overhead cables and utilitarian street lighting

Overhead cables have been placed withlittle thought to their setting and ofteninterrupting important views. The use ofbrick paving in Corner Gardens makes noreference to the traditional materials of thetown and is more suited to an urbanenvironment. The new building in thegrounds of Huntfield House would havebeen less intrusive if the original vicaragegarden wall had been preserved. The closeboard fencing used to border the pathleading from Drovers Way to the riversounds an inappropriate urban note in anotherwise very pastoral setting.

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Picture 7.96 The brick paving along Corner Gardenswould be more suitable in an urban setting

Many of the historic buildings in Strattonretain their original features, but over theyears the historic integrity of some buildingshas suffered due to inappropriateintervention. Stratton Manor the Italianatevilla would have been a good candidate forlisting, but it has in modern times beengreatly altered, in part due to its conversioninto a nursing home. However some of itshistoric features still survive and its gardenis an important asset to the area.

Picture 7.97 The beautifully maintained horned sashwindows and panelled front door of Rosemerrynillustrates how retaining and caring for historicfeatures contribute greatly to the character of thebuilding.

A number of historic buildings in the townhave been rendered with pebbledash whichhas led to their facades losing all definitionand appearingmodern. There are a numberof former shops in the town which havebeen converted into domestic buildings -in some cases the original shopfronts andfeatures have been retained, whilst othershave inappropriate modern, often plastic,replacement windows and doors.

Picture 7.98 Harsh pebbledashed exteriors givethese nineteenth century terraced cottages aninappropriate modern character

Neutral Areas

The car park adjacent to Spicers Lanewhilst an important local amenity could belandscaped in order to present a moreattractive entranceway onto Howell’s Road.The corner of Howell’s Road and BridgeStreet despite the raised bed appears alittle bleak and the map of the town is inneed of replacement.

General condition and Buildingsat risk

The general condition of the buildings inStratton is very good. The Stratside ArtsCentre and Stratton Manor are bothcurrently undergoing schemes of repair.

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Picture 7.99 The former school now the StratsideArts Centre is currently undergoing a scheme ofrepair

There are no Buildings at Risk.

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8 Problems and pressures

Buildings

There are an increasing number ofreplacement windows in non-traditionalmaterials of inappropriate design onhistoric buildings in prominentlocations.In the main there is a noticeable goodsurvival rate of historic doors, but anumber of historic buildings havereplacements of inappropriate designand of non-traditional materials.A number of historic houses have beenrendered with inappropriatecementitious render or pebbledash.At present the majority of theconservation area has a very highproportion of historic fabric. Thepopularity of the village and its positionnear the North Cornish coast couldhowever result in pressure being puton the open areas of green spacewithin the village, including the largergardens, for further development.Some historic shop fronts have beenlost or partially removed whenconversion to domestic dwellings takesplace.

Designation

There are some significant historicbuildings and walls which are notlisted.The conservation area boundarycurrently excludes some historicbuildings and spaces, and cuts off animportant area of green space beyondthe community centre.

Public Realm

Street lighting is utilitarian and of astandardised form.

Picture 8.1 The scale and design of the streetlightsgive Bridge Street the character of an urban by-pass

Garden and boundary walls could beat risk of demolition to provide ‘offstreet’ parking.There are a number of dominant andinappropriately designed overheadcables.

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Picture 8.2 Throughout the village there are aplethora of unsightly overhead cables

It is important that the back-land areas,alleyways and historic outhouses arevalued for the important contributionthey make to the character of Stratton.

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9 Recommendations

Buildings

Windows and doors in buildings insensitive and highly visible locationsshould be of traditional materials anddesign. Historic windows should berepaired where possible or replacedto match originals.Inappropriate modern wall coveringsshould not be applied to historicbuildings, and surviving untreatedstone walls should not be rendered.Stratton has an admirable survival oforiginal slate roofs which contributegreatly to the town’s character. In orderto preserve this asset the insertion offurther dormer windows, rooflights andthe replacement of traditional slatecoverings should be limited.Alterations which affect the historicintegrity of both listed and unlistedhistoric buildings in order to provideincrease accommodation both in theform of changing existing historic plansand in adding extensions should beavoided.Further development within theconservation area should be resisted,as it would seriously compromise thehistoric integrity of the settlement. Thesurviving historic green spaces shouldbe valued for the contribution theymake to the overall quality andcharacter of the village and not beviewed as potential development sites.Surviving historic shop fronts andremnants of shop fronts should beretained and conserved.

Designation

A review of the listing of the villageshould be carried out consideration

should be given to the listing of thefollowing – The Old Tannery, No. 1Bridge Street, the Kings Arms, No 1Fore Street, Hillside House, Hammetts,Tatra, Old Sanctuary, StrattonMethodist Church, The Old CourtHouse, the Bideford Inn and some ofthe walls within the town. In additionconsideration should be given tocompiling a local list of historicbuildings.

Picture 9.1 The irregularly placed window openingson these houses on Diddies Road suggest theycould be eighteenth century, or possibly earlier

The conservation area boundaryshould be redrawn to include thehistoric buildings to the south ofSpicers Lane and the car park. Byincluding the car park it is hoped alandscaping scheme that couldenhance this highly visible corner ofthe town could be considered not leastas it is many visitors’ first impressionof the settlement. The green setting tothe community hall and Stratton Courtat the foot of Union Hill should also beincluded. The conservation areaboundary should be extended toinclude the garden to the north ofEssex Cottage. This open green spacewith its surviving historic walls provides

52



a natural boundary between thehistoric conservation area and themodern development along HospitalRoad.

Public Realm

Streetlights should be of a design andmaterials more suitable to their historicsurroundings, and more sensitivelypositioned.Consideration should be given toserving an Article 4 Direction to controlthe demolition of walls and hedges,especially for the creation of hardstandings.Overhead cables should beappropriately sited in order to impactless on the surrounding historic andnatural environment.The informal qualities of the back-landareas and alleyways of Stratton shouldbe preserved. The outbuildings shouldbe retained and maintained.

53



10 Opportunities

The public realm in Stratton couldbenefit from a little attention. The mapof the town on the corner of BridgeStreet and Howell’s Road is in need ofreplacement and consideration shouldbe given to replacing the concretekerbs in the more historic parts of thetown with granite.

Picture 10.1 The town map is in need ofreplacement

The parking area to the rear of theKings Arms could be landscaped, notleast because it is so visible from OldPost Office Hill.Consideration should be given toproducing a new town trail. This couldhelp visitors to understand the manylayered history of the village andencourage them to walk to the prettysurrounding satellite settlements suchas Diddies and Bowden.

54



Fairwinds

Hillcot

Holmecroft

Meadows

Irstead House

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rk

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Hall

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Weir

Homecroft

Court

Pollards

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Townsend Cottage

Greenbank

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Rosmerryn

17

Townsend House

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Creeper Cottage

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Acorns

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Tugella

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Southern House

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Lower Ring O'Bells

Upper Ring O'Bells

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25

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23

17

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Hillcrest

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SANCTUARY

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Stratton Manor

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House

Trelawney

Bank

Southview

Compton House

Howell's Bridge

TudorCottage

House

Printers

Willoughby

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Greenville House

Cottage

Treleven House

Market House

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use

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THE L

EAT

Scale: 1:1500This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with thepermission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty'sStationery Office (C) Crown copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings.

North Cornwall District Council1000219032008

19/08/2008

StrattonHistoric

Development

SS2306SW

STRATTON TOWNSCAPE

MAP

Scale: 1:1500

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (C) Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. North Cornwall District Council 100021903

SS2306SW

07/01/2009

1 Sources

Published sources

Bere, R and Dudley Stamp, B, 1980, TheBook of Stratton and Bude

Pevsner, N, 1996, The Buildings of EnglandCornwall

Polsue, J, 1872, Lake’s Parochial Historyof the County of Cornwall, Vol 4

Rowse, A L, 1941 Tudor Cornwall

Young, B, and Dudley Stamp, B, 2002,Stratton Past and Present

Trade Directories

Post Office Directory 1856

Kelly’s Directory 1926

Strategic, policy and programmedocuments

North Cornwall District Local Plan 1999

Historic maps

Ordnance Survey Surveyor’s Drawingc1809

Tithe Map (c1840)

Ordnance Survey 1st edn 1:2500 (1880)

Ordnance Survey 2nd edn 1:2500 (1907)

Websites

www.genuki.co.uk

www.thisisnorthcornwall.com

Cornwall County Council HistoricEnvironment Record

Sites, Monuments and Buildings Record

1994 Historic Landscape Characterisation

55



Stratton Conservation Area Management Plan

March 2010

This Conservation Area Management Plan was undertaken by North Cornwall District Council in 2009. It was endorsed by North Cornwall District Council’s Planning & Development Committee on the 23rd March 2009 and was subsequently endorsed by Cornwall Council as a material consideration within the emerging Cornwall Council Local Development Framework on 24 April 2010.

Contents

41 Introduction

52 General guidance

63 Roofs

94 Walls

115 Joinery

146 Enclosure and space

177 Townscape features

Stratton Conseration Area Management Plan

1 Introduction

This Conservation Area Management Plan (CAMP) is intended to stand alongside theCharacter Appraisal. The structure relates directly to that document for easycross-reference. Firstly there is general guidance on the conservation and enhancementof the key elements that contribute to the quality of the townscape. At the end of keysections is a list of best practice bullet points to aid retention of historic character andarchitectural quality.

It is hoped that the document will act as a reference for all who make decisions which mayimpact on the special character of Stratton– property owners, planners, developers,designers, local authorities and statutory undertakers. To this end it will be available viathe internet and in print form through the library, parish