DEEPDALE ENCLOSURE
CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Deepdale Road Conservation Area was designated by Preston
Borough Council in 1986. This appraisal updates and expands on the
previous appraisal carried out in 1996.
1.2
A Conservation Area is an “area of special architectural or historic
interest” the character or appearance of which it is desirable to
preserve or enhance. Designation of a conservation area increases
the control over significant or total demolition of unlisted buildings,
strengthens control over minor development and protects trees within
its boundaries. It also ensures that any new development maintains or
enhances the conservation area.
2
PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK
2.1
The planning policy context is PPG15: Planning and the Historic
Environment, Part 1, Section 4, Policies 13, 20 and 21 of the Joint
Lancashire Structure Plan (2001 – 16), Objectives 9, 10 and 11 of
Heritage Conservation in Lancashire (Lancashire County Council) and
policies C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 and C8 on Conservation of the
Historic Environment and policy G3 on Green Space in the adopted
Local Plan (Preston City Council 1996).
3
SUMMARY OF SPECIAL INTEREST
•
•
A surviving area of previous common land that has been
incorporated into the Victorian expansion of Preston
A good local example of Victorian middle-class housing laid out
around a park
1
4
ASSESSING SPECIAL INTEREST
4.1
Location and setting
4.1.1 The Deepdale Road Conservation Area is located to the east of
Preston city centre. It is a roughly triangular area of land bounded to
the north-west by Meadow Street and on its other two sides by the
houses along East View and Deepdale Road terminating just below the
junction of these two roads. The land is relatively flat but does slope
slightly from south east to north west.
Fig 1 Deepdale Road conservation area
4.1.2 North Lancashire geologically is clay and shale, with New Red
Sandstone and limestone in the Ribble valley.
2
4. 2
Historic development and archaeology
4.2.1 Deepdale is outside the historic town boundaries of Preston; its
development as a residential area is part of the expansion of the town
during the 19th century. Its earliest use, according to the Court records
of 18th April 1654, was as the location of the town cuckstool which was
ordered to be set upon the wall of the washing pool (probably the area
shown on the 1822 and 1824 maps to the north of the conservation
area). The name of the conservation area – Deepdale Enclosure – is
slightly misleading as it is not an area enclosed under an Enclosure
Act. Areas of Preston which were enclosed in this way are Fulwood,
Ribbleton and Brockholes. It may be that this was an area of common
land which was enclosed by the town corporation. This had happened
in other parts of Preston (Moor Park) where it was decided that
ownership was vested in the mayor, aldermen and burgesses in their
corporate capacity. Charles Hardwick’s History of Preston, published
in 1857, says that the land was an area of common ground known as
the Washing Moor as it was used by laundresses to dry their washing.
According to Hardwick it was enclosed by the Corporation in 1850 so
this seems to support the theory that it was “enclosed” by the
Corporation rather than through an Act of Parliament. The road
through (Deepdale Road) was one of the northern routes out of the
town and is shown on the earliest maps of this part of Preston. The
1822 map shows the conservation area before much development has
occurred; there appears to be just one building along Deepdale Road.
Just two years later the 1824 map shows three more buildings in the
centre which appear to have a path running round them mirroring the
triangular shape of the field.
Fig 2 Detail from 1822 map – conservation area outlined in red
3
Fig 3 Detail from1824 map
Fig 4 Left detail from the 1840 map and right detail from the 1849 OS map.
4.2.2 The 1840 map shows that the structures present in the 1824 map have
gone; East View is laid out as a path and Deepdale Street has been
laid out and houses built below it on the east side of Deepdale Road
called Barton Terrace. By 1849 there are houses all along the east
side of Deepdale Road; the buildings above the junction with Deepdale
Street are Stephenson’s Terrace. The list description states that these
houses were built c.1847-51 but the map evidence would seem to
4
indicate that 1847-9 is more likely to be the correct date. Charles
Hardwick’s book History of the Borough of Preston and its environs
(1857) has an engraving and a description of Stephenson’s Terrace.
Fig 5 Engraving from Charles Hardwick’s book (Harris Library)
The engraving, looking south, also shows the lodge, built by the Corporation
in 1850, and some of the landscaping. The lodge seems to have been
demolished at some time between the 1955-6 and 1966-7 maps. Hardwick
says that the area might be described as a public “square” if it weren’t for the
fact that the open land was triangular in shape. The terrace was built by a
local contractor, George Mould, and named after the famous engineer,
George Stephenson.
Fig 6 Stephenson Terrace circa 1905, looking north (Harris Library)
5
The 1849 map also shows a railway line and station to the rear of
Stephenson’s Terrace. This was the station for the Preston and Longridge
Railway – Hewitson describes it, and another station, as being of a very paltry
nature.
Fig 7 Left detail from the 1892-3 and right the 1911-2 OS maps
4.2.3 The 1892 map shows that East View has been laid out with housing on
its west side. The open space in the middle is now known as Deepdale
Enclosure and appears to have been laid out as a designed landscape
with an observatory on a mound at the top and a lodge at the bottom.
Anthony Hewitson’s History of Preston published in 1883 describes this
building as an astronomical observatory owned by the corporation and
“so very plain in outline, and so exceedingly gloomy in colour, that it
constitutes an eyesore rather than an ornament”. The observatory was
originally located at the south end of Oxford Street and belonged to
Alderman Watson and on his death in 1879 the building and telescope
were offered for sale and when a purchaser was not found offered to
the Corporation who bought it for £100. It was erected in the enclosure
in 1881 and had over a thousand visitors in its first eighteen months. It
was noted that although entry was free there might be more visitors if
the building was heated and if there was a telescope of higher power.
Little changes until the 1931-2 map when the observatory is not
marked, it was moved to its present location in Moor Park in 1927 (A
Tour of Edwardian Preston) and the 1955-6 map when a large building
appears on the mound where the observatory used to be. This is the
Catherine Beckett Community Centre.
6
Fig 8 Left detail from the 1931-2 and right the 1955-6 OS maps
Fig 9 Left detail from the 1966-7 and right the 1988-94 maps
4.2.4 The 1966-7 map shows that the lodge has gone. By the 1988-94 map
the community centre has been extended and appears to be fenced off
from the rest of the open space. Outside the conservation area the
former station site and part of the hospital site seem to have been
redeveloped.
7
The current map (see Fig 1) shows that the area of the former lodge is
now hard landscaping and East View has been blocked at its southern
end (see below).
Fig 10 Blocked access to East View
4.2.5 Henry Fishwick’s History of the Parish of Preston (1900) mentions a
stone pedestal for a market or wayside cross on the Deepdale Road
near Sherburn House. Sherburne House and the cross are shown on
the 1892-3 map opposite the junction of Blackpool Road with Deepdale
Road.
8
Fig 11 Phase plan showing the development of the conservation area
9
4.3 Spatial analysis
4.3.1 The area is bounded by buildings so views in the conservation area are
mainly inwards with views across the open land in the middle. The
main view in is on the southern approach on the Deepdale Road where
East View (now blocked off) forks off to the left.
Fig 12 View in from the southern end of the conservation area
Internal views are particularly attractive because of the open space in
the centre of the conservation area.
Fig 13 left East View seen across the enclosure and right Stephenson’s
Terrace.
10
Fig 14 The main entrance to the “enclosure”
Views out from the conservation area show two buildings which are
outside but are features on the skyline.
Fig 15 left the roof of the former Preston Royal Infirmary and right the
chimney of the Alliance Works
11
Fig 16 Views out from the conservation area clockwise from top left;
view south (the former governor’s house was more visible at the time
the picture was taken because of the temporary roof), view from the
northern end and above the view from the north-west corner.
4.4 Character analysis
4.4.1 The conservation area is bounded by three streets; Deepdale Road,
East View and Meadow Street. Deepdale Road is a busy road as it is
a route through from the city centre to its intersection with the
Blackpool Road and then on to Junction 31a of the M6. Meadow
Street, although a minor road is quite busy as it acts as a “rat run”
enabling motorists to take a short cut between the North Road and
Deepdale Road. East View is a quiet road as it is now only used for
access to the houses (see Fig 10) as it has been blocked. East View
and Deepdale Road are lined with trees on the side of the enclosure
and Meadow Street has the community centre on its south side.
4.4.2 Plots in the conservation area are on the whole narrow and rectangular
with a narrow frontage onto the street. Buildings are mainly set back
within the plots although there are a few that front directly onto the
street.
12
Fig 17 Density analysis of the Deepdale conservation area
4.4.3 The building type is predominantly terrace housing with a few larger
buildings such as the former RAF club (originally a vicarage) now the
Royal Piri Piri and Royal Chilli.
Fig 18 Clockwise from top left; terraces in East View, terraces (Barton
Terrace and Stephenson Terrace) in Deepdale Road and a detached
house (former RAF club).
13
Within the terrace housing there is a hierarchy from the lower middleclass housing of Barton Terrace and along East View with throughlobbies to the middle class housing of Stephenson’s Terrace. It is not
only the design of Stephenson’s Terrace that sets it apart from the
other terrace houses but the materials and size. Rather than being a
repetition of “two-up, two-down” houses it is designed along the
principles of a temple-fronted terrace where the middle and ends of the
terrace are given greater emphasis. Stephenson Terrace follows this
principle but rather than using a central pediment there is a central
upstand and the end pavilions are not ornamented with pilasters and
columns but are given greater emphasis by being set forward, being
double fronted (the rest of the houses are single fronted) and three
storeys over a basement (the remainder are two-storey). The whole
row is built of coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings under a slate
roof. The narrow rear extensions are built of stone. Barton Terrace
and the other terrace houses are two-storey red brick buildings with
slate roofs but the wealth of detailing on these terrace houses indicate
that they were definitely not working-class housing.
4.4.4 Four-panelled doors under a rectangular over-door light are common in
Stephenson’s Terrace, in East View so many doors have been
changed that it is difficult to know what would have been there
originally but they have a rectangular over-door light. The houses on
the western side of Deepdale Road have similar doors but those on the
eastern side, which are the earliest houses in the conservation area,
have fanlights which are plain semi-circles. All the houses have stone
detailing around the doors, the most elaborate being the porches on
Stephenson Terrace. The dates of the buildings in the conservation
area mean that they would almost certainly have had sash windows but
as with the doors many have been changed. All of the windows have
stone detailing – apart from Stephenson’s Terrace where the windows
have stone surrounds – there are stone lintels and cills. No 78,
Deepdale Road seems to be the only one retaining some of its original
windows in Stephenson Terrace and shows that the houses were
sashed with six pane windows in the attic storey at the centre and
ends. Some of the houses in Stephenson Terrace and East View have
bay windows at the ground floor.
14
Fig 19 Details; from left to right; door, fanlight and surround 25, East
View, windows and surrounds 78, Stephenson Terrace, doors, window
lintels and cills 22-23 East View, doors, fanlights and window lintels and
cills 17-19, Deepdale Road, fanlights, surrounds and window lintel and
cill Barton Terrace, porch and window surround 60, Stephenson Terrace,
bay windows and stone surrounds 19-22, East View and two different
types of bay window, straight sided and canted, on Stephenson Terrace
4.4.5Apart from Stephenson’s Terrace the other buildings are constructed
from red brick using Flemish bond. Roofs are of slate with the ridges
running parallel to the road. Chimney stacks and pots are largely intact
and are red on the brick buildings and stone coloured on Stephenson’s
15
Terrace. Boundary treatments are low brick walls with brick piers on the
brick buildings and stone on Stephenson’s Terrace. Most of the
buildings have a small front garden but many have been concreted over
particularly along Stephenson’s Terrace where many of the houses have
been converted to offices. The enclosure has a low stone wall capped
by curved coping stones and originally had railings all the way round.
Fig 20 Boundary treatments and roofscapes – clockwise from top left:
Stephenson’s Terrace, Barton Terrace, chimney stacks and roofs in
Deepdale Road, Stephenson Terrace and East View and boundary
treatment and signs of original railings to the enclosure
16
4.5
The contribution made to the character of the area by green space
and its biodiversity value
4.5.1 The main green space is the triangle of land marked as Deepdale
Enclosure on the early OS maps which makes a major contribution to
the character of the area. Small gardens to the front of the houses
enhance the street scene around the enclosure. Both of these areas
provide a valuable habitat for small mammals and insects and act as
wildlife corridors in an urban area.
4.6
The extent of intrusion or damage (negative factors)
4.6.1 The gradual erosion of the open space at the heart of the conservation
area, which occurred during the 20th century and the loss of the railings
and designed landscape (shown in the engravings) have contributed to
the degradation of the area. The open space appears to have had
works carried out recently – the railings are wrong and have only
partially been reinstated and inappropriate planters have been used.
The result is an open space which, despite the interpretation panel
showing historical pictures, does not achieve the quality of the original
and has jarring modern details. The community centre, although it may
be a valuable asset to the local community, is a functional building
rather than one designed to respect its context. The car parking to the
rear further erodes the open space and also affects the views of
Stephenson’s Terrace.
Fig 21 The Catherine Beckett community centre
4.6.2 The loss of front gardens to parking often involves the loss of traditional
boundary treatments. Some of the houses in Stephenson’s Terrace,
17
which have been converted to offices, have had their gardens paved
over presumably to cut down on grounds maintenance.
Fig 22 Left loss of traditional boundary treatment and right loss of the
garden on Stephenson’s Terrace
4.6.3 On the buildings the major sources of damage are: replacement doors
and windows, reroofing and the loss of chimney stacks and pots.
Satellite dishes, burlgar alarms, flues, vents and rooflights have also
had an adverse impact. All of these factors have led to the loss of
uniformity of appearance of Stephenson’s Terrace, East View and
Barton Terrace.
4.6.4 Outside the conservation area its setting has not been preserved –
some of these may have occurred before it was designated.
4.6.5 Within the conservation area there is an inconsistent approach to street
furniture – on East View and around the enclosure street lighting has
been chosen to appear appropriate to the age of the buildings.
However, this has not happened on Deepdale Road and, even worse,
a large sign giving details of car parks and space availability has been
placed within the conservation area.
18
Fig 23 Traditional style street lighting on East View and at the entrance
to the open space
4.7
General condition
4.7.1 Most of the buildings in the conservation area are in good condition
apart from 78, Stephenson Terrace.
Fig 24 78, Stephenson Terrace
19
5
PROBLEMS, PRESSURES AND THE CAPACITY FOR CHANGE
5.1
The main problems and pressures arise from the natural desire of
homeowners to carry out improvements to their properties which has
had an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the
conservation area. The conversion of some of the buildings in
Stephenson’s Terrace to offices brings increased traffic to an already
busy area and changes the character of what was meant to be a
residential area. While it is always better to see buildings used rather
than empty it is hoped that in the future any change of use can be
achieved with minimal impact on the conservation area.
6
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
6.1
Letters were sent to local residents and businesses advising them that
the conservation area appraisal had been updated and inviting them to
comment. The apraisal and questionnaire were available on the
Council’s website and at Lancastria House. In addition a meeting was
held with some of the residents on 3 July 2008.
6.2
Eighteen questionnaires were returned; fourteen wanted the boundary
changed in varying ways, one wanted it to stay the same and three had
ticked the box saying it should be changed as proposed in the
appraisal (no change is proposed). All supported the introduction of
special planning controls such as an Article 4 Direction. At the meeting
with the residents the request to extend the conservation area was
made again. It was explained that the reason no changes to the
current boundary were proposed was because it encompassed the
common land and the houses associated with it. For this reason the
name of the conservation area should be changed to the Deepdale
Enclosure to more accurately reflect its character and history. It is
planned to designate a further Deepdale conservation area which will
include the areas suggested by the residents.
7
SUGGESTED BOUNDARY CHANGES
7.1
The conservation area appraisal has not identified any need to change
the existing boundary.
8 SUMMARY OF KEY ISSUES
8.1
The appraisal whilst confirming the conservation area still retains its
special architectural and historic interest has highlighted a number of
issues that will need to be addressed and reviewed as part of the future
Conservation Area Management Plan for the area.
8.2
The key issues and possible recommendations for action for the
Deepdale Road Conservation Area are as follows:
20
ƒ
The Council should consider whether there is the need to
introduce an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted
development rights to those unlisted properties to afford them
additional protection.
ƒ
The Council should rename the conservation area the Deepdale
Enclosure conservation area as its special interest lies in the
buildings around the previously common land and to avoid
confusion when a Deepdale conservation area is designated.
ƒ
Subject to the availability of funding the Council should consider
a small grant scheme to encourage owners of unlisted
properties to put back traditional details such as windows and
doors.
ƒ
The Council should work with the Highways Authority to remove
the sign for car parks from the conservation area.
21
9
REFERENCES
Published material
CLEMESHA, H.W. A History of Preston in Amounderness.
Manchester U.P., 1912
FISHWICK, Henry. History of the Parish of Preston. Aldine Press,
1900
HEWITSON, Anthony. History of Preston. Preston Chronicle, 1883
A tour of Edwardian Preston, [text by Stephen Startin] Harris Museum
and Art Gallery, 1983
DOBSON, W. The Story of Proud Preston, 1882 [bound in Local
Pamphlets, Dobson]
10
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Article 4 Direction - certain types of development can be carried out
without the need for planning permission (known as permitted
development) and covers a wide range of minor developments by
householders, farmers, foresters and statutory undertakers (public
bodies, such as gas and electricity providers, water boards etc).
However, in some circumstances authorities may wish to prevent
people from exercising these rights in order to retain control on the way
in which the development is carried out. This is done by means of a
direction under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General
Permitted Development) Order 1995 Order. Article 4 directions are
sometimes made to cover parts of a conservation area where there is a
clear and immediate threat to the amenity of the area.
Ashlar – blocks of stone which have smooth sides and square edges
Coursed sandstone – sandstone laid in rows (courses)
Enclosure Act - Enclosure of arable land, waste and common by
private Act of Parliament became common from 1750. There were
soon so many Acts that the first Public General Act was passed in
1801 to try to simplify the procedure and save parliamentary time. The
General Enclosure Acts of 1836 and 1840 made it possible for
landowners to enclose land without reference to parliament as long as
a majority of them (in value and number) agreed to do so. The General
Enclosure Act of 1845 and later amendments attempted to provide
better protection for the interests of small proprietors and the public.
Flemish bond – bricks laid with alternating headers (the ends of the
brick) and stretchers (the sides of the brick) in each course (row)
22
Pediment – a low-pitched gable above a roofed space which is open or
partly open
Pilasters – a column which is set into a wall
Town Corporation – a form of local government in the 19th century
23
Appendix A
24
STEPHENSON TERRACE, 58-102 DEEPDALE ROAD (east side)
PRESTON, PRESTON, LANCASHIRE
Date listed: 27 September 1979
Date of last amendment: 27 September 1979
Grade II
PRESTON SD5429 DEEPDALE ROAD 941-1/7/91 (East side) 27/09/79
Nos.58-102 (Even) Stephenson Terrace GV II
Terrace of town houses, with attached front garden walls; now offices,
surgeries, etc. c.1847-51, by George Mould; altered. Coursed squared
sandstone with ashlar dressings (rear of brick), and slate roof. Double-depth
plan, each house single-fronted (except the 2 at the left end which are doublefronted), with individual back extensions. Two storeys over cellars, with attics;
a symmetrical 48-bay range, with a 8-bay centre and 4-bay ends which break
forwards and have attic storeys; with quoins, plinth, 1st-floor sill-band, and
plain frieze and moulded cornice carried across as a sill-band to the attic
storeys of the centre and ends, which have similar cornices with parapets,
that in the centre with an upstand panel lettered "STEPHENSON TERRACE".
All the doorways have porches with Tuscan columns and pilasters, and
entablatures with blocking courses, those in the southern half mounted on
steps, and altered doors with overlights; but No.102 has the doorway in the
left return wall, with an architrave of Tuscan columns in antis. The windows of
the upper floors are regular with moulded architraves (most of those in the
southern half sashed and most of those to the north altered), and those in the
attic storeys of the centre and ends very low, with 6-pane sashes; at ground
floor Nos 74 and 78 have rectangular bays; Nos 68, 76 and 80, and all those
north of the centre (i.e. 86 to 102) have canted bays. Roof with some skylights
to the 2-storey ranges, and stone chimneys on the ridge. Front gardens
enclosed by attached ramped walls of the same material, with rounded
coping. Rear: narrow 2-storey back extensions and very narrow yards with
high back wall. INTERIOR: the few inspected have 2-room cellars, and
servants' stairs to attics disguised as cupboards.
25