CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Stroud District Council

SUB AREA 1: CHURCH END
Origins and evolution of the built environment
This is the site of the first recognizably cohesive settlement at Frampton on Severn, the historic cradle of the village,
based around the medieval feudal core of church, manor house and farm.
The heart of the former hamlet Church End is quite tight knit, with dwellings clustered closely. Some houses have
been demolished – the original Denfurlong Cottages, a pair of cruck-framed cottages which stood opposite Oegrove
Farm, were lost as late as 1966. Several new houses were built in gap sites throughout Church End in the mid -late
20th century, and more recent times have seen the addition of Tanfield and the traditionally constructed Kaowen.
However, the area as we see it today is mostly 17th and 18th century.
Uses
This part of the village was once a hub of industrial and agricultural activity, as well as being an important domestic
settlement and the religious centre. Until recently, the spiritual tranquillity of the churchyard sat in close alliance with
the very temporal bustle of the farmyard.
Historically, the smells and sounds of some of the most anti-social manufacturing processes emanated from the area.
In the 18th century, in addition to a dusty, fume- filled brickyard and limekiln virtually adjacent to the church, and a
pungent malthouse for the brewing of beer nearby, there was also a tannery at Church End.
The tannery, which was first mentioned in 1791, preserved leather by leaving it submerged for months in swampy,
dank infusions of water and tannin-rich oak bark. It, and its associated bark- stripping mill, remained on the site until
the late 19th century and gave its name to the much earlier Tanhouse Farm.
The large barn, now part of Tanhouse Farm, was reputedly rebuilt in its present distinctive form after a violent storm
in 17th century. Its predecessor was probably originally a tythe barn used for the storage of goods paid in lieu of
money to the rector of the parish.
The medieval heart of Frampton on Severn has seen a steady decline in activity and, to an extent, relative to its great
historic importance, status. Denfurlong Farm remains in agricultural use and there is a group of industrial buildings
near to the canal, however, following the conversion of many of the Tanhouse farm buildings into holiday lets, most
of the hamlet is now a peacefully residential, quiet backwater, a full stop to the village.
The Buildings in Sub Area 1: Church End
Early buildings and materials
CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Conservation Area No7: FRAMPTON ON SEVERN
In spite of the fact that the hamlet at Church End almost certainly dates from at least the 14th century, there is very
little of the truly ancient settlement left. The methods of construction, the materials used, and change in the status
and functions of buildings often made the early structures rather ephemeral and easily lost.
The earliest building is the church of St Mary the Virgin. The present church dates largely from the beginning of the
14th century, however it is highly likely that it replaced much earlier religious buildings on the site.
Stroud District Council
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