CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Stroud District Council

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CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Conservation Area No7: FRAMPTON ON SEVERN
Externally, St Mary’s features roughcast render which is commonly used on buildings constructed from the crumbly,
locally found, blue lias limestone, however, its principal elevations are un-rendered, built from Cotswold stone transported
down from the hills. The roof too, is made of imported material, stone slates being generally uncommon in the Vale.
Undoubtedly, the Cotswold stone was used because it was harder and more enduring than the local stone, and far
more capable of being cut into finely produced ashlar blocks and mouldings, but the use of the stone was also a
statement- the obviously imported, therefore more expensive, materials underlined the building’s great significance,
setting it apart from the surrounding timber and clay buildings, thatched with straw.
Church End retains many timber-framed buildings. The timber frame method of construction was the true vernacular
style of Frampton on Severn, continuing from the earliest times, right up to the 18th century. Everything was built by
local craftsmen with an intimate knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of local materials. Most early timber
framed buildings were cruck framed, moving on to simple square-framing, infilled with “wattle-and-daub” panels. These
were interwoven strips of wood – usually willow, sweet chestnut or oak – covered with a sticky mixture of dung, earth
and straw.
One such building was the manor house. Its last incarnation dated from the early 16th century; sadly it progressively
declined in size and dignity throughout the 19th century, and was largely demolished in the 20th. A small part of the
house seems to have survived and is now known as the Priest's House.
Often as wattle and daub panels deteriorated, they were replaced with brick. After the 17th century, timber framing
was generally phased out and building with brick became the normal method of construction. Thatch was replaced
by clay tiles.
The bricks used for the buildings were locally made in Frampton, very locally made in the case of Church End- a
brickyard and limekiln lay just west of the church in 1782, and there was a later clay-pit further south. There is quite
a high proportion of salt in the Frampton clay, which was deemed to make the bricks unsatisfactory. Certainly, they
have an uneven shape and colour and a prone to cracking; however, they have lasted for hundreds of years and their
multi- tones and texture contribute greatly to the character of the area.
Stroud District Council