Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - Bournemouth ...

4 Location and Setting
Context
4.1 The village is located to the north-east
of the Borough of Bournemouth, amid
flat agricultural land, approximately
3 miles from the town centre. The
Conservation Area abuts the boundary
with the Borough of Christchurch,
with the north-east tip of the village
(encompassing Wood Farm) falling
within the Borough of Christchurch.
4.2 The Conservation Area covers an area
of approximately 53.13 hectares and
is dominated by agricultural land, with
two clusters of development to the
east and west. These two clusters are
approximately ½ mile apart as evident
in the aerial photo overleaf (Figure 3).
4.3 Just beyond the western boundary of
the Conservation Area (along Throop
Road) lies the Throop and Muccleshell
Village Conservation Area. Throop and
Muccleshell were originally attendant
hamlets to Holdenhurst and also have
Saxon origins.
4.4 The Conservation Area lies within part
of the South East Dorset green belt that
forms a narrow strip to the northern
edge of Bournemouth. The River
Stour itself lies to the north of the
Conservation Area.
General Character and Plan Form
4.5 The Conservation Area is rural in nature
and is characterised by residential and
agricultural buildings surrounded by
agricultural land. Holdenhurst is a small
settlement containing a total of 45
dwellings, along with a church, village
hall and several agricultural barns/
sheds. The age of buildings in the
Conservation Area spans a considerable
period of time and is reflected in the
unique architectural style of each of
the historic properties.
4.6 The Conservation Area features
traditional buildings of which the
residential buildings are principally
small scale semi-detached or terraced
properties, however, there are a few
examples of small historic cottages and
barn conversions that are detached.
The non-residential buildings (church,
village hall, agricultural buildings) are
all detached.
4.7 The form of the Conservation Area
has been established by physical
constraints, administrative and road
boundaries. The Conservation Area
incorporates the length of Holdenhurst
Village Road and this curving line partly
gives the Conservation Area its linear
form; taking in the two residential
clusters and the expanse of fields in
between.
4.8 The plot sizes vary but are on the
whole relatively generous. The
historic terrace cottages lie within the
smallest plots, having rather narrow
rear gardens. The village has evolved
organically and several of the dwellings
constructed in the last century
replaced thatched cottages or farm
buildings that had fallen into disrepair.
In general these replacement dwellings
are within good sized plots.
4.9 The eastern cluster of residential
properties reflects the pattern of
a medieval village with a cluster
of agricultural dwellings forming a
nucleated settlement surrounded by
open fields. In many English villages
the traditional cottages surrounded a
village green and contained a church
and ancient manor house. Holdenhurst
encompasses all these elements apart
from a manor house.
4.10 The properties in the Conservation Area
are listed in Appendix 1.
Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - March 2014 9