Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - Bournemouth ...

of timber. In the few instances where
a vehicle access is gated this is via a
5 bar gate in timber. This type of gate
is of an open nature and again allows
views through to the dwelling beyond.
Open boundaries
7.43 Vicarage Cottages and No. 5
Holdenhurst Village are set adjacent
to the road and do not have a front
boundary treatment.
Contribution of Vegetation and
Green Spaces
7.44 The private front gardens, the
agricultural land, the trees and
hedges and the village green make an
important contribution to the character
and appearance of the Conservation
Area.
Contribution of domestic gardens
7.45 Front gardens tend to be small and
generally set behind a wall, although
some are behind a hedge or railings, or
a combination. Gardens are generally
well kept and the planting and hedging
contribute to the verdant setting of the
Conservation Area.
Landscape and Agricultural Land
7.46 The Lower Stour Valley that
Holdenhurst lies within is considered to
be of landscape value. The river runs
north of the village and is a haven for
wildlife. There are many trees dotted
along the river bank, particularly
to the northern side. With the area
being low lying views are afforded
from the northern boundaries of the
Conservation Area towards the river,
and visa versa. Despite the proximity
of Bournemouth the area retains a
valuable landscape that is worthy of its
green belt status.
7.47 Views of agricultural land are
afforded in between dwellings to both
residential parts of the Conservation
Area and when travelling along all
roads in the village where the hedging
is not too high or too dense. Whilst
there is agricultural land within
the Conservation Area itself, the
patchwork of fields visible beyond
is also important to the setting of
the Conservation Area. All of this
land helps to reinforce the historic
connections and context of Holdenhurst
which was originally an agricultural
based village.
7.48 The landscape around Holdenhurst
contains a patchwork of agricultural
land that contributes to the setting.
The crops in the fields are generally
low to the ground and views are
afforded across fields and into
the Conservation Area. The sense
of openness greatly adds to the
rural nature of the setting of the
Conservation Area and contributes
to the character. The importance of
the agricultural use of the land is also
noted in paragraphs 10.8 - 10.10.
Importance of trees, hedgerows and the
village green
Trees
7.49 Trees make a particularly valuable
contribution as they provide a structure
and mature landscape to the village.
Within the Conservation Area there
are several large mature street trees
as well as dense tree lines and small
wooded areas. The village contains
many of our native trees consisting of
the following species: Ash, Alder, Crack
Willow, Downy Birch, Silver Birch, Goat
Willow, Pendunculate Oak, Sessile Oak,
Rowan and Yew.
7.50 The large mature trees add a sense
of age to the settlement and the
Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - March 2014 39