Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - Bournemouth ...

green of the grass and the group of
mature trees seek to create a sense of
place at this point.
The Public Realm
7.56 The treatment of the public realm
makes an important contribution to
the character and appearance of the
Conservation Area.
7.57 The road through the village is
generally devoid of pavement and road
marking, this greatly adds to a sense
of a rural area. The road surfaces
are generally tarmac however, there
are some unmade roads that are
more reminiscent of country lanes/
farm tracks such as the lane leading
from the village green to Wood Farm.
Historic style road signs (Church Lane
and Sturt Lane) also add to the historic
character of the Conservation Area.
7.58 The most notable examples of street
furniture in Holdenhurst are the
numerous grade II listed gas lamps
that line the main Holdenhurst Village
Road and Throop Road. The village is
one of the few places in the country
still to retain its old gas lamps with
its Sugg Windsor lanterns, mounted on
the original columns. The listed status
of the lamps is of greater significance
than their inclusion within the
Conservation Area Appraisal.
7.59 The lanterns are not just reflective
of the area’s historic past but are
important in providing illumination
throughout the village. The gentle
glow of the gas is less harsh than
modern street lamps and contributes
to a sense of antiquity in the village,
positively adding to the character of
the Conservation Area.
7.60 Two red post boxes add interest to the
street scene. To the eastern part of
the village is a narrow Victorian box
set into the wall of Holly Hurst, No.
20 Holdenhurst Village. To the western
part is a slightly later post box with the
initials G.R. (probably dating from the
1930s or 1940s) that is built into a brick
pier outside the former post office (The
Old Forge, No. 14 Holdenhurst Village).
With both boxes set into a wall rather
then free standing (as would generally
be found in towns and cities) they add
to the rural feel of the village.
Victorian Post Box, Holly Hurst
A Gas Lamp at Dusk
7.61 The village green is surrounded by
wooden posts to prevent vehicles
eroding the grass. Whilst these are
modern they are subtle being modest
in size and of a material sympathetic
to this location. A timber bench on the
village green underneath the canopy
of three large trees provides a place
to sit and admire the view. A bench in
this location emphasises the fact that
Holdenhurst Village Conservation Area Appraisal - March 2014 41