CA - 5 HillTop

CHARACTER AREA SIGNIFICANCE & EXPERIENCE OF PLACE

• Colne Road forms spine – bends and hill southeast – northwest and many buildings punctuate views on its bends – some three storey – that deflect views between and around them
• Glimpse views and vistas on either side of the road 
• Small terrace/semi/detached cottages dominate – common typology and details/materials
• The road is generally narrow lane as its ascends but with occasional wider spaces to create variety in the streetscene; no obvious functional nodes but instead a sequence of interesting spaces
• Lots of building gable ends frame views as they are orientated diagonally to the road rather than running parallel to it on the south side as it rises up the hill
• Former Sun Inn (listed) off Trawden Hill has been sensitively reused for residential – the glimpse view of the terraced building and long view of hills to the east from Colne Road is especially delightful
• There is a ‘cascade’ effect of buildings along the road as it slopes northwest – southeast with long views to the hills behind
• There is a mix of periods and styles which blend together harmoniously, including several 17C cottages and houses, and 18C cottages on Fould’s Road
• Some are listed buildings, including Dent House and Old Joseph’s Farmhouse, whilst Yeoman Hey (no.25) is a weaver’s cottage with fine examples of the tiny second floor windows associated with this type of dwelling
• Hill Top and Fould’s Road sit on the western valley slope with fields separating it from the main village – an important factor in the attractiveness of this townscape is the setting of a linear development framed by green fields below, with views of this area from Rock Lane, from the Rec and from a number of footpaths running along the eastern brow of the valley opposite
• The entrance to the Character Area from the north along Colne Road is distinctive as the buildings of Trawden Hall appear on the left as the road bends and falls to the right, framed by tall stone walls on either side of the road
• The entrance from the south along the road is more subtle as the village centre at the Church Street/Burnley Road junction merges into Hill Top as the road descends past the Beck buildings on the right but the open field opposite is a clearer break between the two

CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL

From the Trawden Forest Conservation Area Appraisal 2005:

“Around these earlier cores extend small Georgian era developments, such as New Row, Winewall or along Fould’s Road, Trawden. These are more ordered with buildings normally aligning themselves to the road or track, which itself follows the contour rather than running across it. Many of these buildings are weaver`s cottages of a simpler vernacular style than earlier buildings.”

LISTED BUILDINGS

The following buildings and structures are identified on the statutory list (Grade II unless otherwise specified):

• Trawden Hall Bell Turret, Foulds Road
• Dent Howe Farmhouse, Colne Road
• Nichol House Farmhouse, Colne Road
• Dent Cottage and Yeoman Hey, Colne Road
• Old Joseph’s Farmhouse, Colne Road
• Hill Top, Colne Road
• Former Sun Inn, Trawden Hill

LOCAL HERITAGE ASSETS

The following buildings and structures are considered to meet the criteria for having local architectural and/or historic significance:

• No.17, Colne Road - ? 

DESIGN STRATEGY

Future design management should follow the principles of Conservation. The Character Area has dominant characteristics that narrow the opportunity for any material departure from those characteristics. The emphasis is therefore on conserving and enhancing the character and appearance of the area through careful building design, limiting the scope for innovation in materials and heights.

DESIGN CODING