6.1 Village IdentityA Conservation Plan needs vision

to succeed, as well as local support.

There seems to be little doubt as to the

characteristics of the village or the extent

of its environmental and amenity needs.

The village character itself needs drawing

out and emphasising to the public and

visitor.

The first recommendation is:

To strengthen the village identity

This is usually done by village

signing, giving a greater sense of arrival.

A suitable design should be commis-

sioned, using traditional materials. It can

also be promoted, not in the sense of its

better known neighbour, Wookey Hole,

but in things like a house style of letter-

headings of its institutions. The Parish

Council might take a lead in this.

Some of the other enhancement

scheme recommendations, for instance

6.9.1 and 6.9.3, will also promote village

identity. The design of infill schemes will

also play a part (see below para.6.3)

Taken together all these would make a

significant impact.

6.2 Proposed protection

against further development

The village envelope or Develop-

ment Limit, as proposed by Mendip DC in

the Draft Local Plan should be adopted

without extension.

Buxtons Ground and Sparclose and

adjoining field no. 4967 abut and reach

into the edges of the village providing

views, footpaths and wildlife corridors.

These are important open green spaces.

The Development Limits should beadopted as drawn

6.3 Infilling

Certain infill sites can be identified

and in the case of one, a possible ‘brown-

field’ site, redevelopment might be actively

encouraged.

These sites, shown on map 6, are:- The former petrol station and builders yard

at Borough Bridge. This is an important entry site to

the village and could be redeveloped with the best

possible traditional housing, or a house/work devel-

opment.In view of the welcome trend for

residents to park cars off street on their

own land:- Possible small development of flats on part

of the lock-up garages in Holmlea (western end

only).

Existing permissions are in place for

houses on 3 sites; 2 houses to rear of

Batch Cottage, adjacent Newlyn on B3139

and adjacent Cotswolds in Sunday School

Lane. It is surprising that consent was

granted for Batch Cottage, owing to the

adverse effect of removing part of the cur-

tilege of a listed building, and renewal

should be very carefully considered.

There is a new designation pro-

posed, see para. 6.4 below and map 6,

within which infilling should not be permit-

ted. The proposed house permission adja-

cent Newlyn is at variance with para. 6.4

below and should not be renewed.

Infilling on identified sites should be intraditional materials to a high quality of

design

Conservation Plan

Main RecommendationsVillage Identity 6.1

21

6.4 Cultural Landscape

The medieval development of the

bishop’s palace and the water manage-

ment systems of an early date are of

considerable historical and cultural

importance. This is a wider remit than is

afforded by the already extensive

Scheduled area and slightly wider view

than is provided under the Historic

Landscape/ Special Landscape Features

defined in policy EN12. The Structure

Plan includes a not dissimilar notation -

Outstanding Heritage Settlement Area,

but not surprisingly this is applied to

standing settlements. On present evi-

dence, an extension to the Scheduled

site which encompasses the water cours-

es could not be justified. Policy EN15,

Nationally Important Archaeological

Remains, provides an appropriate policy

of development control for significant,

unscheduled sites, in one aspect.

6.5 Conservation Area and

Setting Area

Wookey is a medieval village with

a special medieval history and distinctive

landscape. It is bounded by 3 small

estates of merit (1 very small) and in the

village centre is another small country

house of particular architectural interest.

Whilst there is much new development

within the village envelope, the traditional

village centre is unspoilt and is consid-

ered worthy of Conservation Area status.

An area to the south of the B3139

provides an important treed backdrop to

this area and should itself be protected

with a lesser designation as a setting

area, in which no development should be

permitted.

The potential for Wookey village to bedesignated a conservation area and a

setting area to the south should beinvestigated.

(NB: this recommendation was followed in2001 with a draft appraisal document

going out to public consultation but it wasnot pursued due to lack of local support)

It should be remembered that

Conservation Area status is a positive and

redeeming control, one which can only

enhance the present qualities of the vil-

lage. The controls on building and trees for

house and landowners can be shown to

enhance property values and this more

than offsets the cost of the added care

which is required. The not-dissimilar AHAP

designation has been in place for some

years, and this has not been any great

obstacle to owners.

6.6 Redundant historic

buildings

These have been identified in para.

3.2 above as:

- East Court bothy- Court Farm barn- Buttice Lane/High Street cider shed

These buildings all have economic

potential and make a contribution to the

character of the village. These are all

‘working’ buildings in terms of an historic

building perception of the fabric and their

reuse should follow that function. In other

words conversion to residential use should

be avoided (Court Farm barn is in any

event the subject of covenants). And all

should be useful in providing small scale

commercial workshop space, providing

much needed local employment opportuni-

ty in accordance with Draft Local Plan

policy E4.

Conservation Plan

Main Recommendations6.4 Cultural Lanscape

22

6.7 Riparian rights &

responsibilities

There are a good number of

frontagers to watercourses who are not

necessarily owners of those watercours-

es and who, it would appear, are not

aware of their riparian responsibilities.

Too often watercourses are used as a

means of waste disposal, from lawn

mowings to disposal of domestic appli-

ances. How much better to spot an otter,

than deter their presence!

6.8 Watercourses & Quality

Whilst all the streams are still flow-

ing (with the exception of the filled moat),

there are very few ponds still in the vicin-

ity of the study area, and none now with-

in.

The aerial photograph shows a

large pond within the moated area of

Court Farm. Outside of the study area

the 1902 Ordnance Survey map shows

all fields not abutting watercourses to

have had a pond. Only two ponds

remain, a small pond to the west of

Buttice Lane and a large pond or small

lake to the west of Somerleaze (see pho-

tographs).

Whilst a wide stretch of land is

identified as liable to flooding on the

Mendip Local Plan, there are few boggy

areas with habitat for insects. Ponds

have an important part to play in habitat

for wildlife and opportunities to recreate

them should be taken whenever they

arise, small scale or larger.

The quality of water in the mill-

stream and in the tailrace of Burcott Mill

alongside the B3139, a County Wildlife

Site (Mendip Draft Local Plan policy

EN3), is below the desired water quality

(see para. 2.11). The effect on wildlife

Conservation Plan

Main RecommendationsRedundant historic buildings 6.6

has not been recorded, and the usual

remedy is to install a containment system.

The Environment Agency are understood

to have this problem in hand.

6.9 Enhancement Schemes

There are a number of schemes

that should be considered as a way of

strengthening the shortcomings that have

been discussed within the study area.

6.9.1 “Village Green”Wookey, as far as is known, never

had a village green in the usual meaning

of the word, but the triangle of space

between Church House and the church-

yard lychgate is not vested with those

facilities which might be found in such a

central location.

Church Road should have its road

widening line lifted and the area surfaced

to encourage shared use by pedestrian

and vehicle (with the emphasis on the

pedestrian) as an access only route for

vehicles to Church Farm and the church.

A Wookey village sign and notice board

could give village identity and seats or

benches provided, without forming a shel-

ter which might attract lingering youths.

Robustness should be uppermost. The

wirescape should be removed. If this were

successful it might be applied to the area

of the Ring of Bells.

The Parish Council should canvass

support for reordering the Mellifont

triangle, erecting minor amenities and

seek a programme for ungrounding of

overhead wires

6.9.2 Traffic calmingThe Parish Council should continue

to put pressure on the County to provide

traffic calming along the B3139. 23

The Parish Council should investi-

gate a local scheme for traffic calming

measures on Preywater Road from the

junction of High Street/North Road to No.

20 Preywater Road.

This might might take the form of a

shared paved pedestrian/vehicle surface

with low speed restriction and so avoid

any need for demolition of old walls.

The Parish Council should investigate

support for a local traffic calming

scheme for the blind section of

Preywater Road. The district council

supports schemes to improve the

environment of its settlements and

can contribute to improvements in

conservation areas as funds permit.

6.9.3 Structural plantingIdentity and a sense of place can

readily be created where tree planting is

used to good effect. It can for instance

create distinctive entry points to a village

given time. Indeed mature trees can

come to identify villages (viz Tolpuddle).

Funds are available from County.

Another aspect of planting is to

remedy what used to be called good

manners in urban design. Good manners

is a 2-way process to be enjoyed by pub-

lic and private owner in equal measure.

Walls were a traditional provision; tree

planting may be an effective remedy, can

separate public and private realms and

add distinction to a nondescript view.

With regard to the first purpose, a

splendid opportunity exists at the south

entrance to the village at Preywater

Road, where the great oak mentioned in

the 1557 survey grew. This might be

replanted.

The entry to the village from the

east, along Henley Lane, could easily be

lined with trees associated with a foot-

way.

With regard to the second pur-

pose, the open character of the bunga-

lows on the west side of Preywater Road

leaves something to be desired. The

footway there is also non-existent and

needs improvement.

The rear of the centre block of

Buxtons Close is particularly damaging;

the bank in Vicarage Road fronting

Buxton’s Close is another opportunity.

The village edge is weak on the bound-

ary of the playing field and Knowle Lane

and on the west side of Chapmans

Close/Axe Road.

After due consultations, a planting

target could be set for the millennium.

The Parish Council should carry out

tree planting in Buxtons Close,

Henley Lane, between Nos. 15 & 24

Preywater Road, on the corner with

B3139 and elsewhere

Private tree planting continues in

Somerleaze, and in the backland of

Abbey Close adjacent the river. A pri-

vate scheme for structural planting on

the south side of the millstream in Long

Orchard, Court Farm, would strengthen

the wildlife corridor.

Likewise, reinstatement of the for-

mer hedgerow across Buxtons Ground

alongside the footpath would enhance

the footpath and reformed field to the

south and extend the options for wildlife.

There is a privately owned trian-

gle of ground alongside the river/vic-

arage garden in Vicarage Lane. This

should be the subject of landscaping for

wildlife.

Conservation Plan

Main RecommendationsTraffic calming 6.8.2

24

6.9.4 Wildlife, flora and pondsThe data on wildlife should be

more thoroughly surveyed and this may

be necessary before conclusions and

policies can be drawn. A local volunteer

leader to orchestrate the survey is need-

ed! A good start has been made with

flora, and and this should be continued,

with study too of aquatic plants and

insects.

In the areas where flora is preva-

lent the present management regimes

should be continued, whether grazed or

not. As a general recommendation, with a

limited budget, monies should be directed

to management, not first and foremost to

reintroductions.

For planning purposes the three

east-west corridors along the watercours-

es need to be respected and where pos-

sible enhanced - River Axe, Millstream

and Tailrace. There are some valuable

canopies with light shade in these zones.

The possibility of a major rewater-

ing of historic pond(s) in Home Ground,

Court Farm alongside the public footpath,

is under consideration as a private initia-

tive. It would depend among other things

on results of the outcome of the Heritage

Ponds pilot application to the Heritage

Lottery Fund.

6.9.5 Community BuildingsThe lack of an effective, central vil-

lage hall has been the most vexing prob-

lem facing the village of Wookey and its

neighbours, Henton and the hamlets of

Yarley Worth and Bleadney. Matters are

already well advanced with a new con-

struction commenced at Henton and it

may no longer be possible to see the

issues in an entirely detached way. These

settlements can be expected to concen-

trate at Henton, leaving Wookey, apart

from major events, with its church hall

and ambitions for a sports pavilion.

Figuring large in this equation is

the future of Wookey County Primary

School. Last year, when it seemed unlike-

ly that there would be resistance to devel-

opment of the Haybridge site for housing

and there was a consequent argument

advanced for a new primary school to

serve Wookey Hole, Haybridge, Wookey,

Henton, Worth, Yarley and Bleadney, the

author drafted questions for the school

governors on the future of the Wookey

school site. Was it a good site for a

school, and capable of expansion? Is

there an educational benefit in maintain-

ing schooling on an historic site with well

built buildings?

The opposing view, one that

Somerset County Estates and Architects

department are likely to promote is that

new buildings of lasting quality can be

achieved with limited budgets. Even if

one accepts this (and it is doubtful), is

such an approach tenable and sustain-

able, given the corollary of demolition of

the school for housing?

The writer’s view is that these

arguments for a new school are not

proven, especially if the present school

can be extended and the historic site

retained in use. Be that as it may, it is

necessary to ensure:

i) reuse of the school in the event of closure and

ii) the school playing field is not used for housing.

Can one then envisage a new type

of village centre developing in the closed

school buildings? One which has

office/work facilities for those without their

own? All of this has come too late for the

Henton decision and to be adapted as a

centre for all the villages. It is to be hoped

that the matter will not arise. But should

the possibility of a closed the school site

Conservation Plan

Main RecommendationsWildlife, flora and ponds 6.8.4

25

arise it is worth flagging up the possibility

of use as as community based offices,

promoting local employment.

6.9.6 Bridleways and FootpathsA bridleway connection might be

examined from the end of Dummis Lane

to the north end of Buttice Lane to create

a route for riders as far as Easton. This

would depend on permission of the own-

ers of Dummis Lane where there is no

public right of way, perhaps by means of

a permissive licence for a limited period,

as well as the agreement of the landown-

er northwards. Buttice Lane should be

used only by walkers, but this not helped

by lying water.

The pavement on B3139 north of

the school is unsafe for children. Con-

sideration should be given to erecting

cast iron bollards, with or without lengths

of railing.

The Parish Council should consider

means of acheiving protection to the

footway 100 metres east of the

primary school

7.1 Means & the Millennium

The majority of the main recom-

mendations require collective planning

and funding. The best vehicle to achieve

that is the Parish Council.

There is an obvious target for cel-

ebration in the year 2000. In Wookey that

will represent nearly 800 years of record-

ed and standing history. So far there has

been no public discussion of local cele-

bration in the village and so the study

comes just in time to have such a discus-

sion and to make a selection.

7.2 Public meeting

Much of what is contained in this

study will require community effort and

the active involvement of villagers. The

community is already involved with the

Sports Field Pavilion, flower show, gar-

dens open day etc. Those very worth-

while initiatives should not suffer and it

will have to be decided how best to mar-

shall energies for public projects.

The Parish Council leafleted all

houses in the village to announce a public

meeting in July, at which a free summary

was available. Villagers discussed the

findings and there was an overwhelming

majority in favour of conservation area

designation. Various written representa-

tions following that meeting have been

incorporated as appropriate in the text.

7.3 Supplementary planning

guidance (SPG)

This aspect of the study is straight-

forward enough in procedural terms, and

adoption as SPG would be of consider-

able value to the village.

The Parish Council are recom-

mending to Mendip to include the recom-

mendations in this report as SPG and to

designate the conservation area.

Conservation Plan

ImplementationMeans and the Millennium 7.1

26

Paragraph No. Enhancement Scheme Public/Private

6.9.1 ‘Village Green’,including undergrounding

of overhead cables.

This item has a village identity dimension Public

6.9.2 Traffic Calming in Preywater Road Public

6.9.3 Structural planting schemes

Preywater Road oak Public

Henley Lane Public

Outside Nos. 15-24 Preywater Road Public

Front & rear of Buxtons Close Public

Playing field/Knowle Lane village edge Public

Chapmans Close/Axe Road village edge Public

Court Farm millstream/Long Orchard Private

6.9.6 Safety protection to footway Wedmore Road Public

6.9.4 Rewatering of historic pond(s) alongside the Private

millstream at Court Farm.

Creation of trust with controlled public access.

Voluntary labour. HLF application via Historic

Ponds Project.

Conservation Plan

ImplementationSupplementary planning guidance 7.3

27

7.4 Schedule of Enhancement

Schemes