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Woodhouses is a village with approximately 900 residents, located on the
northern slopes of the Medlock valley between Oldham and
Ashton-under-Lyne. The conservation area covers 20.32 hectares, includes
most of the village and was first designated by Oldham MBC in 1975. It
was extended to its present size in 1989 to include areas of adjacent
undeveloped land not included within the Green Belt. The extent of the
conservation area is shown on the attached map and the aim of the
designation is to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of
this area of special architectural and historic interest.
Historic Significance
The name of Woodhouses is probably derived from ‘woodheys’, meaning ‘an
enclosure surrounded by woods’. The original settlement had developed by
the late Middle Ages as a hamlet surrounded by scattered farms which
were connected by a complex pattern of lanes. Woodhouses grew
significantly during the early C19 as the construction of the canal
network and growth of nearby towns provided alternative sources of work
in and near the village, and by the late C19 the local economy was based
around both agricultural and industrial employment. The growth in
population prompted the establishment of basic village facilities,
including a church, two schools, pubs and a cricket ground.
Woodhouses grew much more slowly from the late C19 due to the lack of
major roads or a railway through the village. The relative
inaccessibility of the village limited growth until car ownership levels
began to rise rapidly in the 1960s, when Woodhouses became increasingly
seen as a suitable location for workers commuting to the surrounding
towns. This phase of village expansion has continued to the present day. |
What
is a Character Appraisal?
All conservation areas have specific architectural or historic interest which
was identified when the areas were designated. The Oldham Unitary Development
Plan (UDP), which guides development in the Borough, recognises that the aim of
conservation area designation is more likely to be fulfilled if there is
detailed agreement and understanding of the particular characteristics of an
area which contribute to its special identity. The Council has therefore
undertaken, as resources permit, to draw up character appraisals for all the
conservation areas in the Borough. Character appraisals are of particular
importance for development control purposes and will be a key component of any
bid for external funding as well as in the formulation of conservation area
enhancement schemes.
An assessment of the character or distinctiveness of an area may come from much
more than its appearance. It may draw on other senses and experiences such as
sounds, uses, open spaces, historical associations and views. Protecting and
enhancing the varied physical elements of a place’s character can help promote
the activities and uses which occur within it. Even quite small conservation
areas may include several overlapping and contrasting characteristics.
Setting
Woodhouses has developed on a shallow east-west ridge between the river Medlock
and Lord’s Brook, which is a small tributary of the Medlock. There are extensive
views from the village across the surrounding fields, north to Failsworth and
Hollinwood, and south towards Ashton-under-Lyne and the hills beyond, although
these can only be glimpsed in a few places between breaks in the Medlock/Ashton
Road frontages. The M60 Manchester Outer Ring Road is in a cutting immediately
east of the village. Despite the proximity of Oldham and Ashton, the setting of
Woodhouses is still semi-rural.
Layout
The most important feature of Woodhouses is its predominantly linear form, which
it has retained despite the residential extensions of the 1960s and 1990s. There
are two significant areas of recent residential development in the village. The
Stamford Drive/Hartshead Crescent area, to the south of Medlock Road, was
largely developed during the 1960s and is excluded from the conservation area.
Three additional residential developments in the village were built during the
1980s/90s: Barnside Way/Farmstead Close and Marston Close, accessed from
Failsworth Road, and Atherton Close at the west end of the village. Of these,
only Marston Close is included within the conservation area, due to its
predominantly terraced layout.
Medlock Road and Ashton Road form the spine of the conservation area, and
virtually all the pre-C20 properties front onto this route. The conservation
area includes fields and new housing around Ashton Road and Failsworth Road, but
the only other exceptions to the linear form are the outbuildings of Within Hall
Farm, and the bowling green and playground to the rear of the Dog & Partridge.
Uses
The uses within the village are important elements in the character of the area.
The majority of the buildings are residential properties, but the other uses are
essential in conserving the character of a village rather than a detached
suburb. There are two types of non-residential uses: community facilities and
employment sources.
The community facilities comprise the cricket and working men’s clubs, the two
pubs (including the bowling green and playground behind the Dog & Partridge),
the primary school and the church. Any shops in the village should also be
regarded as community facilities, although the post office has unfortunately
recently closed. All these uses are characteristic of a self-supporting village
and should be retained or enhanced where possible.
The employment sources are those businesses which have no community function
other than providing employment. The most evident of these are the three largest
farms (Diamond Hall, Within Hall and Brick Hall), all of which date from at
least the C17, the stables at Meadow Croft Farm, and several smaller light
industrial uses along Medlock Road. Like the community facilities, these
businesses are symptoms of a self-supporting village, as well as providing an
important link to the agricultural and industrial origins of Woodhouses.
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Spatial Qualities
One of the most important characteristics of the conservation area is
the strong sense of enclosure along most of Medlock Road, particularly
around the Woodhouse Gardens pub where there are also a number of mature
trees. This sense of enclosure is created by the mainly terraced C19
houses which predominate along the road, with narrow gaps between blocks
and generally short front gardens. This element is balanced by the long
views along Medlock Road which emphasise the linear form of the village,
illustrated by photo 1. |
West of
Stamford Road and east of Failsworth Road the spaces are far more open and the
sense of enclosure reduced as more of the buildings are set back from the road.
Apart from the Woodhouse Gardens car park, the cricket ground and bowling green
are the only significant breaks in the Medlock Road frontage through which the
surrounding landscape can be seen.
The strongly defined curtilages associated with the C19 buildings are also an
important element in defining the spatial quality of the area. This is clearly
illustrated by photos 2 and 3. The boundary walls and hedges clearly separate
the front gardens from each other and from the road, privatising the space
between the houses and the road whilst creating additional visual interest.
Architectural
Qualities
There is one listed building in the conservation area: Diamond Hall Farm on
Medlock Road (Grade II, listing number 279).
There are three other buildings which although unlisted and not of great
architectural interest have importance in historic terms and make significant
contributions to the character of the area. The former National School on
Medlock Road is now Woodhouses Church and provides a gateway role at the eastern
end of the village, whilst the entrance to the area from the north is marked by
Brick Hall Farm. The former British School on Medlock Road, now converted to
light industrial use, is also of historic interest since the construction and
rebuilding of both schools marked an important phase in the rapid C19
development of Woodhouses.
There are a number of C20 infill properties, but the C19 terraced properties
which characterise the conservation area were originally built in a relatively
plain style, with no projections beyond the front of the property. The dominant
material of buildings and boundary walls is red brick, although many properties
have been rendered. Many of these older properties still retain some of their
original features, although most have been extensively modified by the addition
of modern features such as porches, garages and bay windows. Photo 2 shows two
houses on Medlock Road which still retain most of the original features and
characteristics of C19 terraced properties in the area.
Roofs are generally slate with a 45 degree pitch, and there are few eaves
overhangs, fascias or bargeboards. Dormer windows are very uncommon and are
visually intrusive. As virtually all buildings are two storeys or less in
height, the chimneys are important features. They punctuate the ridgeline and
provide visual interest, as shown on photo 3, although many have already been
removed. Gutters tend to be supported on stone corbels and there are examples of
detailing in the brickwork around the eaves.
Windows were originally a type of sliding sash, or Georgian bow windows in the
older properties. Projecting stone cills were standard on almost all properties,
but the lintels are more varied. Single stone, arched or splayed brick lintels
are common, as well as combinations of brick with decorative keystones. The
character of many buildings has already been detrimentally affected by the
replacement of original windows with unsympathetic bow or bay windows.
Although many properties have had porches added, most doorways were originally
recessed with relatively plain brick surrounds. Ornamentation is usually
restricted to the lintel and the window above, which may be rectangular or
arched (see photo 2).
Hard & Soft
Landscape Features
There are no informal open spaces in Woodhouses, and the only areas of formal
open space in the village are the cricket ground and the bowling
green/playground. Development of these sites should therefore be resisted. The
front gardens along Medlock and Ashton Road are of particular importance to the
local character, although many have been replaced by hardstanding parking areas.
The majority of trees in the village are relatively small specimens in private
gardens. However, there are several groups around Brick Hall Farm, Woodhouse
Church and the cricket club which provide greater definition to the entrances of
the conservation area, whilst the group near the Woodhouse Gardens heightens the
sense of enclosure at this point.
The most significant hard landscape features are the boundary walls. These are
relatively low, laid in regular courses of brick and are traditionally finished
by a soldier course, with gateways defined by low brick pillars. The floorscape
in the conservation area is unremarkable, being generally tarmac. An
unsympathetic traffic calming feature has been installed at the west end of the
village.
Objectives
1. The primary objective is to protect, restore and enhance the character of
Woodhouses conservation area.
2. Regard will be given to maintaining and enhancing the linear form of the
historic core of Woodhouses.
3. The Council will seek the use of traditional materials, styles and
proportions when considering proposals for the restoration or alteration of
existing, or the erection of new, buildings in the conservation area.
4. Landscape features such as walls and trees which are important to the
character of Woodhouses should be retained and the Council will exercise its
powers to protect these.
5. The purpose of conservation area designation is not to prevent all change,
but to ensure that any alterations occur in a manner which enhances the
character of the area. In this context, the Council will continue to fully
consider the economic well being and development needs of Woodhouses in managing
future change.
It is the intention of the Council to progress these objectives and the
identified enhancements in liaison with property owners, amenity groups and
other interested parties. This will be done mainly through the processes of
statutory development control and the Council’s own maintenance programmes but
additional improvements will be encouraged by grants, where these are available.
Policies
The policies which control development within the conservation area are
contained in the Oldham Unitary Development Plan. Copies are held by all local
libraries and are also available directly from the Council’s Department of
Environmental Services.
Enhancement
Opportunities
The principal elements which detract from the character and appearance of the
conservation area are some of the C20 buildings, such as the primary school,
which are unsympathetic in terms of design and materials. Many of the modern
features added to C19 properties also make little reference to local styles or
materials. Overall, the following improvements would help to enhance the
conservation area:
1. Undergrounding of overhead wires and poles.
2. Repair and replacement of poorly maintained or uncharacteristic buildings.
3. Dissuading householders from the use of inappropriate materials or features
when altering their properties.
4. Encouraging householders to retain front gardens, or at least to retain the
boundary walls if creating a parking area.
5. Creating a stronger front boundary to the Dog & Partridge car park, to reduce
the open plan character of this area.
For further information or clarification of any point in this document,
please contact:
Department of Environmental Services
Oldham MBC
Civic Centre, PO Box 30
West Street, Oldham
OL1 1UQ
(0161) 911 4173
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