Conservation Area: Wootton conservation area (DNN12392)

Wootton is situated approximately two and a half miles south of Northampton town centre, just east of the A508 which is the main southerly access road to Northampton from the M1. The village at present retains its separate identity as it is detached from the main built up area of the town. It stands on a south-facing slope, rising 100 feet from Wootton Brook in the south to the ridge carrying the Newport Pagnell Road in the north. The proximity of the village to urban Northampton coupled with good communications has made it an attractive place to live and it has grown steadily in recent years. The High Street itself carries a considerable amount of through traffic. Wootton has grown from a linear village along the road to Quinton and Salcey Forest. Additional areas of new housing on the north and west sides of the village, built mostly in the last thirty years, have created its present form. Some of the atmosphere and character of the original rural village still remains in the narrow High Street with its raised pavements and sharp bends, winding side lanes and compact groups of cottages. Rebuilding and infilling over a period of time in the older parts has resulted in an attractive mixture of styles and materials in parts of the village. In the southern and oldest part of the village the quieter lanes off the High Street contain old sandstone houses, red brick and colour washed cottages, mature trees and stone walls. The village Church of St. George stands on high ground roughly midway along High Street and is visible from many parts of Wootton and from many areas outside the village. Wootton contains 24 buildings of architectural or historic interest as defined by the Department of the Environment in their statutory list published early in 1976, 22 are included within the conservation area. The conservation area is centred around the southern part of High Street and comprises the core of the old village, some 16 acres in extent. The topography of the area is quite varied, creating unexpected vistas and glimpses. The area contains several groups of mature trees. These are mainly in the well-established gardens of the older properties, notably around The Green, the Recreation Ground, at the southern approach to the village and in the churchyard. None of these are currently covered by a Tree Preservation Order. The High Street contains most of the older buildings in Wootton. The approach to the village from the north end of High Street rapidly narrows into the main village street and runs downhill between distinctive raised pavements to the crossroads at the centre. The area round the crossroads is largely commercial property. Some more recent buildings contrast with the older style of the village architecture. The central part of High Street is dominated by the church which stands at the highest point in the conservation area and is surrounded by a pleasant open churchyard containing several fine yews. Architecturally Church Hill is an attractive street, by virtue of its slope, narrowness and curve, and by the scale and character of its buildings. These consist mainly of small stone or colourwashed cottages and are dominated by the church and Old Rectory. In Green Lane, stone farm buildings and cottages on the southern side contrast with recent semi-detached houses opposite. Church View is a short cul-de-sac of semi-detached houses built on rising ground which, as the name applies, offers views of the church tower above the trees at the head of the road. The conservation area encompasses this area of new development. Opposite Church View on the southern side of Green Lane is the Recreation Ground, a small triangular green used as a children’s play area. The green now contains little grass area, but is a distinctive space in the village lying at the junction of Green Lane with Sunnyside and Resthaven Road. The ground of the Old Rectory on the southern side of The Green contains a number of mature trees. Sunnyside is flanked by high stone walls for much of its length and most buildings are set well back from the roadway.

Record last edited

Sep 23 2009 5:15PM