Baginton and Bubbenhall Neighbourhood Plan

(3) 6.0 Bubbenhall

St Giles' Church

Early Historical Development

6.1 Among the main early village farms were Cross House (now known as the Manor House) in the middle of the village (opposite a small green, taken away about 1930), Yew Tree Farm, the Home Farm (probably previously The Moat), Old House Farm, and Church House Farm (probably the prebendal grange).

6.2 Parliamentary enclosure of the old open fields - Grove Field and the Harps to the south east, Ludgate Field to the north east and Cloud Field to the west took place in 1726 (which was the second earliest in Warwickshire). The land was divided among the different manorial tenants and two major new farms were built with surrounding blocks of land belonging to them. These were Wood Farm, built some time before 1809, and Waverley Wood Farm, probably in embryonic form in 1809. Otherwise the old centrally situated farm buildings were still in operation, but had rationally organised blocks of land belonging to them; eg Yew Tree Farm, belonging to William Paget, had land in Paget's Lane.

6.3 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries several sales by auction took place, and farms and land changed hands. This was an opportunity for tenant farmers to become owners of land and farmhouses. With the breaking up of the Baginton Estate in 1918 people were able to buy these houses and cottages for the first time. At the same time the stability of leaseholds which often passed from generation to generation in the old village families ended.

6.4 In 1629 there were a fulling mill and a water mill for corn at Bubbenhall and by 1698 there were two rye mills and a wheat mill. The mill belonged to the Lord of the Manor, the Bromley family of Baginton, from the early 18th century until the manorial estate was broken up and sold in 1918. The mill house was an old half-timbered building with extensive outbuildings, mill dam and sluice, which lay on the other side of the field beyond the churchyard. It burnt down in the winter of 1965-6, after which, in 1966-67, a Coventry builder used the site to build a new house for himself.

6.5 In the 18th century charity schools were established at Stoneleigh and Cubbington, with some places for Bubbenhall children. In the early 19th century the school which was established at Baginton also took Bubbenhall children. However, less than half of the 70 to 80 school age children of Bubbenhall were able to go to school in the 1860s. In 1864 the Rector managed to establish a village school in Bubbenhall, which continued until it was closed down by the local authority in 1999.

6.6 Around 1876 a building was erected next to the Parish Pound (which was for impounding stray animals). It started as a private house, but in 1882 was established as the Reading Room with money from a bazaar, public subscription, and a cheque from the former rector, the Rev. Arthur Fanshawe (1863-77). Thereafter it was used for many purposes, including as a library, a meeting place for the Women's Institute, a doctor's surgery, and a place to hold jumble sales.

Bubbenhall Today

The Three Horseshoes Public House

6.7 Today Bubbenhall is a small to medium sized village with a population of around 600, located off the main road (A445) from Leamington Spa to Ryton on Dunsmore. It is 5 miles south-east of Coventry and 5 miles north-north-east of Royal Leamington Spa.

6.8 The village has several businesses, including two public houses, one with overnight accommodation, a gardening contractor, a bed and breakfast, a holiday let, a day nursery and computer services. Bubbenhall quarry, on the eastern perimeter of the village and operated by Smith's Concrete has been active since 1979. Its operating license has been extended to permit the processing of sand and gravel from a new quarry at Wolston, off the A45. The village hall is well booked for clubs and activities and the recreation ground has play equipment for ages ranging from toddlers to teenagers, a football pitch and tennis and basketball courts. There is a local bee keeper, and privately owned allotments are used by villagers.

6.9 A good number of historic buildings remain. The Parish Church of St Giles dates mainly 13th and 14th centuries but the chapel was established some time before 1153. There are six bells in the medieval clock tower and inside the church are two "green men", dating from the 13th century, a Norman font, and stained glass by Kempe.

6.10 The village layout is based around a medieval pattern, with a row of cottages and farmhouses, each with a croft or close, extending from opposite the Spring (or "the Spout") down to the bottom of the village. Above the Spring was the Green, which was enclosed and ploughed up during the Second World War. The village green was renovated in 2006-9 under the auspices of a local committee with the help of grants raised from WREN and other charities. The water from the spout was augmented by a new borehole and electronic pump, and a bus shelter made of local recycled materials was erected.

6.11 In recent times Bubbenhall has been shaped by two developments in the 1960s. The first was the designation of part of the village as a conservation area. Conservation area status has protected land mark buildings and the setting in which they sit. The second is known as the 'Bryant' Development or the 'new estate' which was begun in 1971. This development dramatically increased the housing stock and the population of the village and today offers homes that are popular with young families wanting to move into the village. Where available other small areas of land have been developed for housing within the village at Moat Close, Darfield Court and Spring Court.

Coopers Walk, Home Close, Orchard Way, and Leamington Road (part):

Coopers Walk

This housing estate was built in the 1970s and consists of detached family homes in a variety of styles. The developer built the homes on unproductive farm land that was available between the Leamington Road (A445) road Lower End. it was the last major housing development to take place in the village.

A curving feeder road serves the majority of the estate with two cul de sacs branching off it. The single access point via Coopers Walk keeps it free from excessive volumes of traffic.  The smaller part of the estate is accessed directly from the busy Leamington Road (A445). in the main the roads have good paths.

The houses are brick built with slate roofs. Many houses on the estate have been extended mainly to the rear of the property and to the side where space allows. Carefully planned features such as the diversity of building design, the open plan front gardens and restrictions on fence/hedge heights have helped to create the estates open and pleasant aspect.

Main design features:

 Generous spacing between buildings

 Open plan front gardens

 Off road parking

 A single point of access/exit to the main body of the estate

 Grass verges at locations throughout the estate

Area 2 - The Conservation Area

Church Road, Leamington Road (part), Lower End (part), Pit Hill, Darfield Court, Spring Hill, Spring Court, Stoneleigh Road:

Church Road

This area forms the historic core of the village and was designated as a conservation area in 1969 and extended in 2001. The area contains residential buildings, two public houses, a church and a number of these buildings are listed. There are open spaces such as the village green along with fields which create a link between the countryside and the village.

The roads in this area feed traffic into the village from the busy Leamington Road (A445) via Pitt Hill and Spring Hill and from the north west of the village via the Stoneleigh Road. The road width reflects the age of the area and during peak times the volume and speed of traffic can make it difficult for pedestrians to cross safely. There are also three cul-de-sacs that branch of the main thoroughfares. Not all roads have paths for pedestrians and those that do the paths tend to be narrow.

As is normal for an area that developed over time there is a wide diversity in architectural design. The general design characteristic are brick/stone elevations with slate roofs with some buildings having timber frames. Most houses have front doors that open onto front gardens with brick/stone built walls marking the boundary of the property.

The area is also populated with a number of mature trees and hedgerows that provide a habitat for wildlife.

Main design features:

• Historic core of the village
• Listed buildings
• Buildings with interesting architectural features
• Open spaces that bring the countryside into the village

Area 3 - The 'Bottom' End

Moat Close and Lower End (part):

Moat Close

This residential area was mainly built in the 1960s however some properties date back to an earlier period in the villages history. Abbey's House for example dates back to the 1860s and is one of the villages listed buildings. The Village Hall and playing fields also can be found in this area.

The two roads are both 'dead ends' and the lack of off road parking means that the road width is often restricted. Paths for pedestrians exist although their width is variable. The capacity of the drainage system to cope with additional properties has been openly questioned by residents in this area.

There is a wide variety of architectural design with a listed building, terraced houses, modern terraced housing and bungalows all found in this area. The buildings have brick elevations with slate roofs of varying pitches. The houses in Lower End have front gardens with brick walls, fencing or hedges denoting the properties boundary. Those in Moat Close have open front gardens.

Main design features:

• Listed building
• Variety of property types
• Lack of off road parking

Area 4 - Surrounding the Village

Leamington Road (part), Pagets Lane, Stoneleigh Road (part), Weston Lane and Waverley Edge:

Weston Lane

Small clusters of residential properties can be found in areas close to the main village within the Parish boundary. These properties were mainly built in the 50s and 60s. They are set in the countryside and have open fields and in some locations woodland on their doorstep.

The roads are either busy through roads, cul-de-sacs or long dead ends. Pagets Lane and parts of Stoneleigh Road are single track and paths for pedestrians are few and far between. The hedgerows and trees that border these two roads provide a habitat for wildlife. The 'green tunnel' formed by trees over the Stoneleigh Road is particularly attractive.

Properties vary in their size and design but the main characteristic is the brick elevations with slate roofs. some examples of timber framed construction can be seen. They have front gardens with fences or hedging denoting the properties boundary.

Main design features

• Countryside setting
• Hedgerows and trees on approach roads

6.28 New development in the village is likely to be small scale and on infill sites, and include extensions to existing properties. It is important that new development and alterations respect the existing built form and respond positively to local character.

Policy BUB2 Protecting and Enhancing Bubbenhall Village

New development within Bubbenhall, including small infill sites and extensions to existing properties will be supported where they are sited and designed sensitively to enhance the setting of the conservation area and other parts of the village. New development will be required to:

1. Beofasuitablescale,heightandmassingwhichrespondstothe builtformofsurroundingproperties.Propertiesshouldbesmall in scale and no more than 2 storeys inheight;

2. Useappropriatelocalmaterialsanddetailingappropriatetothe localcharacterareawhereverpossible,suchastraditionalbrick, local sand stone, tiled / slate roofs, timber frames, wooden window frames anddoors;

3. Take into consideration the protected views identified on Map 9 above.  Theseare:

 View1-ThevillagegreenandthetriangleoflandformedbyPit Hill, Spring Hill and theA445;

 View 2 - The view across the open field from the junction of Lower End, Stoneleigh Road and SpringHill;

 View 3 - ChurchFields;

 View 4 - The view from the public footpath towards the river Avon;

 View 5 - The view across open fields behind Orchard Way towards Ryton onDunsmore.

4. Include suitable landscaping and boundary treatment which is appropriatetothecharacterofaruralWarwickshirevillageand whichdoesnotintroduceunsuitableurban,andsuburbanforms of treatment. Grass verges should be provided wherever possible;

5. Provide sufficient car parking for residents andvisitors;

Planning Policies - Protecting Local Services, Assets and Local Amenities

Bubbenhall Village Hall

6.29 The playing fields in Bubbenhall are owned by the Parish Council and the land is designated as common land. In the past the village hall was built on this site and subsequently extended to improve the facility. The hall has a large central room which can be used for meetings, functions and indoor activities as required. The management committee that runs the village hall have implemented a programme of refurbishment to bring the hall up to modern day standards and user expectations. Regrettably for economic reasons the Doctors Surgery and the Post Office that used to be available from the village hall have recently been closed.

6.30 The playing fields also contain numerous pieces of play equipment for young people of all ages. The outdoor play equipment consists of the traditional swings and slides as well as a themed multi play unit for children. For young people aged 10+ a multi-use games area, mini skate park and a shelter have recently been installed. Future developments centred on the playing fields could see the installation of a fitness trail and a wild flower garden.

6.31 The village green is designated as common land. On the edge of the green is the recently renovated water spout from which spring water constantly runs.

6.32 Bubbenhall has also lost bus services in recent times. These cut backs have resulted in a dependency on cars for transport which in turn has led to the social isolation of young people as well as the elderly.

6.33 The playing fields in Bubbenhall are the centre for most recreational activities within the village. The facilities consist of a village hall that can be used for fitness classes, an outdoor multi use games area, a mini skate park, a BMX ride and open grass land that can be used for team games such as football, cricket, rounders etc.

6.34 Outside the village the network of public footpaths over land designated as green belt and the Ryton Pools Country Park offer the opportunity for recreational walking for people of all ages.