The Development of Burbage
Preamble
I recently received an email from Amanda Teagle, a village resident who had come across an old newspaper cutting which she thought I might be interested in. The article concerns the County's plans for the parish and was published in September 1962. It is reproduced in full later on this page but I thought it might be helpful to put the article into some sort of context discussing the village both before and after its publication.
A brief look at the development of Burbage before the 20th century
We know that an area called Burbage existed during the 10th century and it is probable that it existed prior to that. Having broken free from Great Bedwyn in about 1000AD it became its own parish with its church probably in Eastcourt. By the 13th century there are also references to the hamlets of Durley, Seymour, Stibb, Eastcourt and Ram Alley.
Much of the development of the parish is still shrouded in mystery but eventually it began to take on a settlement structure that survived until the late 20th century. Andrews & Dury's map of 1770 is regarded as a cornerstone in the development of cartography and for the first time showed topographical features other than roads, towns and his lordship's pile. His map of Burbage shows the squatters' hamlet of Ram Alley and the other hamlets of Durley, Leigh Hill, Bowden, Westcott, Steep Green, Eastcott, Seymour, Fir Green and Cherry Orchard existing together, of course, with Burbage - which straggles along the "Street".
Apart from Bowden - which was largely demolished in the mid 19th century - many of the these hamlets still exist today although modern developments have blurred some of the old boundaries.
By 1770, the three manors of Burbage - Esturmy, Savage and Durrells - had all been in the ownership of the wardens of Savernake for some 200 years and although separate manor courts were still held, land exchanges had been so common that none of the manors formed a simple contiguous area. This meant that with a common lord of the manor and a widely dispersed manor structure, the onward development of the hamlets was as if part of one manor.
Stibb Green undoubtedly formed the most compact of the parish's hamlets as it had developed quite tightly along the three sides of the green plus a small amount of old buildings projecting along all three of its roads. During those heady days during the middle of the 19th century when the Ailesburys' were investing in the land, they built 6 estate cottages on the Durley side of the hamlet.
The Eastcourt we see today is very much an 18th and 19th century creation. Prior to that time it consisted of the church, vicarage and a small number of cottages stretching from The Old Baker House on Taskers Lane to Hollybrook, just south and east of modern Eastcourt. All of the cottages were along the modern Taskers Lane and Eastcourt Road except for three dwellings along Long Drove and one at the junction with Wolfhall Road. In about 1720 Stephen Dore sold and leased plots of land which bordered on Church Lane (modern Eastcourt) and the Church Green. This development resulted in the varied houses which stretch from the Church Hall to Taskers Lane. Two of these plots were later divided and resulted in the creation of Eastdown House (built by the Gales in Wisteria Cottage's garden in 1772) and Nelson's Cottage (created from the stables of Myrtle cottage in about 1860 and was used to house the school mistress of the newly opened Infants School). The road known today as Eastcourt was only created in about 1855 and prior to that all through traffic used Eastcourt Road. At about the same time a pair of Ailesbury estate cottages were built immediately south of the new schools.
Fir Green has always been but a few houses with Little Estcotts being the only one today of any antiquity. A pair of farm cottages were built on the site of older buildings in 19th century while a row of 3 cottage lay further up the lane. This now sleepy track was once of great importance as the main route from Burbage to Bedwyn. It fell from favour, although was never legally closed, when the Wolfhall Road became open to wheeled traffic in the late 19th century.
Cherry Orchard and East Sands have been documented elsewhere on this site but basically the former is a loose group of cottages probably built on waste at about the time the nearby fields were inclosed and two of them - Cherry Orchard Cottage and Suddene Cottage - both became small farms. East Sands was created in a similar way to Eastcourt but as a much bigger enterprise and at a later date - about 1862. The two modern cottages next to the old Red Lion are on the site of two dwellings built at that time but which had been demolished or destroyed by 1891.
Seymour is a group of farm workers cottages, centred around the pond but fronting both Grafton Road and the Street. One of the field names suggests that one of the houses was once occupied by a cooper and the last house on the High Street, Dolly Mixture Cottage, was a small farm during the 19th century. In the mid 19th century a pair of estate houses were built on the western side of the Street and in the 1890s a row of 3 cottages were erected at Pall Mall.
Westcourt is like a mini Burbage in that its houses are well dispersed along its long lane. Westcourt Bottom was once a farm and later became the village's butchers. The two houses that make up the Tedworth Hunt's kennels were also once farm houses, then a boarding school, then a race horse training establishment before becoming the hunt kennels in the 1950s. Beyond Westcourt farmhouse several houses have been demolished especially between the road junction and Bowden farm.
Leigh Hill is probably the site of the old forest court of Morleigh. For most of its life it has been part of the forest and only became part of the civil parish of Burbage in mid-Victorian times. Its houses were mainly built as Ailesbury estate houses and, for a few years in the late 19th century, one was also a post office.
To most, Durley is a hamlet that is there to serve the big house and by the 18th century this would indeed be true. However the Seymours lived at Wolfhall and the Bruces, whilst sometimes using Tottenham Lodge, were often absent from the area. It was only with the building of the first Tottenham House in 1720 that Durley's role would have changed. Many of the current houses are "estate houses" and its farm - Durley Farm - probably ceased to exist around 1870 when the land west of Durley Hill was added to Burbage Manor Farm and the field on the east were mainly converted to paddocks for the big house. The old farm house was developed to become Esturmy House and either it or next door Durley House became a school for a short while around 1890.
Burbage can thus be said to be those houses which are scattered along the High Street from just south of Suthmere Drive to the group of cottages opposite and slightly north of the Gables. Beyond that was an open space before reaching Stibb at Bumblebee Cottage (usually referred to during the Victorian era as Mary Ruddle's cottage). During the 19th century it probably saw more change that any other part of the parish with the building of a set of estate houses at the southern end in about 1845, the opening of the New Inn around 1843, the closure and demolition of the Star & Cleaver in about 1860 and the demolition of a number of houses in an area where Barn House was built in 1852. The Gables seems initially to have been a small farm and its walled yard extended into the middle of what is now the High Street. In about 1835 it seems the farms were rearranged and part of the yard given over to allow the removal of the obstruction of the Street while the house were enlarged and became the home of the village doctor for about the next 100 years.
Burbage during the first 60 years of the 20th century
By the beginning of the 20th century Burbage was a village in trouble. The Ailesburys were less affluent than in the past and with the main source of employment - farming - suffering from local, national and international forces, families were leaving the land for work elsewhere. Luckily, from 1860 Burbage had found a new source of employment in the railways and it is significant that other than an early 20th century house for the GWR station master, the 2 railway companies did not need to build any railway cottages for their considerable work forces as they found plenty of accommodation available in the parish amongst the existing housing stock.
But despite this the population of the parish was in decline; in 1861 the railway navies had bolstered it to 1603 - a number never to be exceeded until 2001 - but by 1901 it stood at only 1136 and the decline continued until 1951 by which time there were a mere 989 residents. From 1923 there was a reduction in the number of railway workers but these population figures show that with the lack of any other large employer in the area, people were still leaving the land and migrating to other places.
As can be seen, during the first 60 years of the 20th century there were no local economic factors creating pressure to increase the housing stock although, like everywhere else, political pressure after WW1 to build homes "fit for heroes" resulted in the erection of the village's first council houses at Easton View (now part of Eastcourt Road), Eastcourt Road/Lavington Close and Seymour Gardens (now the most southerly part of the High Street). To compliment these Mr Dymond built a terrace of private houses opposite the New Inn which became known as New Houses (although they are now simply part of the High Street). Inevitably some of the rapidly deteriorating thatched housing stock were demolished - for example the block of 4 which stood until 1955 on the site now occupied by the Withies; the 6 which formed Short Row in East Sands; the row of 3 cottages at Fir Green mentioned above; a row of 4 cottages off Taskers Lane at the entrance to Ginny's Alley and the house along Long Drove which had housed prisoners of war during WW2. Even more were condemned as unfit for human habitation but, for whatever reason, were spared and, after having had small fortunes spent on them, have become the desirable dwellings we see today.
The period between the wars also saw a number of bungalows being built as both in-fill and as ribbon development. This haphazard way of developing was typical of the era and the lack of any planning control became a cause for national concern which eventually resulted in the Town & Country Planning Act of 1947. Although isolated development took place during the 1950s (e.g. the Post Office) it was the publishing by the County Council in 1962 of the village's first Development Plan that paved the way for the Burbage we see today.
Burbage's First Development Plan
The county council's plan first came to the village's attention on October 26th 1961 when, at the parish council meeting, the confidential draft proposal was issued to the councilors (obviously members of the public did not attend the meeting in those days either). An informal meeting was held on November 13th when 12 of the 13 councilors heard a presentation from Mr Lewton, the area planning officer, and agreed to forward their comments on the presented plan in due course.
At the next parish council meeting, on February 6th 1962, a long discussion ensued and their wishes were forwarded to the authorities. They had deleted areas in which they did not wish development to take place however the main points were:
- infilling on both sides of the High Street should only be with single dwellings
- some areas within the development areas should be excludes viz, Barn Meadow "because it might be that one day this would become the Village Sport's centre", and the field which now accommodates the new school.
- the area south of what is now Suthmere Drive should not be developed although "They would however agree to single dwellings bordering the Eastcourt Road and the road to Seymour [Grafton Road].
- they took exception to Burbage being referred to as being of "no special character" and asked it to be removed.
- they pointed out that the natural centre of the village was at Eastcourt and that this area should be preserved.
- a by-pass to the west of the village should be provided
- no plans other than for a single dwelling should be approved before the plan was adopted
At the meeting of July 31st 1962 the chairman, Mr Nutley, was able to advise the council that "the draft plan had been approved".
The Published Newspaper Report - Saturday, September 22, 1962
NEW LOOK FOR WILTSHIRE'S MOST SCATTERED VILLAGE?
Proposed plan
"Burbage is to lose its reputation as Wiltshire's most scattered village - if a County Council development plan is adopted.
"The plan will Improve traffic flow and provide safe passage for pedestrian's on the village's notorious High Street, provide a new primary school and sports centre at the same time confining development to a central area.
"In a report prepared by the County Planning Officer, Mr. Kenneth Cooper, the problem is outlined The question of development control in the village area has been difficult due to the large area over which development has been scattered prior to 1947. And the absence of a definitive village plan policy.
"Development generally has not taken place in estate form but on individual scattered sites. This sporadic development has resulted in a widespread community, with its various social, shopping and other facilities inconveniently scattered over a large area, lacking a convenient and well defined centre or focal point.
"The High Street forms the back bone of the existing village and a large number of properties are scattered along either side, especially shops, garages and public houses which are spread at widely varying intervals along its length.
"The road for its greater part runs between high banks with few footpaths, visibility is restricted on the bends, roadside parking is largely impossible without obstructing traffic flow and the lack of footpaths coupled with heavy traffic and bad visibility renders the passage for pedestrians between the various shops etc., extremely hazardous.
"The building of new dwellings in the open countryside around the village has been arrested but the village needs to be developed in a more, compact form more convenient to the communities needs states the report."
The Plan
"To avoid unnecessary sprawl, further ribboning, and sporadic development on the village outskirts, and to encourage future development where essential services are available, all future development should be restricted to a defined area.
"The report continues :
"The old village centre around the church presents an attractive setting and a suitable focal point for the village. Development has been limited in the past as access is not good, but it is felt that this area should provide the basis for a better defined village centre away from the dangerous and heavily trafficked High Street
Static
"Any further development in this area would receive favorable consideration. As with the population static at the present time following a decline, an increase in population within the defined area would keep the village a living, growing and varied community. This is vital to its continued existence and the more economic use of its existing services
"The only other known development required is a need to build a new primary school on a site adjacent to the existing school. As this is in the centre of the village such development conforms to the plan. Provision is also made for a future, village Sports Centre
"To improve traffic flow along the High Street and provide a safe passage for pedestrians it is at present proposed to widen the existing route to a width or forty-five feet
"A proposal for a by-pass was deleted from the County Development Plan in 1952 after representations from the Ministry of Transport that the- long length of new road required would not lot justified by future traffic requirements. The position is to be reviewed in common with other road proposals included in the County Development Plan in 1964.
"The report and survey has been placed on deposit for public inspection at County Hull Pewsey Rural District Council offices and with the Parish Council.
If any objections or representations are made, they will be heard locally and the public may attend the hearing. A sub-committee will then recommend whether it considers alteration, or additions should be made."
The plan is implemented
Even a casual glance at the above plan will confirm that village we see today was created by this plan. Yes there are some slight variations such as the building of Well Meadow during the plan's gestation period, but until the passing of the next major development plan in the late 1980s, all of the large housing projects were restricted to the area shown in red.
Once the above plan was formerly adopted two large estate were quickly proposed; Blakes Estate which created the Suthmere Drive/Ailesbury Way/Sparys/Henry's Garth/Callow Croft/Webs Way houses and the Edgeborough Estate which attempted to create Taskers Lane/Burroughs Drove/Cleavers/Crosbys. The former went reasonably smoothly but Edgeborough Estate did not have the capital to survive the property slump of the mid 1970s and went bust leaving some houses completed and sold but many others as half built shells which quickly became an adventure playground for the village's children. It was not until the passing of several years, and a third property developer that many of the houses we see on this estate today were completed. A close look at the building styles reveals which houses belong to each of the 2 phases.
The plan had always been for a third development to join the 2 estates but the above property crash meant that it did not happen at that time and even when Rockalls built the Ailesbury Way extension in the early 1980s there was still a missing link.
Such large scale developments had an impact on the old village - some good and, probably, some not so good. New life was breathed into such institutions as the WI and the school but probably the most visible was the growth of the Royal British Legion and the brand new Village Hall. If you talk to residents who were around during this period of the 1970s you can't help but feel that Burbage was a lively and popular place to live in.
With nearly all the land within the red area now built upon, it was not surprising that the developers were baying for more and so the replacement Kennet Local Plan proposed in the 1980s recommended allowing development south of Suthmere Drive. This was not a universally popular proposal in the village but they were up against old hands who knew how to get around the objectors. The initial proposal recommended that industrial units be built immediately south of the Suthmere Drive bungalows followed by 20 private houses and finally 20 social housing. At the public meeting the usual things were said; how good it would be to have jobs in the village and 20 more social houses - oh and their was a need to build 20 houses to fund the project. No one could object to the building of the much needed social houses, local jobs would be good as well and, well, 20 more private houses would be a small price to pay! The moral fight was won and the concept of having a development was conceded but the proposed layout was (deliberately?) controversial as no one could sensibly suggest building towering factories very close to bungalows. Things were getting heated when "suddenly" the developers came up with a solution to placated the objectors; the industrial units would now be built at another site along the Grafton Road and only houses would be built behind Suthmere Drive. The finally approved plan showed that 20 social houses and 40 private houses could now be built behind Suthmere Drive and, as proposed, the industrial units were to be behind East Sands which would - allegedly - create a new entrance to Mr Mundy's premises thus removing much of the traffic from East Sands. Compared with the initial plans this seemed far more sensible however there were now to be 60 new house and not 40 and did anyone notice that the new siting of the industrial area created a potential infill residential development site between it and Eastcourt Road? The owner - Crown Estates - certainly did and have already planted a tree buffer zone against Grafton Road and created the initial access road off the entrance road to Hirata.
The new social and affordable houses at Croft Corner were the only part of the plan to be completed as envisaged. The initial developer not only got permission to erect 43 private houses but convinced the Suthmere Drive residents to drop their objections by proposing to build at a distance from their properties. Sadly he then sold the land to Parish Homes who, much to the anger of the residents of Suthmere Drive, changed the plans to what we see today although the company never survived to see them completed as both they and their successor - Parish Quality Homes - went bust. As for the industrial units, eventually the land was sold to Hirata who built their single factory but no connection was made to East Sands and so the residents saw no reduction in traffic. The company also brought their workforce with them so little to no employment opportunities were created for village's inhabitants.
Overall the village paid quite heavily though broken promises for the gain of 20 social houses but will probably have forgotten how developers and their agents act by the time the next swath of development is authorised.
In 1991, after a wait of over 50 years, Burbage finally got its bypass. The curving road from Seymour Pond to Ram Alley has had 3 major impacts upon the village:
- the High Street has lost most of its traffic and is a much safer road to walk along (even though many parts are still without a footway)
- the loss of through traffic has had an negative effect on local businesses other than the garage.
- an area has between created between the High Street and the bypass which in most villages would become the target for developers. However Kennet have insisted that they will not permit any development within this area and so far have been true to their word.
Into the 21st Century
The twenty first century has already seen a small amount of development in the parish. First there was the extension of Burroughs Drove by 5 houses to within a whisker of Ailesbury Way but whether the two will ever join is unknown and depends upon Wiltshire County Council paying for the land upon which the 30 yards of connecting road would be built. Surprisingly Stibb is seeing the most development with Coombe Meadow being built on the site of an old cottage. This small development, completed in 2005, is of 1 social and 3 private houses. A bigger estate is going up across the road in the farmyard of what was once Manor Farm (the farm itself has merged with Wolfhall Farm and is managed from there). The farm house itself is for sale but the newer farm buildings have been cleared and an estate of 13 houses - 8 private and 5 social - are currently under construction.
But where will be built on next? The current Local Plan was adopted in 2004 and did not allocate any land for development in Burbage. However a change of government policy means that the Plan lapses in 2007 instead of 2015 and it will not be replaced. It seems that the future growth of Burbage - and the rest of Kennet - will now be decided by a QUANGO in Bristol and not by the elected councilors in Devizes. Time will tell if this is a good or bad thing for the village but let us speculate upon which fields will be under tarmac, bricks and mortar within the next 10 years. Should our new masters in Bristol decree that Burbage will have to accommodate more houses where would they choose?
- Barn Meadow - or, to be more accurate, part of it. There is a proposal to sell part of this "Village Sports Centre" for development to help pay for a new village hall. Will it happen? Probably yes but this is being driven by the Village Hall Committee and not the authorities.
- The field between the Parish Homes estate and High Street. Almost certain to happen. It is a logical infill.
- The field between the Parish Homes estate and the Grafton Road. Almost certain to happen. It is owned by the QUANGO Crown Estates and its future will be decided by another QUANGO. Given that there is other land to buffer it from Grafton Road it is difficult to see why permission would be refused.
- The field between Eastcourt Road, East Sands and the industrial estate. Again owned by Crown but as it lies outside the village's development envelope they will have to fight hard to have it included. Once the two sites above are built upon this will be the next to follow but it may take more than 10 years to come to fruition.
- Between the High Street and the bypass. To be honest I think that there is only a slim chance of this being developed while Kennet have any say but if the policy making is taken from them then who knows.
NOTE:
QUANGO - "A body which has a role in the processes of national government, but is not a government department or part of one, and which accordingly operates to a greater or lesser extent at arm's length from Ministers." It stands for Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Organisation