Ford Conservation Area Part Two

FORM AND LAYOUT

The character of the village is informed as much by the landscape and natural features as by built development. At its heart is the Church of St Michael occupying an elevated site within a churchyard bound by a rubble stone wall. Within the Conservation Area the development is at a low density. It is characterised by houses, cottages, outbuildings and farms set within garden plots bounded by hedges or walls of stone or brick.

Ford is served by narrow single track lanes, some of which terminate or return south to join the A458 Welshpool Road. Consequently there is little through traffic and the area has a tranquil quality.

The Conservation Area can be divided into three parts. Land to the north west of the brook centred on the Church is characterised by the mature landscaped and parkland setting of Ford House, the open space of the churchyard, the cottages adjacent to the brook and the farm buildings of Mansion House farm.

The second area lies to the south east of the brook and includes Ford Hall, set within mature gardens bound by tall hedges. Open grazing land rises up towards the long curve of New Street on the ridge above the valley. New Street, which originally led to Preston Montford, has a variety of cottages and small houses to the west side and the complex of buildings which form Lower Farm to the east. Many of the houses have two storey outbuildings which are a distinctive feature of the village and point towards its origins as an agricultural community. To the south there is the Vicarage and former Post Office, both 19th Century and both now in residential use.

The third part of the Conservation Area includes areas of landscape that extend to the south west of the village, east of Cardeston Brook. This green swathe contributes positively to the setting of the village and includes the residential development at Manor Crest at the site of Bank Farm.

BUILDINGS OF ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Ford is a good example of a small rural village of medieval origin whose form, layout and overall size were well established by the early 17th Century and which remains largely unchanged. The most significant group of buildings is centred on the Church of St Michael and includes Ford House and Mansion House as described above, but other cottages and outbuildings also help particularly to form the character of Ford.

There are 14 listed buildings and structures in the village, dating mainly from the early 18th Century. They include Ford House and Mansion House, listed as being of outstanding interest (grade II*). The remainder are grade II listed.

One of the most significant listed buildings is the Church of St Michael, which occupies a prominent location to the north. In addition to the Church, the churchyard, gates and gate piers form a pleasing focal point when viewed from the bridge. This pair of cast iron gates with intersecting panel tracery in the perpendicular style were given by Sir Baldwin Leighton of Loton Park in 1861 on condition that the inhabitants of Cardeston and of Ford-in-Alberbury might be buried in the churchyard. This agreement was revoked in 1876 although the gates remain and are listed grade II.

Ford House and its outbuildings make a significant contribution to the character of the Conservation Area. In addition to the house, the barn, stable block and dovecote are listed. These early 18th Century outbuildings are of brick with plain tiled roofs. The barn and wall form two sides of a service courtyard to the north west of Ford House. The stable block conveys an air of gentility with its sandstone parapeted gables and balanced elevations which suggest a rather grand treatment.

PREVAILING MATERIALS AND LOCAL DETAILS

In villages throughout Shropshire the predominant method of construction, and consequently the main architectural features, have been determined by locally available materials. In Ford, buildings are typically of brick, Cardeston stone, and some timber framing. Roofing materials include tile and slate. There is some use of decorative bargeboards and heavy timber eaves cornices. Sash and timber or leaded casement windows are prevalent. Many of the historic buildings have large chimneystacks.

UNLISTED BUILDINGS

The contribution made by key unlisted buildings is significant as they help to establish homogeneity within the village through the use of traditional
fenestration and local building materials such as local brick, stone or timber and Welsh slate. These buildings include Brookside, The Old Vicarage and The Post Office. In some cases, however, the impact of these buildings has been undermined through the introduction of inappropriate UPVC doors or windows.

Much of Ford’s special interest is derived from its origins as a village serving an agricultural community. The significance of this in terms of the built environment is that the village has a legacy of storage or workshop buildings associated with many of the cottages and smaller houses. Many of these buildings are one and a half storeys in height, built of brick or stone, and situated in prominent locations, such as along boundaries.