Petersfield Town Design Statement

 

Area 19

Page history last edited by philip 1 yr ago

Area 19 - The Square, High Street, Dragon Street, St Peter's Road. Also the Town Hall and open air swimming pool.

 

 

 

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Area contact - Vincent Edberg, to email CLICK HERE

 

 

Character Analysis
1. Location in Town / Context

The Town Square is both the historic and present focal point of Petersfield. This is the cultural and commercial hub of town. A full range of buildings and activities are represented including shops, offices, residential, banks, pubs, cafes & restaurants. Main public service buildings are the Post Office and Library.
2. Vistas/Views

There is a most attractive view of the hills in the distance when looking down Sheep Street from the Square. The same applies when standing at the top of Dragon Street looking south along the gently curving line of many historic buildings with the South Downs forming a splendid backdrop.

There is an important visual link between The Hangers to the north west and the north end of Rams Walk.

The east and west views down the High Street are visually closed at both ends by buildings forming an urban space giving a distinct character to this important area which opens up into the larger space of the The Square. 

Visual contact with The Hangers from the Square end of Swan Street.

Recently formed walkway south of The Drum public house will hopefully in time enjoy a more attractive backdrop than the telephone exchange.
3. Landscaping

Trees were introduced to the corners of the Square as part of a landscaping initiative during the 1990s. These have today matured and now form an attractive framing of the Market Square. Part of the same scheme was to introduce deciduous trees at the bottom of The High Street and along Dragon Street this is in contrast to oversized conifers in front of St Peter’s Church. The Town Square was resurfaced controversially with Belgium stone. However - the hard landscape design of The Square, The High Street and Dragon Street has on the whole been proved successful.

The central car park is landscaped with trees which will as they mature improve the visual appearance of this open space. Many of the trees lining the stream on the south side of the car park are splendid and mature and protected by TPO’s. Small wooded area between access to Boots and Physic Garden wall is intriguing, and could be sensitively developed by additional planting of bushes, flowers.

The stream running along the south side of the car park is a potential feature that suffers from lack of imaginative attention. Railings are in places extremely basic and ugly made of scaffold pole style material. Position of neglected fountain memorial to Richard Barlow Kennett dated 1882 at south east corner of central car park is most unfortunate.

There is a neglected green area on the town hall side of junction between Tor Way and College Street that could be attractively landscaped. The tendency to urban style planting within Petersfield should preferably be resisted.
4. Building Characteristics

There is a wealth of historical buildings of which many are listed. These do give the centre of town a distinct market town feel. The Square with cast iron railings, street furniture, planters and bollards reflect some of the nature of a cattle market that used this space up till the early sixties. Most of these fittings are not genuine but do still add to that character. St Peter’s Church dominates The Square and is framed by the attractive but diminutive Market Inn to one side and a three storey Georgian building at the top of Sheep Street on the other. The library sits on the opposite side of Sheep Street with elements and shapes reminiscent of a story style castle and rising high above The George public house squashed hard up against the much taller and regimental Post Office. The clean lines of the old Corn Exchange opposite can be imagined through an overenthusiastic colour scheme dividing the original volume up into smaller units.

The High Street is one of the highlights of Petersfield displaying many of the finest buildings in town. The north side is in this respect more impressive ranging from a timber framed building with flint infill occupied by restaurants and shops, the classical style Lloyds Bank, the contemporary punctuation of Barclays Bank, the recent addition of opening into Rams Walk, Italianate and impressively rising NatWest Bank, to the fine old town houses such as 20 & 22 High Street to mention a few. The new building just north of the war memorial represents a lost design opportunity as a bland new frontage avoiding challenges of the day. A small scale sensitive experiment could have been appropriate in this location.

Chapel Street is potentially attractive but suffers from poor maintenance of first floor premises in particular which in a way reflects a transition from The Square to Lavant Street. There is in addition a proliferation of poorly designed shop fronts. This gives the facades a disjointed and untidy expression. Buildings of particular interest are the art deco white rendered bank on the corner with Swan Street and further along on the same side The Drum public house. The three storey building on the west side above covered way to car park is curiously overpowering.

Bakery Lane and  ???  Lane are interesting, narrow pedestrian passages between Chapel Street and the Central Car Park which have a near medieval quality (but without the horse droppings!).

The central car park is on the whole intelligently laid out and landscaped. Attention could perhaps be given to improving traffic circulation and also the inclusion of a public drop-off parking space at the end of Rams Walk. The edge to the west needs attention as does, in particular, the empty site on the corner with Park Road. Tall brick boundary wall on north side of the same road is dull. The supermarket complex to the south is perhaps heavy in scale but quite successful, as is the lean-to roof of the side walkway, and articulate roof shapes detract the eye away from large brick wall surfaces.

Dragon Street displays a range of attractive buildings of which many are rendered. Dragon House stands out and although mainly timber frame was attractively refronted in the early 18th century with brickwork. The pleasantly simple design of other buildings are a reminder of the effectiveness of traditional Hampshire buildings saved from unnecessary clutter and ornament. The recently refurbished restaurant on the east side is a good example of displaying the at times striking similarity of sentiment between historic country buildings and quality contemporary design.

The Town Hall car park is intriguing with the open air swimming pool building and 1930s Town Hall with 1980s extension along the east side forming a composition of interest. It is then surprising to find an uninspiring dull former doctors surgery left in the middle of the open space and a set of near derelict commercial buildings adjoining the old brewery. The local youth club, The King’s Arms, has been relegated to this part of town.

St Peter’s Road is less prominent for the area. There is a disjointed mix of styles including many later buildings that attempt to blend in apart from an unfortunate mock Georgian office. The Infants' School represents a fascinating mix of new and old building styles although some of the colour scheme to window frames now feels dated. That feeling of anticipation arrives when turning the corner at Foggy’s (previously The Bell Inn) and into a narrow section of road opening dramatically up into the Square.
5. Building Materials
The strong historic content of the building stock in the area provides a good library of traditional building materials for the area. Local clay used by Petersfield brickworks produced predominantly bricks and roof tiles in a warm terracotta colour. Uneven kiln burning would typically produce a pleasant multi effect to facing bricks. Elements of local but fragile malm stone, harder iron rich stone almost rust coloured and finally flint stone can also be found. Render and white wash is also common being a surface treatment introduced to either combat damp penetration or more commonly to display opulence by covering what was perceived to be common brick and stone.

Common building materials from other corners of the country include roof slates that can be laid at a flatter pitch which complement certain building styles. The punctuation of yellow brick as seen on the Westminster Bank and Rams Walk shopping development add interest when appropriate but large scale use ought to be restrained in order not to lose the unique "Petersfield feel".
6. Roofs
The roofscape is particularly important in a market town like Petersfield with the undulating shapes reflecting the surrounding countryside. Variety of height and shape of roofs can in in particular be admired on the north side of The High Street as being very articulate and interesting. Chapel Street again displays an intriguing array of roof shapes with gable ends and gutter lines alternating providing character if not coherent design. Within an undulating sea of pitched roofs small scale flat roofs can also be appropriate. Interesting close views of the roof scape can for example be experienced from Tilmore Bridge and High Meadow. See also comments for area 25 that deal with the visual impression of Petersfield from a distance.

Large-scale, pancake-style flattish roofs such as seen on the telephone exchange and later developments represented by Tesco and many buildings in the Petersfield business park do however lack relevance and interest. The same argument applies to 1960s residential development at the corner of The High Street and Dragon Street, where a lead-clad finish without eaves looks out of scale and dated. A small scale design of that kind would be more appropriate and have left a sample representing the thinking of that time.
7. Special Features & Landmarks

Area 19 is virtually a feature or landmark in itself. The following should nevertheless be noted as being of interest: The Market Square including controversial William III statue, The High Street including war memorial, Physic Garden, Dragon Street, Petersfield Town Hall, St Peter’s Church,, Dragon Street mosaic.
8. Sustainability
There are no dominating solar panels or other mechanical devices visible in the area. Introduction of energy generating equipment will however become a consideration in times to come. Refurbishing efforts converting single glazing with double equivalent has not always been successful by introducing window frames of clumsy design or unattractive upvc finishes.

Efforts have been made to encourage people to walk and/or cycle. Rams walk as well the majority of Folly Lane is completely pedestrianised. The route through Pages Court is gradually becoming an inviting pedestrian link between The High Street and St Peter’s Road.

The sense of cycle routes down the middle of central car park drives are questionable. The general tendency to experiment with establishing safe cycle routes within an already tight urban fabric is on the other hand commendable.
9. Short summary description of area
Town centre location defining Petersfield as a historic market town. Main shopping centre for large catchment area combined with other mixed commercial and residential use. Currently located in an AONB and expected to become a major communication hub for the future South Downs National Park. Fine assembly of buildings and urban space that importantly relate to the open landscape beyond.
10. Main issues and recommendations

Area 19 does at a first glance appear complete. Closer scrutiny does however reveal considerable scope for enhancement.

1. The area at the south east corner of the Square including the old disused toilets is not well utilised. The two large conifers are not suitable for the location and ought to be replaced with more compatible species in better positions. The space below is dark and uninviting. The space has in recent years seen proposals for a new Petersfield Museum or a cafe. Could be used as extension for The Market Inn.


2. The public consultation process has proven that traffic is a major concern for many who live and visit Petersfield. The ability to drive around The Square is seen as unnecessary and a threat to pedestrians. It should in the short term be advantageous to close one or both short ends off from traffic and then assess the impact.


3. Many complaints were received about the hazards of crossing from Rams Walk to The Square or vice versa. Improved traffic management measures to ensure safety and relaxed pedestrian movement to be considered.


4. Chapel Street could do with a major rethink of very poor shop front designs to provide some coherent character to improve the visual impression and benefit shop owners. First floor accommodation is underused leading to poor maintenance of buildings and loss of desirable living accommodation.


5. Square ghastly street lighting fixed to external walls (sugar lump style) to be replaced with attractive alternatives that also enhance the feel of street space at night.


6. Empty building site in corner of Park Road and Central Car Park should be seen as an opportunity build in a style reflecting Petersfield of today and relating to the historical context.


7. The bland section of brick wall on the north side of Park Road to be visually enhanced.


8. Running water is always a visual attraction and the stream through the car park deserves imaginative improvements to banks on either side. Railings, where needed, should be of appropriate design.


9 The Town Hall car park should be subject to a complete rethink that brings this space including the Town Hall together with the town centre. The previous doctors surgery and derelict commercial buildings to be replaced with new visionary and exciting development. A pedestrian link from the car park in front of The Red Lion to the Folly Lane would join the on foot network naturally together. Purely commercial pressures should be resisted as this is a prime site of public interest.


10. The ‘gateway’ into Petersfield at the south end of Dragon Street is a clear opportunity for improvement. The petrol station on one side and the plumbing merchant on the other are desirable businesses for the town while the buildings they occupy are unattractive and do not form an entrance of distinction into Petersfield.

 

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