5: victorian villages - The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Experience
This townscape type is one of quiet, peaceful
suburbia, essentially private and ‘closed’ in
character due to the predominant land use
of suburban residential streets, with each
house and plot historically a ‘contained’ or
private unit (although now increasingly open
to the street), separated from the
streetscape by walled, fenced and planted
garden boundaries and parking provided off
street.
occupying former lawned areas. Street
trees are also in variable condition.
Within this type, one character area is
identified as being in particularly good
condition/an intact example of the type.
This is:
8A: Trinity Crescent, Sunningdale
The uniformity of built form, scale and
massing creates a rhythmic and repetitive
streetscape.
Changes include additions such as extensions
and loft conversions, and garden boundary
loss.
Forces for Change
This example from Windsor demonstrates a
rhythmic and repetitive aesthetic.
B. EVALUATION
This type is generally stable in character,
albeit with localised erosion created by
façade alterations, extensions, replacement
windows and doors, as well as loss of garden
boundaries.
Key forces for change which were evident
on the site visit are as follows:
Condition
The urban form, street pattern and built
form/ street proportions remain generally
intact throughout these suburbs. However,
some of the architectural and streetscape
details have been eroded by replacement
windows (often picture windows with a
different mullion/transom pattern, or uPVC
windows), concrete roof tiles, and
alterations to pebble-dashed or tile-hung
finishes. Construction of external porches
and dormer windows has further changed
the rhythm along the street.
Condition of front gardens and the interface
with the streetscape is similarly variable,
with garden boundary walls often replaced
in a different style, shortened or removed
altogether to facilitate off street car parking,
with associated gravel/ hardstanding
Redevelopment of plots to
accommodate ‘backland’ development
and larger scale flatted development on
the site of suburban houses, leading to a
loss of rear gardens and changes to the
roofscape as viewed from the street.
Small scale additions and alterations to
building elevations e.g. porches and
minor changes to detailing such as
replacement windows and doors,
changing the building line and rhythm of
the streetscape.
Small scale alterations to roofscape,
through loft conversions/dormer
windows and building extensions.
Off-street parking areas at the front of
properties, changing the structure and
visual appearance of the streetscape due
to loss of front gardens and boundaries.
RBWM Townscape Assessment 46 Final Report 2010: Volume 3