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

A. DESCRIPTION
Location/distribution of type
Late Post War Residential Suburbs are often
located on the edge of settlements,
reflecting growth in the late 20 th Century.
However, pockets are located in older areas
as modern residential infill.
Urban Form
Urban form is based on a street pattern of
long curvilinear feeder streets and short
subsidiary roads terminating in cul de
sacs/dead ends.
Physical Influences
The underlying geology and soils are rarely
expressed in townscape character.
However, in some instances, remnants of
woodland, shelterbelts and hedgerows
provide references to the underlying
geology e.g. oaks on clay, pines on sand.
Topography underlying these suburbs tends
to be flat or gently undulating and therefore
does not greatly influence the layout of
streets and plots.
Human Influences
This type displays a variety of architectural
styles, reflecting advances in building
technologies and availability/ popularity of
materials during the decades following 1960.
Each ‘estate’ grew in a relatively short
period of time, resulting in a consistency of
built form and character within each estate.
Central curving feeder streets with subsidiary roads
culminating in dead-ends/cul-de-sacs. Reproduced
from Ordnance Survey information with the
permission of The Controller of Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office, Crown Copyright, Licence Number
10001926.
Built development is characterised by two
storey semi-detached or detached suburban
style houses with short front gardens and
larger rear gardens. The building line is
often staggered, due to the curved nature of
streets. However the consistency in plot
form, density and building scale results in a
harmonised streetscape character.
Townscape Character
Land Use/Image
Primary land use is residential, but includes
schools built in the same period, as well as
areas of shared amenity greenspace often
with children’s play grounds, parks,
woodland remnants and outdoor sports
facilities (including tennis courts and playing
fields).
The building line is often staggered, due to the
curved nature of streets, as here at North Ascot.
Streets are generously proportioned, often
with wide grassed verges and footpaths.
Front gardens are usually unfenced,
contributing to the open character of the
street.
RBWM Townscape Assessment 56 Final Report 2010: Volume 3