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

Streetscape materials typically comprise
riven York stone and imitation York stone
pavements, tarmac on roads and imitation
stone setts (on pavements and roads).
Kerbs are typically granite but replacement
concrete kerbs are common. Black cast
iron bollards are used to separate
pedestrians and traffic along main village
streets.
Street furniture includes a variety of styles
but tend to be themed around black cast
iron. This includes Victorian style cast iron
lanterns, signage, bins and benches.
Overhead wires are particularly noticeable
in residential streets.
Street trees are generally absent from the
main village streets of the Victorian Villages.
However, trees and vegetation within small
front gardens make a valuable contribution
to the streetscape. Tree/shrub species
within private gardens are mostly drawn
from a semi-ornamental palette and are
small scale, proving visual interest and
human scale.
density urban environment. These often
contain mature trees including horse
chestnut, rowan, cherry and lime. Privately
owned open space, including school grounds
and churchyards, contribute to vegetation
within this built-up townscape type.
Open spaces, such as village greens, provide valuable
breaks in this built-up townscape type (example from
South Ascot).
Views/Landmarks
Views are generally channelled along streets,
framed by the buildings on either side.
There is a hierarchy of views, dictated by
the street pattern i.e. primary views along
the main routes and secondary views up side
streets, and occasional views down narrow
alleyways and between buildings.
Residential streets generally comprise two storey
terraces – small front gardens contribute to the
streetscape character (example from North Ascot).
Since these villages were not built with the
car in mind, on street parking is a feature of
the streetscape, often resulting in traffic
congestion on the main village streets. As a
consequence some front gardens have been
partially removed and replaced with gravel/
hardstanding to allow off-street parking.
Open Space/Greenspace
Distribution of open space is limited and
generally restricted to private gardens,
occasional village greens/ pockets of open
space at road junctions, resulting in a high
Views are framed by buildings along streets,
sometimes to a wooded landscape setting, such as
this view from Brockenhurst, South Ascot.
Views to the landscape setting contribute to
a strong sense of place, as the species often
reflect the underlying geology i.e. yew on
alkaline soils; pines on acidic sandy soils.
Church spires/towers, which are often
visible from outside the villages, form local
landmarks while train stations and schools
provide local focal points.
Experience
The main village streets of Victorian Villages
are dominated by active frontages,
contributing to a sense of vitality. The
permeability of the townscape (a result of
RBWM Townscape Assessment 36 Final Report 2010: Volume 3