| About Tadley |
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About Tadley Tadley has many amenities including Schools, library, churches, Leisure facilities, Sports facilities, Open Spaces, Allotments, Shops & Restaurants and Businesses. Most of this information can be found from the different categories on this website. But we are (that is TADLEY) very lucky to have an excellent Village Design Statement book. The information is quite detailed but gives a very good insight into what Tadley is about. Small extracts have been taken from this brilliant book to give you a brief look into Tadley. The complete book is in PDF format below and can be downloaded from the link Introduction Tadley may be roughly divided into five areas, each of different character: * The old rural roads to the east below the Common (Area1), * the housing estates to the west of the A340 (Area 2), * the AWE estate to the north-west (Area 3), * the rural area to the south (Area 4) * the Conservation Areas (Area 5) The Rural Area (Area 1) The old rural roads to the east below the Common, The settlement of Tadley is, for the most part, heavily populated, yet immediately beyond its urban boundaries, it is surrounded by open countryside. The rural landscape is predominantly undulating farmland; a patchwork of small and medium-sized fields interspersed with copses, larger woods and managed plantations. There are also areas of gorse-covered heath. Birch and hazel are plentiful and the historic rural industry of besom broom making, which traditionally depends upon these species, continues to this day. Housing and Architecture in the Urban Area (Area 2) The housing estates to the west of the A340 Tadley can be conveniently considered in five areas, each of a different character: 1. the north west being the 1950s development due to the arrival of AWE 2. the north east dominated by the 40 hectare Tadley Common and the old roads below it 3. the central area to the west of the A340 developed principally from 1960 onwards 4. the housing located in the rural area to the west and south 5. the two Conservation Areas North West Tadley (Area 3) The AWE estate to the north-west The majority of the area is made up of housing estates built during the period 1953-1956 for the then UKAEA (AWRE and later AWE) work force. It was designed as a self-contained residential area, with shops and amenities. The community atmosphere of this area is enhanced by Bishopswood Court, a complex of apartments for the elderly. Minter Court and Halstead House provide further apartments run by Housing Associations. There is also a development of social housing at O'Bee Gardens. North East Tadley (Area 4) The rural area to the south This part of Tadley is notable for the sweep of Tadley Common. The area has two distinct characteristics: the old roads which developed from rural tracks, and modern estate developments. The largest of the modern developments is that built in 1960 to the north of Rowan Road. Its roads are spacious, and some open space was deliberately retained to break up the blocks of housing. The houses are of varying design and size, and whilst a variety of bricks and facings are used, they blend well together. Notable is Albert West's single-roomed dwelling, brick built with a corrugated iron roof. Leading off West Street are some cul-de-sacs a few of which are currently being developed and expanded with modern houses. Central Tadley This area is built over the central valley to the west of the A340, and its main feature is its undulating terrain. With few exceptions it consists of housing estates developed at different periods from the 1950s to the 1990s. North of New Road are several estates developed at different periods with their respective and individual styles, the predominant housing being two-storey semidetached and terraced houses built of various types and colours of brick under concrete tiled roofs. Building design also varies within the area, with white clad elevations in Reynards Close and tile hung elevations spread throughout but more noticeable in the newer properties on Barlows Road and adjoining Closes. These are interspersed with bungalows and small blocks of maisonettes of similar construction. Garage blocks in the area are clean and well maintained. The houses are well settled into the landscape, with the garden trees and shrubs giving the area an established character. Conservation Areas (Area 5) the Conservation Areas Tadley Conservation Area Amongst the widely varying architecture, there are over 28 historic houses and cottages in this area, of which 6 are Grade II listed. Number 45 Main Road "Burrell’s Farm" is reputed to be 15th century but is formally listed as 17th century. It has an oak-frame construction with brick infill panels painted white, although some original wattle & daub walls can still be seen. The roof is thatched and there is a tiled barn extension and outbuildings. Other cottages from the 17th and 18th century are of very similar construction, with hipped thatched or part-thatched roofs, or plain clay red-brown tiles and features such as eyebrow dormers and irregular fenestration. Windows are small in size relative to later buildings in the area and are wooden casements; one has small leaded panes of glass. Doors on the cottages are principally of solid wood. Four of these listed cottages, Cons cottage, Crooked cottage and numbers 7 and 9 are situated in the picturesque Malthouse Lane with its gentle slope and twists. The remaining cottage is in Manse Lane. Church Road Conservation Area Property types and ages vary but most are mature detached houses set back from the lane in large established gardens, a feature which contrasts sharply with the urban areas of Tadley to the north. The most significant characteristic of this Conservation Area is that the area of developed land is vastly exceeded by that of open rural landscape. At the southern end stands St. Peter's Church which is Grade I listed and of outstanding national importance. Small and simple, it dates mainly from the 17th and 18th century with a 13th century nave and Tudor door-frame. This Design Statement was adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance by the Borough Council in April 2004. Tadley Design Statement Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, 2.1 MB (estimated download time using 56k modem is 7.3 minutes) Click to open the document in a new window. Right-click for saving options. |