Ashton Conservation Area

Summary of Special Interest

The special character of Ashton Conservation Area, which is desirable to preserve or enhance derives from the following elements:

• Ashton was developed as a fashionable Victorian residential suburb from the mid 19th Century.
• Properties laid out in a regular grid pattern of blocks
• To the north of Garden Walk properties are generally semi-detached and set in larger plots with small front gardens and large rear gardens.
• To the south of Wellington Road properties are laid out in small blocks of terraces fronting directly onto the street.
• Gardens and mature landscape make a significant contribution to the character of the area.
• The quality of architecture is high with impressive attention to detail, unique features and a high standard of workmanship and materials.
• There is visual harmony resulting from the use of a restrained palette of natural building materials.
• The roofscape is uninterrupted with steeply pitched roofs and chimney stacks.
• There is a well-balanced relationship between scale, height and massing in the street scene.
• Traditional craftsmanship and techniques are embodied in the distinctive architectural features.
• The original use of the area is largely unchanged and it therefore retains its residential and domestic sense of place.
• The consistent building line in the street scene creates a formal relationship between buildings and the street. The defined built edges and wide pavements make it evident where the private space ends and the public space begins.
• There are high quality open spaces including front and rear gardens with a wealth of greenery and foliage.
• The tree lined avenues throughout the area add greenery and attractiveness complimenting the built environment.
• Boundary treatment is a key feature and generally includes low walls and both vehicular and pedestrian entrances.
• There is a spacious, formal layout between properties and the street.
• There are long, straight views from one end of the streets to another.
• The arrangement of building plots is distinct and the buildings within the plots are positioned in a regular manner, often successfully addressing junctions and corner plots making this a significant positive contribution to the area's character.

Designated: 1984

Area: 29.10 Hectares

Article 4 Direction: No

Character Appraisal

Section 69 (2) of the Act imposes a duty on local authorities to review their conservation areas from time to time and Section 71 requires local authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas.

Ashton Conservation area character appraisal (PDF) [2MB] was completed in March 2016.

Google Maps

You can download a pdf version of the  Ashton conservation area boundary plan (PDF) [538KB] .