CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
Purpose of the appraisal
Summary of special interest
2.0 The Planning Policy Context
Local planning policy
3.0 Location and Setting
Location and context
General character and plan form
4.0 Landscape Setting
Topography and relationship of the conservation area to its surroundings
5.0 Historic Development and Archaeology
Archaeological significance
Origins and historic development
6.0 Spatial Analysis
Spaces and views
The character of spaces within the area
7.0 Definition of the Special Interest of the Conservation Area
Activities/uses
Building types
Architectural qualities
Listed buildings
Buildings of Townscape Merit
Public realm audit
Green spaces, trees, hedges
8.0 Issues
Strengths
Weaknesses
Dore Conservation Area boundary review
Bibliography
List of Photographs
Useful Contacts and Addresses
Townscape Appraisal Map
Summary of Consultation Undertaken
This document has been written and produced by
The Conservation Studio,
1 Querns Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1RL September 2006
DORE CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL
1.0 Introduction
Purpose of the appraisal
1.1 This appraisal seeks to record and analyse the various features which
give the Dore Conservation Area its special architectural and historic interest.
The area’s buildings and spaces are noted, described and marked on the
Townscape Appraisal map along with listed buildings, buildings of townscape
merit, significant trees and spaces, and important views into and out of the
conservation area. There is a presumption that all of these features should
be “preserved or enhanced”, as required by the legislation.
1.2 This appraisal builds upon national policy, as set out in PPG15, and local
policy (see below). It provides a firm basis on which applications for
development within the Dore Conservation Area can be assessed.
Summary of special interest
1.3 The Dore Conservation Area was designated on 18th November 1971.
1.4 The special interest that justifies designation of the Dore Conservation Area derives from the
following features:
Surviving historic street pattern of lanes and greens;
Architectural and historic interest of the conservation area’s buildings, including Christ Church
and ten other grade II listed buildings;
War Memorial and Lych Gate;
The prevalent use of local building materials, notably local stone;
The Village Green, The Cockpit and traces of other greens;
The Recreation Ground and the open space between Dore Primary School and King’s Croft;
The area’s trees particularly in Christ Church churchyard, the Village Green and Townhead
Road;
Distinctive local features and details such as stone boundary walls gate piers, stone kerbs and
stone drinking troughs;
Areas of historic floorscape including setted entrances and stone paved footpaths.
1.5 Historic associations with Richard Furness (1791-1857) who was Dore Old School’s most
significant schoolmaster and the architect of Christ Church.
2.0 The planning policy context
2.1 Conservation areas are designated under the provisions of Section 69 of the Planning (Listed
Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. A conservation area is defined as “an area of
special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to
preserve or enhance”. It is the quality and interest of an area, rather than that of individual
buildings, which is the prime consideration in identifying a conservation area.
2.2 Section 71 of the same Act requires local planning authorities to formulate and publish
proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are
conservation areas. Section 72 specifies that, in making a decision on an application for
development in a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of
preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area.
2.3 This document should be read in conjunction with national planning policy guidance,
particularly Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 (PPG 15) – Planning and the Historic
Environment. The layout and content follows guidance produced by English Heritage, the
Heritage Lottery Fund and the English Historic Towns Forum.
Local planning policy
2.4 This appraisal provides a firm basis on which applications for development within Sheffield
City can be assessed. It should be read in conjunction with the wider development plan policy
framework produced by Sheffield City Council. That framework is set out in a number of
documents, notably:
2.5 The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) which is the statutory development plan for Sheffield,
adopted in March 1998.
2.6 The Sheffield Development Framework (SDF) will be the City’s portfolio of local development
documents, collectively delivering the spatial planning strategy for the whole of the Sheffield
District except for the area in the Peak Park. Once adopted, the SDF will replace the Unitary
Development Plan (UDP).
2.7 The Sheffield Urban Design Compendium, a design guide for the whole of the City Centre
providing guidance on how the on-going regeneration of the City Centre can be design led and
sets a standard for architectural design and the quality of the public realm.
3.0 Location and setting
Location and context
3.1 The Dore Conservation Area comprises the historic core of the village of Dore which is
located on the outskirts of Sheffield about 8 km from the city centre. ‘Dore Village’ is a suburb of
Sheffield separated from Sheffield’s south-western suburbs by a green buffer zone of Ryecroft
Farm, Ecclesall Woods and Whirlow Brook Park. Dore Conservation Area covers a small part of
the village which, for the most part, is composed of late 19th century and, more prevalently, 20th
century housing. Though located within a suburb of Sheffield, Dore Conservation Area has a
distinctive village identity arising from its historic buildings, rural origins and strong community
spirit.
3.2 The boundaries of the Dore Conservation Area have been drawn to enclose all of the clusters
of historic buildings that made up historic Dore as it was in he 18th century and earlier. However,
substantial 20th century development and infill mean that the conservation area boundary also
necessitates the inclusion of small pockets of 20th century development which are out of
character with the area’s predominant historic character and appearance, for example Dore Hall
Croft, Rushleigh Court and parts of Townhead Road.
General character and plan form
3.3 Fairbanks’ Map of 1827 indicates that Dore consisted of a widely spread community of
farmsteads and clusters of houses scattered beside a network of winding lanes and greens. The
geographic centre of this disparate group of buildings at the junction of lanes located (roughly
outside the site of today’s Hare and Hounds Inn) where, on the corner of Savage Lane, stood a
decrepit chapel-of-ease. The layout of roads as illustrated in 1827 remains virtually unchanged.
3.4 The OS Map of 1877 shows the beginnings of change within the village but the village itself is
still undoubtedly rural. Devonshire Terrace Road and Leyfield Road have yet to be built but
Christ Church and the Methodist Church are in place. Two “old coal pits” marked in locations just
north of the conservation area testify to the varied economy and industry of the village.
3.5 By the time of the OS map of 1923, Dore still remains separate from Sheffield but expansion
as a result of the arrival of the railway (1870) has encouraged infill such as nos 9/11 Savage
Lane, nos 40/42 Vicarage Lane and nos 181/183 Dore Road and started the village’s slow
coalescence with Sheffield by development along Dore Road and East Rushley Road (outside
the conservation area).
4.0 Landscape setting
Topography and relationship to surroundings
4.1 The Dore Village Design Statement 2005 describes Dore thus:
“The village is located on the eastern edge of the Pennines, sheltering below Burbage and
Houndkirk Moors on a low knoll sloping south-easterly, less steeply north of the Village Centre,
from 230 metres above sea level down to the River Sheaf at 125 metres above sea level. The
village is partially bounded by steeply incised wooded slopes on its western edge at Newfield
Lane and eastern edge, parallel to Dore Road. The northern village boundary with the
countryside is sharply defined by the houses in Parker and Brick House Lanes and Rushley
Avenue. The southern limit of development is provided by the steeply wooded north facing slopes
of the River Sheaf. A narrow strip of open land and woodland around the railway cutting
separates Dore Village from the adjacent suburbs of Bradway and Totley.”
5.0 Historic development and archaeology
Archaeological significance
5.1 Although the Sites and Monuments Record and the South Yorkshire Archaeology Service’s
Historic Environment Characterisation Study cannot be regarded as definitive or comprehensive,
data from both sources indicates the possibility of Neolithic activity in the area. In addition to its
historic role as the boundary between Mercia and Northumbria, and its association with
Beauchief Abbey, Dore also has the remains of pre-enclosure ridge and furrow field systems, as
well as early timber-framed and cruck-built farm buildings.
5.2 The whole of the conservation area therefore has archaeological potential above and below
the ground, and it is likely that further consideration will need to be given to the effect of
applications for substantial new development.
Origins and historic development
5.3 Dore is fortunate in having an active society, The Dore Village Society, which has published
several books about the history of Dore village. The website http://www.dorevillage.co.uk
contains a timeline and brief history of Dore on which much of the following short history is
based.
5.4 The written history of Dore can be traced back to the year 829 and an entry (wrongly
recorded as 827) in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - “And Ecgbert led an army to Dore against the
Northumbrians and they offered him obedience and concord and thereupon they separated”
and thus King Ecgbert became “Our Lord of the whole English speaking race, from the Channel
to the Firth of Forth”.
5.5 The importance of Dore was its position on the boundary of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms of
Mercia, recently conquered by King Ecgbert of Wessex, and Northumbria, the second most
powerful kingdom. At the time, Northumbria was under pressure from Viking raids and unable to
fight on two fronts, leading to the acceptance of Ecgbert as overlord and effectively the first king
of all England.
5.6 The resulting unification did not last for long and Dore returned to its position as a rural
backwater. The boundary between the two kingdoms, as marked by the local Limb (meaning
limit or boundary) Brook, retained its significance however as the dividing line between
Yorkshire and Derbyshire until 1934 and as the boundary between the Sees of York and
Canterbury.
5.7 By the time of the Doomsday Book in 1085, the manor of Dore was just a small part of the
holdings of a knight named Roger de Beusli. In 1183 the Premonstratensian order of monks
founded Beauchief Abbey, just to the east of Dore, and the area become more prosperous, with
the monks keeping sheep on the moors, and grinding corn at mills on the River Sheaf.
5.8 During the Middle Ages and into the 19th century, Dore was predominantly an agricultural
hamlet composed of a collection of small groups of buildings linked by tracks. In 1809 The
Duke of Devonshire, who had acquired the Manor of Dore from the Duke of Newcastle in 1742,
applied with other landowners for the enclosure of previously common land. The Dore
Enclosure Act came into force in 1822, completely changing the prospects of the village by
imposing a regular pattern upon the older landscape and altering the previous social and
economic order.
5.9 A chantry Chapel was located in the centre of the village from around 1175AD. This was
most likely served by the monks of nearby Beauchief Abbey. In 1705 The Vicar of Dronfield
reported, "Dore Chapel hath nothing at all belonging to it". A new church, designed by the local
schoolmaster Richard Furness, was consecrated on August 22nd 1829. Dore Chapel was at
first a chapel-of-ease to Dronfield. The first incumbent, Richard Martin, was appointed in 1843
and the church became a parish church in its own right in 1844. In 1861 Primitive Methodists
opened a chapel on High Street.
5.10 Though primarily an agrarian community, people in Dore would have had other
occupations as scythesmiths, miners, saw and anvil makers, button makers and file cutters. In
1828 Pigot’s Commercial Directory of Derbyshire lists Dore as a place of no consideration in the
way of trade with the exception of a paper mill.
5.11 Fifty years after the impact of The Dore Enclosure Act, the arrival of the railways in the
1870s made a further impact on the development of Dore by connecting the village to the centre
of Sheffield. Dore and Totley railway station, opened in 1872, prompted the construction of Dore
New Road (Dore Road) through the Duke of Devonshire’s property from Abbeydale Road to
Ashfurlong Lane (outside the conservation area). The parish authorities then widened the old
lane from Ashfurlong Road to the village and the expansion of suburban housing 5.12 As with
almost all communities served by a railway station, the local population began to grow and Dore
became increasingly urbanized but its discreet identity has been preserved, in part, by the
wedge of green open space comprising the historic Ecclesall Woods and Ryecroft Farm. This,
together with the limits of The Peak National Park and the creation of Sheffield’s green belt have
controlled expansion, but not before the historic core of Dore had been encircled with modern
housing.
5.13 In 1811 Dore’s population is given as 398, rising to 527 by 1831. 50 years later, in 1881
Dore’s population is given as 631 with a further 243 in Abbeydale. In 1901 as the effect of new
housing resulting from the coming of the railways, Dore’s population is 1,305 and a further 1,058
in Abbeydale. (The Dore ward population figure in 1991 is given as 19,197).
6.0 Spatial analysis
Key views and vistas
6.1 Dore Conservation Area is for the most part surrounded by 20th century housing
developments. Despite its hillside setting the main views of distant landscape are from the
recreation ground, a mostly rural view to the edge of The Peak District, and from the open area
west of King’s Croft, a mostly urban view of Totley and beyond.
6.2 Within the conservation area, Christ Church is a landmark building and from the Village
Green there is a picturesque view of the tower rising above The Old School. There is a good
view of the church on the south-western approach along Church Lane. Dore Methodist Church,
though not a building of great architectural distinction, has a distinguishing clock tower with a
pyramidical slate roof that overlooks the shops at the wide junction of High Street, Savage Lane
and Church Lane.
6.3 The haphazard layout of the conservation area’s streets, which are mostly short and curved,
creates ever-changing informal views of the townscape. There are no formal vistas.
6.4 With regard to views from outside theconservation area, the Dore Village Design Statement
2005 says: “From vantage points on the moors to the west and the higher ground in Totley and
Bradway to the south the overall visualimpression of Dore Village (an area larger than the Dore
Conservation Area) is of a low density settlement, embedded in wooded countryside,
interspersed by open spaces and softened by considerable mature tree cover throughout.”
The character of spaces within the area
6.5 The conservation area’s detached, semi-detached and short rows ofhouses have small
gardens to front and longer gardens to the rear. Prestigious properties such as The Old
Vicarage, King’s Croft and former farmhouses have larger gardens. Christ Church stands in a
spacious churchyard. There are areas of car parking set aside for the village’s shops and pubs.
As a whole, the conservation area has a relatively spacious suburban density.
6.6 The biggest areas of open space in Dore Conservation Area are the Recreation Ground and
the open space between Dore Primary School and King’s Croft. The unusual shape of the
Recreation Ground can be shown to derive from field boundaries marked on the 1877 OS map
and, to a lesser extent, Fairbanks’ map of 1827. Both open spaces are important for their
contribution to the ecology of the conservation area but, being on the periphery, they have little
visual impact on the area.
6.7 In contrast, Christ Church churchyard and the Village Green are part of the fabric of the
historic core. They are distinctive open spaces that make a major contribution to the special
character and appearance of the historic core.
6.8 Until the implementation of the Dore Enclosure Act of 1822, Dore was composed of clusters
of buildings and farmsteads linked by tracks and open spaces forming an informal network of
greens. Obviously today that loose-knit layout has been lost as a result of 19th and 20th
century encroachments, but vestiges of the former greens are still to be found, mostly notably in
the Village Green.
6.9 The ‘greens’ are a special feature of Dore Conservation Area and help to give it a unique
sense of place. Six greens are named and identified in The Dore Village Society publication
‘The A to W of Dore’ by J. Dunstan & R. Millican. Four of them lie within the conservation area.
They are:
(i) the Village Green, an typical village green, lined with mature and growing trees (The
Dore Village Society took advantage of the Commons Registration Act in the 1960s to
ensure that it now belongs to the people of Dore and Sheffield in perpetuity);
(ii) Hall Green, hardly recognisable as such today but indicated by the wide grass verge on
the north side of Dore Road opposite the junction with Vicarage Lane,
(iii) Cat Croft Green, identified by the wide junction with enlarged pavement at the junction of
Church Lane and Vicarage Lane, and
(iv) Watering Trough Green which was located at the north end of Devonshire Terrace Lane
where there still stands a stone water trough. In addition to these four, there is a grassed
area at the junction of Townhead Road and Drury Lane, known as The Cockpit, which is
a similar remnant of an ancient green. These small areas should be preserved .
7.0 Definition of the special interest of the conservation area
Activities/uses
7.1 The conservation area’s agrarian origins can be seen in the haphazard layout of the historic
street pattern and the remaining Derbyshire vernacular stone-built farmsteads and cottages.
Today there are no longer any agricultural or industrial activities in the conservation area. The
conservation area is primarily residential with residents working in Sheffield or further afield. A
range of shops and offices provide the only sources of local employment.
7.2 Dore Conservation Area contains two churches (Anglican and Methodist) together with
church halls, Dore Club and Dore Old School, a garage and petrol station, two public houses
(Devonshire Arms and Hare and Hounds) and a collection of retail shops and services sufficient
to create a viable shopping centre for the immediate locality. Shops and services are located in
three distinct clusters: nos 21-37 Townhead Road, nos 42- 48 High Street and nos 4-12
Causeway Head Road. A butcher at no. 1 High Street is the only shop operating from a historic
property.
7.3 The commercial centre of the village is busy and parking can be difficult. It is served by
regular buses and is a short distance from Dore Railway Station on the Transpennine Sheffield Manchester Route. Away from the commercial centre, there is a generally quiet atmosphere
and traffic is light.
Building types
7.4 The conservation area is primarily residential and most properties, even former agricultural
barns, are in residential use. The village’s rural origins can be identified by the presence of
many former farmsteads, many of which keep their name though no longer involved iagriculture
(e.g. Townhead Farm, Sycamore Farm, Croft House Farm, Church Lane Farmhouse and
Gilleyfield Farm. Nab Farm and outbuildings have only recently (2004) been converted to four
dwellings.
7.5 Though some farmhouses have been altered and extended, all are constructed with local
stone. Some retain farm outbuildings the most notable of which is the barn of Croft House
Farm, in Church Lane which is reputed to have a cruck construction, still retains a stone slate
roof, a wide carriage opening and four slit windows in its east gable. Church Lane Farmhouse
and adjoining barn dates from the 17th century and is an example of a Derbyshire Long House,
now a single house listed grade II. The Grange, 175 Dore Road is of similar date and type but
much altered.
7.6 Before the start of the 19th century Dore was made up of such farmsteads and smaller
vernacular cottages such as Nos 1-3 Savage Lane, Woodbine Cottages and Sycamore Cottage.
The only community buildings of note were a ‘chapel-of-ease’, now demolished, and The
Devonshire Arms, now altered and extended.
7.7 The 19th century saw the building of the Old School (1821), Christ Church (1828), The
Vicarage (1840) and the Methodist Chapel (c 1850). More houses were built during the second
half of the century, especially after the opening of Dore Railway Station. Except for The
Vicarage and King’s Croft (c1860), houses were modest in size and constructed with local
stone.
7.8 Residential expansion continued through the 20th century. In the 1970s, old buildings in
Townhead Road and High Street were demolished to make way for modern shop premises.
Architectural and historic character
7.9 The piecemeal and unplanned development of the historic core of Dore combined with the
high proportion of 20th century infill have given rise to a disparate architectural character in
which old and new sit side by side. For example, one of the oldest buildings (88-92 Townhead
Road, dated 1686) stands beside a bland row of 1970s houses and Christ Church faces a large
featureless late 20th century building (no. 36 Church Lane, Dore Grill and Restaurant).
7.10 However, despite the occasional mis-match of old and new, the historic architectural
character and appearance of buildings from late 18th, 19th and early 20th century predominate
and give the conservation area its distinctive ‘Derbyshire village’ feel, particularly around the
churchyard and village green.
7.11 Notable individual listed and unlisted buildings are described below and marked on the
Townscape Appraisal map.
7.12 Locally quarried stone is the most prevalent historic building material, used both for walls
and roofs. Woodbine Cottages, at the junction of Vicarage Lane and Dore Road, is built with
coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings and stone slate roofs with stone gable stacks;
Dore Old School is also coursed squared stone with ashlar dressings.
7.13 The use of local stone in buildings and boundary walls is one of the conservation area’s
most distinctive features. Its use in modern developments such as nos 23 -25 Townhead Road
(shops) and helps to soften the impact of the modern development on the historic conservation
area.
7.14 Natural slate became more common after the arrival of the railway made transport from
afar more feasible. Slate is the original roofing material of Devonshire Terrace Road and nos 4
-22 Leyfield Road. Croft House, listed grade II, has roofs of both stone and natural slate.
7.15 Stone-mullioned windows can be seen in older properties such as Woodbine Cottages and
nos 88 and 90 Townhead Road, normally a good indicator of 17th century origins. Smaller,
more humble cottages have small window openings for one, two or, less commonly, three
casement windows. Of note are the horizontal sliding sashes to be found at nos 94 -104
Townhead Road, sometimes known as ‘Yorkshire sashes’.
7.16 Stone roof slates are a strong local vernacular tradition that is gradually being eroded by
replacement with natural slate, artificial stone slates or tiles. Sycamore Cottage, Gilleyfield
Farm, Townhead Farm and The Green have roofs of stone slates which add to the conservation
area’s special interest. In contrast, 88 & 90 and nos 94 -104 Townhead Road, for example,
have roofs of artificial stone slates which, because of their lack of texture and colour, can be
seen to be to the detriment of these listed buildings and the appearance of the conservation
area in general.
7.17 The use of brick is rare before the early 20th century. Exceptionally, nos. 181-183 Dore
Road has a brick frontage with stone dressings. Brick chimneystacks are present, at Nos 1 and
3 Savage Lane and Sycamore Cottage for example.
7.18 Traditionally, windows would have been made of timber and, in small cottages, side hung
multi-paned casements are the norm. However, many windows have been replaced with a
modern material such as uPVC, aluminium or stained timber and/or with a different glazing
pattern that is often inappropriate and spoils the character and appearance of the host building.
Listed buildings
7.19 The following ten grade II listed buildings lie within the conservation area:
War Memorial, Vicarage Lane. c1920. Granite life size figure of a standing soldier on
pedestal with inscribed bronze tablet on front;
Church Lane Farmhouse, Vicarage Lane. Mid 17th century farmhouse and barn with late
20th century alterations;
Memorial Lych Gate, gateway and flanking walls, Vicarage Lane. Late 10th century
and dated 1921. Ashlar side walls carrying an open principal rafter plain tile roof;
Woodbine Cottages, Vicarage Lane. House and cottage now house, c 1740 with later
additions and alterations;
Nos. 88 and 90 Townhead Road. Three stone houses, now amalgamated into two
houses. Dated 1686 with late 20th century alterations and additions;
Nos. 94-104 (even) Townhead Road. Row of houses dating from late 18th and early
19th century, with later alterations. Squared dressed stone;
Nos 1 and 3 Savage Lane. Three houses now made into two houses. Dated
1782 with
mid 19th century and late 20th century alterations;
Dore Old School, Savage Lane. The Commissioners who made the awards following the
Dore Enclosure Act also set aside land whose rent would provide the salary of
schoolmaster. This encouraged the extension of an existing school. Dore Old School has
a plaque declaring ‘Erected by Subscription A.D. 1821’;
Christ Church, Church Lane. 1828. Parish Church by Richard Furness. Choir vestry
1879. Chancel 1895 by J D Webster, a noted local architect who was also responsible for
the extension to nearby Totley Hall;
Croft House, no. 62 Church Lane. Late 17th century house, refronted in the early 19th
century.
Key unlisted buildings - Buildings of Townscape Merit
7.20 Marked on the Townscape Appraisal map for the Dore Conservation Area are a number of
unlisted buildings, known as Buildings of Townscape Merit, which have been judged as making
a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area. This follows
advice provided in English Heritage guidance on conservation area character appraisals, and
within Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 (PPG15), both of which stress the importance of
identifying and protecting such buildings. There is a general presumption in favour of retaining
all Buildings of Townscape Merit, as set out in PPG15.
7.21 The buildings are considered to be good, relatively unaltered, examples of their type where
original materials and details, and the basic historic form of the building has survived. Where a
building has been adversely affected by modern changes and restoration is either impractical or
indeed, not possible, they are excluded.
7.22 Of particular note are: The Vicarage, built in 1840 with a symmetrical three-bay frontage,
now a private dwelling; King’s Croft, a large Victorian house, now offices; The Grange, 175
Dore Road, has a datestone of 1684 and is an example of Derbyshire Long House (much
altered); The Devonshire Arms, built c 1780, was the venue for the reading of the
Commissioner’s Award in 1822.
Public realm: Floorscape, street lighting and street furniture
7.23 Pavements of natural stone slabs are to be found in front of Dore Old School, nos 94 -106
Townhead Road and in the Church Lane pavement west of Christ Church. There is also an
area of re-laid stone paving in front of the modern shops in Townhead Road.
7.24 Roadside stone kerbs remain in Devonshire Terrace Road, Leyfield, Vicarage Lane and
outside nos 1-3 Savage Lane. In addition, stone setts (possibly re-laid) can be found at the
entrance to The Vicarage, The Grange, Croft House Farm and elsewhere, often set between
two stone gate piers. There are also the remnants of stone paving around two stone troughs,
one in High Street, the other in Devonshire Terrace Road.
7.25 These small areas of historic kerbs and paving should be protected and repaired as
necessary, using traditional techniques and materials.
7.26 Street lighting is modern and, given the density and suburban location of the conservation
area, the accretions of modern living i.e. telephone poles and wires, TV aerials and road signs
are plentiful. Pavements are generally covered with black tarmac with concrete kerbs. The lack
of a pavement around the Village Green and The Cockpit, Drury Lane helps to retain the rural
character of those spaces.
Green spaces, trees and other natural elements
7.27 The conservation area contains two significant recreational areas. The recreation ground
is largest of these, located in the north-west sector of the conservation area. It consists of a
number of playing fields and adjacent open space but has a distinctly rural feel because of
mature trees and lengths of old hedgerows. This area is an important community facility and a
breathing space in an area of housing. A similar function is carried out by the second main
recreational area, a grassy area bounded by trees between Dore Primary School and King’s
Croft. The significance of the village’s greens has been noted above.
7.28 These small areas of historic kerbs and paving should be protected and repaired as
necessary, using traditional techniques and materials.
7.29 Street lighting is modern and, given the density and suburban location of the conservation
area, the accretions of modern living i.e. telephone poles and wires, TV aerials and road signs
are plentiful. Pavements are generally covered with black tarmac with concrete kerbs. The lack
of a pavement around the Village Green and The Cockpit, Drury Lane helps to retain the rural
character of those spaces.
Green spaces, trees and other natural elements
7.30 The conservation area contains two significant recreational areas. The recreation ground
is largest of these, located in the north-west sector of the conservation area. It consists of a
number of playing fields and adjacent open space but has a distinctly rural feel because of
mature trees and lengths of old hedgerows. This area is an important community facility and a
breathing space in an area of housing. A similar function is carried out by the second main
recreational area, a grassy area bounded by trees between Dore Primary School and King’s
Croft. The significance of the village’s greens has been noted above.
7.31 Although gardens are often to the rear of properties, small gardens fronting the street are
well maintained and often enhanced by flowers and shrubs in pots. Stone boundary walls are
characteristic of the conservation area. The demolition of boundary wall and front garden area
in order to provide a parking space, as at no. 22 Townhead Road, is regrettable.
7.32 Trees are an important feature of the conservation area in several places. For example, the
trees in the village green add to the rural ambience of the locality, trees in Christ Church
churchyard provide a good setting to the church. An incomplete avenue of trees along the
eastern end of Townhead Road is an attractive feature especially when viewed from the shops
in Townhead Road. The row of trees alongside Dore Primary School are clearly marked on the
1877 OS map but the origin of this small element a formal landscape is not known. These, and
other significant trees or tree groups, are marked on the Townscape Appraisal map. Lack of a
specific reference does not imply that a tree or group is not of value.
Historic Associations
7.33 Richard Furness (1791-1857) is Dore’s most eminent past resident. He was Dore Old
School’s most significant schoolmaster and he designed Christ Church. A man of many talents,
he wrote letters for people, calculated their taxes, pulled their teeth and represented the village
on Parish business. See The Dore Village Society publication, ‘I, Richard Furness…’ by J
Dunsford (1991).
Local details and features
7.34 The distinctive local identity of the Dore Conservation Area is enhanced by a number of
features and historic elements that cumulatively help to give the conservation area a sense of
place. These small items should be preserved. They include:
The Dore Stone, erected by the Dore Village Society, to commemorate an event in 829
AD. The plaque reads: King Ecgbert led his army to Dore in the year 829 against King
Eanred of Northumbria by whose submission King Ecgbert became the first overlord of
England.
The ‘well’ in the south west corner of the Village Green has, for the past 30 years, been
the focus of an annual well-dressing (Fairbanks’ Map of 1827 indicates a ‘Town well’ in the
centre of the Green but no visible trace remains);
Two stone drinking troughs (High Street and Devonshire Terrace Road);
The iron kissing gate beside no. 11 Vicarage Lane marks the top of Water Lane which,
before the completion of a burial ground at Christ Church in 1828, was an old ‘coffin road’
to Dronfield Parish Church;
Stone boundary walls and gate piers are present throughout the conservation area. A
good example of the former stands beside the footpath between Dore Road and Vicarage
Lane; an isolated good example of the latter stands at the southern end of the footpath;
Stone, single storey ‘lean-to’ privies are located beside no. 114 Townhead Road and
beside no. 11 Vicarage Lane, the latter has a stone slate roof;
8.0 Issues
8.1 This section contains a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the Dore
Conservation Area together with recommendation, if any, for changes to the current
conservation area boundary. Strengths and weaknesses, together with other more specific
‘positives’ and ‘negatives’ that were identified during the appraisal process, form the basis of a
separate document, known as the Dore Conservation Area Management Proposals.
8.2 The Management Proposals set objectives for addressing the issues arising from this
appraisal and make recommendations for possible improvements and the avoidance of harmful
change.
Strengths
Historic character and appearance;
Well kept houses and gardens;
Good community facilities (shops, pubs, nearby schools, recreation ground, bus services,
places of worship and community hall);
A strong sense of community and the involvement of local people in events such as the
Dore Show and well-dressing;
Easy access to rural walks.
Weaknesses
Loss of original architectural details such as doors, windows and roof material. Many of the
unlisted, and some of the listed, buildings in the conservation area have been adversely
affected by the use of inappropriate modern materials or details such as the replacement
of original timber sash windows with uPVC or aluminium, the loss of original timber front
doors and the replacement of stone slate or Welsh slate roofs with concrete tiles;
Late 20th century development in the conservation area has failed to preserve or enhance
the character or appearance of the conservation area e.g. Dore Hall Croft and Rushleigh
Court, modern shop units;
Dore Service Garage fulfils a useful public service but the building is out of character with
the historic environment;
The stone troughs and surrounding historic paving are in need of enhancement;
Dore Conservation Area boundary review
8.3 It is recommended that the boundary of the south-eastern corner of the conservation area,
east of Dore Primary School, is adjusted to take account of new development and to ensure that
the whole length of a line of mature trees is included within the conservation area.
(i) It is recommended that two modern houses are omitted from the Conservation Area, one
on Savage Lane, and one on Bushey Wood Drive.
8.4 Extend the boundary to the north off Rushley Road and Causeway Head Road.
(i) On Causeway Head Road to include the buildings behind the shops.
(ii) To include pair of stone terraces due to their special contribution to the area.
8.5 To the boundary to the south west along Drury Lane to include the properties:
(i) To include on the verge the gateposts and the stone properties along Drury Lane.
Bibliography
Dore Village Walk, Sidney Hoffman, Dore Village Society, 1998
Dore Village Society Website http://www.dorevillage.co.uk/
Short History of Christ Church, Dore, Gillian Moore
The A to W of Dore, J. Dunstan and R. Millican, Dore Village Society, 2002
Dore Village Design Statement, 2005
Buildings of England, N. Pevsner, 1967
Ordnance Survey maps 1877, 1923
1827 Fairbanks Map of the Manor of Dore
Useful Contacts and Addresses
For information on listed buildings and conservation areas:
Urban Design and Conservation Team
Sheffield City Council,
Howden House,
1 Union Street,
Sheffield S1 2SH.
Tel: 0114 273 4223
www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/planning-and-city-development/urbandesign--conservation
For information on the status and interpretation of the statutory Development
Plan and supplementary planning guidance:
Forward and Area Planning Team
Sheffield City Council,
Howden House,
1 Union Street,
Sheffield S1 2SH.
Tel: 0114 273 4157
For further information relating to listed buildings and conservation areas:
English Heritage
37 Tanner Row
York
YO1 6WP
Tel: 01904 601901
For an excellent range of technical advice leaflets:
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB),
37 Spital Square,
LONDON E1 6DY
Tel: 020 7377 1644
The Georgian Group,
6 Fitzroy Square,
LONDON W1T 5DX
Tel: 0207529 8920
The Victorian Society,
1 Priory Gardens,
Bedford Park,
LONDON W4 1TT
Tel: 0208994 1019
The Twentieth Century Society,
70 Cowcross Street,
LONDON EC1M 6EJ
Tel: 020 7250 3857