| Abstract: |
The desk-based assessment follows the guidance as outlined in: Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (CIfA 2020) and Understanding Place: historic area assessments in a planning and development context (Historic England 2017). The heritage assessment was undertaken by Emily Wapshott MCIfA in May 2022. The work was undertaken in line with best practice and follows the guidance outlined in: CIfA’s Standard and Guidance for the Archaeological Investigation and Recording of Standing Buildings or Structures (2014), Historic England’s Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Processes (2016), Conservation Principles: policies and guidance for the sustainable management of the historic environment (English Heritage 2008), The Setting of Heritage Assets (Historic England 2017), Seeing History in the View (English Heritage 2011), Managing Change in the Historic Environment: Setting (Historic Scotland 2016), and with reference to Visual Assessment of Wind Farms: Best practice (University of Newcastle 2002), Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 3rd edition (Landscape Institute 2013) and ICOMOS (2011) guidance. Detailed methodology for the assessment of significance and impact can be found in appendix 2. The archaeological potential of the site is expected to be low, due to the landscaping it has received and lower slope topographical position, but this area of Cornwall has a rich prehistoric phase of archaeological record, so deep deposits and scattered finds cannot be ruled out. The wider setting is characterised by large established gardens and wooded slopes which reduce outward views across the valley and to the village, and this introverted nature of the location, screened by tall fences or hedges means any impact on the conservation area from two eco-homes with green roofs and natural timber-clad elevations is expected to be very low, as these will quickly weather into the established green, brown and silver colourscape, effectively making them visually recessive. We must, however, acknowledge a quantifiable if negligible visual and physical change and minor increase in density of settlement, but these have little actual scale of effect on the conservation area which is the primary asset to be considered and the significance of this asset is derived from the aesthetic, evidential and historical value of the physical Listed buildings, which cannot be impacted; Slight/adverse negative impact. Slight/adverse impact is also given for the church and convent, which are both Grade I and which both may have direct intervisbility with upper portion of the site, again these are assessed as Slight/adverse impact. Overall cumulative impact may therefore be considered to be Moderate/slight adverse scale of effect and is again, considered to result in a less than substantial harm, as long as the concept designs are followed through. The site is shown to have been agricultural land before the 19th century, its steep slope, suggesting animal grazing, not arable; likely unimproved and before that unenclosed. Its archaeological deposits, should they exist in the lower, less developed southern area may therefore be undisturbed by ploughing, any deposits in the middle or north of the plot may have been significantly damaged by terracing and levelling, associated with the garden planting of the two Victorian villas. Located on the lower slopes this is an unlikely place for a prehistoric settlement or funerary site, but the richness of Cornwall’s prehistoric archaeology is such that nothing can be precluded. Archaeological potential is considered to be low. |
