Conservation Areas in Harborough district - Billesdon Conservation Area

Billesdon is a large compact village formerly on the main Leicester - Uppingham Road, but now by-passed by the A47 In 1986. This effectively removes much passing traffic and enables the form of the original market town to be seen. Although effectively a cross roads village, several roads, routes and lanes converge at the Market Place, including the loop of Church Street and Brook Lane. Within the core area with its crossing roads and loop are two important focal spaces: the Market Place in the north and the small green by the Church to the south.

The existence of the market place is indicative of the former central importance of Billesdon within the surrounding countryside. Only a small part remains as grass, the rest is road and parking space. The whole, with its enclosing buildings, is visually important. The contrast of the narrow Church Street and the sudden opening into the space of the Market Place is notable. The grass area has trees, war memorial and mediaeval market cross (a Scheduled Ancient Monument). It is edged by a row of cottages having a cobble footpath in front. The tapering space of the Market Place towards Uppingham Road is fronted by a mixture of cottages and substantial houses. There are two former forge buildings facing the Market Place and close by one a stone dwelling with round chimneys. The second important focal area is to the south and is around the Church and junction of Church Street, Brook Lane and Rolleston Road.

The Church of St. John the Baptist with its spire visually closes the view of Church Street from the north. The Manor House in ironstone with Swithland slate roof visually closes the view from the Rolleston Road. The tree and small green in front of the Manor House and Old School is very important. The total group of Church, Old School, Old Vicarage with associated walls and churchyard is especially significant. A listed mud barn, now converted, forms part of this group.

The closeness of the buildings, the groupings around the market place, the mixture of building materials, and of cottages with larger houses and farmhouses gives Billesdon its particular character. In addition many core dwellings directly front the streets; others have gardens in front whilst others are set back from or sideways to the streets, the variety of doors and doorways is notable. Billesdon’s vernacular architecture is at the transition from stone to brick and there are many examples of both. It also retains timberframe construction, but much of this

is obscured. Roof materials are of thatch, slate or Swithland slate. In addition some of the buildings, including dwellings, are of mud, or partly of mud. This variety of materials, (stone, brick and mud) is also found in the walls, both to the street and to the rear of properties.

The variety of building materials is reflected in the variety of buildings which are of stone, brick or mud. A notable unlisted building is the stone early 20th C Rutland House in West lane.

To the west the Conservation Area goes up to and includes the remnants of the former back lane. As well as the nodal points of the market place and the green by the church with their converging roads, (the secular market place and associated activities, counterbalancing the ecclesiastical group of church and Vicarage and School) the Conservation Area includes the Frisby Road with its 19thC school across the paddocks from the church and some older properties with mature inter-war housing facing in towards the church group.

Billesdon Conservation Area map