Conservation Areas in Harborough district - Keyham Conservation Area

Keyham is a secluded hillslope village set below Ingarsby Road, the higher through-road, on roads leading from it. This apartness from through traffic imparts a special quality to the settlement. The village roads have several right angle bends resulting in many interesting closing views, the streetscapes being of even greater interest because of the falls in height. The Conservation Area embraces the whole of the settlement which, with the exception of houses along lower Snows Lane, is almost wholly of 19th Century or earlier buildings.

The seclusion is emphasised by the larger grounds with trees belonging, or formerly belonging, to Keyham Old Hall between the Church on Main Street and the higher road. The Old Hall itself is barely visible, but its former stables and outbuildings (now dwellings) back onto the higher road.

The character of the village is the variety of buildings tumbling down the roads and around the corners of the village. Most of the buildings are of red brick (some painted white) with slate or Swithland slate roofs, although ironstone plinths and some timber framing (mainly disguised) survives. Village centre farmhouses include the early 17th Century Whitehouse farmhouse, with squat central chimney and Swithland slate roof closing the view at the bottom of Kings Lane; Mayfield Farmhouse of 1791 facing away from the Main Street, and the fine 16th Century timber framed Fairhaven Farmhouse in Snows Lane encased in 18th Century brick with brick additions. Nether Hall, at the junction of Snows Hill and Main Street lies behind a tall stone wall; its late 17th Century side faces the main street, its 19th Century front faces away. Many cottages in the village were built without doors to the street to satisfy a land ownership whim. The core area for vistas is in the centre: the small stone church of All Saints with its Swithland Slate roof standing above the road having its churchyard and yew trees in front, and village pump by the churchyard gate; opposite is the red brick Old Post Office of 1752 with post box and red cast iron telephone kiosk, and falling away from the church towards the 19th Century former school is Main Street. The cottages here and some elsewhere in the village have cast iron lattice windows.

Keyham Conservation Area map