Conservation Areas in Harborough district - Stoughton Conservation Area

Stoughton lies 6km. to the east of Leicester city centre and is now the first village outside the eastern edge of the built up area of the city lying in open countryside.  

The village is of interest as an estate village first of the Powys Keck family and since 1919 of the Co-operative Wholesale Society who farm extensively in the area. Both these owners are responsible for erecting most of the cottages and houses in the village. Stoughton Grange house was demolished in 1925, but the parkland attached to it remains with many fine trees, avenues and coverts in surrounding farmland.

The village clusters along the three roads which meet at the church. Its built up area extends eastwards of this. The character of the village lies in it being an estate village with estate buildings and cottages having a variety of ages and designs. They date from the 17th century to the mid 20th century; they include several with 19th century gothick features. Most are whitewashed and have elaborate cast iron brackets to their gutters. There are many fine roofs in Swithland slate; some other roofs are of black glazed pantiles including the little former forge now the village hall of red brick on a granite plinth.

There are several former farmsteads within the village in Gaulby Lane including Charity Farm whose farmhouse, on a granite plinth with cross wing is now all rendered. Another farmstead is used by the Co-operative Wholesale Society as its offices.

On the south side of Gaulby Lane is frontage development of early 1960s detached houses; these are excluded from the conservation area as they do not contribute to the special character of the village. The houses and cottages curving round and backing on to the enclosed play area to the north are included as they display the variety of estate housing in the village. Some have good Swithland slate roofs. They include two pairs of cottages of 1993 which replaced the pair of 1946 timber system-built Swedish cottages, built to alleviate the immediate post-war housing shortage.

A characteristic of Stoughton is the number of mature trees in the village, notably the lime trees in Gaulby Lane and the churchyard, and the plane tree in Church Lane. There are also several important groups of trees in the meadow west of the church, and to the rear of Sandbank Cottage, which are remnants of the former park. There is also a group to the north of Gaulby Lane at the eastern entrance to the village. The granite boundary walls to the churchyard and other buildings are notable.

Most of the surrounding farmland to the village is remnant parkland with individual specimens and groups of trees. The meadow immediately west of the church is included as essential to the setting of the church with its fine spire which stands on higher ground overlooking it; the meadow also incorporates the medieval earthworks of a moated grange which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Stoughton Conservation Area map