valley character area - ipswich borough council · the valley area in 1938 (ordnance survey map)...

IPSWICH URBAN CHARACTERISATION STUDY

VALLEYCHARACTER AREA

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

History 2

Transport and Access 5

Open Space 6

Biodiversity and Archaeology 7

Landform and Views 8

Urban Analysis 9

Character Sub Area Description –

Over Stoke 10

Character Sub Area Description – The Gipping Valley 12

Character Sub Area Description – The Orwell Valley 14

Summary 17

VALLEY CHARACTER AREA

INTRODUCTION 3

Picture: The River Orwell. The riverside provides public realm and environmental enhancement opportunities

The Valley character area follows the course of the Gipping from thepoint where it enters the borough near Sproughton to its exit in the southeast as the Orwell, a tidal estuary and important shipping route. Threecharacter sub areas have been identified:

• Gipping Valley• Stoke• Orwell Estuary

As the source of Ipswich’s trading wealth, the river valley is the mostdynamic part of the towns landscape. It is characterised both by ancientsettlement patterns, in the vicinity of Stoke and the docks, and aconstantly changing landscape of industry, transport routes anddockside developments.

There are strong contrasts. Historic maltings stand alongside residentialstreets, and the streetscape of Stoke looks out across the broadexpanse of the docks and estuary. It is also a landscape of transport; railand road corridors help define distinct areas, but also createfragmentation and can make access for pedestrians difficult.

The development challenge in the Valley is to continue to provide acompetitive location for business whilst taking every opportunity tocreate a more legible and attractive environment for residents andvisitors.

The Valley urban characterisation area and sub-areas. The Wet Dock is a Conservation Area and not included in this study.

Imagery copyright Getmapping PLC


HISTORY 2

Top: .Debbage Marina crane. There has been a goods crane at Ipswich Docks since at least the 15th Century.Bottom: Orwell Estuary, West Bank (where West Bank Terminal is now located), early 20th Century. The boats belonged to theowners of houses fronting Wherstead Road, who enjoyed special mooring rights on the estuary

The Valley area in 1938 (Ordnance Survey map)

During construction of Stoke Railway tunnel in 1846, Ice Age remains were discovered of mammoth,

rhinoceros, bears, wolves and tortoise.

History The history of Ipswich begins in the 7thcentury AD in the river valley area. Theestuary provided access to the north seatrading routes and it is likely that therewere moorings, warehouses and a rivercrossing (probably a ford) from theearliest times.

By the time Stoke Bridge wasconstructed, in the 9th – 10th century,settlement was established either side ofthe river. The only visible evidence fromthis period is in the survival of streetalignments, on the Stoke side includingGreat Whip Street (which leads to theoriginal ford crossing), Austin Street(formerly Boars Head Lane) and BellLane.

Stoke itself is mentioned in earlyrecords, including the grant of the parishto Ely Abbey in 970. A church almostcertainly existed on the site of St MaryStoke at this time, though the buildingthat stands there now mostly dates fromthe later medieval period.


HISTORY 3

Either side of the river the valley landscapewould have been thinly populated, mostlymarshes, reedbeds and mudflats crossed byunsurfaced roads. Although it retained thisundeveloped appearance well into the 19thcentury, the river corridor was of vitalimportance for Ipswich. Upstream, recordsshow that watermills existed in the middle agesat Handford and Horsewade whilst in the sameperiod downriver, moorings were established tohelp deal with the overseas trade incommodities such as wool.

The coastal trade enabled the export to Londonand elsewhere of locally ground flour fromIpswich’s water, tide and windmills. Otheractivities that flourished in the pre-industriallandscape included maltings and fulling mills. Asthe port’s capacity grew, related trades such assail and ropemaking crowded in around thedocks and in the 18th century shipbuildingstarted up in yards at Nova Scotia and Halifax.By the middle of the century, the Cobbolds hadestablished their brewery at the Cliff Quay site.

Economic development in the 19th and 20thcenturies transformed the appearance of thevalley beginning with the construction of theWet Dock and the railway. Ipswich’s first railwaystation opened near Croft Street in Stoke in1846. The Ransomes established theiragricultural implements business during thesame period, and by the second half of the 19thcentury had diversified into railway equipmentand established large engineering premises onboth sides of the Orwell.

The opening of the new station at Princes Streetin 1860 crowned a period of dramatic economicgrowth. The trim terraced streets in Stoke werelaid out during this period, providing housing forworkers employed in the factories, the docksand the railways. Residential expansion south ofthe river was limited, however, by the need toprovide land for industry.

Alongside the expansion of the railway, roadroutes were improved and new connectionscreated throughout the Valley area. RanelaghRoad was laid out during this period, linking thestation to Hadleigh Road. The imposingtramshed complex was built at ConstantineRoad in 1901, alongside the new electricitygenerating station.

Sandy Hill Lane, near Greenwich Farm in the 1890s.The Orwell can be seen in the background.

Stoke Bridge in 1912 and the same view in 2014. The early photograph shows the iron bridge constructed in 1812. The bowstring trussbridge that replaced it in 1925 is still in use.

New Cut East. The completion of the New Cut and Wet Dock in1842 and the opening of the railway in 1846 lead to a vastincrease in trade and industry in Ipswich in the second half of the19th century.


HISTORY 6

In spite of the loss of heavy industry in the postwar era, the area has continued to adapt to changingeconomic circumstances. The importance of the valley as a transport corridor has been reinforced bythe creation of an enlarged road network, and in 1973 the West Bank Terminal complex wasconstructed. Business parks have expanded over the low lying land next to the river, and historicindustrial buildings such as the Maltings have been converted to residential and office use. Theopening of the Orwell Bridge in 1982 created a dramatic landmark across the estuary.

Railway lines and sidings, photographed from the London Road bridge looking towards Hadleigh Road. The railway arrived at Ipswich in1846 with the first station at Croft Street in Stoke. The tunnel was built at the same time.

Stoke Bathing Place. This was one of a number of swimming areas enclosed within the Orwell; the water was tidal and not filtered!

Regatta, 1896. The paddle steamer is packed with spectators. It is moored at the end of New Cut, with the Cobbold Brewery at Cliff Quayvisible in the background. The Cobbolds were enthusiastic promoters of both the Wet Dock and the railway.

Orwell Bridge, completed1982. At the time, the190m main span was thelongest pre-stressedstructure in the world.


TRANSPORT AND ACCESS 5

Transport and accessThe character area is defined by the historictransport routes that cross it – the river, railwayand roads. The creation of a ring road (CivicDrive) around the edge of the town centre cutsacross many of the historic routes into the town,making access for pedestrians and cyclistsdifficult in places. The damaged environment ofPrinces Street, a gateway route from the railwaystation, is a good example; investment andurban planning needs to consider how theenvironment can be improved.

1 Princes Street Bridge. Animportant gateway to thetown centre that couldbenefit from pedestrian andcycle route improvements.

2 Old Bourne Bridge. Amodern road bridge hasreplaced the 19th Centurystructure, which is nowused by pedestrians andcyclists.

3 Some of the major roadjunctions such as LondonRoad/Ranelagh Road lackattractive designcharacteristics and are anobstacle for pedestriansand cyclists

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© Crown Copyright and database right 2014. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100021566.


OPEN SPACE 6

Farmland near the Orwell Bridge

Much of the Valley’s sense of space is providedby open expanses of water overlooked by anetwork of promenades and paths.

The design of new development has improved access to the waterside, for instance the university campusand residential sites in the docks area. Furtherdownstream, the Orwell Country Park is anattractive area of farmland and semi naturallandscape overlooking the estuary and OrwellBridge.

Elsewhere, industrial development hasencroached on areas of former meadow andforeshore. Where open space remains, it is oftenon private land and inaccessible.

I t is important that future development improvesaccess and provides open space and linkagesto existing spaces. Connections to the watersideand the recreation of natural habitat areparticularly important in this area.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014.


BIODIVERSITY AND ARCHAEOLOGY 9

Biodiversity

The GippingThe river is the main biodiversity feature of thischaracter area, but in parts it is quite hidden.For many years the town turned its back on theriver and this has only recently been reversedthrough new housing development addressingthe river and the provision of the riverside cyclepath.

The aquatic habitat of the river and its banks hasCounty Wildlife Site status for much of itslength. Areas of associated habitat e.g.Riverside Road meadow and Alderman Canal,increase the Gipping’s habitat value. Forexample, associated with the Alderman Canalthere is wet grassland containing orchids.Any development that takes place on landforming part of the setting of the river shouldenhance the biodiversity of the corridor. Railwaylines form the south-western edge to, andtraverse, the Gipping section of the characterarea and these also provide important corridorsfor wildlife movement, linking to sites such asGippeswyk Park which is a major landscapefeature.

The OrwellThe Orwell Estuary has national andinternational designations for its wildlife value –Site of Special Scientific Interest, SpecialProtection Area for Birds and Ramsar Site. Thevalue is predominantly for overwintering wadingbirds.

Its banks are dominated by industrial and portuses but on the east side there are sites whichcontain important habitats, form part of a keywildlife corridor and provide an importantlandscape feature when viewed from the westbank. These areas, such as Hog Highland andPipers Vale, link through to the ancientwoodland at Braziers Wood and on into OrwellCountry Park. This in turn links into the SuffolkCoast and Heaths Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty.

Looking at species found in the entire Valleyarea, the north-west and south-east ends arenoted for reptiles. Other species of note are:Dittander (a nationally scarce plant), Great GreenBush Cricket, birds ranging from summermigrants occupying scrubby areas in openspaces (e.g. Nightingale and Blackcap).

Kingfishers and Waders occupy the tidal sectionof river up to the weir (e.g. Cormorants, Egretsand Oystercatchers). Water mammals such asWater Voles and Otters have been sightedduring the last ten years. The water itself isnoted for Grey Mullet and, in the estuary,non-native marine life that travels in with ships.The canopy cover across the Valley area isrelatively low at 7.3%.

ArchaeologyOn the north bank of the river, around the site ofthe former medieval moated Boss Hall (IPS 100*,close to Boss Hall road), there is evidence forAnglo-Saxon occupation (IPS 101, IPS 397,IPS499) and a 6th-7th century Anglo-Saxoncemetery (IPS 231). Anglo-Saxon occupation,predating the earliest foundation of Ipswich itselfor immediately contemporary to it continuedwestwards of Boss Hall, towards the site of StAlbright’s Chapel (IPS 241, at the junction ofBramford Road and the Railway), and furtherwest still to a 7th century site recorded aroundTower Mill Road (IPS 395).

To the south, on the south bank, an Anglo Saxoncemetery was excavated around HadleighRoad/Allenby Road (IPS 016), with anothercemetery (IPS 280) and Anglo-Saxon andRoman (IPS 033, IPS 183, IPS 280) occupationacross the bridge on Handford Road. At PhilipRoad, another Saxon cemetery is recorded (IPS414).

Earlier Bronze Age urned burials are recordedaround Brunel Road (IPS 104).

Prehistoric artefacts are frequently found on orclose to the foreshore (IPS 008, IPS 021, IPS181): particularly Neolithic stone items from CliffQuay (IPS 059, IPS 138), and Neolithic andBronze Age flints from Piper’s Vale (IPS 001,

IPS 007, IPS 068).

Palaeolithic artefacts are frequentlyrecorded along the Valley, and twomajor sites of that date wereinvestigated at Bramford Pit (IPS 018,TM 1385 4546, between Bramford Road

and Sproughton Road) and the StokeTunnel (IPS 072, IPS 163).

*Historic environment reference (HER) number. For furtherinformation about archaeological sites, visithttp://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/

Boss Hall brooch. A gold and garnet Anglo Saxon brooch foundin a burial at Boss Hall near Sproughton

1 Pipers Vale Country Park. The area containsa variety of habitats including heath, scrub,reedbeds and alder carr. More than 100species of bird have been recorded here andrare plants such as Sulphur Cinquefoil,Hemlock, Water Dropwort and Meadow Rue.

2 Cliff Quay Brewery.Many former industrialsites have become overgrown andrecolonised by wildlife. Protected speciessuch as bats are conserved when areas areredeveloped.

3 Heathland and habitat near the OrwellBridge.

4 Alderman Canal local Nature Reserve. Anurban nature reserve that is carefullymanaged to protect habitat and allow publicaccess.

5 Belstead Brook near Bourne Bridge. Greyseals are regular visitors to the marina.

6 River Gipping near the London Road bridge

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LANDFORM AND VIEWS 8

Landform and viewsThe Gipping meanders across a low lying flood plain, mostly developedfor commercial and transport uses, then opens into the Orwell estuary.Higher ground closes the view to either side, its height emphasised bymature tree planting on Stoke Hill and in Holywells and Landseer Parks.Residential areas are built on the higher ground, including the medievalcentre of Stoke, and there are fine views across the town and estuary,with the Orwell Bridge a prominent landmark.

Viewsa Gippeswyk Avenue – streetview of

Gippeswyk Hallb Belstead Road – view of Wet Dock/

Universityc Philip Road – view of Holywells Parkd Luther Road – view of estuary and Orwell

Bridgee Croft Street – view of Holywells Parkf Bourne Bridge – view (east) of Ostrich

Creek (west) Belstead Brook g Stoke Quay/New Cut West – view(s)

across Wet Dockh Orwell Quay/Helena Road – view(s)

across Wet Docki Landseer Road – view of the estuary and

Stokej Pipers Vale Close – view of estuary and

Orwell Bridgek Sandyhill Lane – view(s) of estuary and

Orwell Bridge Gainsborough Lane –view(s) of estuary and Orwell Bridge

l Gainsborough Lane – view(s) of estuaryand Orwell Bridge

m Foreshore – view(s) of estuary

Landmark Buildings1 Ranelagh County Primary School2 Gippeswyk Hall3 Sir Bobby Robson Footbridge4 Ipswich Crown Court5 Ipswich Town Football Club6 Churchmans7 The Maltings (Listed Grade II)8 Station Hotel9 Ipswich Railway Station10 19 Willoughby Road11 St Mary at Stoke (Listed Grade II)12 Peoples Hall13 Old Bell Inn (Listed Grade II)14 Stokebridge Maltings15 Dance East16 Old Custom House17 UCS Waterfront Building18 Luther Road almshouses19 Uncle Toms Cabin20 Felaw Maltings21 Rapier Street Housing22 Cliff Quay Brewery23 Stoke Park Arch24 Bourne Bridge25 Orwell Bridge

The Wet Dock. Thehistoric dock hasbeen successfullyredeveloped as amarina, universitycampus andresidential/eveningeconomy area



URBAN ANALYSIS 9

Features causing visual and physical separation. Transport networks and industrialinstallations have contributed to the fragmentation of the valleys urban pattern -the railway for instance, road widening schemes and dockside developments. Theriver, of course, is a natural barrier. The commercial nature of activity in the valleymakes this unavoidable in many cases, but every opportunity should be taken tocreate physical and visual connections, particularly with the riverside, adjacenturban areas and the town centre.

Improved connectivity. Recent development has greatly improved accessibilitywithin the Valley area, in particular to the river and docksides. The Ranelagh Roadresidential development, for instance, opens up public access to the river frontageand provides a landmark foot and cycle bridge (the Sir Bobby Robson Bridge).

Active, well defined street frontages.

Urban gateways requiring improvement. The Valley contains points of entry to boththe urban edge and the town centre. Urban gateways requiring designimprovements include: • Railway Station/Princes St (town centre gateway)• London Road (town centre gateway)• A137 / Bridge Street (town centre gateway)• A137 / Bourne Bridge (urban edge gateway)

District Centres and 10 minute walking radius

Local Centres and 10 minute walking radius

Industry, transport andhouses are closetogether in this

character area; the mixis distinctive but can

also fragment the urbanfabric.

Recent improvementshave created an

attractive watersideenvironment.

Improving pedestrianand cycle access

within and across theValley character area isan important objectiveContains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014.


CHARACTER SUB AREA - OVER STOKE 10

Over Stoke is the historic heart of the Valley character area. Itsmedieval street pattern has been overlaid by dockside industry,the railway and modern roads but retains the character of acompact settlement. Development of all types – residential,industrial and office based - should seek to reinforce this pattern andrecreate links with the docks and riverside.

The original street layout is preserved around the church of St Mary at Stokeand in the north-south alignments of Wherstead Road and Great Whip Street.However the creation of the A137 and site redevelopment has helped break upthis pattern and separated Stoke from its dockside, reducing the legibility andpermeability of the area.

Development should take into account Stoke’s characteristic street scale and frontagepattern, for instance along Wherstead Road between the Station Street junction and Uncle Toms Cabinpublic house. It should also, where possible, recreate pedestrian and cycle links with the riversideincluding the historic river crossing point at the north end of Great Whip Street.

The name Over Stoke is a reference to locals crossing over Stoke Bridge to reach the small hamlet onthe other side of the river.

1 Former Almshouses, Luther Road. 1895, by Brightwen Binyon the localarchitect who also designed the Ipswich Corn Exchange.

2 Great Whip Street. One of the oldest streets in Ipswich, Great WhipStreet originally lead to the river crossing, now moved westwards to theposition of Stoke Bridge. In spite of road and dockside redevelopment,the area retains its 19th century residential character.

3 Willoughby Road. Decorative details such as the contrasting brickwork,stone window dressings and window box ledges are typical of housingbuilt for the Victorian middle classes.

4 Little’s Crescent. Much of the red brick terraced housing in Stoke isintact. The sloping streets are a distinctive feature.

5 Developments which create barriers along road frontages should beavoided.

6 Stoke’s historic streetscape is broken up in places by modern trafficinterventions. Where possible, the negative visual impacts should bemitigated (or, preferably, reversed) by more sympathetic layouts whichemphasise pedestrian priorities and reduce clutter.

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Imagery copyright Getmapping PLC.


CHARACTER SUB AREA - OVER STOKE 11

Stoke expanded westwards in the 19th centuryacross the slopes of Stoke Hill. The suburb isthe best preserved part of Stoke’s historictownscape containing a variety of terracedhousing types. Future development in the areashould respect the distinctive streetscape, inparticular the scale, density and active

frontages. Although street tree planting is largelyabsent, some streets have narrow front gardenswith space for planting behind walls, and thelarger rear gardens have tree planting. The finedetail on many street elevations, for instance ondoor and window lintels, should be conservedwhere possible.

The railway station is at the western extremity ofthis area, facing Ipswich across the river. Newdevelopment in this important gateway locationshould provide a well designed arrival point forvisitors and a setting for the 19th century stationand the Station Hotel. Good public realm is along term objective for the area, linked to thePrinces Street gateway to the town centre.

The low lying area between the A137 and thedocks has a contrasting sense of scale,reflecting industrial development over manyyears. Listed buildings such as Felaw Maltingshelp preserve the street pattern and sense ofidentity in spite of site clearance in recent years.There are opportunities for innovative, highquality modern development in this area,supporting the creation of public access to thedockside and new public realm.

Red brick is the characteristic building material, though often used in conjunction with other colours and materials. The industrial heritageof the area means that robust materials and honestly expressed construction works well; the examples shown include painted cast ironand glazed terracotta. The terracotta initials are of the Eastern Union Railway and belong to the former EUR hotel.

1 Vaughan Street. Although red brick predominates, there is aneclectic mix of building materials. The residential areas of Stokehave a distinctive scale and density which new developmentshould reflect.

2 Rapier Street Housing. Former dockside land that has beensuccessfully redeveloped to create higher density housing. Thescale, bold design and detailing are appropriate in this setting.

3 Brownrigg Walk. The scale and materials of 19th century Stoketerraces have been reinterpreted in this modern public housingscheme.

4 Modern materials can be used successfully in this characterarea provided they form part of an overall design approachwhich respects context.

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CHARACTER SUB AREA - THE GIPPING VALLEY 12

The Gipping Valley includes the areas of low lying formermeadowland either side of the Orwell/Gipping upstream of StokeBridge. It is mostly industrial and commercial in character and isdominated by road and rail corridors. In spite of good connectivity it ischaracterised by poor permeability and legibility, lacking landmarks ordistinctive viewlines. Modern development should support placemaking,particularly in relation to the river and public access along the riverside.

The Portman Road area is an exception, possessing a public park and a number ofdistinctive historic and modern buildings (including the stadium of Ipswich Town FC).The Alderman Canal is a historic feature which has been managed as natural riversidehabitat accessed by wooden walkways. This is an approach which should be developedwherever possible in the Valley character area.

A wide range of building types and designs is possible in this setting. The area lacks good visualconnectivity to the town centre, however (commercial buildings along Civic Drive have created awall-like barrier). Masterplanning for vacant sites in the Portman Road area should take into accountthe need for a legible new street network which links where possible with the inner urban area.

Priority should also be given to thePrinces Street corridor between therailway station and the town centre, andthe creation of clearly defined frontagesand tree planting along this route. Treeplanting should also be encouragedalong West End Road, linking with theLondon Planes on Yarmouth Road

1 Ipswich Town Football Club, Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.The club have been at Portman Road since 1884;before this they were based at Broomhill Park (seeNorwich Road, page)

2 Alderman Park

3 Canham Street. Commercial buildings along CivicDrive create an abrupt change of scale, and blockvisual and physical links between the Portman Roadarea and the town centre

Above: Weir on the Gipping in the 1880s and the same view today. The historicimage shows the point where the Gipping becomes the tidal Orwell. The towermill that can be seen in the distance is on Tower Mill Road. The modern imageshows the sluice gate that stands in the same position today, near YarmouthRoad.

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CHARACTER SUB AREA - THE GIPPING VALLEY 13

1 Endeavour House, Russell Road. Recentbuildings have contributed to placemaking in thePortman Road area, and set a high standard forcommercial development.

2 River Gipping, near Beaconsfield Road. Thecreation of riverside footpath and cycle links hashelped reconnect the natural environment of theGipping with the adjacent residential areas,including areas of new housing

3 Bayswater Close. New housing has beendesigned with through routes for pedestrians andcyclists between riverside and Bramford Road.The housing layouts create active street frontagesand enclose green spaces with protected trees.

Paired doorways are a characteristic feature, leading to hallways. They allowed forarchitectural expression, for instance carved lintels or decorative canopies.

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This could be through the creation of habitat and accessalong the river corridor, and the use of distinctive moderndesign. The lack of a clearly defined historic context, apartfrom the natural landscape, allows much more flexibility fornew build proposals.

Recent residential development between the north bank of theGipping and Bramford Road has already helped addressriverside access issues, and provided housing which is wellconnected with existing district and local centres. Thisprocess should continue to be the basis for futuredevelopment.

Further upstream the Valley isdefined by a loop of the Gippingwhich encloses the Hadleigh RoadIndustrial Estate. The lack of a designresponse in this area to the rivervalley setting is particularlynoticeable, and new design shouldaim to address this where possible.

Above: Sir Bobby Robson footbridge. A 60m cable stay bridge, opened in 2009.


CHARACTER SUB AREA - THE ORWELL VALLEY 16

The Orwell Valley is the land to east and west of the Orwellbetween the Wet Dock and the Orwell Bridge. Historically, landuses have been connected almost exclusively with river anddockside industry, and much of the level ground is still occupied by portactivities and storage. On the east side of the estuary, steep slopes haverestricted development and allowed wooded ridges to remain with fine viewsacross the Orwell.

West BankWherstead Roadforms a gateway toIpswich, bounded by therailway line to the west and (untilrecently) the historic shoreline tothe east. Although diminished intownscape significance theconstruction of the West BankTerminal in the 1970s, thedistinctive relationship betweenthe road and the estuary can stillbe seen in the area of the marina,near Bourne Bridge.

Development along WhersteadRoad should reflect the domesticcharacter of the existing roadfrontages.

There are also opportunities fordistinctive or landmark design,which could benefit from the longsightlines and gateway identity ofthe area.

The historic crossing point atBourne Bridge is a meeting pointfor rural, estuary and townscapeviews, but the setting is poorlydesigned and dominated by roadengineering. New developmentshould consider how thisimportant area, including itspublic realm, can be enhanced.

East BankThe east bank of the Orwellextends from the universityquarter on the edge of the towncentre to the countryside southof the Orwell Bridge. The areahas benefitted from re-development in recent years,most of it to a high standard.The scale of industrial buildingswhich used to occupy the areahas been reinterpreted to formhigh density blocks of office,residential, education andleisure uses, using moderndesigns and cladding materials.High quality public realm hasbeen provided at the same time,and clear visual and physicallinks between residential areasand the dock side.

1 Cliff Quay brewery.Started on the site in 1746the brewery was rebuilt in1896, although the BreweryTap in the foreground ispart of the earlierestablishment.

2 Fox’s boatyard andmarina, established 1927.

3 Wherstead Road, lookingnorth.

4 Cliff Cottage, Cliff Quay

brewery. Ornamentalcarving around mainentrance.

5 Belstead Brook LocalNature Reserve, fromBourne road bridge.

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CHARACTER SUB AREA - THE ORWELL VALLEY 17

Further south, the level ground alongside theestuary is hemmed in by steep slopes. Cliff Quayand other waterside areas are occupied by port,commercial and utilities uses and are notaccessible to the public. The opportunities toopen up views across the Orwell from the slopesof Hog Highland are currently limited, but thepotential in this landscape for access, openspace and future development design shouldincreasingly be taken into account.

The southernmost section of the Orwell valley ismade up of high quality natural landscapeoverlooking the Orwell Bridge. Public access isalready in place and the area is protected by anumber of nature conservation designations, forinstance the Braziers Wood County Wildlife Site.The further enhancement of this area, forinstance the provision of visitor facilities, shouldreflect the quality of the setting.

A wide palette of materials is possible in this character area, drawing on the industrial heritage of wooden shipbuilding, metalwork andengineering as well as ornamental Victorian brickwork. Honestly expressed structure is a better reflection of the areas character.

1 and 2 Orwells Furniture, Wherstead Road. The modern timberframed frontage is a successful addition to the streetscape, andthe manufacturing plant on the riverside is carefully integratedinto the residential setting.

3 Commemorative plaque on Bourne Bridge showing theBorough boundary marker which runs through the middle of thebridge.

4 and 5 University buildings near the Wet Dock.

6 Orwell Bridge, viewed from within Pipers Vale Local NatureReserve.

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• Opportunities to improve the environment of busy traffic junctions for residents, pedestrians and cyclistsshould be taken wherever possible.

• Where possible, the river frontage should be made accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.• Opportunities to improve connectivity should be taken up, for instance improved pedestrian and cycle accessacross railway, road and river barriers. New bridges should be designed as landmarks.

• The biodiversity potential of the Valley area should be enhanced in connection with new development. Thisincludes river and estuary edges, marshlands and mudflats.

• Avoid development that detracts from landscape or townscape views.• Urban gateways should be enhanced wherever possible, including the route from the railway station to thetown centre.

Sub area – Over Stoke • Opportunities to recreate links between the residential part of Stoke and the river and dockside area shouldbe taken wherever possible.

• New residential development should reflect the active frontages and legible street layout of the Victorianstreets at the heart of Stoke.

• Although brick and slate are characteristic building materials there are opportunities for contrast, especially inthe use of materials with more robust finishes which reflect the areas industrial heritage.

• Former industrial sites provide a precedent for larger structures which contrast with the domestic scale ofnearby housing.

Sub area – Gipping Valley•The natural landscape of the river valley should be conserved and enhanced along with improved publicaccess. • New development layout should respond to its river valley setting rather than simply being built up to its edge.This could include positive frontages and access layout and links through the development between the mainroad and river frontage.

• There is potential for landmark buildings and modern architecture in this area, though design should beresponsive to setting rather than just relying on bulk or visibility.

Sub area – Orwell Valley• The gateway potential of sites off Wherstead Road and Landseer Road should be reflected in the quality ofproposals. There are opportunities for robust modern design which responds to the areas commercial heritageand makes the most of waterside views.

• Where possible, the biodiversity and amenity value of the waterside setting should be extended along theshoreline.

• The significant landscape and gateway role of the Bourne Bridge area should be enhanced through betteraccess and development design in the vicinity.

SUMMARY

valley character area - ipswich borough council · the valley area in 1938 (ordnance survey map)...

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