Southgate Street - Trust Annual Report 1968
This brings us to the vexed question in Southgate Street, where Winchester City Council's plan to stop the demolition of a terrace of four dignified town houses has been rejected by the Minister of Housing and Local Government.
In the Minister's view, the buildings are not of sufficient merit to justify the confirmation of a Building Preservation Order made by the City Council earlier this year. This Order related to Nos. 37 and 39, and the Preservation Trust requested that the Order should also apply to Nos. 33 and 35, the remaining two houses in the terrace.
Southgate Street
On 2nd July a Ministry Inspector conducted a local inquiry, but in the Inspector's view the buildings occupying the site were not of sufficient intrinsic merit in themselves, did not contribute sufficiently to the value of a group of buildings or go any way towards creating any special atmosphere in the street scene as to warrant their protection by a Building Preservation Order, even taking into account their position within a conservation area. A well proportioned building, sympathetically designed to take its place in the street, could make a great or even greater contribution to Southgate Street. These sentiments are unexceptional if you do not happen to live in Winchester, but if you do, you will soon begin to see snags. In the first place, this terrace is part of the visual history of Winchester. They are good representatives of a period of which there is little evidence in the City, and they contribute to the rich variety of styles which make the City what it is. There are many similar buildings up and down the country now serving the useful purpose of flats, offices or students' hostels. But in Winchester there are few such terraces and this is at an important entry to the City, and because in the past this approach has been partially spoilt by unfortunate demolitions, this does not justify sweeping away the lot. The hope that they will be replaced by better designed buildings is, alas, likely to be vain.
What generally happens is, that a development of this size is in the hands of a large operator from outside. An architect, without knowledge of the city, takes charge and his brief is to construct the largest area of space legally permitted to produce the maximum rents with the utmost economy of means. Under these circumstances, you do not even get a decent piece of wall, you only get an assemblage of mass produced windows and doors, with the cheapest possible infilling which looks shabby in five years. There are already numerous examples of this approach in Winchester and no more should be permitted. So much for the Minister's pious hopes. If there were some prospect of getting one of the few architects who could tackle such a problem successfully, one would have fewer misgivings.
A statement from the Ministry said: 'The Minister accepts the facts as found by the Inspector, and notes his conclusion that this terrace has not outlived its usefulness and is not beyond economic repair. In view of this, the Minister would not have agreed to the demolition of these buildings had they been listed.
'The buildings however are not listed, nor was there any evidence given which suggests to him that they ought to have been listed because of their architectural or historic interest. Under these circumstances, the Minister feels bound to accept the conclusion of his Inspector, that the buildings are not of such merit either in themselves or in their contribution to the street scene, as to justify him in confirming the Order'.
This decision shows how vital it is that all important houses in a Conservation Area should be listed, a task on which the frost has embarked. It has become apparent after only a few months that the designation 'Conservation Area' affords very little protection.
From this kind of experience almost everybody would agree that we are making a monumental mess of our towns and villages, though we have to be thankful that the process has been far less drastic in Winchester than in many other places. We are at least fortunate to have so much worth preserving. There is no doubt that earlier generations had the knack of grouping houses into agreeable communities, and that the pattern is not by any means uniform, but varies from place to place so that Winchester, York, Bath and Stamford for instance, has each developed its own rich variety.
Previously, quite ordinary men had created houses of convenience and charm without the aid of registered architects or town planners, but try as they may, these people are unable today to create an environment which is half as successful as the old builders working without diplomas or academic distinction of any kind. It is certain, however, that living within the community they developed 'the feel' of the locality in a way which no outsider can achieve. They were also men of taste in their own right, basing their work on local tradition and good pattern books. Mass produced components were unobtainable. Houses sprang from the local timber yard, the brick yard or the quarry.
They then proceeded to build without affront to their neighbours or posterity. Older houses were left to live out their span just as long as they were still useful. It made no kind of economic sense to demolish a building which had years of useful life in front of it, though mediaeval timber-framed houses were often brought up to date in Georgian times by a new frontage. But the converters still possessed the knack of making it fit in with the surroundings.
This is however not the only reason. The gentlemen of the 18th century had had an education extending over three or four years on the grand tour. They regarded an interest in classical literature and a capacity to judge the decorative arts as essential qualities of a gentleman. Tastes acquired in France and Italy brought a sophistication to the smaller towns of England, and by imitation the unique privilege of the aristocracy became the common experience of the provinces. Although travel is now more widespread, looking at architecture and works of art is reserved for bad weather, or is accomplished in a perfunctory manner as the coach stops for an hour. So now general ignorance is widespread, and not nearly enough is learned about matters of taste in general education, which is reserved for useful subjects.