West Littleton was designated as a conservation area on 13th March 1992. A copy of the full statutory conservation area leaflet and maps - the result of a public consultation process, can now be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.
Setting
West Littleton is a small village located to the north-west of Marshfield on rising ground. It has many typical characteristics of Cotswold villages with many buildings and walls built of Cotswold stone and stone tiled roofs. The buildings are arranged around the common in a dispersed pattern, giving a sense of openness and space within the centre. The southern, more recent part of the village, however, takes on a more linear closed character with buildings located on or near the roadside.
History
There are a number of interesting buildings in the village, all of which contribute to the individual character of West Littleton. The most striking of these buildings is that of the old manor house. It is set back from the road, 'U' plan in design with three small gables. It is thought to have been built by John Baldwin around 1500 and is of limestone rubble with a stone tiled roof. In places the walls are two feet thick. Other buildings of interest include Manor Farm, Home Farm, Church Farm and associated farm buildings. The farm houses date from around the 17th century and are all of limestone rubble with stone tiled roofs. An interesting feature of the stables to the rear of Home Farm is the keyhole-shaped loading door under the eaves.
The church of St James is small in scale and originated in the 13th century. It was rebuilt in 1855 by T H Wyatt and has a striking bell tower.
Character
All the buildings within the village add to the character of the area. The houses on the northern boundary of the town, although not listed are all individual in design and add visual interest to the village. Furthermore, buildings such as the Old School House add variety, being of an unusual design and single storey. The rising hills northwards provide a pastoral backdrop to the village scene.
As one enters the village from the north via Dunsdown Lane, the initial impression of the village is one of openness and dispersal, with no buildings providing a visual centre to the village. The common land provides the nucleus to the village with the buildings arranged around the outer edges of the common.
This openness is further enhanced by the varying ground level which changes abruptly as one travels through the village southwards. As the land rises, building lines come right up to the roadside giving a sense of enclosure further accentuated by the stone walls, mature trees and hedges that line the road. The barn of Home Farm clearly illustrates this effect. The road curves gently upward and provides interesting glimpses as one travels further on, adding to the visual interest of the village. The building line is softened by small expanses of grass verge that line the entire length of roadside.