Area 6 - Housing, Cemetary and Community Center with access from the bottom of Rams Hill. Main roads are Rams Hill, Madeline Road, Readon Close, Love Lane.

 

 

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Character Analysis
1. Location in Town

N.E. of Town Centre, bordered by the old Midhurst railway embankment, London railway, N.E. boundary of the Cemetery, entrance of Barentin Vvay and the west end of Love Lane. Includes Madeline Road. Bulmer/Ramscote Houses and the Community Centre. Most of the area is within a ten minute walk of the Square.

2. Vistas/Views

Views to the Downs from Love Lane and the nortbern end of Madeline Road, The Cemetery has views to the Downs escarpment (N.) and to the centre of Town. All of these views are enhanced during the winter whe~ there are no leaves on the trees.

3. Landscaping

Three old sandpits create much of the scene, Community Centre, Cliff Cottage and Madeline Road. The western boundary is the old Midhurst railway embankment on which is established good maturing woodland, and forms an interesting and effective barrier to the west of the area; it should be preserved. The overhead electricity distribution in Madeline Road. is offensive and detrimental to street scene. The quaint highway arrangement at Ramshill, with the footways higher than the carriage way, is due to the work carried out by the 1711 Turnpike trust to make the carriageway passable in an weathers by reducing the gradient.

4. Building Characteristics

Most varied - from the Old Workhouse (1835) and the very old terrace of Ramshill cottages - to modern high class in Hoggarth Close and the artisan terraces in Madeline Road. Bulmer House and Ramscote are of good quality

5. Building Materials
Ranging from old timber framed, to rendered (1700s),Victorian local brick and the pre-cast concrete REEMA 'Community Centre built as a civil defence centre in the 1950s.
6. Roofs
Mixed slate and tile with a notable hemispherical roof to the Community Centre.
7. Special Features & Landmarks

The two cemetery chapels and the chapel to the old workhouse, although not well known are good exampIes of Victorian design and have a sound appearance. The Community Centre if not beautiful is distinctive and readily seen from the road system.

8. Sustainability
The re-cycled 'Workhouse has been admirably adapted for affordable housing and some houses in the area have hot water panels on the roof There are none in evidence on Bulmer/Ramscote houses.
9. Short summary description of area
Everything you could wish for. A good social mix.
10. Main issues and recommendations

Madeline Road car-parking is a growing social problem which would appear to be resolvable only by local authority intervention.

Another aim must be to rid MadeIine Road of unsightly overhead electricity distribution. It detracts from a potentially attractive street scene.

Re-development of the previous Red Cross site should be seen to enhance this area together with a sensible car-parking aBocadon,

For immediate attention should be the re-opening of the Skinner's Lane pedestrian and cycle route from the Kingsfernsden development.

The spur of Love Lane leading to the Community Centre needs a re-vamp - it is considered scruffy.

There is a bad area of highway conf1ict at the top of Ramshill with a pedestrian crossing, a filling station/cafe, entrance and exit to Churcher!s College and the entrance/exit to the 275 house estate at the top of the rise, all within 200 metres.Sometimes traffic is queuing to fill up with fuel back onto the carriageway at an already busy junction- at other early morning times the petrol station is closed for deliveries but artisans park their vehicles half on and off the carriageway to stop for breakfast. At times it beggars belief.

 

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