I am Heritage Warden for the Parish and member of the Parish Council. My father's family are local, and I spent my childhood in the village (1930s) where both my parents and parents-in-law lived. One Grandfather was former Director of the Leicester Musem and wrote his Ph.D. thesis on the geology of the Charnwood Forest.

I have owned a house in Newtown Linford since 1974. My eldest daughter and family also live in the village. I was secretary of the Village Design Statement group, and contributed substantially to the parts on landscape, wildlife, biodiversity and geodiversity.

I thought the presentation given to the Village Hall meeting was excellent, and wish I had heard it before we prepared our Design Statement!

As a precaution against possible misapprehensions, I elaborate on some of the points raised at the meeting as follows, and will also attach this document in more convenient format in rich text format:

- Newtown Linford village is special because it constitutes the main gateway to Bradgate Park, which is an SSSI preserving a 12th century deer park which displays a medieval landscape containing the ruins of an early unfortified Tudor mansion, formerly home of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey ("Nine-days Queen" of England). Today the Park constitutes an important tourist attraction, and over 1 million visitors come every year to view the deer park and village. The Conservation Area of the Village is an example of a "closed" estate village of the 19th century, composed of simple vernacular dwellings of estate workers and tenant farmers. These date from the 14th to the early 19th century, remaining externally much as they were in the 19th century -- an impression that survives until the present day -- as I can vouch from my own memory extending over more than 70 years.

The total number of listed properties (over 50) makes the village remarkable. These must be considered holistically, as part of a village of appreciable national interest, including a 14th century church, still-used cricket field and "Marion's Cottage" (now used as Bradgate Park shop) -- adjacent to Bradgate Park. The listings tried to conserve the old village more or less in entirety -- and included the red telephone kiosk and blue police box. The cottages were homes of ordinary farmers and estate workers, not exceptional architecturally, but in the context of the traditional village needing to be preserved. Some of the original but unlisted cottages still largely retain their original appearance and ought to be given listed status -- for example Tyburn cottage (7 Main Street) which until last year and the death of its former occupant had no central heating and only one cold tap, and was little changed since sale of the Estate in 1925.

- The linear arrangment of the village probably owes to its originally having been settled along the brook ("River"), which is a clear-flowing stream from higher ground in the Charnwood Forest. It is a considerable chore to carry water any distance, and the brook provided a handy source of clean drinking and domestic water. The steep-sided valley made it possible for houses to be near the stream but without risk of flooding. Even the Church has steps down to the brook. It was only necessary to walk a few yards and dip a bucket. Hence the access road to the houses necessarily follows the stream.

- The cottages are well spaced because they were formerly separated by vegetable gardens and small orchards. Chickens and a pig might also be kept. There was often a small flower bed immediately in front of each cottage. In the 1930s and '40s wives often earned pin money by offering teas to visitors to Bradgate Park. The shop and ice-cream kiosk already existed, as did at least two other small shops (Rose Cottage and what is now the Village Restaurant).

- My father told me that Mrs Grey had declared that "The pub was the heart of the village and the church the soul of it", and therefore only allowed one pub and one church in the village - preventing the entry of chapels from other denominations, unlike what occurred in "open" villages such as Anstey. This deliberately aimed at fostering a strong community spirit, which persists until today -- although descendents of the original estate families now constitute a relatively small proportion of residents. [The Linford Club was formerly the British Legion, and an irresistible patriotic gesture by the village to survivors from the 1st World War].

- The unusual south window of the Church seems to be a consequence of raising the roof of the nave, probably in the 19th century -- pointed out in an issue of "The Forest" (with photograph), which is edited by Ed Killick (perhaps earlier last year - 2008). It is confirmed by an engraving of the Church made in 1811, shown in Joan Stephenson's book "Newtown Linford -- the old buildings and their occupants" published by Kairos Press (1998). The engraving may have been copied from John Nichol's "History and antiquities of Leicestershire" Vol IV Pt 2 (pub. 1811).

- The village is remarkable in retaining the original format of a feudal nucleated farming settlement. In the 1930s, most of the fields still showed the ridge and furrow from traditional peasant farming, but now mostly erased by deeper ploughing after the 2nd World War; and only a few fields survive e.g. behind the Cricket Field and the Old Forge. Parliamentary Enclosure of the "waste" was slow, not concluded until 1829, because the Charnwood Forest was shared between several parishes. Hence farmers did not have the benefit of the agricultural boom during the Napoleonic wars, which was followed by poor years for farming and they could no longer afford to move out of the village to purpose-built farms on the newly-allocated surrounding farmlands. As part of the Grey family's Bradgate Estate, it was a "closed" village -- and being on poor agricultural land, and the most impoverished of their three Estates, also militated against change. The residents were mainly tenants of the Greys, and the majority of families would be engaged in Estate work.

Further change was inhibited by agricultural depression in the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, and again by the Economic Slump in the 1930s, protracted by loss of manpower during two World Wars. Until after the 2nd World War, farms remained small, using a "mixed farming" system which depended on integrating livestock husbandry and arable crops in order to give a varied production and to help maintain soil fertility. Dairy was an important part, but, because milking was by hand, herds were small, not exceeding 10 or 20 cows. Consequently farms tended to be between 10 and 50 acres. In the 1930s, '40s and '50s Newtown Linford was still a working village with 10 farms within the (now) Conservation Area, paddocks behind giving access to the stream; there were only a few outlying farms. Entry into the European Union in 1972, with farming subsidies provided by the Common Agricultural Policy, enabled agriculture in the Parish to reform.

Progressive industrialisation of farming has encouraged change from mixed farming to larger-scale specialist (mainly arable) farming. A result is that farmers now no longer live within the Conservation Area. Nevertheless it is important to retain the outward impression of the original farming community by preserving the identity of the former farmhouses and their outbuildings - despite their convertion to solely residential use -- in order to display the traditional character of the village

- The drystone field walls were, I understand, built by men from Derbyshire brought in by the Earl at the time of land enclosure. These walls are typical of the Forest, but at present (unlike hedges) receive little or no protection, and something urgent needs to be done about this. They require constant maintenance, if they are not to fall down, and there is a temptation to quarry them for housebuilding material.

- Additional strip building of houses along the access roads occurred following the sale of the Bradgate Estate in 1925. There was some speculative building, e.g. of retirement bungalows at the "Wide-piece" at the eastern end of the village, and some semi-detached houses, but there were also weekend chalets, later replaced by individual architect-designed houses. Further in-filling on vacant spaces has occurred after the 2nd World War.

- Trees are an important component of the village landscape, and are what strikes the visitor as they enter the village. During recent years they are being increasingly lost, often due to new residents who may come from urban areas. In order to give greater protection it is recommended that the Conservation Area should be extended for a short way up both the Groby and Markfield Lanes. This would help preserve the entrances to the Village and protect the wide verges and hedges which are such a feature of them, and which help to hide the houses from the road. For similar reasons it should also be extended along the Park wall up the Bradgate Road towards Leicester -- at least to the top of the hill.

- Speed limits, on entry into the village, despite houses being built on only one side, need reducing to 30 mph on the short stretches where they were increased to 40 mph. The Police have found that the change from 40 mph to 30 mph confuses drivers, who are commonly caught for speeding because they do not notice the change. This would also be safer for pedestrians, because the road and pavements are narrow, and it is disconcerting to have motorists whizzing past one's elbow! Moreover, visitors try to avoid parking fees in the Bradgate car parks, and the danger is increased by cars parked along the road.

- The houses built by Jelson in Grey Crescent were designed by an architect resident in the village (John Nixon) and have perhaps been the most successful post-war development. This is also true of a row of cottages nearby in Main Street rebuilt by Jelson, often mistaken for being the genuine article. However the same cannot be said for some more recent developments, e,g, Johnscliffe Close and Stamford Rise, which are in prominent positions and can only be described as discordant with the rest of the village. The same is true of a number of recently rebuilt or substantially extended houses, and one hopes the recently prepared Village Design Statement may help to prevent such eyesores.

- Most properties in the village are relatively modest, causing the occupants to want to upgrade and extend their houses rather than move to another house or leave the village -- often leading to residences becoming over-large for the plots on which they stand and deleterious to the street scene.

- Within the Conservation Area, wooden window frames and fascia boards ought normally to be used in preference to uPVC or aluminium. (Although some 1930s houses have typical iron Critall windows which should be retained). The uPVC degrades in sunlight, becoming shabby and brittle, losing its bright surface and needing replacement -- not infrequently as soon as for treated wood.

- Because of the location, houses in Newtown Linford cost perhaps 50% more than they would for similar properties elsewhere. The children of residents, after completing schooling, tend to leave the village for employment elsewhere, wherever it is found. The same is true for the original village families: who have "gentrified" and generally speaking are no longer distinct from more recently arrived residents. Where children wish to remain in the locality, they obtain housing in nearby villages where it is cheaper -- and may move back into the village as they become more affluent and a suitable house comes on to the market. However it then becomes a question of whether to buy a better house elsewhere or to buy a house in the village which is similar to, or smaller, than the house they already occupy. Chikdren may also inherit a house or receive financial help from their parents.

- Affordable housing is mainly needed in respect of sheltered accommodation for the elderly -- who at present must leave the village for other places.

R.G. Lowe 14th February 2009