West Malling and the wider countryside
From Sustainable Community Action
< Malling Action Partnership, < MAP Environment group
[edit] Health check
[edit] Features linking West Malling town and countryside
West Malling is a small, nucleated market town surrounded by countryside. The major features linking town and country are the roads and paths which radiate like the spokes of a wheel from the High Street market square area. One of the attractions of the town is that if you walk in any direction from the square you can be in open countryside in five minutes. The railway station is on the Victoria-Ashford line, and East Malling also has a station.
[edit] Unique design elements
Ragstone boundary walls are a common feature of the town (Abbey and Monastery, Brome House,Went House,) and the country (New Barns, Hermitage?) Use of ragstone in buildings in both town and country has occurred since very early times eg St Leonard's tower, St Mary's parish church, Abbey gatehouse (Insert dates for these buildings) Half timbered jetted houses are found in King Street in the town, and in the wealden houses on St Leonard's Street.
[edit] Memorable views
The West Malling Conservation Area study refers to a number of points at which views from the town into the countryside should be protected. Town Hill across to Leybourne Woods and Woods Meadow Top Town Hill to North Downs Norman Road to North Downs. Southern end of Offham Road at "Carpenters" across fields to Offham, Mereworth, and St Leonard's Tower. By-pass generally towards town, especially from area of Tower roundabout. Windmill Lane to Manor park and town. Manor Park to church. Churchyard towards North Downs.
[edit] Historic commercial links between town and country
The wide section of the High Street was used for a market, the charter for which was vested in the Abbey. The remnants of a market cross exist in the wall of the Bakery Restaurant (?) Tithe barns exist in Water Lane for the Abbey and Brome House (for the parish church?) The St Leonard's stream was used at several points for producing goods using local materials.In Swan Street opposite the Cascade,the Abbey Brewery produced beer using local hops. It had its own pub called the Brewery Tap..now converted to residential use as is the rest of the Brewery. The stream then runs alongside Frog Lane (once called Skin or Tan Lane?) where tanneries once existed. Early maps indicate medieval fishponds created by damming the stream between Swan Street and London Road.The site of a large circular fishpond existed at Fishpond cottages. The water was also used here by Leybourne Laundry. Recent excavation on the site of the Domesday Leybourne Mill revealed a complex system of mill ponds and races produced from the waters of this stream and the Lillieburn, to power the flour mill which was part of the Leybourne Castle estate. There was a second mill on this estate at Ryarsh(?) Brickfields...any details known? There are oast houses at Eden Farm, and Manor Farm, where lcal hops were dried for the brewing industry. All are now residential buildings.Any local hopping huts left?
Anything known about Windmill Lane? Quarries where ragstone was extracted? East Malling Mills and watercress beds.The Research Station?
[edit] Character of the surrounding countryside
The surrounding countryside is mainly under arable crops and orchard, with some fields immediately alongside residential areas eg. Fartherwell Avenue amd Ewell Avenue. There is some sheep pasture, and widespread horse paddocks and stabling, particularly near the margins of the town.
[edit] Unique characteristics of the local countryside
The area is characterised by productive arable fields, orchards and pasture separated by hedgerows. Particular local crops include strawberries, apples, pears and cherries. Could we include Landscape Map from KCC or TMBC? Sunken lanes which are typical of Wealden Greensand landscape character areas exist at Lavenders Road, Ryarsh Lane, Fatherwell Lane, Sandy Lane, and Church Road Offham.
[edit] Designated landscape, conservation or wildlife areas
The following national, regional and local landscape, conservation or wildlife designations exist in the parish of West Malling and the nine adjoining parishes: North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Metropolitan Green Belt Leybourne Woods Ancient Woodland Leybourne Woods Public Open Space Areas of Local Landscape Importance Historic Parkland Conservation Areas: West Malling Town, St Leonards Hamlet including English Heritage St Leonard's Tower, New Barns Hamlet. Green wedge local designation (Can we reproduce Local Plan Map here? Overlapping designations very complicated to explain!)
[edit] Areas of historic importance
St Leonard's Tower, Abbey and Monastery including Priests House Banky Meadows as Plague Pit. Whole Conservation Area of town is based on outstanding architectural value of townscape, based on medieval houses with georgian frontages added?. It contains xxxx listed buildings. George Inn harboured rebellion soldiers? Swan St Bank links with Dr Johnson and Swan Pub with Pickwick Papers? Cricket Meadow site of first reecorded cricket match in Kent and therefore the world? High St property of Dr Banks? Historic parkland at Hermitage, Douces Manor.
[edit] Concentrations
[edit] Other areas
[edit] Agricultural land
[edit] Areas managed via national agri-environment schemes
- Macey's Meadow - Countryside Stewardship Scheme
[edit] Community and voluntary groups involved in countryside management
[edit] Countryside Management
- Macey's Meadow: Macey's Meadow advisory committee is formed of volunteers who manage the activites of the Maceys Meadow volunteers. They have been responsible for the clearance,hedge laying, tree planting, fencing, pruning and mowing of the 20 acre site which is the subject of a Countyside Stewardship Agreement. BTCV group involvement with Macey's Meadow, and tree planting in the town. Medway Valley Countryside Partnership also involved in hedge laying and training in hedge laying projects on Maceys Meadow.
- CPRE active in defending local countryside, for example via Bypass Inquiry
- Leybourne Lakes volunteer conservation group
- activities organised by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (though unclear as to what extent any of these activites within West Malling hinterland).
[edit] Conservation of Townscape
- Malling Society
- contribute comments to all planning applications,
- conserve, restore and publish the Freda Barton collection of photographs of WM and surrounding area
- in partnership with Parish Council embarking on establishment of Heritage Centre.
- Clout Institute Trustees maintain the Clout Institute given to the town to prmote work with young people.
- Ad hoc working parties for Litter Clearance, bulb planting, clearance of undergrowth, arranged by Parish Council.
[edit] Local horticulture and market gardening
Now very limited throughout adjoining parishes
- Walnut Tree Farm near Trottiscliffe
- Farm stall for cherries at Offham
[edit] External links
[edit] Local organic producers
A Farners Market is held on the fourth Sunday of each month in the Market Square. Producers are limited by the conditions of the National Scheme and the following producers have stalls at the market.
[edit] Plans for major change to the urban edge of West Malling
- Metropolitan Green Belt to the west limits development, but 750 houses planned at Leybourne Grange site. Landscape impact of Leybourne development should be limited since housing is limited to footprint of former hospital site which is surrounded by screening parkland. A new access from the site onto London Road in the vici nity of Callis Court is proposed.
- The new route of the Leybourne and West Malling bypass encloses several parcels of land which may be targetted by developers. Attempts to prevent this by extending the green belt to the West Malling section of the bypass were not supported by the County Council, and these areas were not included for special protection in the Structure Plan.
- Land between London Road and the Railway line to the west of Town Hill is likely to be developed further during the current Local Development Framewrk period, continuing a trend of successful applications for development of rear gardens of properties on London Road..
- Bypass has been connected to West Malling Railway station by means of a slip road. The slip road encloses land in private ownership which is planned to be developed for a 200 plus space car park. However, development has been delayed due to lack of agreement with the rail authorities on right of access from the slip road to the station. Negotiations are underway to reach agreement.
[edit] References
- section 3: West Malling Conservation Study, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC)
- section 6: Landscape character information for the Wealden Greensand area is available via the Countryside Agency - now part of Natural England website
- section 8:
- West Malling Conservation Study, TMBC
- The Malling Society (also to be consulted)
- section 11:
- TMBC, Medway Valley Countryside Partnership Panel, Tuesday, 28th June, 2005
- TMBC Leisure Guide
- TMBC website
[edit] Analysis
[edit] Links between West Malling and its surrounding countryside
[edit] Protecting the surrounding countryside
The current Local Development Framework of Tonbridge and Malling shows West Malling Parish and its surrounding parishes as protected by the two major protective policies.
1. Metropolitan Green Belt, to the west of A228.
2. The area of "Best and most Versatile Agricultural Land" which follows the Greensand ridge paralleling the A20 east to west across the Borough. Only land to the west of Town Hill and between London Road and the railway line is not protected by this policy where no development is allowed unless a case of overriding need can be established.
West Malling is designated as a Rural Service Centre where development will only be permitted within the built confines of the settlement or where there is a local justification relating to the housing, employment,community or social needs of the settlement and its environs.
[edit] West Malling and changes to surrounding countryside
In addition to the development pressures dealt with above,there is a continuing trend towards replacement of productive agricultural and orchard land with pasturing for horses. This is particularly noticeable in land between the outskirts of West Malling and the bypass.
[edit] Community involvement in looking after the countryside
Maceys Meadow Group is the only community action group we are aware of which is looking after the countryside in a practical way. There is a possibility that KCC may now be willing to create a FRiends of Manor Park which has been sought for several years by local residents. CPRE is active in campaigning for the retention of the Green Belt and other countryside areas against great pressure for house building in this area.
