Coldingham - Conservation areas

Conservation Area
Coldingham
Conservation Area Statement
The Conservation Area covers a substantial part of the Coldingham settlement including the Priory and its grounds.

It was in 1098 that King Edgar gifted the lands of Coldingham Priory to Durham Cathedral and by 1139 there was a form of monastic presence in Coldingham.

It is one of the few Conservation Areas that takes in three burns, the Hill Burn, the Bogan Burn and the St Andrews Burn. Along these three burns it appears that the settlement has developed.

An important characteristic of Coldingham is the rise and fall, and twists and turns of the narrow streets and lanes of the Conservation Area.

It is these narrow streets and lanes that give the Conservation Area its very human and intimate scale, particularly so in two locations: one at The Bow and St Andrew’s Burn, and the other at Christison’s Brae and The Bogan.

Properties range from single, one and a half, and two storeys in height. While there are some detached properties, these tend to be located near the edge of the Conservation Area boundary or to the outskirts of the centre.

Many of the properties are built hard to the footpath but on the whole they tend to follow the streetscape.

While all of the details highlighted above are important and contribute greatly to the character of Coldingham they do not do so in isolation.

The use of building materials and architectural details are just as important. Sandstone, harling, pantiles and occasionally slate all help to form the character. Architectural details such as transom lights, sash and case windows, margins and in some instance rybats also add to the sense of place.

Any new development must therefore aim to contribute to the existing character of the Conservation Area.

There are 26 listed properties within the amended Conservation Area including two of category A. The Priory is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Designation, adoption and boundary information
Alterations to the Coldingham Conservation Area boundary from that shown in the Berwickshire Local Plan (1994) consist of the exclusion of the playing field, Strathyre House, Rhovanion, properties to the South-East of the Conservation Area, Brookfield, Barraca, Archers Close and Brankholm, as well as properties to the North-East, Miramar, Screel, Milton, Starney, The Bield and Fairmile. General tidying of the boundary is also proposed so that it follows elements on the ground.
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