Fritham Leaflet map

Key features in the conservation area

These are key features in the conservation area and the points relate to the numbered areas on the map.

1. Church Mead villas

   Overlooking the open Forest are three pairs of semi‑detached late Victorian villas at Church Mead. These were built for employees of the now long‑gone Schultz Gunpowder Factory at Eyeworth. They form a tangible reminder of an important part of the social, economic and architectural history of Fritham. Although not listed they are of great local importance and should remain unaltered as far as possible.

2. Fritham Lodge

   Fritham Lodge is the only listed building in the conservation area, although several other older buildings are of some local interest. There is a date of 1671 on a plaque below the front gable. The painted render of the front with its Palladian windows of the Renaissance period might be considered an unusual find in the middle of the Forest. It is believed that the building may have been one of Charles II's hunting lodges.

3. Fields and boundaries

   The division of fields and the provision of horse shelters is a sensitive landscape issue. The removal of old hedges and the introduction of new field boundaries can have a great impact and may change the character of the landscape.

4. The Royal Oak

   The Royal Oak public house is the only remaining thatched building in Fritham. It is probable that nearly every building here was once like this. Stories are told of how this was a popular haunt for local smugglers in times past.

5. The Water Tower and Fritham House

   The Water Tower at Fritham House is a very distinctive feature of the main 'entrance' to Fritham. After falling into some disrepair it now forms part of a dwelling. Finding a new use for redundant buildings is always difficult, especially unusual buildings. Sympathetic reuse of a historic building is always preferable to vacancy and dereliction. Fritham House itself is a very large early 20th century country house which is now converted to a nursing home.

Buddies Corner

View towards the rear of Church Mead

The Water Tower at Fritham House

The forest lawn reaches right up to the Royal Oak

Ordnance Survey map of 1869

Fritham Free Church 1904

These are some of the things that make Fritham special — they need to be looked after

History

• The pattern of historic field boundaries and small farmsteads.

Buildings

• Traditional symmetrical 19th century cottages built of orange‑red brick in Flemish bond with slate roofs and small casement windows.
• The semi‑detached dark red brick villas with large‑paned sash windows built for workers at Eyeworth.
• Traditional windows which are either small casements or horned sashes with a single glazing bar.
• Slate and clay tile roofs which in a few cases replace original thatch.
• Roadside agricultural buildings, long, low and mainly of brick with slate roofs.

Landscape

• The narrow winding hedged lanes.
• Small fields with hedges containing occasional trees.

Setting

• The initial sense of enclosure within the encircling woodland of the open Forest.
• Open views between the cottages and the scatter of small buildings and fields across the valley.

Potential for enhancement

• The removal of overhead cables would improve the landscape views within the area.
• If new or replacement homes are added in Fritham, or existing houses extended, developers should give careful consideration to the kind of building and site treatment that will fit into this landscape.

Key to map

• D — Listed Buildings

1997 © Crown Copyright