Conservation Area: Pott Shrigley Conservation Area (140)

Pott Shrigley was designated a Conservation Area on 20 July 1979 by the former Peak Park Joint Planning Board and Macclesfield Borough Council (now the Peak District National Park Authority and Cheshire East Council). The designation schedule from April 1980 states that the ‘conservation area boundary includes Holme Wood, the road, stream and dale as far as and including the Homestead, Pott Hall, Jackson Brow, The Vicarage, Engine Wood, land surrounding the Cricket Ground and Nab Wood.’ The National Park Boundary cuts through the Conservation Area boundary. It follows Shrigley Road and Bakestone Road below the northern edge of the Conservation Area; properties at the road junction opposite St Christopher’s Church and at Pott Mill are outside the National Park and under the jurisdiction of Cheshire East Council. The National Park boundary also runs south-east cutting through Nab Wood; land and property to the west of this boundary are outside the National Park and under the jurisdiction of Cheshire East Council. Pott Shrigley is a loose-knit settlement which occupies a position at the junction of two roads in a wooded setting. The nucleus of the village is centred around St Christopher’s Church. A significant number of the buildings date from the nineteenth century. The early development of the settlement was likely to have been connected to the establishment of the Church and Pott and Shrigley Halls. From the nineteenth century the neighbouring village of Bollington developed rapidly on the back of a thriving cotton industry. The proximity of Pott Shrigley to the much larger settlement of Bollington would have inhibited the development of the village. The economy of Pott Shrigley was based primarily on servicing the halls, agriculture and later quarrying and coal mining. Sandstone buildings with Kerridge stone slate roofs predominate. There are stone boundary walls with a variety of coping details. The Conservation Area encompasses a large area of open green space. There is a high concentration of trees within the managed woodlands of Holme and Nab wood on its northern edge. There are a number of important trees within the Conservation Area and many of these are within garden boundaries. Although there are some specimen trees, species such as ash and sycamore dominate in the wider landscape. Although not always visually apparent Harrop Brook contributes to the character of the Conservation Area and the sound of running water is noticeable at points along Shrigley Road and Spuley Lane.