Look at Romsey
Town Design Statement for Romsey
Lower Cupernham and Fishlake Meadows
Prepared by a team of volunteers in the area under the auspices of the
Romsey and District Society.
Trees, Hedges and other landscape features
Waterways
Two waterways flow through this part of Romsey, the Fishlake on the west and the canal through the centre. Both are considerable assets to Romsey and are much appreciated by many people. The Fishlake stream area is prone to flooding in wet weather and can cause problems at the junction of Fishlake Meadows and the A3057. There is concern that the vegetation along these waterways is neglected.
Hedgerows
Part of the charm of the area arises from the presence of long-established hedgerows. However they need to be regularly maintained, partly to preserve their essential character, and partly to ensure that they do not block the footpaths
The hedgerows adjacent to the canal and in Martha’s Piece are an attractive feature and those to the east of the canal are reasonably well cared for.
By contrast there is much concern for the hedgerows along Canal Walk and the tow path which lack appropriate maintenance
Alongside the canal is a variety of trees including blackthorn, goat willow, hazel, wayfaring tree, elder, hawthorn, dogwood, honeysuckle, alder, silver birch, cherry plum and less commonly a flowering ash. Wildlife includes water voles, ducks, swans and the occasional kingfisher.
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Measures to preserve the original trees and hedges were taken when Cupernham Green Estate was built. A small green with a large willow remains to this day. Some of these hedges survive, but others have grown out and only survive as individual trees
There are trees within the grounds of the Junior School and some near the entrance to the Industrial Estate by the Fishlake. Otherwise there is little in the way of specimen trees within this part of Romsey, although there are a number of pleasing smaller ones in people’s gardens.
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The trees on the wetlands to the north of Fishlake Meadows form an important backdrop to the area.
Design Recommendations
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The hedgerows in this part of Romsey need appropriate maintenance. |
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The banks and sides of the waterways should be properly maintained to keep the vegetation under control, but with respect for wildlife |
Boundary Features
 There is no predominant style of fencing in this area, and the overall impression is of openness. Nonetheless, back gardens are fenced in such a way as to give their owners privacy. Mostly the estates have been designed so that each part of the road is overlooked and thus security is built in.
That said there are a number of boundary features that are prominent, with varying degrees of attractiveness. The only part of this area seen by users of the A3090 is the long wooden fence that surrounds the County Council’s residential home for the elderly.
 The fences and hedges along Cupernham Lane are another very prominent feature of this area. They vary between hedgerow and fence and have a range of heights. Some leave the front gardens open to view while others have so successfully sought privacy that the results are intrusive to the view along the road.
Robert Whitworth Drive has a pleasant curved wall along one part of it, and nearby it has a low wall topped with railing. Privacy is ensured by shrubs. There are attractive beech hedges by the surgery in Great Well Drive and along the fronts of much of Old Road.
 Much of Fishlake Meadows road is separated from the houses by a bank and shrubs. In the area of Grayling Mead, where the houses are close to the road, there is a wall topped with a wooden close-boarded fence. The bank and fence give privacy and some protection from noise for the nearby inhabitants. Unfortunately it leaves the road completely barren with no one having ‘ownership’ of it. It makes the road feel like a by-pass and be treated as such by most traffic. It is not a welcome place for pedestrians.
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The Industrial Estate is ringed with hedges and shrubs. These act as an effective screen for the residential houses and provide a pleasant surrounding for the area itself. Their continued maintenance is important.
Canal Walk near the railway station is not so well favoured. The interface with the Industrial Units consists of blank walls, security fencing, an electricity sub-station and a radio mast.
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Design Recommendations
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The area immediately north of the railway station needs enhancement |
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Replace the wooden panels on the land at the junction of Cupernham Lane and Winchester Road with metal railings |
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