More steps taken to preserve district’s important heritage assets

Within the Harborough District there is a wealth of nationally recognised heritage assets with 1,284 listed buildings, six historic parks and gardens, 65 scheduled monuments and 63 conservation areas, all of which are designated heritage assets and protected through national legislation.

Last year Harborough District Council also established a list of local sites of interest, known as ‘non-designated heritage assets’, which are deemed worthy of protection due to their historic, architectural or archaeological interest.  Now 11 new entries have been added to the initial list.

‘Designated heritage assets’ can include World Heritage Sites, listed buildings, conservation areas and scheduled monuments; and ‘non-designated’ assets are sites identified by the local authority as having local interest.

A non-designated heritage list is a way for the council and communities to identify and celebrate historic buildings, archaeological sites and designed landscapes which enrich and enliven the area.

Once identified, assets are scored and if they meet the criteria, they are included on the Harborough District Council Local List of non-designated heritage assets which, as well as helping to preserve them for the future, can attract tourism, business and investment.

Many of the new entries were nominated by members of the public. The council is again asking people to nominate assets for inclusion in the list. Assets can also be identified through Conservation Area Appraisals or Neighbourhood Planning.

The following are the new entries to the Local List, which will be added to annually:

The Tower House, Main Street, Gumley – originally constructed in 1870 as stables and kennels to Gumley Hall.  The hall was a significant local employer and was part of the Leicestershire hunting scene.  During the Second World War Gumley Hall was used to train resistance fighters and members of the Special Operations Executive.  The hall was demolished in 1964.  The Tower House is now a private home but remains a local landmark.

Claybrooke School, Main Road, Claybrooke Parva – when completed in 1814 the school was only for boys, additional facilities were added in 1873 to allow girls to attend. This is an early charity endowed school which has been at the heart of the village for over 200 years. 

Former Station, Great Glen – built in 1857 as part of the Midland Railway extension from Leicester to Hitchin.  Originally called ‘Glen’, the station was renamed ‘Great Glen’ in 1897.  It closed in 1964.

Railway Bridge, Broughton Lane, Leire and Railway Bridge Leire Road/Frolesworth Road – both bridges on the Midland Counties line from Leicester to Rugby.  Opened in 1840 this was the earliest railway line in the district.

24-34 Lutterworth Road, Walcote – a decorative row of traditional terraced cottages built in 1855 to house estate workers.  Located on the old Harborough to Lutterworth turnpike, these cottages are a local landmark.

Gate Piers to Former Bitteswell Hall, Hall Lane, Bitteswell - Two sets of gate piers located either side of Hall Lane at the entrance to the former Bitteswell Hall.  The hall was built in 1838 and demolished in 1928. The gates provided access to the mansion via a carriage drive through the timbered parkland. 

Former Magistrates’ Court Doddridge Road, Market Harborough – following the nineteenth-century expansion of the town a purpose-built Magistrates’ Court was built in 1911.

Park House, Park Drive, Market Harborough – built in Elms Park in the 1880s, this was the home of William Henry Symington, partner in the corset business which was a major local employer. By the 1880s their Market Harborough factory employed 1600 people and exported corsets to Australia, Africa, Canada and the United States.  In 1944 it was also home to the 456th Parachute Artillery Battalion and the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army.

Cemetery Chapels and Cemetery Lodge, Northampton Road, Market Harborough – constructed in brick in 1877, the Lodge and the Church of England and non-conformist chapels of the municipal cemetery were originally due to be built in stone, but it was not possible to source enough stone to meet the November 1877 completion deadline.

Inclusion on the list does not mean it is open to the public. People can read more and view photos of all the heritage assets on the council’s website at: https://www.harborough.gov.uk/downloads/file/7801/local_list_information_and_criteria_march_2023

Cllr Bateman, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead for Heritage and Conservation, said: “It’s essential that we identify the assets that contribute to the historic character of the area and make the district distinctive. By maintaining a list of non-designated heritage assets we are ensuring that we are in a better position to be able to preserve them for the future enjoyment of residents and visitors through, for example, the Local Plan or planning applications.” 

Work is underway on the next new additions to the Local List.  Anyone who wants the council to consider a site or building for future inclusion in the list can email planningpolicy@harborough.gov.uk