The Conservation Area and the old cottages

A large part of the village was designated a Conservation Area in 1981. The present Conservation Area covers most of Abbotts Ann and Little Ann, including the whole of the old village and the water meadows to the south of Cattle Lane.

A number of the old cottages date from the 17th Century and more of the fine old buildings from the 18th Century. However, a few may be medieval and at east one (Pennymarsh) has a cruck timber frame. All but a few of the 46 listed buildings within the Conservation Area are to be found on the road through Little Ann to the centre of the village and on beyond the Jubilee Oak towards Monxton, and on the road from St Johns Cross to the Pillhill Brook. Many are built with brick and flint, and blue bricks were mixed with the soft reds to blend beautifully with the flint. Whilst there are cob walls to be seen, the use of rendering on many cottages makes it hard to tell which walls are made of chalk, and which are render covering bricks or blocks.

Over the years many of the old buildings have been joined together, renovated and extended. Although many are thatched, there are some with slate roofs and tiles. The thatched roofs are made from either long straw or combed wheat reed and have a rounded appearance. Most have eyebrow shaped raised eaves over upper windows, and in some cases the triangular corners of these raised eaves have been glazed to give more light. A distinctive feature of many cottages is the use of hall-elliptical brick arches over ground floor windows and doors. Most cottages have half-hipped roofs, exposed timbers, small paned windows and porches. With only a few exceptions they are built close to the road. Amongst these common features, the sharp-eyed will find a remarkable variety of unusual details, such as oriel windows, circular windows, herringbone brickwork, and porches.

It is vital that in any development close to the old cottages, care is taken in the choice of style and materials so as to retain the distinctive character of the buildings in the village.