Morcott Village Plan I Sec i 1 Morcott Village Plan 2013 wished to, to work alongside committee members in the drafting process. Inevitably not everyone in the village agrees on everything

1

Morcott Village Plan2013

2 I Contents Morcott Village Plan 2013

Section 1 Introduction 3

Section 2 History/Social Environment 5

Section 3 Physical Environment 15

Section 4 Amenities and Social Life 19

Section 5 Employment Opportunities 23

Section 6 Transport 24

Conclusion 27

Annex Village Amenities – 28Priorities for 2013

Appendix Development Principles and 30Guidelines

Bibliography 34

Maps Rutland County Council 35Development Plan Document October 2012

Morcott Village maps 36

Village Plan Subcommittee and 38Acknowledgements

Contents

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Section 1 I 3

What is the Village Plan?

Morcott’s Village Plan has been produced tocapture the views of its residents about the natureof our village community and the local environment.It highlights what we value about these today andour aspirations for the future.

The production of plans like these has becomemore widespread in the last decade, prompted inpart by various government initiatives to encouragelocal communities to play a more active role indetermining their future. Originally many planstended to focus on the design of a village – adescription of its distinctive character and itssurrounding countryside and a statement of thedesign principles that its residents hoped to seeapplied in any new development. From thatevolved plans which additionally incorporated avillage’s views on social amenities and otherservices. This Plan reflects Morcott’s views onboth.

Why has it been produced?

We want to shape our future by doing everythingwe can to influence decisions in all areas that affectvillage life. A Village Plan offers a clear view of ourcommunity’s needs and priorities and of what wedo and do not want to happen. The purpose ofthe Plan is not to halt change or development. Wehave, though, described the factors that we thinkshould be considered in any proposed buildingdevelopment or modification to what exists alreadyas guidance to those involved. As important arethe ideas captured in the Plan about our villagesociety, the amenities that cater both to the villageas a whole and to those with specific needs orinterests and the ways in which these can beprovided most effectively.

Up to now village plans have been largely advisory.They have sometimes influenced the local planningauthority, for example, but have still been subject tothe general requirements of the planning process.It is likely that the development of “neighbourhoodplans” will become more widespread following theLocalism Act of 2012 and such plans could in

future carry more formal weight. They will, though,almost certainly remain subject to national andlocal strategic priorities (as, for example, at the timeof writing expressed in the Core Strategy ofRutland County Council’s Local Plan) as well as tonational and local requirements regarding buildingregulations, conservation areas, listed buildingsetc. We will continue to review this Plan inresponse to changes in legislation or further localpolicy initiatives, to ensure that it reflects our viewsin any additional areas open to us to care for ourenvironment and meet local need.

In the meantime the process of producing the Planhas helped to identify what we most value aboutour village and our priorities. It has also allowed usto consider what action we can take to help toaccomplish changes we would like to see.

Who has been involved?

Every effort has been made to involve the wholecommunity in the production of the Plan. Theconsultation process began with a questionnairedistributed to all households in early 2011. 60% ofthese were returned at that stage. Then, inFebruary 2011, following a well-attended openpublic meeting in the village hall, the Parish Councilestablished a Village Plan Subcommittee,comprising a group of volunteers to lead theproduction and consultation process. They in turnhave consulted the Leicestershire and RutlandRural Communities Council and liaised regularlywith Rutland County Council. All meetings of theSubcommittee have been well-publicised and opento the public. The Parish Council has remainedclosely involved but, at its request and in line withadvice from the Rural Communities Council, hasnot actively led the production process. It adoptedthe final version of the Plan on 27th February 2013.

The Subcommittee, through its meetings andadditional village consultation events, has tried toengage as wide a section of the community aspossible. All residents have been encouraged toprovide regular feedback through various media,including open days, themed consultation eventsand suggestions boxes and, where they have

Section 1 Introduction

The Plan hashelped to identify

what we mostvalue about ourvillage and our

priorities

4 I Section 1 Morcott Village Plan 2013

wished to, to work alongside committee membersin the drafting process.

Inevitably not everyone in the village agrees oneverything. Where there is a significant diversity ofviews, the Plan has highlighted this. Theguidelines and priorities identified represent themajority view and wherever possible, have tried tocater for a range of interests and to leave room fordifferences.

Who might use the Plan?

The Plan should be of practical use both insideand outside the village.

Within the village, the Parish Council can draw onthe Plan to evidence its formal response toplanning enquiries and in its representations of theviews of the village to other agencies such as localgovernment, highways or police authorities. Anumber of volunteers willing to follow up particularinitiatives highlighted as priorities have comeforward as a result of the consultation process.The Plan should also provide guidance to residentscontemplating alterations or extensions to theirproperty to ensure that these are in sympathy withexisting properties and the surrounding landscape.

Outside the village, the Plan should be used by thelocal planning authority, by potential developersand architects. It should also help the providers ofother services such as healthcare, social services,transport and telecommunications andsocial/entertainment activities to understand localopinion.

When will the Plan be updated?

It is envisaged that, to be useful, the Plan shouldbe updated every five years unless circumstancesaffecting the village change substantially in themeantime. A number of action points should beaccomplished in a shorter time and, where this isconsidered feasible, an action plan has beenproposed for these. The Parish Council will retainresponsibility for ensuring that the Village Plan isreviewed and updated as appropriate and willorganise an annual open village meeting to reviewthe shorter term action plan and to identify anynew issues.

How is it organised?

The Plan is organised into sections that separateparticular subjects. These cover background onthe evolution of the village community and itscharacteristics today, the physical environmentincluding buildings and the surroundingcountryside, guidelines for development and theamenities within the village, both existing anddesired. A shorter term action plan addressingfavoured initiatives is included as an anneximmediately following the Conclusion.


Location

Morcott, named for the cottage on the moor, is avillage in the county of Rutland in the EastMidlands of England. It is located on the A47 andA6121 roads about 7 miles south-east of Oakham,the county market town. Historically the villagewas included in the Wrangdyke Hundred ofRutland, an ancient district of 11 parishes.The market town of Uppingham is 4 miles to thewest and Stamford 8 miles to the north eastbordering the A1, previously the Great North Road.A prominent landmark is the windmill standing onthe ridge above the south east edge of the village.

Background

The Domesday Book, commissioned by Williamthe Conqueror in 1086, recorded the village as partof the king’s manor of Barrowden 1. Morcott laterpassed into the hands of the Mauduits and

connections with the family were retained for manyyears. Others with interests in Morcott haveincluded Sir Everard Digby of Stoke Dry whobought the manor in 1528. His grandson, alsocalled Sir Everard, sold the manor to RichardBroughton in 1599, and later achieved notorietythrough his involvement in the Gunpowder Plotwhich led to his execution in 1606 2. Over thecenturies the manor passed through many handsand in the 19th century Morcott was acquired bythe Rowley family.

At the centre of the village is Morcott Hall, whichduring World War II housed boys evacuated fromLondon. Shortly after the war it became aboarding school for girls. The school closed some40 years later and the Hall has reverted to a privateresidence.

Morcott’s farming heritage has provided a legacyof houses, cottages and related buildings that givethe village a rural charm. The village boasts some30 listed buildings many of which date from the17th century.

Agriculture

Rutland is traditionally an agricultural county andits history reflects changes adopted over thecenturies as farming developed from itssubsistence level origins. Morcott’s history hasbeen similarly influenced by these changes.

By the time of the Norman Conquest, Morcottwould have followed the pattern of a typical Anglo-Saxon communal society. Cultivated land wasdivided by ridges and furrows into strips andallocated amongst the farming families in a mannerthat ensured eachfamily had a fair shareof the good and poorsoils. An example ofthe rippledappearance that theseridges and furrowsgave to the landscapecan still be seen todayin fields to the west

Section 2 History/Social Environment


and north west of Morcott, particularly at theWashdyke as sunset approaches. Unlike today,there were few fenced enclosures to be seen, thelandscape being characterised by large open fields.

The 14th century saw the transition from grain tosheep and the emergence of the wool trade, whichformed the basis for much of Rutland’s agriculturalwealth in mediaeval times. The importance of thewool trade to Morcott is evidenced by the fact thatsome of the older houses in Morcott wereapparently built with the wealth of wool producers.Date stones and internal features which have oftenremained unaltered over the years suggest thatmost of the older houses date from the late 1600s.

Developments in equipment and techniques duringthe 17th century marked the beginning of abroader based agricultural industry. By the earlyyears of the 18th century Morcott had introducedfour-course crop rotation, beginning with turnips inyear one, barley in year two, a seed crop of cloverin year three, followed by wheat in the final year 3.

By the mid-18th century over three-quarters ofBritain’s population was involved in agriculture orrelated occupations and wool was the main exportof the day. Land management techniques hadrecognised that optimal use of the land could onlybe achieved through enclosure and from 1750 to1850 Parliament passed thousands of “EnclosureActs”. These effectively consolidated small farmsand allotments under larger landowners and manyland workers lost their livelihoods and chose toseek a living in the newly developing cities.

The enclosure movement started slowly in Rutlandbut gained pace around the turn of the century.However, Morcott remained a common-field parishuntil 1835 and several of the neighbouring villageswere also late adopters of the movement. Theearlier connection among these villages with theRoyal Manor of Barrowden (which enclosed in1882) is noteworthy, but it is probably their closeproximity to each other that influenced thedecisions 4.

Mr Veasey’s carpentry, wheelwrights and undertaking business


Enclosure often gave rise to dispersal of newbuildings, but as recently as the 1930s (with theprobable exception ofElms Farm that wasbuilt in the late 1800s)the parishioners ofMorcott all lived withinthe confines of thevillage 5.

At the end of the 19thcentury a combinationof poor harvests andcheap importsreinforced the moveaway from arablefarming and manytenant farmersabandoned the land.These difficulties areperhaps reflected inthe fact that thepopulation of Morcott fell by 31% in the 60 years to1931. Morcott retained a number of working farmswell into the twentieth century but over time manyof these ceased to operate and were re-developedas solely private dwellings. Today only Vine Farmon Back Lane is a working entity but the names ofmany of the others - Manor Farm, Home Farm,Station Road Farm (now Walnut Tree Farm) -denote their earlier use. Likewise, changesthroughout the 19th and 20th centuries sawtractors replace horses, cattle sheds disappearand grain stores migrate into modern damp proof,vermin proof buildings. Many of the farm buildingsmade redundant by these changes have beengiven a new lease of life through conversion intohouses such as The Granary, Waggon Cottage,The Maltings, Staddle Barn, Mill House etcetera.

After World War II favourable prices and policieshelped to revive agriculture such that by the end ofthe 20th century arable farming across Rutlandhad recovered to the point where roughly two-thirds of farm land was under the plough. Today,that figure is probably higher for farmland in thewider countryside but in the fields adjacent toMorcott sheep pasture predominates.

Today’s farming methods benefit frommechanisation, pesticides and fertilisers to boost

yields. These benefits, however, have not beenachieved without some cost - fewer hands areneeded, hedges have been removed and wildlifehas suffered.

Despite falling agricultural employment, thepopulation of Morcott has stabilised during thepast 50 years thanks to improvements ininfrastructure opening new employmentopportunities. Some peripheral development hasaccompanied these changes, but the originalcompact character of the village is still very muchin evidence.

Morcott still exhibits thecharacteristics of a “nucleated”

village with its compactdevelopment based around the

Saxon/Medieval layout of a mainstreet and side lanes.


The Manor House

The restoration of the fireplace in the library in the1970s revealed this stone carving behind layers oflater additions. It was subsequently identified as aquotation from Horace written in church Latin,almost certainly dating from the time the ManorHouse was built in 1687.

Translation

VIRTUTE NON VIVis trahit invitos, virtus facit esse volontes,Vis furit, at virtus oum ratione movit,Corpore vis regnat, virtus in mente triumphat,Vis pecudes, virtus nos facit esse viros,Vis igitur valeat, virtus super omnia vincat,(Ut) vis virtutem, servi sequatur (liberos).

BY VIRTUE, NOT BY FORCEBrute force compels, virtue persuades,Force imposes tyranny, but virtue appeals to the mind,Force rules with might, virtue succeeds by reason alone,Force reduces men to mere animals, virtue restores humanity,Banish brute force, let virtue triumph over all,Put force behind virtue and bar the bonds of violence.

Orig. Horace, Q.H.F., 65-8 B.C.Satires VIII & IX,Juevenal AD 60-130Perseus AD 34-62Lucretius 99-55 BC, et al

Greek and Roman authors‘discovered’ in the 17th and18th centuries by Milton,Jonson, Dryden, Swift andPope, and in vogue at the timethe house was built.


Railway

One of the most significant events in the village’shistory was the opening of the railway line in 1851.Development had begun in the late 1840s of a linefrom Rugby to Stamford via Market Harborough,connecting with the Leicester to Peterboroughrailway at Luffenham Junction. However, it was notuntil October 1898 that the village acquired its ownstation and villagers were spared the need tojourney to South Luffenham to catch the train.From then on, local trains provided an essential linkto the towns of Uppingham (via Seaton) andStamford. The late arrival of the railway to the areaplayed a significant part in the almost completelack of brick buildings in Morcott and the exclusiveuse of local stone.

After World War II the railways faced increasingcompetition from road transport and a nationalprogramme of modernisation was launched tostem growing losses. Morcott began to feel theimpact of changes in 1960 with the withdrawal ofpassenger services between Uppingham andSeaton where all westbound services thenterminated. From 1964 freight was no longerhandled and the passenger service finally closed inJune 1966 7.

The demise of the railway coincided with thegrowth in car ownership, although this mode oftransport was only beginning to make an impact inthe mid-1960s. A decade earlier no more than 5cars were to be found in the village.

Other Infrastructure

The village was connected to the mains electricitysupply around 1930, followed shortly thereafter bya limited number of private telephones. Mainswater arrived in Morcott in 1960 and mainsdrainage followed soon afterwards. Prior to mainswater, the community relied upon a network ofwells drawing water draining from the north facingslope.

On the Wing Road was the Washdyke, which alsoserved Wing and Pilton. Half way down the hilltowards the Washdyke is the horse trough whichcan still be seen today.

In the early 1990s, while a new gas main wasbeing laid alongside the A47, residents were giventhe opportunity to have gas piped into their homesfor a modest charge. Many took advantage of theoffer to bring another utility service into the villagefor the first time.

The demise of therailway coincidedwith the growth in

car ownership


Population and Employment

Source: The above chart combines data provided throughwww.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of theGreat Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth togetherwith data adapted from the Office for National Statistics licensed under the OpenGovernment Licence v.1.0 and data adapted from The Population of RutlandParishes 1795-2001, Peter Tomalin (www.rutlandhistory.org).

The village population doubled in the first half of the19th century to a peak of 667 in 1851. Afterpeaking, the population steadily declined(excluding one or two blips) to 321 in March 2011,10% short of the total some 200 years earlier. Thispattern is generally attributed to the rise and fall ofagricultural prosperity and the increasing attractionof expanding industries in the neighbouring townsand cities. With the housing stock now some 50%higher than at the beginning of the 19th century,occupation density has fallen steadily and markedlyover this period.

Some of the dramatic increase seen towards themiddle of the 19th century has been attributed tothe inclusion in 1841 of 48 gypsies who probablywere providing seasonal labour 8. In 1851 anumber of railway construction workers werebilleted in the village, where they enjoyed their own“railway company” shop in Church Lane.

The population of Morcott has been fairly evenlysplit between males and females over the past 200years, although since the last decade of the 19thcentury females have generally maintained a slightnumerical advantage.

Unsurprisingly, given developments in the economyand infrastructure coupled with social change, thepattern of employment within the village has alteredsignificantly over the years. Some insight into therange of work undertaken historically in the villagecan be seen in the charts below taken from data collected by the 1881 Census.

Of the total male population of 244, the censusrecorded 111 men in employment (45%).Agriculture was their dominant occupation (41%),followed by tradesmen such as carpenters,bricklayers and masons (19%) and employment inmineral substances from local quarries (14%). Themajority of the roles in the latter category weredescribed as railway labourers and navvies. The“professional” on the chart below refers to theparish clergyman, whilst the sole local governmentemployee was the village policeman.

Employment was higher among women than menin 1881, with 123 (52%) employed out of a totalfemale population of 236. However, over two-thirds of women in employment had theiroccupation described as “unknown”, whilst almosta fifth of the women employed held positions indomestic service. The heading “professional”related to three schoolmistresses, a teacher and amusician.

800

700

600

500

400

Num

ber

300

200

100

01780 1830 1880

Year

Total Population

1930 1980 2030

At one point, somany smiths hadpremises inWilloughby Roadthat it becameknown locally asSmiths’ Lane

Traditional trades were carried out until the early 20th century. A blacksmith’s shop operated in MountPleasant Road (formerly named Workhouse Lane) until 1930 and Mr Veazey’s carpentry, wheelwrightsand undertaking business was located in the workshop at the top of the row of cottages called MountPleasant. At one point, so many smiths had premises in Willoughby Road that it became known locallyas Smiths’ Lane.


1881MaleOccupations

Mineral substances - 16

Dress & clothing - 3Professional - 1

Unspecified commodities - 11

Local Government - 1

Domestic services - 3

Animal welfare - 2

Agriculture- 45

Vegetable substances - 1

Food & lodging - 3

Tradesmen - 21

Machinery & implements - 1

Carriages & harness - 3

1881FemaleOccupations

Agriculture - 1

Professional - 5

Food & lodging - 1

Domestic services - 23

Dress & clothing - 3

Without specified occupation- 4

Various vegetable substances - 1

Unknown occupation - 85

Source: Both the above charts arebased on data provided throughwww.VisionofBritain.org.uk anduse historical material which iscopyright of the Great BritainHistorical GIS Project and theUniversity of Portsmouth.

Ease ofcommuting

to work Close tofamily and

friends

Convenientlocation

A property thatsuited our needs

Villageamenities

Chosenwithretirementin mind

Village appealandcountrysidelocation

Lived in Morcott for...

0-5years 6-10

years 11.20years Over 20

years


The March 2011 Census records that Morcott hada population of 321, down 8 from the previouscensus. There was a fairly broad distribution by ageband, but comparatively few young adults incomparison to those over 35. At March 2011, 54residents were 18 years or younger including 16 atpre-school age. Residents aged 65 and overrepresented 29% of the total population and a thirdlived in single occupancy households. Over thepast ten years the number of households inMorcott increased by 6 to 146, with 25% in singleoccupancy 9.

A few residents were born in Morcott or inheritedproperty in the village but, for most who havechosen to live here, the appeal of the village and itscountryside location is the most commonly citedattraction, as significant a factor as access to aproperty that suited their individual needs.

Source: Supplementary Morcott Village Questionnaire, February 2012

Of those in employment, the great majoritycommute at least 10 miles to work. Manycommute to Peterborough, Leicester or furtherafield. A small number live and work away fromthe village for part of the week or spend some oftheir time in other homes. Some residents workwithin the village or are self-employed from home inbusinesses such as carpentry, building, plumbing,marketing and graphic design or in the arts. Incommon with other rural areas, the advent ofbroadband has enabled many residents toconduct some or all of their work from the villagewhich has in part obviated the need for travel orallowed them to work more flexibly. Employmentopportunities are discussed in more detail inSection 5 of this Plan.

Residents’ Age Bands

Aged0-18 Aged

19-35 Aged36-65 Aged

over 65

0

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

20

No. of R

esidenrs

Households

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Source: Adapted from data from the Office for National Statistics licensed underthe Open Government Licence v.1.0.

Source: Supplementary Morcott Village Plan Questionnaire February 2012


Social Life and Worship

Population, employment and broader societalchanges have altered the nature of social life andentertainment within the community over the years.Although the activities and some of the facilitiesnow differ, Morcott remains a vibrant communitywith a variety of opportunities for residents of allages to socialise. More details of current socialactivities are provided in Section 4.

Church

In the heart of the village is the church of St Mary-the-Virgin, which dates from the 11th century.Historically, villagers could choose to worship here,at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in WilloughbyRoad or at the Baptist Chapel in Station Road.The chapels no longer function as places ofworship. The original Baptist Chapel, built in 1710,was rebuilt in 1903 on the same site in the Arts andCraft style and is now the Village Hall. TheWesleyan Chapel is now a private residence.

Public Houses

Before 1900 the village boasted 5 public houses,but today only one, The White Horse, survives.Inside there is a commemorative plaque to the1982 Grand National winner, Grittar, whose owner,Frank Gilman, lived in the parish. The Fox inSchool Lane closed to customers before 1900 andthe site later became the village Post Office. TheCrown at Crown House, Wing Road, whose one-


time landlord “Cushy” Curzon also ran the horse-drawn carrier for the village, closed before 1920and the Blue Bell in the High Street closed in about1960. The fifth pub was The Hammer and Anvil inWilloughby Road.

Feast Days and Social Life

In the past, the annual Morcott Feast was held inBrooke Poor Field on the first Sunday after 19thSeptember. During the day a band played on theGreen, a triangle of grass, now gone, on thejunction of the High Street and Fydell Row.Entertainment was provided throughout the daywith roundabouts, coconut shies, a greasy pole toclimb and other country fair events followed bydancing in the evening. A large feast of roast beefand plum pudding would follow. On the followingday there would be a fancy dress cricket match.Today the Morcott Feast is echoed by the HarvestSupper which still attracts strong support from thecommunity.

At Christmas, the Rent Dinner was held at theCrown and this marked the occasion for paymentby the tenants of the second half year’s rents tothe Squire. In turn the Vicar would collect his tithesfrom the Squire.

Nowadays much of the organised social life withinthe village is based around the Village Hall inStation Road. Many events are held therethroughout the year with others held periodically atthe White Horse pub or in St. Mary’s Church.Many residents are active in a range of clubs andsocieties which meet in these locations, onorganised visits or in private homes.

Nowadays much ofthe organised sociallife within the villageis based around theVillage Hall in Station Road


Background and Setting

Morcott is situated 5 miles south of Rutland Waterand located 70 to 80 metres above sea level, risingto 120 metres on the hills. The surroundingcountryside is gently undulating and there arestone walls bordering the fields as sheepboundaries. A tributary of the River Chater to thenorth flows as a brook around the village. Thereare important rural vistas into andout of the village with footpathsand bridleways to the neighbouringvillages of Glaston, Pilton andNorth and South Luffenham whichcollectively form High Rutland andto the south to Barrowden, Seaton,Harringworth and the Viaduct inthe Welland Valley. Around thevillage there are many small copsesand woodland with deciduous andfir trees, important environment forwildlife and birds. Wakerley GreatWood lies 4 miles to the south.

Within the village itself there arepleasing areas of green spacewhich are much valued byresidents and which are attractivelydistributed throughout the built uparea. They contribute significantly to the characterof the village and should be preserved to providebalance between built-up and more open areasappropriate to a village with a conservation area. Inparticular, the field adjacent to the cemetery on the

south side of the High Street provides an openperspective in the absence of a ‘formal’ villagegreen and should be preserved, ideally as acommunal green and play area. The disusedrailway cutting (now designated an “importantopen space” by Rutland County Council) crossesunder the High Street at its eastern end and hasbecome an excellent habitat for wildlife and birds.At the heart of the village, within the enclosed

grounds of Morcott Hall, is a largegarden bounded by high walls andmature trees. Here, as elsewhere inthe village, the trees lend characterand appropriate perspective toadjacent buildings.

Farmland adjoins all boundaries of thevillage as well as forming part of theconservation area abutting Back Lane.Fine views of undulating farmland,both pasture and arable, are abundantfrom the north aspect of the village,with good footpaths across the fieldsused frequently by the residents, allcontributing to the attraction ofMorcott as a sought-after dwellingplace.

The main High Street runs east towest through the village with Back Lane parallel toit. Small country lanes lie throughout the villageand link it with other villages. They have narrow,usually grass verges. The lanes lend the villageparticular character and are much appreciated by

Section 3 Physical Environment


residents but inevitably present traffic and parkingdifficulties. Stone walls form a link with the pastand there are low dry stone walls on most of theapproaches to the village: along Wing Road,Cockpit Lane and the south side of Back Lane; bythe allotments on Willoughby Road and around theWhite Horse paddock on the A47. These stonewalls are all set back from the paved highway by agrassy verge which softens the street scene to theeye.

Village Buildings

Most of the buildings within theParish of Morcott, both traditionaland modern, lie within the mainsettlement. Notable exceptions arethe traditional buildings known asWing Barn, The Elms, the famouslandmark Morcott Windmill, theWorld War II pill box adjacent to theA47 and the two road servicestations on either side of the A47which provide most of theemployment and shoppingopportunities within the village.

Within the village itself there is acentral core where are located StMary’s Church, circled by several17th century houses and cottages, the ManorHouse dating from 1687 and Morcott Hall, home ofthe squires from around the end of the 18thcentury as well as many of the oldest properties.St Mary’s Church is a Grade 1 Listed architectural

gem – featuring fineexamples of originalNorman arches andcarvings. The northarcade is perhaps the bestexample of Norman workin the area and dates from1150; the south aisledates from around 1190.The tower arch may beeven earlier, with fine cablemoulding and entwinedserpents at the top of the

left-hand capital. Enhancements were added inthe 14th and 15th centuries. The Victoriansmodernised the building in 1874-75 with theaddition of an organ and the widening of the northaisle.

The remaining original properties including ThePriest’s House (now Sundial House) 1627, theaforementioned Manor House and Sycamore

Lodge 1686 are built of stonethought to have been quarried fromBarnack and have Collyweston slateroofs. Properties dating from the18th and 19th centuries as well asmany more recently built orconverted dwellings have likewisebeen constructed in stone in styleswhich generally harmonise with theoriginal character of the village as awhole and achieve an architecturalunity.

The central village street scene ischaracterised by high limestonestone walls and properties whicheither front or have gable endsabutting the High Street, Church andSchool Lanes and Back Lane, givingit an enclosed but not overbearingcharacter. The properties to the

south of the High Street stand on higher groundand as such appear marginally more dominant. Inaddition to the church, over 30 properties at thecentre of the village, along the High Street and onsome adjoining streets are listed and critical toMorcott’s character. Conservation area status,covering much of the village, was conferred in1981.

The buildings within the village are mostly privatehouses, sometimes converted from previous use.Many of the farms within and adjoining Morcottwere amalgamated into larger agricultural units inthe 20th century, and many of their stone-builtbarns and other buildings were converted intohousing at this time. These former farm buildingscontribute much to the ambience of the village.


Until 1963 when mains drainage arrived, the villagehad eight council houses, four on the A47 and fourin Station Road. Since then Gilson’s HospitalTrust, which was formed in 1612, has built foursmall bungalows in Gilson’s Close and, morerecently, three further stone bungalows on the siteof the original almshouses in Tylers Row, creating aconsiderable number of low rent retirement homesin proportion to the size of the village.

Most of the more recent development in Morcotttook place in the 1970s. Much of this involved theredevelopment of existing farm yards as well assome additional development at the eastern edgeof the village near the main Stamford Road (WearesClose) but did not extend the developed boundaryof the village significantly. Some of these newproperties were constructed in brick or Bradstonerather than the traditional limestone althoughsubsequent, predominantly in-fill, development hasbeen in this traditional stone. The garages are welloutside the traditional stone-built housing areas ofthe village, and do not clash with its essentialcharacter, insulated by several agricultural fieldsbetween the core of the village and the A47.

Building and Future Development

Morcott has changed and developed over theyears, but change has been gradual and the villagehas always retained its compact nature which givesit a special character. This historic community isnot encircled by sharply contrasting fringedevelopments. Instead most development – andthat considered most successful – has been insympathy with what already exists both in style andin the building materials used, even when theparticular architecture and features of newbuildings have been of their own period. Thisblending of the traditional and the new haspreserved the village’s coherent visual character,described above, whilst not freezing it in the past,nor missing opportunities to benefit from advancesin design technology. The footprint of developmenthas remained quite tightly contained with very littleextension into the surrounding countryside or alongthe roads leading out of the village towards Wing

and North Luffenham. Consequently mostresidents are able to get around the village easilyon foot. This has contributed much to theappearance of the village from the countrysideapproaches to it, as well as helping to foster astrong sense of community amongst the residents.In general, throughout the village properties arewell preserved and well maintained. Thepreservation of the surrounding landscape hasallowed the natural features of the village, trees andhedgerows, to mature which is much valued byresidents and visitors alike.

It is recognised that Morcott will and shouldcontinue to develop. Changes to home andworking lifestyles, transport, technological andenvironmental innovations have all had an impacton the village historically and will inevitably do so infuture. As in the past, the use of existing buildingsmay change to suit the needs of the time, resultingin modifications to their structure, and others maybe built to address particular identified housingneed. If accomplished sensitively, this can benefitthe village as a whole by ensuring that it remains anactive and sustainable community that can refreshitself through new residents and remain anappealing environment in which to live. The senseof community is often enhanced through apopulation of varied backgrounds, ages andcurrent interests and newcomers frequentlycontribute much to the village through new ideasand change to established ways. Likewise thevisual character of the village may benefit fromsome architectural innovation and from theevolution of existing styles.

Although a significant number of residents haveindicated that they wish to see no newdevelopment other than the ad-hoc in-fill of existingsites, the majority considers some additional,small-scale, residential development might beappropriate provided it is sensitively sited.Significant concerns about road access, parkingand safety, the need to preserve the present streetscene and the attractive countryside around thevillage limit the possible sites considered suitable inthe view of the great majority of respondents.

The sense of community isenhanced through a population

of varied backgrounds, agesand current interests and

newcomers frequentlycontribute much to the villagethrough new ideas and change

to established ways.


In particular, over 90% of respondents haveexpressed a wish to retain the area of green spacenext to the graveyard within the heart of the villageand favour the creation of a children’s play area onthat site. This strength of feeling has beenreflected consistently by the Parish Council in itsresponses to Rutland County Council’s evolvingLocal Plan and this area has been designated aparticularly “Important Open Space” . There is awidespread view that the development of newbusiness premises – other than the possiblechange of use of existing buildings - is unsuitablefor Morcott and its residents do not regard thecreation of opportunities for employment within thevillage as a priority. The landscape setting ofMorcott and the views into and out of the villageform a vital part of its character. Residents haveexpressed strong opinions that these views shouldnot be affected adversely by additionaldevelopment of either buildings or servicesinfrastructure.

Residents want to ensure that the attributes of thevillage as it exists today are maintained. These

include its physical attributes – the compactness ofthe area of development, its visual character andgenerally cohesive building style and the balancebetween buildings and green space – as well as itssocial attributes: an inclusive and welcomingsociety with a strong community spirit and one inwhich all living here can feel part of the village as awhole.

The preservation of these characteristics dependsmuch on the scale, nature, pace and location ofdevelopment, whether of new buildings or existingones. To promote and encourage continuity in thequality of our environment the Village Plansuggests principles and guidelines which shouldapply to all development. In many instances theyreflect local planning guidelines and the stringentrules that are already in place in relation toconservation areas and listed properties. They arerestated and further elaborated in Appendix 1 toreinforce their local importance and to provide abasis on which to respond to any local or nationalplanning initiatives which might affect them.

The landscapesetting of Morcottand the views intoand out of the villageform a vital part of itscharacter.


Morcott has a strong community spirit and a variety of opportunities for residents to socialise. However,the village has a relatively limited number of physical amenities and services as outlined below. Residentsof the village have to travel outside to gain access to many of those essential to daily life including shops,schools and medical facilities.

The process of drawing up this Village Plan has prompted discussion about the value attached to existingservices and highlighted others that are desired. Whilst in some cases there are doubts about thepracticalities of sustaining new amenities, others have attracted strong support and suggestions as tohow they might be delivered by village residents themselves.

Existing Amenities

Village Hall A communal effort enabled the village hall to be fully renovated recently, and many enjoyable social and fundraising events are organised on a regular basis, the proceeds of which contribute to its upkeep and that of the church and to local charities.85% of Questionnaire respondents valued the Village Hall above 5on a scale of 1-10 (10 high) with over 50% at the high end of this range. The range of events enjoyed is extremely varied.

Church The fabric of the church is much appreciated throughout the community. Regular congregations for twice monthly services are small – under 20 – but significantly higher for major festivals (Easter, Christmas and Harvest) as well as for rites of passage. A sizeable group of village residents is actively involved in a rota to care for and clean the building or to arrange flowers in the church.

Allotments The 7 allotments are sufficient to satisfy the present demand.

Almshouses Gilson's Hospital Trust lets 7 bungalows to elderly people of limited means from the area.

Public House White Horse pub with restaurant. The publicans have allowed the use of the paddock outside the pub periodically for village social events (bonfire night, fete).

Cemetery The burial ground in use currently is set back from the south west side of the High Street.

Filling stations Both Adams and Sons Ltd and the Morcott Service Station on the A47 have and shops filling stations. Adams and Sons has car servicing facilities, a car

showroom and sales. Morcott Service station offers tyres, exhausts and motor repairs. Both have shops which stock a limited range of basic goods.

Motel Travelodge on the A47.

Mobile Services A mobile library, a butcher, a milkman, a wet fish supplier and a fish and chip van visit. Newspaper delivery is available daily from Uppingham. Refuse collection is provided weekly.

Section 4 Amenities and Social Life


Clubs and Societies A variety of these is organised within the village including : Gentlemen’s Dining Club, Ladies Club, Book Club, Youth Drama Group, Pilates Class, Embroidery Group, Ballroom Dancing Classes. Petanque and Dominoes teams with members both from within and outside the village meet at the White Horse.

Utilities and Mains water and electricity. Gas supply pipes in roads and connected to technological some houses. Telephone and broadband services are available although theinfrastructure speed of broadband does not currently satisfy half of users and mobile phone

signal strength varies significantly around the village.

Publications/ Morcott Parish News is produced monthly by volunteers and is available to Communications subscribers and in the church. Local events and announcements are publicised

in the local press and on the village noticeboards as well as on the Morcott village website.

Open Space The field to the south west side of the High Street by the cemetery, the disused railway cutting and a section of land on the north east side of Back Lane have allbeen designated as “Important Open Spaces” or “Frontages” by Rutland CountyCouncil.

The following amenities are not available in the village

Schools Nearest primary schools at North Luffenham (2 miles), Uppingham (4 miles) and Ketton (5 miles). Nearest secondary school at Uppingham (4 miles).

Post Office Nearest at Uppingham (4 miles).

Village Shop A limited range of basic goods including fresh milk and newspapers is available from the garages in Morcott although to reach Adams and Sons it is necessary to cross the A47. Fresh meat, fish or vegetables are not sold.

Supermarkets/ Nearest are at Uppingham (4 miles), Oakham (7 miles), Stamford (8 miles).other retail

Doctor’s surgery Nearest located in Barrowden (2 miles), Uppingham (4 miles), Empingham (7 miles).

Dental surgery Nearest at Uppingham (4 miles).

Children’s Nearest at Glaston (1 mile), North Luffenham (2 miles), South Luffenham Playground (2 miles) and Barrowden (2 miles).

Village Green There is no publicly accessible green space within the village. Social events are held from time to time on the land by the White Horse pub.

Sports field or other A playing field with limited facilities was located until the 1990s on the sports facilities south west side of the village off Cockpit Lane and used both by Morcott Hall

Girls’ School and the village. The sports facilities no longer exist.


Railway station Nearest stations are at Oakham (7 miles), Stamford (8 miles), Corby (10 miles), Kettering (18 miles) and Peterborough (18 miles). Transport facilities and their limitations are discussed in more detail in Section 7.

Amenities Desired

The great majority (97%) of respondents to arecent village consultation associated with thedevelopment of this Village Plan expressedthemselves mostly or very satisfied with life in thevillage. Nevertheless, whilst most residents aresatisfied with amenities for adults and with accessto local services, there is greater dissatisfactionwith amenities for children, including a majority ofthose who consider themselves directly affected.Substantial proportions of questionnairerespondents would welcome new socialamenities, specifically a village green (favoured by87% of respondents) and a children’s playground(71%). 91% of respondents consider that thesecould be combined. A significant number ofresidents also indicated they would welcome otheramenities including a village shop (69%).

Three village consultation events were organised insummer 2012 in order to explore the aspirations ofvillage residents in more detail. These werethemed around Facilities for Children and YoungPeople, Good Neighbour activities and theEnvironment. From these it was possible toidentify the most popular ideas, including someaspirations that might be met quite quickly givenwilling participants, for inclusion in this Plan. Moredetailed summaries of each event are held by theParish Council and are available on the villagewebsite.

Children’s and Young People’s Amenities

Playground/Village GreenMorcott has no green space within the village thatis accessible to the public. The recent consultationhighlighted that a children’s play area and a villagegreen are both seen by residents as highlydesirable features for village life. An earlierconsultation carried out in 2007 on the need for aplay area produced similar results. The 2011

consultation identified that over 100 children mightuse such an amenity, this figure including thosewho live in the village and their visiting familymembers and grandchildren.

All potential sites for these amenities are at presentprivately owned but consultations in recent yearshave gathered opinions about any sites that wouldbe favoured for them. All demonstrated a clearpreference for the potential site on the south westside of the High Street for a combination offacilities, taking account of its central location,accessibility, safety and general visibility. This sitewas also favoured because it would open up andenhance this most attractive green space.

The aspirations for this field as “important openspace” have been acknowledged within the recentRutland County Council Local Plan and allsubmissions made by the village have mentionedthe hope that it might be made available for aplayground/green. The provision of suitable landfor a playground and the use of this site inparticular have been explored in a number ofapproaches to local landowners over many yearswith no success to date. Such a projectnecessarily involves detailed discussions whichlimit the potential for a “quick win” but the ParishCouncil should remain aware of the consistentaspiration expressed by several generations ofresidents over the years.

The support expressed for the children’splayground proposal of 2007 included offers ofassistance with project planning andimplementation, fund raising and other practicalrequirements. The 2011 survey gives usconfidence that this interest could readily berekindled if suitable land were obtainable.

Other Amenities for Children and Young PeopleSeveral ideas were put forward at the Children andYoung People’s consultation event to increase the

The recent consultationhighlighted that a

children’s play areaand a village green areboth seen by residents

as highly desirablefeatures for village life.


number of organised but ad hoc activities for thisgroup and to involve whole families more generally.The Village Hall has some under-utilised indoorsports equipment which might be used at informalfamily ‘games days’. The idea of incorporatingoutdoor games and races and a family picnic intoperiodic events such as the village fete was alsosupported. Craft or art activity days were a furtherpossibility.

Existing regular organised activities such as theDrama Group were valued. It was, however, feltbetter to experiment with more ad hoc activitiesbefore looking to add more structured and moreregular ones until demand for these was clear. Anumber of parents and other interested partiesvolunteered to organise relatively informal activitiesto test their appeal.

Good Neighbour ActivitiesThe Good Neighbour consultation event wasfacilitated by the Leicestershire and Rutland RuralCommunities Council and attended by the head ofthe Rutland Community Spirit Project whodiscussed the nature of Good Neighbour Schemeswhich operate in a co-ordinated way in a numberof local villages and about the funding and supportavailable for them.

This well-attended event provided the opportunityto highlight the many good neighbourly activitiesthat take place in Morcott already and to consider ifthey should be extended. Gaps were identified,particularly in relation to communication aboutavailable assistance and in the consistency ofsupport. Voting by attendees at the end of theconsultation showed overwhelming support foraction of one kind or another to expand anddevelop current activity (84% of votes) with aninitial preference (33%) for creating an informalnetwork of people willing to offer help and supportto others. It was suggested that the idea of aformal Good Neighbour scheme (supported by26%) could be revisited at a later time.

Following the consultation, a group of volunteersmet to identify which initiatives should be prioritisedin the next year. These are outlined in the actionplan in the annex to this Village Plan.

Aspirations Regarding the EnvironmentThe value placed by residents on Morcott’sphysical environment and heritage, both within thevillage and in the surrounding countryside, is verygreat and discussed in more detail elsewhere inthis Plan. A consultation on the environment washeld to discuss ideas both for caring for andenjoying it. Many ideas connected to thecountryside, energy and the sharing of knowledgewere discussed. The ideas which gained the mostsupport were for the development of additionalfootpaths immediately around the village, thecreation of a village archive to record documentsthat otherwise might be lost, the organisation of aneducation event about the countryside and localagriculture and initiatives to share gardeningknowledge and/or plants.

Other Amenities

Village ShopMorcott had a small village shop providing PostOffice services until the early 1990s. Reducingpatronage from a village with a changingpopulation led to shrinking levels of stock andinevitable steady decline. The nearest shops todayare located in the garages along the A47. Therange of merchandise is very limited and accessrequires the crossing of the busy main road.Support has been indicated for a well-stockedvillage shop but this must be considered alongsideother information from the consultation whichsuggests that many residents already shop on lineor at weekly markets which be likely to providestrong price competition and better choice. Thereis at present no obviously suitable site.


There is a limited number ofbusinesses providingemployment opportunitieswithin Morcott. Those thatexist employ only a handfulof Morcott residents (e.g. inearly 2012 2 of 14employees at Adams andSons, 1 of 14 staff at theWhite Horse) and althoughlooking to grow, are unlikelyto expand significantly. Asmall number of residentswork in local agricultureand a number of others are self-employed, basedin their homes. Many however, offer services thatrequire them to travel to clients outside the village(e.g. plumbers, builders, decorators). A smallnumber work in crafts or in professions for whichtravel is less necessary, some using part of theirproperty as working studios.

With the exceptions of the garages on the A47, theWhite Horse inn and parts of Vine Farm, there areno premises dedicated solely to business use. Themajority of residents in employment travel at least10 miles to work outside the village and of those

self-employed weekly work-related travel outside thevillage is at least 50 miles.Many people are able to usebroadband services to dosome work from homealthough few conduct themajority of their business inthis way and many findbroadband speedsunsatisfactory. Employmentfor most residents therefore isdependent on access totransportation. For most this

involves travel by car given the limitations of publictransport discussed in Section 7.

The recent consultation within the village hassuggested that few residents are seeking additionalemployment opportunities. Additionally, theattraction of Morcott was attributed much morestrongly to the appeal of the village and suitableproperty than to ease of commuting. There is noevidence that residents have moved here in theexpectation of working within the village other thanin a self-employed capacity. The majority ofresidents do not wish to see the construction ofnew commercial premises and do not considerMorcott to be a suitable site for larger businessesgiven its inherent rural character. Many would bewilling to consider the sensitive conversion ofexisting buildings for small businesses such as avillage shop although the implications for otheraspects of village life such as traffic, parking,deliveries etc. would require careful evaluation.

Section 5 Employment Opportunities


Morcott currently has extremely limited publictransport facilities and very few residents usepublic transport to travel to work or for otherreasons. It is possible that the recent award of alocal sustainable transport grant to Rutland couldalter the existing provision. The comments herereflect the situation at the time of writing (late 2012)and provide outline detail of the additional countyservices proposed.

Existing Public Bus ServicesWith the exception of a severely restricted serviceto Peterborough, Morcott is dependent upon theUppingham to Stamford bus service for links to allother bus routes (including the service to Oakham)and other public transport. The Uppingham toStamford service is two hourly in each direction,Monday to Saturday. The earliest arrival times atUppingham, Stamford and Oakham, 08:15, 08:30and 08:40 respectively, are too late for some typesof employment, especially if it is at some distancefrom the bus terminals. Those times also severelylimit the use of interconnecting services for travel towork in places such as Corby, Melton Mowbrayand Leicester. It is to be hoped that the proposedEmployment Shuttle will improve this situation.

Currently, very few residents use the bus serviceregularly to travel to work, to shop or for socialactivity. 83% of questionnaire respondents relyexclusively on private transport with just 6%dependent on the local bus service for theirtransport needs. Members of only 8 householdsindicated that they used the bus at least once aweek. Responses suggested that the bus wasmore likely to be used for occasional shopping andsocial trips than for regular travel to work orschools. It appears that, given greater servicefrequency and more convenient times, a number ofadditional households would consider using thebus for one or more purposes.

School Bus ServicesQuestionnaire returns suggest that 10 childrenfrom Morcott use the school bus service. A further10 children travel to school by other means, usuallyby car or by a combination of car and bus. Nojourneys to school are currently made by shared

car. It is not thought that any children from Morcottcurrently walk to school, though some do ridethere occasionally.

Until recently, Rutland County Council provided freetransport for children to their catchment primaryand secondary schools, provided that thedistances to be travelled were more than 2 milesand 3 miles respectively. Morcott children weretherefore not charged for transport to NorthLuffenham Primary School or UppinghamCommunity College. However, from September2011 Rutland County Council implemented apolicy (established in 2007 in line with nationallegislation but not applied at the time) wherebychildren aged 8 or over are deemed capable, inmost circumstances, of walking 3 miles to schoolprovided a safe walking route exists.

Local Sustainable Transport FundIn July 2012 Rutland County Council announcedthat the County had been awarded a grant of £4million from this government fund and it has sincedeclared that the planned new bus services are tostart in April 2013. The Tourism Bus will providean hourly, circular service 7 days per week, linkingOakham, Uppingham and the various areas aroundRutland Water. It will benefit local people as well asvisitors. The Employment Shuttle has beendeveloped with major employers. It will provide lowcost transport for workers on four routes eachhaving three return services per day, at times tosuit shift patterns; it will cover areas across Rutlandas well as Stamford, Melton Mowbray and Corby.The final element of the funding is for a TransportInterchange based in the vicinity of Oakhamstation, to be completed by 2015. It will link allforms of travel, train, bus, taxi and a cycle hub.Cycle hire will be available.

Rail ServicesThe area is well served by rail services providingdirect access to a number of major cities andtowns, several near enough for commuting.Peterborough, 25 minutes by car from Morcott, ison the East Coast main line which providesfrequent trains to London Kings Cross that takeless than an hour. East Midlands Trains offers

Section 6 Transport


alternative services to London St Pancras(particularly convenient for Eurostar) from bothCorby and Kettering. There is also a singlemorning train leaving Oakham for St Pancras, thejourney time being one hour forty minutes. Variousoperators run trains connecting Peterborough,Stamford, Oakham, Melton and Leicester. Thesediverge over a wide area and provide services tomany places including Derby, Birmingham,Manchester and Liverpool to the west andNorwich, Cambridge, Stansted Airport, andIpswich to the east. East Coast also providesfrequent fast services to cities in the north ofEngland and Scotland.

RoadsMorcott has excellent road links to many parts ofthe country. The access junctions on to the A1 fortravel north and south can be reached in less than15 minutes. It takes about 25 minutes to get to thejunction on the A14 for onward travel to the M6,M42, M5, M50 etc to the West Midlands, theSouth West, Wales and the North West. To theEast, travelling via the A1 and the A14 it takesabout one hour to reach the M11 and a further 15minutes to get into Cambridge; these times can bemuch extended during rush hours.

The Parish Council and many residents haveparticular concerns about the A47 east-west roadskirting Morcott to the south which, despite a50mph speed limit, has a history of seriousaccidents. The local authority points not only tothe lack of funds for any significant roadrealignments but also to DfT guidance indicatingthat there is insufficient housing development alongthe road to justify the reduction of the speed limitto 40mph, for which the Parish Council has beenpressing. However some specific proposals forconsideration have now been promised by RutlandCounty Council.

The lanes and minor roads within the village arerural in character and have considerable charmthat residents value and wish to retain, albeitaccepting that this involves compromises.Difficulties arise due to their narrowness and bycars parked on the street, resulting from manyhouses not having garages or other suitable spaceoff the road. Visibility at junctions, for both trafficand pedestrians, is frequently inadequate. Mostroads in the village have pavements on one sideonly, some have a pavement for just part of theirlength and others have none at all. There is aweight limit on vehicles using the High Street(though not for local access) but frequently this isignored. While safety is of course consideredhighly important, the great majority does not wishthis to involve the introduction of traffic calmingmeasures such as humps, chicanes or roadwidening.

The lanes and minorroads within the

village are rural incharacter and haveconsiderable charm


Willoughby Road is on a hill and has a narrowsection where cars are often parked. The road isused by farm vehicles, particularly at harvest time,and by cars and HGVs visiting the recycling centre.The speed and size of some of the vehicles haveraised concern about road safety and resulted inoccasional damage to the perimeters of the road.

Although village opinion on the reduction of the30mph speed limit has previously been shown tobe divided, at the time of writing the Parish Councilhas decided that consultation should take placewith the local authority and residents on reducingthe limit to 20mph in Willoughby Road or in thevillage as a whole.

Private VehiclesThere is a high level of car ownership and usage inMorcott. Many households have more than onecar and the few single people without access to acar are mainly the older members of the retiredsection of the community.

It should be recognised that in Morcott, as is thecase in many small villages in lightly populatedcountry areas, a car or taxi is needed to reach themajority of the following:

• main line railway services• major hospitals• cinemas/theatres/concert halls• major sporting events and facilities• children’s playground facilities

Since there are at present no bus services onSundays or Bank Holidays, those without accessto a car can only leave the village on these days bywalking, cycling, taxis or lifts from friends. A carhas to be seen not as luxury but as an essentialmeans for avoiding isolation, saving unproductivetime and leading a fulfilling life. This must continueto be fully recognised by the planning authoritywhen it is determining the types and locations offuture housing developments in the county.

CyclingAs stated above, the A47 carries much traffic,particularly during the morning and evening rushhours. The same applies, though to a lesser extent

to the A6121 Stamford Road. Whether fortravelling to work or for other purposes, theseroads are best considered as suitable forthoroughly experienced cyclists only. However forfamily and general leisure cycling, the overallpicture is much brighter. There are a large numberof minor roads and lanes in all directions, manyvery quiet at the weekends. There are a few longstanding bridleways and much of the cycle trackaround Rutland Water is away from public roads.The tracks and the recent, purpose-designed trailsat Fineshade and Wakerley Woods provide cyclingfor all ages. Cycle hire is available at bothFineshade and Rutland Water.

A car has to be seennot as luxury but asan essential meansfor avoiding isolation,saving unproductivetime and leading afulfilling life

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Conclusion I 27

Morcott must remain attractive to

current and future residents. There is

strong agreement today about the

factors that contribute to the

essential character of the village both

in a physical sense and as a

community. The formulation of this

Village Plan has drawn out those

opinions and tested the appetite for

change.

The views expressed in the Plan are

those of the village at present. They

are likely to change over time and it is

important that a means of capturing,

updating and challenging them as

necessary continues. The exercise

has also produced many, sometimes

small but nevertheless significant

ideas to improve community life.

Many have said that they have

valued this. The hope is that anyone

resident in Morcott today or reading

this Plan in the future will recognise

that there is a means to put forward

opinions and new ideas and to play

an active part in the life of the village,

should they wish to do so.

WalkingMorcott is on the Rutland Round, a footpath ofsome 65 miles length following closely theperimeter of the County. Rutland’s rights of waycomprise a network of over 270 paths totallingmore than 200 miles and offer walking that is freeof cars. Beyond the limits of Morcott, the nearbyroads and lanes generally do not have pavementsand so do not provide relaxed walking. A numberof footpaths can be directly accessed from thevillage but a short journey by car increases thechoice widely. For those wishing to walk theirdogs off the lead and without any anxieties aboutsheep, Fineshade and Wakerley Woods offer avariety of walks, many of which are suitable forpushchairs. Parking charges have now beenintroduced at Fineshade.

Conclusion

28 I Annex Morcott Village Plan 2013

The priorities listed here are those that gained the most support in the various consultationexercises. The aim has been to draw up a list of aims that, with the support of willing volunteers,can be accomplished or well-advanced in the next twelve months. Thereafter, if supported, newobjectives can be identified and added.

Children andYoung People

Provision ofplayground/green

Ad hocchildren’s/familyevents

Sports Day/familypicnic

Good NeighbourActivities

Improve access topractical supportwhere needed

Work with thechurch to reviewand update theMorcott welcome/information booklet

Distributedefibrillatorrespondents list

Create a villageemail alert system

Aim

Ensure remains ongoing business of the Parish Council.

One or two events in 2013

Event in 2013. Possibly incorporate activities into next village fete – datenot yet determined

Aim

To identify a pool of volunteers to assist, to scope the range of tasks onoffer and to consider how this should be publicised

Revisit this valuable and longstanding resource in the current villagecontext including its links with the village website, other relevant internetlinks, and cross referencing it to the Village Plan

To ensure everyone in the village can identify the nearest source of helpwith the defibrillator in an emergency, through providing each householdwith a map of respondents. The map was distributed with the parishnews in December 2012

To make it possible to have requests or information emailed to fellowvillagers (e.g. lost pets, requests for equipment loan etc.) through asystem linked to but separate from the public village website. To considerhow this information is made available to those without email.

Annex Village Amenities - Priorities for 2013

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Annex I 29

VillageEnvironmentInitiatives

Increase provisionof footpaths

Organisecountryside/farmingeducation event

Establish villagearchive

Initiatives to sharegardeningexpertise/plants

Sites of bio- orgeodiversity.

Aim

To explore extending the range of footpaths around the village.

To improve awareness and understanding of local farming issues andprovide the opportunity for increased communication between villagersand the local farming community.

To ensure that valuable historical documents and records relating toMorcott are preserved and made accessible electronically and/or in hardcopy.

To improve gardening skills and knowledge in the village through theexchange of expertise. To share resources through “plant swap” events

To consider whether to promote sites in and around Morcott as areas ofsignificant bio- or geodiversity.

Volunteers put themselves forward at the consultation events to help to realise theseobjectives. The Village Plan Subcommittee members will act as a link to these groups.Anyone wishing to become actively involved in any particular initiative should contact oneof the following Subcommittee members:

Maureen Allan (Chair): [email protected] Tel 747203Tricia Jones (Secretary): [email protected] Tel 747851

30 I Appendix 1 Morcott Village Plan 2013

The preservation of our village community dependsmuch on the scale, nature, pace and location ofdevelopment, whether of new buildings or existingones. To promote and encourage continuity in thequality of our environment the Village Plan suggests thefollowing principles and guidelines for all development.In many instances they reflect local planning guidelinesand the stringent rules related to conservation areasand listed properties already in place. They are restatedand further elaborated here to reinforce their localimportance and to provide a basis on which to respondto any local or national planning initiatives which mightundermine them.

The following principles should apply toany proposals for development:

In line with Rutland County Council’s Core Strategy nonew development should comprise more than 5dwellings. Any additional development should occur ata gradual pace allowing new buildings time to weatherand to blend in with those around them. Development should be on a scale likely to ensure thatthe existing amenities and infrastructure of the villagecan be used effectively by all residents and shouldavoid any sudden shift in the size of population withinthe village.In line with the Proposed Limits of Development forMorcott in Rutland County Council’s Local Plan, withthe exception of ad-hoc, in-fill structures, developmentshould be avoided within the conservation areaboundary or in immediate proximity to it. The design and placement of any new buildings,particularly those visible from the existing highwaysfootpaths and open space, should wherever possiblereflect the existing diversity within the village yet besited and constructed in such a way and using suchmaterials as to maintain a harmony with the existingstructures. In order to assess the impact of anysignificant new building, scale drawings, preferablycomputer generated graphics, should be produced toshow the relationship to adjacent buildings so that anassessment can be made whether the proposedbuilding is in keeping with the character and status ofthe village as a conservation area.The height of any new building should be restricted to amaximum of two floors (with cellar if appropriate) andcare should be taken to ensure that neighbouringbuildings are treated with respect by any new structure

i.e. they are not overshadowed, or dwarfed, and theydo not suffer any loss of privacy or amenity.Careful consideration should be given to the provisionfor car parking, safety and the management of traffic.Many of Morcott’s country lanes contribute significantlyto the character of the village but necessarily presentblind spots and passing difficulties. It would beinappropriate to widen roads to accommodateadditional traffic or on-street parking. Any new development should reflect the existingdiversity of housing type by size and buildings shouldsuit their particular site and be designed to a highstandard. All new building including extensions,conservatories, garages and outhouses and newhouses should be appropriately sized for the plotallowing garden or amenity space and generally shouldbe adequately separate from the adjoining propertiesso as to prevent over development, although it isacknowledged that there may be some instanceswhere it is desirable to build up to the boundaries onone or both sides of the plot to maintain the villagestreet scene particularly where the development is infill.Detached and semi-detached properties are favouredthough terraced properties could suit certain roadsidelocations.Morcott has many listed buildings, already subject tostringent development criteria. Particular care shouldbe taken with any development (including alterations toexisting buildings) adjacent to these to ensure that theirfeatures are not compromised by, for example, starklycontrasting structures.Consideration should be given as part of the planningprocess to any detrimental effect proposed buildingwork may have on the village in terms of noise, roadsafety and disruption to neighbours.

Appendix Development Principles and Guidelines

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Appendix 1 I 31

Building Guidelines

Views and the green environmentSeveral important views into and out of the villagewarrant preservation These include views from thewest, north and east as well as over the fields abuttingBack Lane.

In addition to open space the village has the benefit ofnumbers of mature trees within and around it.

Guidelines:The views should not be obstructed by new building orhigh hedges. Existing mature trees, stone walls and grass vergesshould be preserved. New tree planting should be encouraged adjacent toany new building......................................................................................Building Materials Most of the older village properties are constructed oflocally-quarried limestone, often intermingled withironstone, usually laid as coursed rubble butsometimes as dressed stone. The bigger houses havelarger courses often with cut stone quoins. Sometraditional houses have ashlar stone walls. Some cutstone is evident particularly as quoins, mullions andcopings to the gables. Lintels are of sawn stone ortimber. Care has been taken in the past to ensure thatthe colour of the mortar used fits the colour of thestone.

Outbuildings are often constructed in a Victorian redbrick, often of orange-red appearance. Some modernhouses, such as the houses on Weares Closeconstructed in the 1970s, have been built in Bradstone.In addition, several properties have been rendered andone is of wooden construction.

A variety of roofing materials has been used throughthe village. Collyweston slate (the slate with the veinsof ironstone from Pilton) was widely used on buildingswhich were originally farmhouses and on some of theiroutbuildings as well as on some of the much olderbuildings in the village. In the latter part of the 19thcentury cheaper Welsh blue slate became a commonroofing material. There are no longer any thatchedproperties in the village; the last was re-roofed in 1964with a modern tile.

Throughout the rest of the village there is a mix of tiledroofs which are dark grey/brown after weathering. Ona few modern properties there are roofs with concreteroof tiles, which have also been used on a number ofolder properties whose roofs have been replaced atsome time in the past. Weathering

Guidelines:The use of traditional, natural materials such as stonewith coloured matched mortar and slate or appropriatereclaimed materials is to be encouraged, in keeping withthe character of the village. New development andextensions should blend in with existing properties andwhere appropriate be of natural or reclaimed stone......................................................................................RoofsThe majority of the properties have low eaves and slateroofs pitched over the original more steeply pitchedtimbers of thatched dwellings. The pitch of roofs variesbut even modern houses have fairly steep slopes.Several houses have dormer windows.

Guidelines: The roof pitch and design of new developments shouldtake into account roofs of nearby buildings whereverpossible. Flat roofs are to be discouraged. Gutters anddrainpipes should not be an intrusive feature of newbuild design.If roof lights, Velux windows or solar panels are to befitted they should not be sited in elevations fronting thehighway or footpaths and they should not be intrusiveto neighbouring properties. .....................................................................................


Windows and DoorsThere is a wide range of windows throughout thevillage, reflecting the original age of the properties.These include stone mullion windows, sash windowsand casement type windows with small panes of glasswhich form the majority. Frames are generally paintedwhite or cream with a few in muted shades of blue,green or grey. A number of properties have had plasticreplacement double glazing (UPVC) fitted,complementing the original windows.

Doors are generally of solid wood or with an occasionalsmall glass inset panel, appropriate to the age of theproperty. There are a few houses with porches whichgenerally are small.

Guidelines: The design of replacement windows should beappropriate to the age and style of the property andshould match the existing windows......................................................................................ChimneysThe majority of houses have brick built chimneys withsome stone chimney stacks, notably on Morcott Halland the Old Rectory. Chimneys are mostly at the gableends of properties and of a sympathetic proportion.

Guidelines: New chimneys should complement those existing andshould be encouraged for new properties......................................................................................

Garages, Conservatories and Outbuildings

Guidelines: Garages should not dominate the front elevation of aproperty, should be sited as unobtrusively as possibleand should not be constructed against the road.

In new build construction there should be garaging,hard standing or off road parking for at least two carsto avoid road congestion and to reflect the limitedpublic transport facilities available in the village.Wherever possible, off road parking should be sited tothe rear or side of the property.

Conservatories should be sympathetic to the originalbuilding in style and presentation. .....................................................................................Boundaries and DrivewaysThere are various types of stone walls in the villageforming boundaries to gardens and fields. Many ofthese face directly onto the street. Construction andcoping styles vary; the latter include traditional Cockand Hen copings of alternate sized upright stones, flatstones and pantiles. Some walls are of dry stoneconstruction.

Other boundaries include hedges formed from a varietyof trees or shrubs, wooden fences including post andrail fences and a small number of brick built walls.

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Appendix 1 I 33

The majority of driveways are of gravel with occasionalblock paving, tarmac or concrete where the presenceof gravel is contrary to highways regulations or wouldbe impractical due to gradients or the risk of gravelgetting onto the road.

Guidelines:Boundaries should be sympathetic to the existingstreet-scene and immediate neighbourhood. Highconifer hedges are incongruous

Gravel or natural looking paving is considered more inkeeping with the character of the village than areas oftarmac or concrete. .....................................................................................Pavements and Street FurnitureThere are pavements to one or both sides of the roadin parts of High Street, Station Road, School Lane andWilloughby Road with kerbstones of either glazedbricks or granite blocks. In the past great efforts havebeen made to ensure that replacement kerb stonesmatch the glazed kerbing which has been in the villagefor over 70 years.

There are a few wooden fingerpost signs at roadjunctions, metal milepost markers on the A47 andA6121 and a traditional red telephone kiosk which hasnow been adopted by the village for alternative use.

There is inconspicuous street lighting in the village.However, there are overhead electricity wires whichtend to detract from the overall appearance.

Guidelines:Replacement kerbstones should match the glazedkerbing.

The older signposts, street signs and the telephonekiosk should be retained whenever possible. Newsignage should be kept to a minimum.

If street lights and poles have to be replaced, carefulconsideration should be given to design and locationsso that they are sympathetic to the character of thevillage.

Future supplies of services should be buriedunderground where possible and further burial ofexisting supplies encouraged......................................................................................Other features

Guidelines:Satellite dishes should not be sited on the frontelevation of properties in accordance with theregulations in a conservation area.

The erection of wind turbines, which by their naturehave to be prominent and stand out in theenvironment, should be the subject of rigorousconsideration and extensive consultation including theimpact of noise pollution on surrounding properties. Inparticular, any proposals should be accompanied byappropriate heritage and landscape and visualassessments.


In the course of preparing this document reference hasbeen made to the following sources:

A Vision of Britain through time.(www.VisionofBritain.org.uk)

British History Online.(www.british-history.ac.uk)

Countrylovers.co.uk. A History of the BritishLandscape and Countryside.

David Tyldesley & Associates. Rutland LandscapeCharacter Assessment.

English Heritage - A map of listed buildings can beviewed by following the link,http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/mapsearch.aspx

Leicestershire and Rutland Churches.(www.rutlandchurches.co.uk)

Matthews Bryan. The Book of Rutland. 1978.

Morcott Railway (www.rutnet.co.uk)

Parkinson Richard. General View of the Agriculture ofthe County of Rutland. 1808.

Tomalin Peter. Population of Rutland Parishes 1795-2001. (www.rutlandhistory.org)

Traylen A R. Morcott in Rutland.1975.

www.visitoruk.com

www.wikipedia.org

Bibliography End Notes1. 'Parishes: Morcott', A History of the County of

Rutland: Volume 2 (1935), pp. 207-211. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66236 Date accessed: 04 February 2013

2. Morcott Church, Leicestershire and Rutland Churches. http://www.rutlandchurches.co.uk/#/morcott-church/4550790119. Date accessed: 04-February 2013.

3. Richard Parkinson, General View of the Agriculture

of the County of Rutland (R. Phillips, 1808)

4. Bryan Matthews, The Book of Rutland (Barracuda Books Limited, 1978), p.46



7. Morcott railway station. (2012, December 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:36, February 4, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Morcott_railway_station&oldid=529762026

8. Peter Tomalin, The Population of Rutland Parishes

1795-2001. http://www.rutlandhistory.org/pdf/

populationrutlandparishes.pdf

9. Adapted from data from the Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.1.0.

10. A.R. Traylen, Morcott in Rutland (Rutland Local History Society, 1975).

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Bibliography I 35

Crown

copyright

licence no.

100018056

Planned

Limits of

Development

Boundary to

Conservation

Area

Important

Open Space

Important

Frontage

Key

Site

Allocatio

ns and

Policies DPD draft sub

mission docu

men

t - March

2013

36 I Maps Morcott Village Plan 2013

Morcott Street Map

sho

wing Listed Buildings

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Maps I 37

Morcott and

enviro

ns sho

wing footpaths

38 I Maps Morcott Village Plan 2013

Maureen Allan (Chair)

Graham Baker

Michael Blank

Marilyn Clayton

Tricia Jones (Secretary)

Jane Lucas

Andrew Towell

Martin Whitfield

Mike Willis

The Subcommittee would like to extend thanks to themany village residents who have contributed to thePlan. These include Neil Harding, David Joyce andMorcott Parish Council, the respondents to thequestionnaires, the attendees at consultation eventsand/or at Subcommittee meetings and those who havecontributed artistically and technically in its productionand publication. In total, we estimate that around twothirds of households in Morcott have been involved.

We are also grateful for the external advice receivedfrom the Rural Communities Council, Rutland CountyCouncil and the Rutland Good Neighbour Scheme.

Designed by Scion Design Limited www.sciondesign.co.uk

Morcott Railway photographes supplied by Richard Havergalwww.rutnet.co.uk/pp/gold/viewgold.asp?ID=3291

Morcott Windmill photograph, page 5: Mick Smith

Morcott Windmill photograph, back page:<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-244312p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Peter R Foster IDMA</a> / <ahref="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Shutterstock.com</a>

Village Plan Subcommittee

Morcott Village Plan 2013 Maps I 39

Sketch and quotation taken from: Alan Oliver's Sketchbook of Rutland published in 1992 by Acorn Publishing

“Here is an ancient village of twists and turns,hills and furrows and much to draw. I alwaysenjoy a visit here and never have any problemfinding interesting views”

Documents

Morcott Village Plan I Sec i 1 Morcott Village Plan 2013 wished to, to work alongside committee members in the drafting process. Inevitably not everyone in the village agrees on everything