SETTLEMENTS
Village form and landscape
Termonfeckin is the archetypal
Arcadian ideal village. The vegetation
dominates to such an extent that the
village appears to be underneath a
canopy of trees.
The illusion of the ideal landscape
goes even further. The stream flows
through the village, lazy, deep and
slow, over the weir; below the bridge,
it's rushing, bubbling and lively
beneath the dense foliage.
The stream beside the pub
The pub beside the bridge
The arched stone bridge and weir
SETTLEMENTS
House screened by mature trees and stone
wall (partly rebuilt) creates an evocative,
secret world behind
Ancient trees and new planting help to settle
new buildings in their environment
The success of new development in
Termonfeckin will depend on the retention of
hedgerows and trees, the undertaking of
appropriate planting, and the recognition of
the existing built form and boundary
treatment in the village
SETTLEMENTS
Summary of the patterns which have
generated form
• The village centres on the bridge
carrying the coastal road across a
lively stream.
• The topography of the valley is a
dominant feature in the form of the
village.
• The village is set among and below
hedges and trees.
• Houses are single and two-storey,
detached, set back from the road,
and surrounded by gardens.
• The two churches create strong
landmarks.
• The pub and shops hint at a central
focus to the village.
• Stone walls and hedges create
property boundaries to the roads.
• The housing estate does not follow
the patterns of the village, using
terraced houses.
Conclusion
The dense landscape was created for
the village. New development towards
the coast is located within a different
microclimatic situation, and looks
very bleak by comparison, as does
the ribbon development along the
coast road. The village is a landscape
experience, and any new housing
should generate a proper landscape
response.
SETTLEMENTS
Whitestown
Agricultural settlement
Whitestown is an agricultural village
with a timeless quality. It is a
remarkable survival of an almost
complete 'clachan' settlement, with a
fascinating distribution of space and
building form. It is essentially a
single-street village, with clusters of
cottages forming secondary spaces
from the street. The figure-ground
plan shows the form of the village,
and also indicates those buildings
which have disappeared.
Figure-ground plan of Whitestown
Linked cottages set back from the road
provide a stretch of continuous frontage in
the village
SETTLEMENTS
The upper diagram shows how the
houses are linked by walls and
smaller outbuildings, creating an
intricate pattern of lanes and
courtyards. Some houses face the
street, others are end-on to it,
producing a varied street-edge.
The lower diagram shows houses set
back from the street, two with small
gardens and others with a courtyard
open to the street. These simple
themes and variations combine to
produce a rich and consistent
language for the settlement.
Partial views of settlement structure
SETTLEMENTS
Village form and landscape
The village is located on the coastal
strip of the Cooley Peninsula. It is
fairly exposed to the sea, but around
and within the village, trees and
buildings combine to shelter the
settlement. The street is created with
a variety of buildings and walls,
punctuated by mature trees which
soften the street with greenery.
Colourful shrubs, particularly fuchsia,
spill over the boundary walls. The
road is not defined by a concrete
kerb; the asphalted road is edged
with neatly cut grass verges at the
same level. The effect is to create a
gentle transition between hard and
soft surfaces, between man-made
and natural.
The buildings are small in scale,
single-storey and two-storey, partly
within the pitched roofs. The village
was probably originally thatched
throughout, whereas it now has a mix
of thatched, corrugated iron and slate
roofs.
Boundaries
The buildings and boundary walls
are constructed in stone with a
variety of finishes: natural stone,
painted render, dash and painted,
or whitewashed stonework.
Mature hedges and trees define
boundaries, and gates are part of the
language of the village. Painted
buildings are mainly white, with
coloured reveals.
Thatched roof, overhanging trees, wild
grasses and flowers indicate a settlement in
tune with its natural environment
Neatly cut grassed verges grow onto the
road, creating a delightful feeling of
informality and increasing the sense
of the romantic
opposite
The gentle winding road entices
further exploration ...
...and more
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SETTLEMENTS
Summary of the patterns which have
generated form
• The village street gently curves,
increasing the sense of enclosure
and place.
• Mature trees punctuate the built
form along the street.
• Buildings are single and two-storey,
in about equal numbers. The scale
is very gentle, as the two-storey
buildings are small scale.
• Both gables and frontages face
onto the road, creating a very
interesting rhythm.
• Building frontages are interspersed
with walls, varying in height
between three and six feet, giving
a continuous frontage, a sense of
enclosure to the street, and privacy
to the houses.
• The only commercial building is the
pub at the seaward end of the
street. It is a two-storey building of
domestic scale
Robust, whitewashed walls define properties
and allow glimpses of the buildings behind
The boundary elements – walls, gateways
and planting – strengthen the settlement
structure
Roofs are generally strongly held by verges,
and roofing materials vary between thatch,
tile, slate and corrugated metal
SETTLEMENTS
Conclusion
Whitestown is a remarkable example
of a conserved agricultural village. It
offers many clues to creating
successful rural dwelling
environments. In this case, the
formative influences were
agricultural, but the resulting
structure is a fascinating play of
secondary spaces relating to the
primary single-street form. It is a
valuable model which can be adapted
to modern residential use.
Ruined building in Whitestown indicates that
every effort is required to safeguard existing
structures
The contrast of the boldly coloured building
elements with the whitewashed walls is truly
special
SETTLEMENTS
Baltray and Queensborough
Settlements on the Boyne estuary
Introduction
Baltray is a traditional settlement on
the estuary of the Boyne, at the
mouth of a small tributary.
Historically, the livelihoods of the
inhabitants would have depended on
fishing and agricultural activity. The
village is a concentrated line of
cottages, facing south onto the
estuary, with a short 'street',
composed of buildings on either side,
leading out of the village.
Queensborough is a landlord-built
estate village. It also fronts onto the
river estuary in a line of buildings, but
its appearance contrasts greatly with
Baltray because of the architectural
form, the wooded backdrop, and the
stone boundary walls.
Figure-ground plan of Baltray
Figure-ground plan of Queensborough
