Design guide · Roscommon County Council
Rural Design Guidelines
The council's guidance on siting and designing a house in the countryside.
Roscommon County Council · 70 pages
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- 6 Landscape Character Rural Design Guidelines 2.1 Landscape Character: The landscape of County Roscommon is diverse in nature. The county is bordered along the east and west by the Rivers Shannon and Suck respectively while the county also forms part of the central plain of Ireland. As a result the landscape of Roscommon is mostly low-lying while upland areas are present in the north of the county as well as confined areas in the west and south. The geology of the county is dominated by limestone with older sandstone rock formations present in upland areas southeast of Strokestown, north of Boyle and upland areas northwest of Ballaghaderreen. This bedrock foundation, together with glacial activity has created the landscape of the county today. This is evident in features such as eskers, turloughs, drumlins, raised bogs and the upland areas such as Sliabh Bawn, Sliabh Dart and the Curlew Mountains. The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) of County Roscommon, contained within the County Development Plan, is an in depth study, appraisal and characterisation of the varying landscape typologies within the county. The LCA also identifies four landscape values; Exceptional, Very High, High and Moderate. Seven main Landscape Character Areas have been identified as follows: River Corridor; Wet Farmland; Hills and Uplands; Bogland; Dry Farmland; Bog and Farmyard complex and Drumlin Lakelands.
- 7 Landscape Character Rural Design Guidelines River Corridor: This area is located along the eastern and western boundaries of the county. The Shannon system has been classified as of Very High Value and is of high aesthetic and ecological quality. The River Suck corridor is judged to be of High Value due to its amenity, ecological and aesthetic qualities. Careful attention should be paid to materials and colour for possible developments. Native tree planting should be used to soften the impact of ridgelines in low-lying areas. Wet Farmland: This area is concentrated in the north west of the county. The landscape has been classified as of Moderate Value and changes from upland areas of Fairymount and Sliabh Dart to lowlands at Lough Gara and Cloonfad Bog while Esker ridges are prevalent in the west. Attention should be given to scenic views and the visual quality of the landscape. The inclusion of native planting where possible and specifically for boundary treatments should be encouraged. 2.2 Landscape Character Areas
- 8 Landscape Character Rural Design Guidelines Hills and Uplands: This area is mostly located in the north of the county but also includes relatively confined areas in the west and centre. The area is of high aesthetic quality and provides important scenic amenities. The design of future developments should protect the scenic quality of the landscape and achieve a more sympathetic integrated approach with regard to siting, materials, colour and landscaping. Care must be taken that elevated and panoramic views are not lost or materially altered. Bogland: This area is located throughout including along river corridors as well as in the east and northwest of the county. The Sliabh Bawn and Feoirish Bogland Basin has been classified as being of Very High Value due to their high aesthetic and ecological quality. The Castlerea Bogland Basin is classified as of High Value due to its tranquillity and ecological quality. The landscape is very vulnerable to change and care should be taken not to permit housing that would erode the qualities of the area as well as the sense of remoteness.
- 9 Landscape Character Rural Design Guidelines Dry Farmland: Located in the middle of the county, this area stretches from north to south. The Rathcroghan Plateau has been classified as of Exceptional Value due to the cultural heritage significance of Rathcroghan. The hinterlands of Boyle and Roscommon Towns have been classified with very high and high values due to their high aesthetic quality and cultural heritage significance respectively. Future development will need to be sensitively located and of a high quality design which will not adversely impact on the surrounding landscape character. Bog and Farmland Complex: This area is located in the south and middle of the county and highlights the interface between wetter and drier land. The landscape has been classified as of Moderate Value and comprises of low-lying bog land, eskers and the foothills of Sliabh Bawn. Future development should be directed to lower ground in farmland areas where the natural vegetation can assist in the assimilation of the proposed into the landscape.
- 10 Landscape Character Rural Design Guidelines 2.3 Our Landscape The quality and character of our landscape is crucial to economic diversification and cultural well-being. Our landscape has its own individual character and identity, within this distinct landscape the traditions of agriculture, fishing and forestry is practiced and there is potential for the ongoing expansion for tourism. In the interest of sustainable tourism it is important to protect the countryside but also conserve rural areas for their natural beauty and for their character both socially and environmentally. We need to work with the landscape in a manner that respects both the siting and location of new housing in the countryside. It is essential to embrace the values of landscape character areas in order to achieve sensitive development. Drumlin Lakelands: This area is located in the northern half of the county. The Lough Key and Boyle River Network have been classified as of Exceptional Value due to their aesthetic and amenity qualities. The area comprises low undulating drumlins interspersed with a number of large lakes. Drumlin landscapes typically have a reasonably high assimilative capacity for built development. Care should be taken, however, to ensure that views from elevated ground, for example overlooking lakes, are not marred by intrusive development. 1
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- 12 Our Place in the Landscape Rural Design Guidelines 3.1 Settlement Patterns The variations in settlement patterns in Roscommon reflect the population density, size of holding and the topography of the land. The patterns also reflect the environmental factors present in the county as well as the socio-economic trends. Our present rural environment is reflective of a number of distinct phases of development. These range from the settlements and subsequent rebellions in the 16th Century, to the emergence of large demesne estates, the aftermath of the Great Famine and the land re-organisation schemes introduced by the Congested Districts Board and the Irish Land Commission as well as the development patterns of the present day. Many of the towns and villages originated as bridging points on rivers, as defensive positions and as good locations for religious settlements or mills. While the majority of settlement remained rural and town structures remained small, some residential development did take place in settlement centres as their market influence grew. The changing of farming practices along with the re-organisation of land led to the breaking up of larger estates and the emergence of smaller holdings. This also had an effect on the field enclosures within the county. The character and composition of field boundaries vary according to the type of hedgerow and the construction methods of the boundaries. 3.2 Settlement Groupings Outside of our towns and villages examples of less formalised settlement patterns are evident across the county. Many of these patterns are linked to the history of the county and the land ownership which prevailed. Land reform measures introduced by individual landowners contributed to the modification of settlement patterns. The rural settlement patterns were also modified as a result of the transition from tillage to pastoral farming. The “clachan” style settlements were pre-dominantly distributed in areas of marginal agricultural land while there is also evidence of such patterns in drumlin areas and throughout the Shannon floodplain. By the end of the 19th century the “clachan” style had all but disappeared and the dispersed farmstead had become the dominant unit of rural settlement. Towards the middle of the 20th century the pattern of development had moved to road-side locations in more accessible areas than those occupied by the older settlement patterns.
- 13 Our Place in the Landscape Rural Design Guidelines Clachan Settlements A clachan is a group of at least three adjacent dwellings concerned exclusively in agriculture. They are nucleated groups of farmhouses with associated outbuildings. The settlements were arranged in accordance with the rundale system which was a form of common occupancy or tenancy of land which allowed equal access to the land. The area where the small dwellings were concentrated was situated in a cluster on the best land which was surrounded by land of inferior quality where the livestock was grazed during summer or dry periods. Livestock were grazed together to alleviate pressure on growing crops and also to provide fresh pasture. Dispersed Farm types Land reform measures as well as changes in agricultural practices led to the rise in dispersed farm holdings. This settlement type has traditionally been associated with smaller holdings which have developed over time. The settlements have taken many different forms such as extended, parallel, courtyard and roadside farmyard patterns. These in turn have several variations in their composition. Typical example of a clachan layout Extended farmyard Courtyard farmyard Parallel farmyard Roadside farmyard
- 14 Our Place in the Landscape Rural Design Guidelines 3.3 Building types Large Demesne Estates The Great houses in County Roscommon have a low distribution, and are sited on secluded sites within large landed estates with high attention to landscape architecture with very deep setbacks from public road. These structures would have reflected prevailing international architectural styles rather than vernacular traditions. Middle size Country Houses The 19th century saw the move from the large estate houses to more modest sized houses. The Palladian style which was popular in the larger houses was often used on these substantial middle sized houses. There siting was characterised by significant stands of mature deciduous trees. Outbuildings were often arranged to form a yard in proximity to the house. Glebe Houses Glebe houses are associated with nearby religious centres and emerged in the 19th century as a distinct type of house style. The house was sat in relatively flat landscapes and set back from the road. They were served by a tree lined avenue which was not centralised on the house itself which maintained the views from the house. 2 3 4
Source Roscommon County Council: Rural Design Guidelines · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.