Wonderful Whalley Manor

Architecture and Design

A picturesque development meticulously designed to be in-keeping with the local community, Whalley Manor offers the best of countryside living in the North West.

Taking inspiration from the vast array of Grade I and II listed buildings in nearby Whalley, homes at Whalley Manor are finished in either stone or traditional render, with pitched slate grey roofs, heritage brickwork and gable features, seamlessly blending the development into the rolling hills of the Ribble Valley, well known for its outstanding natural beauty.

We sat down with award-winning architects of the scheme, PRP, to talk through the extensive design work that went into creating this unique development, and what to expect from future phases.

Where do you start with a site such as Whalley Manor?

The site has a truly unique topography, which means it has quite a steep gradient at certain points and flattens out at others. This makes it more challenging than a plot that is completely flat – but can also make for a more interesting development overall if designed well.

We worked with the different levels instead of against them, maximising the use of land and positioning individual plots to ensure all homes enjoyed as much natural light and garden space as possible. The dramatic gradient also allows exceptional countryside views from a significant number of homes, especially of Whalley Nab hill to the south, which wouldn’t be the case if it were flat!

This is a low density and low-rise development – the whole team wanted to retain a significant amount of open space for residents and the wider community, and ensure the homes themselves were in-keeping with the surrounding towns and villages.

Particularly in the northern portion of the development, there are lots of stepped street scenes, which is where neighbouring houses are at a slightly higher or lower level and the roads carefully follow the natural contours of the hills. This design is something that’s typically seen in the wider Ribble Valley due to the famously dramatic landscape.

 

How did you decide on the designs of individual homes?

With Whalley already known as being one of Lancashire’s most attractive areas, we were keen to enhance, rather than battle with, the village’s historic aesthetic. While not located within the Conservation Area, the homes are very nearby, so this is also something we took into consideration when looking at the design.

The village has four Scheduled Ancient Monuments within close proximity to its centre and can be dated back to 628AD with the existence of Roman artefacts at St Mary and All Saints Parish Church. Other notable landmarks are Whalley Viaduct, also known as the Whalley Arches, constructed between 1846 and 1850 and Whalley Abbey which dates back to the 14th century. The village has an impressive total of 23 listed buildings, each of which brings a uniqueness to the area that’s loved by locals and visitors alike.

We took all of this information, as well as notable architectural detail including window placement, surrounds and porches, and used it to develop the traditional aesthetic you see at Whalley Manor today. The variety of homes on offer gives the development balance and adds interest – from three, four and five bedroom detached houses through to semi-detached and terraced homes, alongside bungalows.

Can you talk us through the green space at Whalley Manor?

The development is very close to the Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along with plenty of other picturesque spots within the Ribble Valley – open space was always key to the overall design at Whalley Manor.

Encouraging residents and the local community to walk through the development, a network of footpaths is in place which connects Public Right of Ways to both Spring Wood and Archbishop’s Wood, as well as dedicated areas of open space. Centrally is a peaceful linear park, complete with streams and brooks over the water aqueduct alongside newly created attenuation ponds, which are integral to the site’s design because of the steep hillside gradient. This will create a fantastic focal point for the development and helps to really bring the surrounding countryside into the scheme.

We have retained a large number of trees across the development and are planting over 220 new native tree species, alongside native shrubs, climbers and grassy areas. There will also be dedicated, locally seeded wildflower meadows, which are incredibly important for encouraging wildlife and insects.

 

Last but not lease, a ‘trim trail’ will border the site, offering organically designed fitness equipment for public use, as well as natural play items and picnic tables throughout. This public open space encourages both residents and the wider community to engage in exercise and will be a real community focused space for physical and mental well-being.