southampton document pt.2 20/1/09 11:30 page 168 canute... · and 37) to the south and cas 21 and...

23 Canute Road

ContextA linear, flat area fringing the Docks: the nineteenth andtwentieth century gateway from the town, allowingaccess to the ocean liners. The area shares a boundarywith Queens Park (CA18) to the west, the Docks (CAs 36and 37) to the south and CAs 21 and 22, to the northand CAs 38 and 39 to the east.

Canute Road marks the line of the historic shore beforethe first phase of the development of the docks in the1840s. During Southampton’s era as a spa town CanuteRoad was a promenade along a bathing beach. The char-acter of the area changed to having a commercial focuswith the construction of the docks and the associatedoffices, the arrival of the railway terminus and theconstruction of the South Western Hotel (originally theImperial Hotel).

GrainMainly wide front shallow plan fine to medium grainbuildings fronting the south side of Canute Road. Thereis also a short range of narrow frontage buildings on thenorth side of the road indicating an early finer grain tothe street. The semi-continuous frontages are inter-rupted by gates for road, rail and pedestrian passagenorth and south of the road.

ScaleSouth Western House is by far the tallest of the buildingsin the area at six to seven storeys, although some of themore recent apartment blocks are also of six and sevenstoreys. Where pitched roofs occur, they are usually lowwith ridges generally aligned parallel to the street.

UsesMixed use, but the mix is changing from ShippingCompany buildings to mainly residential with some smalloffice suites. There is a limited amount of convenienceshopping and a public house (recently closed), at theeastern end of the area. This is a traffic-dominated areawith limited pedestrian movement.

Public RealmStrictly confined to the pavements. There are no trees orgrassed areas in this zone, but this is offset by the viewsto the abundant soft landscape in Queen’s Park.

ConnectivityGood east – west connections. Strong links to OceanVillage at the south-east corner, otherwise veryrestricted.

ViewsThe cupola on the two storey Grade II listed Union Castlebuilding is an effective landmark, despite its low profile.This is a strategic view picking up on some of the impor-

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tant built form to the docks. It can be seen the length ofTerminus Terrace to the north. The roofline of SouthWestern House can be seen on looking west alongCanute Road and forms an important part of the town-scape quality.

Local views can be had into the well-treed Queen’s Parkto the west giving some relief to this well-developedsection of Canute Road.

Building typesSome converted residential buildings (Victorian) withlater shopfronts but still retaining residential elements.New apartment blocks, converted Dock and ShippingLine Office buildings with a linear footprint. It should benoted that a number of these buildings are doublefronted presenting a formal front to both Canute Roadand the former docks (now largely parking areas).

Architectural qualitiesThere is a very attractive and eclectic mix of architecturalstyles in the classical idiom; Italianate style (CanuteHotel), High Victorian (No.1 Canute Road), EdwardianBaroque (Wight House) and Queen Anne/DutchRenaissance style (Canute Chambers). The group to thesouth side of Canute Road which includes Wight House,Maritime Chambers, Canute Chambers and the formerFerry House (now a public house) is of very high archi-tectural value both as individual buildings and as thegroup, and charts the styles and fashions and corporatecommitments to certain styles and materials over themid to late nineteenth century period.

Heritage AssetsThe area is considered to possess a high degree ofevidential value due to fact that it includes part of thehistoric shoreline prior to the development of the docksto the south. It is known that there was a windmill in thisarea in the medieval period. Accordingly, the area iswithin a Local Area of Archaeological Importance toreflect this potential to yield significant evidence for pastactivity in the area.

A number of important buildings associated with thedevelopment of the passenger liner business inSouthampton are Grade II listed including the SouthWestern Hotel and the former offices of the White StarLine which parallels that in Liverpool. As well as thedesign quality and use of materials in these buildings(reflecting the success of these businesses), both ofthese buildings have a high degree of associative valuegiven their strong links to the Titanic specifically and theAtlantic liner business generally. The building hascommunal and associational value being the placewhere the cities people awaited news of the Titanicdisaster in April 1912.

The buildings to the south of Canute Road, both individ-

01 The view looking east along Canute Road from Queen’s Park02 Canute Road – an attractive and eclectic mix of architectural

styles03 Ocean Village dominating views east along Canute Road

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ually and collectively as a group, are of significant archi-tectural and historic interest. Their heritage value iscultural, associative and aesthetic in that they chart theevolving use of the docks by an emerging leisure classin Victorian and Edwardian society enjoying the pleas-ures and enlightenment of ocean-borne travel.

There are remnant physical survivals of elements of theformer Dock Railway which are of historical significance.

MaterialsRed brick and buff-yellow brick (Beaulieu brick), stuccoand natural slate roofs, where seen. Provincial Househas a plain clay tile roof but is the exception rather thanthe rule. Some decorative plaster used for window archi-traves, pilasters, string courses, decorative parapets,and rustication. Some dressed stonework detailing tobuildings also.

ConditionGenerally good.

OwnershipStudent flats/halls of residence in corporate ownership.Some smaller householder owners also private land-lords. Corporate ownership and possible AssociatedPorts freehold interest.

Interventionn Removal of unsightly bill-boards from Canute Road

would vastly improve the character and appearance ofthe area.

n Narrowing of the carriageway to incorporate on-streetparking with a change in materials to emphasise thespaces (granite setts for example?).

n Emphasis of the former railway lines in the carriage-ways.

n Better integration of Queen’s Park with the west endof Canute Road.

n Removal of lighting columns from street (completelyout of scale with existing historic buildings on southside in particular) – Encourage buildings to be lit andlights to be mounted on buildings.

Key design principlesn Maintain a balance of uses to the north side of

Canute Road.n Improvements to the lighting of buildings and the

highway – potential for a major scheme of lighting andpavement improvements.

n Elements of the former Dock Railway should beretained in any future development schemes.

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Townscape

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