39 Canute Road and Albert Road

ContextThis character area comprises a section of Canute Roadand the remnants of Albert Road Square. To the northand east is the Itchen Bridge and the industrial businessparks of Character Area 40. To the south side of thissection of Canute Road is Ocean Village (CA38), to thewest Canute Road (CA23) continues into the conserva-tion area of the same name and is of a different quality.The topography is flat.

This small area formed part of the Marsh that lay to thesouth of Saxon Hamwic, Canute Road marking thehistoric shoreline prior to the construction of the docksto the south. The area was undeveloped in the mid-nine-teenth century. By 1877 Albert Road had been laid outand some development, probably associated with thedeveloping port, had occurred between the two roads.

GrainThere is an uncomfortable mix of coarse and fine grainto this character area. There is a consistent building lineto back of pavement to Canute Road and this continuesround into the remnant of this part of Albert RoadSquare where the built form strongly defines this corner.

ScaleThe height varies from three to four storey traditionalbuildings. This height variation is random in the streetscene but culminates with the former Marsh Hotel, acorner public house of some quality, which addressesthe corner well but is sadly dwarfed by the Itchen Bridgewhich looms above its roof in the skyline on looking east.

UsesCanute Road comprises modern warehousing forimported fruit and vegetables. Albert Road Square isnow entirely residential but has two former publichouses/hotels; the Marsh Hotel and the Royal AlbertHotel.

Public RealmThe public realm is poor and is not helped by the closeproximity of the Itchen Bridge approach which manifestsitself in the streetscene as a sheer six metre wall ofstained reinforced shuttered concrete.

ConnectivityThis area is well connected to adjacent character areasbut feels forgotten and lost.

ViewsLocal views looking south along Canute Road and fromthe Itchen Bridge are terminated by the striking compo-sition and presence of the former Marsh Hotel whichwraps around the corner created by the junction of AlbertRoad South and Canute Road.

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There is a glimpsed local view of St Mary’s Church spireoriginating from Ocean Village which passes over thecharacter area.

Building typesWarehouses and storage, private houses and publichouses. The public houses have distinctive single storeyflanking wings (though to the former Albert Hotel one ofthe wings is a twentieth century addition).

Architectural qualitiesThe architectural quality of the two former hotels is highand reflected in their Grade II listed status. Theremaining buildings in Canute Road are not architec-turally accomplished but have carefully considered scaleand proportion and appear to function affectively.

Heritage AssetsThe area is considered to possess a high degree ofevidential value due to fact the character area histori-cally formed part of the Marsh. The Marsh was an impor-tant resource for the people of medieval Southampton;it provided grazing for cattle and horses and clay wasdug from the area, the pits being filled with rubbish.Consequently, the area has some archaeologicalinterest whilst the formation of the Marsh is also ofinterest. The southern tip of one of the mill ponds mayhave extended into the northern part of this area. Thereis the potential to yield significant evidence for pastactivity in the area and as such the area is within a LocalArea of Archaeological Importance.

The two former hotels, Marsh Hotel and Albert Hotel, areGrade II listed. The hotels are well designed buildings ofaesthetic value though their setting is somewhat marredby the Itchen Bridge. Historically, they have associativevalue as they reflect a period of great expansion and acomplexity and depth to the city (with a number of quar-ters) where uses and built form (relatively large purposebuilt hotels in close proximity to each other) reflected thefunction of this part of the City as a transitional arearelating to the docks. The Canute Road ConservationArea abuts the western boundary of the character area.The Frog and Frigate Public House is of local interest andassociative value. It represents a survival of the formercommercial uses within the area related to the historicsuccess of the docks. The building is much altered andin a poor state of repair.

MaterialsRed brick (some handmade and some machine/wire-cut). Some grey headers in a diamond pattern (diaperwork) to the former Marsh Hotel. Natural slates to roofand some natural slate hanging.

ConditionFair to poor. Some of the areas to the rear of CanuteRoad are in a poor state of repair.

01 The Frog and Frigate Public House – a much altered butimportant early building in the character area

02 The Grade II listed former Marsh Hotel, with distinctive diaperbrickwork to the façade.

03 A view looking west along Canute Road from the Itchen Bridge

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OwnershipMultiple ownerships, various tenure.

Interventionn Improvements to the interface between the Itchen

Bridge approach and Albert Road Square.

Key design principlesn Retain the fine grain of the surviving buildings from

Albert Road Square.n Seek to maintain enclosure to Canute Road with any

new development along this road.

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Heritage Assets

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Townscape