Swan Green Emery Down and Bank leaflet
Summary
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This leaflet explains what a conservation area is and how it may affect you. It shows the boundary of three of the 33 conservation areas and points out some of the features which make them special.
Swan Green
Emery Down
Bank
These three forest hamlets have close links with Lyndhurst. They are small settlements of cottages, larger dwellings and farms set in undulating, wooded farmland. Their sheltered hillside sites offer opportunities for attractive views of cottages down the narrow lanes. Many buildings are of interest, and several are listed Grade II. Of particular interest are the lodges to the old country houses, Cuffnells (now demolished) and Northerwood, and the almshouses in Emery Down designed by William Butterfield, who was also responsible for Christ Church. Each settlement has a public house; the Swan Inn is a good example of sympathetic extensions to a historic public house.
All three hamlets have been influenced to a greater or lesser extent by the 19th century expansion of Lyndhurst and in this century the increasing use of the motor car has attracted many visitors and parking can be a serious problem because of the narrow lanes. The famous 'picture post card' view of the cottages at Swan Green is very popular. The road from Swan Green through Emery Down in particular has become a 'rat run' at rush hour times for traffic heading to Cadnam hoping to avoid the queues in Lyndhurst. The character of roadside boundaries to properties is very important. In these hamlets most boundaries are low picket fences or iron railings sometimes set in low walls. Close boarded fences, high brick walls and fast growing coniferous hedges are out of place and conceal views within the conservation area.
