K. Cunliffe Close, Ferry Pool Road
General Overview
Cunliffe Close is an estate with only one entrance, directly into the Banbury Road. It has a unique style not found elsewhere in the NF Area. It was built within the grounds of Summerville House, a monumental mansion dating from the end of the nineteenth century, now rather dilapidated. The estate respects its origin in a wooded parkland area: magnificent trees from that era still stand and there is an abundance of greenery. The housing consists of upmarket terraces, built to three or four designs. Some houses have balconies with either strong horizontal wooden or integrated iron railings. The houses are all painted white – a ruling colour which dates this estate from the 1960s. The layout is well thought out with low-key parking spaces and the provision of separate garages.
The presence of Summerville House is signalled along the Banbury Road by a high stone wall, although the mansion itself is set well back in a wooded area and is not visible from the road. The De La Salle Brothers have an undistinguished modern building at the back of the plot. Their traditional garden adds to the tranquility of the location.
Nearer to the Banbury-Marston Ferry Road junction there is a modern terrace divided into blocks of four well designed and very large yellow brick houses, each with bay windows, a pitched roof and a front garden with railings. These complement the Victorian buildings along the Banbury Road. Car access at the back of this development solves the parking issue.
The area along both sides of Marston Ferry Road is dominated by a series of apartment blocks, of varying architectural merit.
North of the Marston Ferry Road junction, the Banbury Road houses have a typical turn of the century(1900) character. Some houses are used as doctors’ and dental surgeries. Behind the Galaxie Hotel, just South of the shopping centre, are Diamond Cottages, a row of four ancient houses which date back to the earliest days of the Summertown settlement. They are overshadowed on the East side by the high blank wall of the Ferry Leisure Centre.
History
The Cunliffe estate has clearly benefited from being built in the wooded grounds of Summerville House.
Banbury Road remains a tribute to the grandest building of the Victorian era.
Issues
– The main issue pertinent to this location is the complex junction of the Banbury Road, Marston Ferry Road and Moreton Road. The crossing point on the Eastern side of the Banbury Road is particularly dangerous for pedestrians. The traffic light system causes confusion in some of its phasing
Assets
– The tranquility and greenery of Cunliffe Close
– Very good parking for most residents
– Well preserved heritage trees
– Recent designs complementing the area’s Victorian heritage and respecting the generous off-set from the road
Guidance for new development
– The only opportunity for major development in this area would be around the Grade 2 listed Somerville House. If this was to be considered, extreme care should be taken to retain its historic woodland character
– If the various surgeries are moved to a new facility, parking solutions will be required to suit the new usage
– The historic trees should be protected in any new planning application
