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6.3 Village Form and layout
Tutbury has developed on a small steep sided valley dropping down from the high ground of the Needwood Forest to the flat, broad Dove valley. Most of the older, traditional buildings of Tutbury (with the exception of the castle and church) are located in the lower part of the valley fronting Bridge Street, Lower High Street, High Street, Monk Street, Cornmill Lane, Church Street , Ludgate Street and Burton Street.
The more modern mid to late twentieth century developments are generally located on the higher ground to the south centring on streets including Park Lane, Redhill Lane, Green Lane, Ironwalls Lane, and the intervening housing estates. There are also pockets of more recent development within the historic core of the village including Monk Street, Castle Street, Cornmill Lane and Bridge Street. Some of this has not contributed positively to its historic context and should not be taken as a precedent for similar unsympathetic development.
The settlement pattern in the historic part of the village is organic in form in that it has evolved over time in response to the lie of the land and the needs of the community. The castle clearly occupies a high point in the settlement to the south of the river for defensive and administrative reasons. The church occupies a similarly prominent position reflecting the importance of religion at the time of its construction. The principal roads through the village are not formally laid out but rather tend to wind their way upwards from the river following the easiest routes across uneven terrain. The commercial hub of the village, probably beginning with the Dog & Partridge as a coaching inn, ultimately developed developed alongside the most popular highway through the settlement. Some of the largest and most prestigious of the village’s historic buildings also coincide with this location.
The village centre is defined by convergence of routes - at The Cross - (see Section 5: Approaches) and focuses on the historic core of the village.
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