Poundbury is an experimental urban extension on the western outskirts of Dorchester in the

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, England. The development is led by the

Duchy of Cornwall A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between "sovereign ...

, and had the keen endorsement of

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

when he was

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

and

Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall () is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch, previously the English monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created i ...

. Under the direction of its lead

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and planner Léon Krier, its design is based on traditional

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

and

New Urbanist New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually in ...

philosophy. The 2021 census showed a population of 4,100. Due for completion in 2025, it is expected to house a population of 6,000. There are 2,000 people in more than 180 businesses engaged in its development and construction. Poundbury has been praised for reviving the low-rise streetscape built to the human scale and for echoing traditional local design features, but it has not reduced car use, as originally intended. A 2022 report said: "Poundbury has been highlighted for its pedestrian and public transport links and not being as 'car-based' as other developments across the country."

Mission

Poundbury has been built according to the principles of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, who is known for holding strong views challenging

post-war A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...

trends in

town planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

that were

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

in character. Since starting in 1993, the town has received both criticism and praise from architects and design critics. The development is built to a high-density urban pattern, intent on creating an integrated community of shops, businesses, and private and

social housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

; there is no

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

. The planners claim they are designing the development around people rather than the car and aim to provide a high-quality environment. To avoid constant construction, utilities are buried in common utility ducts under the town. Common areas are maintained by a management company to which all residents belong. It consists of 35 percent social housing and is designed for

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

, which includes

carbon neutrality Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...

. To some degree, the project shows similarities with the contemporary

New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating Walkability, walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has ...

movement. The development brief outlined having a centre built in a classical style and outer neighbourhood areas in a

vernacular Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...

style, with design influences derived from the surrounding area. The development includes period features such as wrought iron fences,

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

s, gravelled public squares, and 'bricked-up' windows; known as blind windows, these traditionally serve an aesthetic function and are widely misattributed to the

window tax Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, Scotland, France and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax, some houses fr ...

History

In 1987, the land was included in the West Dorset District Council local plan as a preferred location for development to expand the town of Dorchester. Charles III, the then-Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, had already taken an interest in architecture and urban design, and was writing his book '' A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture''. Seeing an opportunity to put the Prince of Wales's ideas into practice, the Duchy of Cornwall chose to lead on planning the development itself, rather than sell the land to an established housebuilder. Driehaus Prize-winning New Classical architect Léon Krier was hired in 1988 to design the development. Construction commenced in 1993, and is expected to be complete around 2025, with the north-west quadrant being the last built. The final configuration is projected to support approximately 5,800 people. Greetings card entrepreneur Andrew Brownsword sponsored the £1 million development of the market hall at Poundbury, designed by John Simpson and based on early designs, particularly the one in

Tetbury Tetbury is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish inside the Cotswold (district), Cotswold district in Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon monastery was found ...

. In June 2023,

and

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

visited Poundbury for the first time since their coronation in May. During their visit they unveiled bronze reliefs of themselves on a plinth located at Queen Mother Square and inaugurated the Duke of Edinburgh Garden where they also unveiled a bust of the King's father Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Economy and employment

In 2010, Poundbury increased Dorset's county local economy contributing over £330 million; it is expected to contribute £500 million in the next 15 years. In 2010, more than 2,000 Poundbury residents were working in 180 local businesses. In 2017, the number of businesses increased to 185, providing 2,345 jobs. Businesses include a

Waitrose Waitrose Limited, trading as Waitrose & Partners, is a British supermarket chain, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. In 1937, it was acquired by the John Lewis Partnership, the UK's largest employee-owned b ...

store, a technical company which produces parts for aeroplane wings, and a chocolate factory. One notable local employer is the breakfast food manufacturer and exporter Dorset Cereals, which since 2000 has employed more than 100 people at its purpose-built barn factory. Dorset Cereals moved to another location in Dorset in 2019. Reportedly there is space for about 80 additional businesses.

Education

Poundbury has two primary schools in the catchment area: The Prince of Wales and Damers First School. The latter was an existing school in Dorchester, but in 2017 relocated to Poundbury where a new school building was constructed.

Demographics

The 2021 national census showed a population of 4,100. In 2021, 89.5% of the population was born in the United Kingdom and 10.5% born outside. The ethnic makeup of the town in 2021 was 93.7% White (

White British White British is an ethnicity classification used for the White population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population was 49 ...

or White Other), 2.4% Asian, 0.9%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 2.6% Mixed or of multiple ethnic groups and 0.4% of other ethnic group.

Attractions and landmarks

Due to Poundbury's unique appearance and plan, the town has been visited by architects, government officials, planners, housebuilders, and developers from around the world. The Queen Mother Square is surrounded by tourist attractions, such as Strathmore House, named in honour of King Charles' grandmother

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

's paternal heritage. In 2016, the Queen Mother statue was unveiled at the square by

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and her husband,

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

. Also in 2016, a pub named the Duchess of Cornwall Inn was opened in honour of the wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales),

. Every year in August, the Dorset Food & Arts Festival is held at Queen Mother Square attracting thousands of people. The festival showcases the town's fine produce and arts and also raises money for charities. In 2018, the Prince of Wales officially opened Poundbury's first church, the Dorchester Community Church. In May 2022, the Prince of Wales formally opened a huge play area in Poundbury's largest park, the Great Field. The Great Field is now a park under the care of Dorchester Town Council.

Politics

Poundbury has two tiers of local government: the Dorchester

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

and above that the Dorset unitary authority. The Dorchester Poundbury ward elects one member to Dorset Council, and four of the 20 members of Dorchester's

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

. For elections to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, Poundbury is part of the West Dorset constituency. The current Member of Parliament (MP) is

Edward Morello Robin Edward Charles Morello is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament for West Dorset since 2024. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he gained the seat from Chris Loder, a member of the Conservative Party. Morello is an ...

of the Liberal Democrats.

Reception

Poundbury's street plan and aesthetics have been variously praised and criticised by several commentators. Writing in ''

Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

'' magazine, Professor Witold Rybczynski said that "Poundbury embodies social, economic, and planning innovations that can only be called radical." Poundbury was intended to reduce car dependency and encourage walking, cycling, and public transport. A survey conducted at the end of the first phase, however, showed that car use was higher in Poundbury than in the surrounding (rural) former district of West Dorset; but a 2022 report said "Poundbury has been highlighted for its pedestrian and public transport links and not being as 'car-based' as other developments across the country." Among the critics,

Stephen Bayley Stephen Paul Bayley (born 13 October 1951) is a Welsh writer and critic, known particularly for his commentary on architecture and design. He was founding CEO of the Design Museum in London in 1989, and has been a regular architecture, art and ...

described it as "fake, heartless, authoritarian and grimly cute". In 2009, Dorchester Fire Station, designed by Calderpeel Architects, was shortlisted for the Carbuncle Cup award for ugly buildings. According to

Simon Jenkins Sir Simon David Jenkins FLSW (born 10 June 1943) is a British author, a newspaper columnist and editor. He was editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1976 to 1978 and of ''The Times'' from 1990 to 1992. Jenkins chaired the National Trust f ...

, "Many architects felt Poundbury was a comment on their failings – as it was – and deploring it became a badge of honour". Nonetheless, the project has also received praise. In 2013, on the 20th anniversary of the project, the New Urbanist publication ''Better Cities and Towns'' wrote that it was "winning converts". A few years later, British architecture and design critic Oliver Wainwright of ''The Guardian'' wrote, "Poundbury, the Prince of Wales's traditionalist village in Dorset, has long been mocked as a feudal Disneyland. But a growing and diverse community suggests it's getting a lot of things right." He argued that its main success was achieving genuine

mixed-use development Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...

. Jenkins argued that while Poundbury had been "initially ersatz and frigid", it had "matured" and been more successful than earlier new towns. Countering criticisms of Poundbury's aesthetics, English philosopher Sir

Roger Scruton Sir Roger Vernon Scruton, (; 27 February 194412 January 2020) was an English philosopher, writer, and social critic who specialised in aesthetics and political philosophy, particularly in the furtherance of Conservatism in the United Kingdom, c ...

praised the town for its commitment to pre-modern architectural and planning principles. In the BBC documentary '' Why Beauty Matters'', Scruton exclaimed that "the proportions f Poundburyare human proportions; the details are restful to the eye. This is not great or original architecture, nor does it try to be; it is a modest attempt to get things right by following patterns and examples laid down by tradition. This is not nostalgia, but knowledge passed on from age to age."

Gallery

File:Poundbury 2019 IMG 9706.jpg, Queen Mother Square File:Dorchester fire station - geograph.org.uk - 1394738.jpg, Fire station by Calder Peel ( Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service) File:Poundbury, new housing at the W end of Dorchester - geograph.org.uk - 31302.jpg, Brownsword Hall (front) by John Simpson (compare Tetbury Market House) File:Dorset poundbury 01.jpg, Brownsword Hall (side) File:The Whistling Witch, Poundbury.jpg, Peverell Ave W / Ringhill Street (''Whistling Witch'') File:Apartment block in Poundbury, Perverell Avenue West.jpg, Peverell Ave W / Peninsula Way File:Apartment block, Poundbury - geograph.org.uk - 1587876.jpg, Peverell Ave E / Woodlands Crescent File:Holmead Walk - Poundbury - geograph.org.uk - 981485.jpg, Holmead Walk / Chaseborough Square File:Poundbury 2019 IMG 9697.jpg, Bridport Road / Beechwood Lane File:"Water Tower House" Poundbury - geograph.org.uk - 410251.jpg, Moraston Street / Weir End Road

Notes

References

* Charles, Prince of Wales: '' A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture'' (Doubleday, 1989) * Leon Krier: ''Architecture: Choice or Fate'' (Andreas Papadakis Publishers, 1998) * Sandy Mitchell. "Prince Charles is not your typical radical." ''National Geographic''. May 2006
Duchy of Cornwall @ National Geographic Magazine
Retrieved 9/14/06

External links

*

at

Office
Unofficial Poundbury business guide and local informationShort documentary about Poundbury
The Aesthetic City {{authority control Populated places established in 1993 New Urbanism communities Villages in Dorset Duchy of Cornwall Geography of Dorchester, Dorset Planned communities in England 1993 establishments in England Charles III New Classical architecture in the United Kingdom Planned communities established in the 1990s