HOUSING ESTATE, HOLDINGHAM, SLEAFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE

DAVID MORRIS HOMES, ONCE PROMINANT IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN LINCOLNSHIRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH WIMPEY HOMES, ASKED RICHARD JONES ASSOCIATES TO PLAN AND DESIGN HOUSING FOR THEIR SITE AT HOLDINGHAM NEAR SLEAFORD, JUST WEST OF THE LINCOLN ROAD.

​

HOLDINGHAM IS FAMOUS FOR ITS ASSOCIATION WITH, AND PERHAPS THE BIRTHPLACE OF, RICHARD DE BELLO, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY THE CREATOR OF THE MAPPA MUNDI, ONE OF THE FIRST MAPS OF THE WORLD, NOW HELD IN HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. RICHARD DE BELLO WAS PRETEND FOR LAFFORD AT LINCOLN CATHEDRAL, BUT LITTLE ELSE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM. HOLDINGHAM IS, REGRETTABLY, NOW MORE FAMOUS FOR ITS ROUNDABOUT AND TRAVELODGE.

​

MAPPING A SITE AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF ENGLAND'S FIRST MAPMAKER WAS A DAUNTING TASK, BUT THE OUTCOME WITH ITS MIX OF TRAFFICABLE AND PEDESTRIAN ROUTES,AND UNIQUE HOUSE DESIGNS IN TRADITIONAL FORMS AND MATERIALS PLEASED THE DEVELOPER.

​

AS COMMONLY HAPPENS, HOWEVER, DAVID MORRIS HOMES  WENT INTO LIQUIDATION, AND THE SITE WAS EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED BY WIMPY HOMES AT A GREATER DENSITY AND EMPLOYING THEIR NATIONAL 'COOKIE-CUTTER 'DWELLING PATTERNS. (SEE THE SHOT FROM GOOGLE EARTH BELOW LEFT).

​

A PICTURE OF THE MAPPA MUNDI SIGNED BY RICHARD OF HOLDINGHAM, WHO WAS SO NEARLY THE INSPIRATION BEHIND OUR SCHEME, CAN BE SEEN AT HERE.