One respondent to our public opinion survey said, “Whitchurch must remain a hotchpotch”. This is illustrated by the map on the previous page which uses different colours to show when the town’s buildings were constructed, in terms of four major historical periods.

The buildings – their styles, materials and how they relate to each other within their settings – are fairly distinctive for each of these periods, providing a useful way of showing how the development of the settlement has influenced the local character of the town.

• Historical period: before 1918
• Inter-war period: 1918 – 1945
• Post-war period: 1945 – early 1970s
• Modern period: early 1970s – present day