While style and design are very important to the village in particular, they also should be taken into consideration through out the whole community.

The central concern is how buildings relate to the larger setting they occupy. Because building in the past in Clyro was slow and occasional, there isn't a standardisation of format. But there is a tradition. The vernacular tradition provides both unity and a diversity. There is a variety in roof lines and gables. Chimneys and windows, ridge tiles and barge boards enhance the modesty of the houses. Trees, hedges, railings, walls, fences, all have their part to play in the visual interest and harmony of the whole. This has to be grasped and understood by anybody involved in changes that might occur in the village. Some of the mistakes made can be seen where road signs are neither well positioned nor in scale; where new houses are not spaced well; and where houses look suburban rather than rural.

Relationship of buildings

The roofscape of Clyro has visual diversity and interest, with angles, dormers and

chimneys offset against each other.

Walls, vegetation and variety of scale of buildings result in satisfying vistas that give character to a place.

The buildings along the main street in Clyro do not obstruct views but lead the eye to the mountains on the horizon, so that the landscape is included in the appearance of the village.

Nurturing suitable bushes and trees to accompany buildings retains the rural nature of the place, giving it a feeling of abundance rather than meanness.

The spaces between buildings and the way trees supplement these spaces are vital in understanding what is appropriate when changes are made to the village. These spaces also reveal the surrounding countryside.

Windows were casement style and many houses have a fixed centre section with an opening light on either side. It is thought that these were probably made and fitted by carpenters from the Baskerville Estate. Windows and doors are made of wood and are either stained or painted. The oldest houses often have a sill of rounded bricks. These were probably fitted when the windows were replaced. Walls were constructed of stone and either painted with a lime wash, or rendered and painted. Verges were often shaped with a series of curves. Ridges were given a decorative look, and fancy chimney pots sometimes used. The oldest roofs were clad with stone tiles, later roofs are of slate. Carved stone emblems or build dates were incorporated into buildings.

Later houses from 1860 - 1950 sometimes incorporated bricks around windows and on the corners to accentuate the buildings, stone sills were also used. Windows could also be set in stone, and roofs were slate or tiles. Hipped roofs made an appearance. The estates built during the 70 - 80s tended to use red brick, have tiled roofs and larger windowpanes. Windows and doors were painted wood, but many are now low maintenance plastic. From the 1990’s on, windows were generally smaller, and were double glazed, as this reduces heat loss. Canopies or porches are incorporated to reduce the effect of wind and rain.