landscape character areas - chapter4 · 4.0 introduction landscape character areas are defined by...

4.0 IntroductionLandscape Character Areas are defined by theCountryside Agency (2002) as single unique areas andare the discrete geographical areas of particularlandscape types. Each Landscape Character Area hasits own individual character and identity, even thoughit shares the same generic characteristics with otherareas of the same landscape type. This distinction isreflected in the names of Landscape Character Areas,which take on the names of specific places such as‘Durley Claylands’ and ‘North Dever Downs’

This chapter describes the distinct character of the 23Landscape Character Areas within the WinchesterDistrict. These are shown in Fig 4.2. These reflect thepatterns set by the Hampshire Landscape: A Strategyfor the Future (HCC 2000), which subdivides thedistrict into five Landscape Character Areas based ondownland, lowland & heath and river valleys (see Fig4.1 below). They were also informed by the HistoricLandscape Character Areas shown in the assessmentof the district undertaken by Oxford Archaeology. Thefull assessment is provided in Appendix Four of thisdocument. These Historic Landscape Character Areaswere mapped according to typical historic fieldpatterns and land uses, based on the HampshireHistoric Landscape Assessment (HCC, 1998).

For each of the District’s Landscape Character Areas, aset of Key Characteristics is described. These are themost important constituents of the identity of thearea, based on its geology, topography, drainage, landuse, historic field patterns, historic features, ecology,views, transport routes and settlement distributionand structure.

This is followed by more detailed descriptions of theLocation & Boundaries, Formative Influences andLandscape and Settlements of the character area. KeyIssues affecting each area are then highlighted, basedon threats to its characteristic features. In response tothe issues affecting the area, a set of LandscapeStrategies and Built Form Strategies are suggested toconserve, enhance and restore the character of itslandscape and built form.

Finally, a list of the Key Designations for each characterarea is presented. These include Conservation Areas,Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Sites of Importancefor Nature Conservation (SINCs), Sites of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSIs) and Parks on the HampshireRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens. It should benoted however that these are representative of thetime when this document was drafted (August 2002)and the accuracy of them cannot be guaranteed. For

the definitive documentation and clarification of theboundaries and locations of these areas the relevantdesignating body should be contacted. The proposalsfor a new South Downs National Park are also beingconsidered at the time of writing, which could also bea designation covering the whole or part of a numberof the Landscape Character Areas in the district.However, these have not been listed as a KeyDesignation at this stage.

Landscape Character Areas in theWinchester District Local Plan Review(Revised Deposit 2003)The Key Characteristics, Landscape Strategies and BuiltForm Strategies for each Landscape Character Area arelisted in Appendix 2 of the Winchester District LocalPlan Review 2003. This enables the specific characterof each area to be protected, restored and enhancedby Proposal C6 (see below). The plan also notes thatConditions may be used and/or planning obligationssought to achieve landscape and built formimprovements in accordance with the proposedstrategies. This should prove to be an importantmeans of protecting the character of the district’slandscape and achieving the recommended strategies.

Landscape Character Assessment 67 Winchester City Council

ChapterLANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREASFour

Proposal C6

Development which fails to respect the intrinsiccharacter of the landscape, or harms the keycharacteristics of the Landscape Character Areaconcerned (as set out in Appendix 2) will not bepermitted.

Development which is acceptable within the terms ofthis and other relevant proposals of this Plan shouldbe consistent with the landscape and built formstrategies (as set out in Appendix 2).


Fig. 4.1. Landscape Character Areas shown in The Hampshire Landscape: A Strategy for the Future (HCC, 2000)

ALTON

ROMSEY

TWYFORD

DENMEAD

ANDOVER

WHITELEY

DROXFORD

ALRESFORD

WHITCHURCH

WINCHESTER

MICHELDEVER

SOUTHAMPTON

WALTHAM CHASE

BISHOP'S WALTHAM

Hampshire County CouncilLandscape Character Areas

LegendDistrict Boundary

Road centreline B Roads

Road centreline A Roads

South Hampshire Lowland and Heath

South Hampshire Downs

Mid Hampshire Downs

Hampshire Downs

Avon, Test, Itchen and Meon River Valleys

OS Crown Copyright Licence No. LA 08610X 2000 ©Winchester City Council

Fig 4.2 Landscape Character Areas for the Winchester District



Landscape Character Area HURSLEY SCARPLANDS Map 1


4.01 Hursley Scarplands Landscape Character Area

Landscape Types within the areaChalk and Clay Chalk and Clay (Farmland) (Woodland)

Open Arable Open Arable (Exposed)

Scarps Historic Parkland

Settlement Types within the AreaEstate Village 20th/21st Century

Chalk Downland: Dry Valley

Location and BoundariesThe Hursley Scarplands Landscape Character Area islocated to the south-east of Winchester city. Itswestern boundary is formed by the district boundarywith Test Valley Borough. The northern boundary isdefined by West Wood and Crab Wood, which fallwithin the Sparsholt Woodlands Landscape CharacterArea. The southern boundary of the character area isdefined by Poles Lane and the southern boundary ofHursley Park, where the geological transition fromchalk to clay is marked by a change in topography andincrease in woodland cover. The eastern boundary isdefined by the change in topography and land use,relating to the valley of the River Itchen and thesettlement edge of Winchester.

Near Standon

Key Characteristics� Distinctive topographical variation ranging from

an east-west ridge in the north reaching 178m atFarley Mount, falling to lower lying land in thesouth. In between there are a number of ridges,scarps and valleys creating a topographicallycomplex landscape.

� Upper Chalk geology, giving rise to thin calcareoussoils, particularly to the north. To the south andwest it is overlain by some areas of clay with flintsparticularly on dip slopes where there is a greaterpresence of tree cover.

� Predominance of arable fields influenced byinformal enclosure of the 17th and 18th Centurieswith some parliamentary type enclosure of the18th and 19th Centuries situated around villages such as Compton & Shawford. Some laterboundary loss in the 20th Century has also resultedin ‘prairie’ type fields at Pitt Down.

� Strong landscape structure provided by numeroussmall areas of ancient woodland, plantationwoodland, tree belts, hangers and hedgerows.

� Wooded beech and yew scarps and beechshelterbelts.

� Numerous historic features including Hursley Park,an 18th Century deer park (with its associatedestate type village of Hursley), Merdon Castle andFarley Mount.

� Important ecological habitats include calcareousgrassland and juniper scrub associated with scarpsand numerous semi-natural ancient woodlands,many of which are designated SINC’s, includingthe butterfly reserve at Yew Hill.

� Network of narrow winding and often sunkenlanes to the south, lending an historical characterto the area.

� Varied visual enclosure, ranging from thedistinctive open fields to the north, to the moreenclosed, treed, undulating landscape of thesouth, all with a backdrop of woodland.

� Settlements concentrated close to main transportroutes; the Hursley Road and the OtterbourneRoad. Other routes tend to be narrow andwinding with the exception of Roman roads, forexample Sarum Road to the North.

� Panoramic rural views from Farley mount, Farleychurch, Merdon castle. Views from ComptonDown to Winchester Cathedral.


Formative InfluencesThe complex landform of this area is derived from theunderlying soft Upper Chalk, with frequent deposits ofclay with flints particularly to the south and west ofthe character area. This has resulted in the formationof scarps, ridges and dry valleys on a broadly north-south alignment.

This varied topography has influenced the land use ofthe area, with areas of downland and hangers on thesteep scarps. Elsewhere, the rolling downland hasallowed the enclosure of medium to large fields. Themajority of these have wavy boundaries resulting fromtheir relatively early enclosure, from late medievaltimes to the 18th Century. To the north of the arealater enclosure, in the 18th or 19th Centuries, followedby 20th Century boundary loss, has resulted in evenlarger arable fields.

The area has a long history of settlement and isarchaeologically rich, including the Scheduled AncientMonuments of Merdon Castle, Farley Mount and thePark Pale at Hursley Park.

Landscape and SettlementDescriptionThe undulating landform and the scarps are the keyfeatures of the landscape and though woodland is byno means the dominant land use, the woodland andthe hedgerow network forms a strong landscapestructure particularly to the south, enclosing the fairlylarge fields. To the north, the high topography andhedgerow loss have resulted in an exposed landscapecharacterised by large tracts of undulating arablefarmland, often set against a backdrop of woodland.Throughout the character area woodland featuresfairly prominently in views to the south and relatesmost commonly to the scarps and footpaths or tracks.Further west, these views extend over Ampfield woodwithin the adjacent Cranbury Woodlands CharacterArea.

In areas that have not been agriculturally improved,this chalk upland provides some important ecologicalhabitats, including calcareous grassland (such asFarley Down and Yew Hill), juniper scrub and 19thcentury woodland plantation on steep scarp slopes(South Lynch, Boosey Hanging, Juniper Bank) andpockets of ancient semi-natural woodland (such asPages Copse, Grovelands Copse and Millers Copse).

The character area has an ancient character and astrong rural appearance, particularly to the south andwest with the enclosed fields and the winding, oftensunken lanes. To the north there is a sense oftranquillity, but the landscape is more exposed andwindswept.

The main settlement, Hursley, is an estate village lyingto the south of the character area. It probablyoriginated to service Merdon Castle, but gained itscurrent character with the development of HursleyPark from the 18th century. It has a linear form, relatingto its valley setting. This pattern has remainedunchanged, merely expanding lengthways along the

main route from Winchester to Romsey, yet confinedbetween the northern and southern lodges of HursleyPark House and the Park Pale to the west. Significanttree belts clearly define the northern and southernextremities of the village, adding to its well-treedcharacter. The buildings are predominantly two storeyresidential properties, with a church, pub and shops;many with steeply pitched clay tiled roofs and gableddormer windows. They encompass a wide range ofages and architectural character, from 16th Centurycottages through to post-war housing estates. TheTudor estate cottages are particularly distinctive.

Compton Street similarly has a linear form due to itslocation in a dry-valley at the foot of a scarp. Here too,the buildings are predominantly residential incharacter, two storey and constructed of locallytraditional materials including flint, clay plain tiles, redbrick and thatch, plus slate. Pitt, though smaller, alsolies in a valley and has a similar linear form.

In contrast, Compton Down and South Down havedeveloped on the relatively high land of dip slopes.These have developed predominantly in the 20th

Century and have a fairly dispersed form,characterised by detached dwellings set withincomparatively spacious and well-treed plots.

Key Issues

Landscape Strategies� Conserve and enhance downland pockets.

� Conserve and enhance juniper scrub. Survey andmonitor regeneration rates.

� Conserve and enhance the structure and conditionof woodlands, through appropriate traditionalwoodland management, such as thinning,coppicing, replanting, ride and edge managementand the restoration of plantations on ancientwoodland sites to semi-natural communities.

� Restore and replant fragmented hedgerows inareas where there is a strong hedgerow network,particularly to the southern and western parts ofthe area.

� Increased field sizes through 20th centuryhedgerow removal and field subdivision withpost and wire fencing

� Loss of parkland characteristics at Hursley Park.

� Scrub encroachment and woodland plantationon scarps, loss of important habitats

� Intrusive 20th century farm buildings within openarable landscape

� Noise from motorway, impact on tranquillity ofthe eastern part of the character area

� Loss of chalk grassland, generally to arable

� Declining farmland bird populations

� Derelict army base at Bushfield Camp


� Create and appropriately manage substantialexpanses of permanent chalk grassland to reducethreat to farmland birds, including the stonecurlew, particularly to the north of the area.

� Restore and enhance the biodiversity of arablefarmland by encouraging the retention ofconservation headlands, wildlife strips and grassstrips around fields, and the increased use ofspring sown arable crops and retention of winterfallow fields.

� Monitor distinctive key species of chalk grassland(e.g. Juniper and butterflies) and decliningfarmland birds to measure success of biodiversitystrategy;

� Manage roadside verges which support chalkgrassland appropriately,.

� Encourage environmentally and economicallysustainable agricultural practices, to minimisefertiliser and soil run-off for example, which couldlead to the pollution of watercourses and the chalkaquifer.

� Conserve and enhance historic archaeological sitesand their setting, such as Farley Mount, MerdonCastle and Hursley Park.

� Conserve and restore the landscape and builtfeatures of Hursley Park as appropriate, inparticular through continued replacement treeplanting, woodland management and therestoration of pasture.

� Conserve important long views to WinchesterCathedral, and other long views from high points

Built Form strategies� Resist visually intrusive development on elevated

ridges, including large-scale farm structures andtelecommunications masts.

� Plant locally indigenous species to minimise theimpact of visually intrusive buildings.

� Conserve local building materials such as red brick,white colour-washed brick, flint, clay tiles andthatch, and promote their use in any newdevelopment.

� Conserve the distinct form and architecturalcharacter of Hursley in relation to the Hursley ParkEstate.

� New development should respect the existingbuilding character in terms of materials andarchitectural detail.

� Conserve the well-treed rural setting of villages

� New development should respect the traditionallocation of settlements within valleys and alongand the base of scarps.

� New development should respect the historic linearform of existing settlements.

Key Designations

� Conservation areas:HursleyCompton Street

� Scheduled Ancient Monuments:

Park Pale to the north, west and south west ofHursley Park (Mon. No. 34132)

Merdon Castle, Hursley (Mon. No. 34131)

Two bowl barrows 120m NW of Texas, Oliver’s Battery (Mon. No.12145)

Two bowl barrows 200m N of Attwoods Drove Farm, Compton (Mon. No. 12121)

Hilltop enclosure 190m NW of Farley Mount(Mon. No. 34130)

� SSSI’s:None

� SINCs:

Pages Copse; Grovelands Copse; Orchard Copse; Ampfield Wood (part); Miller’s Copse; Gudge Copse; Hursley Park Wood; Yew Hill (Reservoir);Bushfield Camp A., Oakwood Copse;Sparrowgrove Copse; Farley Mount (small part);Hursley Park; Farley Down; Juniper Hill / Nan Trodd’s Hill; Yew Hill (also a Butterfly Conservation Trust Reserve); Nan Trodd’s Down.

� English Heritage Register:Compton Street

� Parks listed in the Hampshire Register ofHistoric Parks and Gardens :

Hursley Park, (Site No. 1437) 18th C Deer Park.

Farley House and Parnholt Wood (Site No.1534)Pre 1810 park.

Farley Mount (Site No. 1535) 1930-40monument to a horse.

� Countryside Heritage Areas:Ampfield


Landscape Character Area SPARSHOLT WOODLANDS Map 2


4.02 Sparsholt Woodlands Landscape Character Area

Landscape Types within the Area:Chalk and Clay Chalk and Clay(Farmland) (Woodland)

Open Arable (Exposed) Scarps

Historic Parkland

Settlement Types within the Area:Chalk Downland: Hill Top

Location and Boundaries:This character area lies to the north-west ofWinchester, and is defined to the west by the TestValley District boundary, to the south by the outer egeof West Wood and Crab Wood, which coincides withthe ridge along Sarum Road. The built edge ofWinchester defines the eastern boundary and thenorthern boundary is largely defined, topographically,by the higher landform and greater presence ofwoodland, before the landscape falls away to thenorth to the open arable valley landscape of theCrawley Downs.

Near Sparsholt

Key Characteristics� High ridge to the south with land generally falling

to the north-west (towards the Test Valley) and tothe north-east (to the Itchen Valley).

� Undulating well-drained chalkland landscape tothe north-west of Winchester, forming part of thesetting of the City.

� Medium-scale arable landscape with a stronghedgerow network.

� Strong rural character, dominated by woodlands,in particular Crab Wood and West Wood (FarleyMount Country Park).

� Medium-sized fields with straight boundaries tothe north of the area created by formal agreementat the time of parliamentary enclosures of the late18th and 19th Centuries. Fields to the south haveless regular boundaries, associated with enclosurefrom the late medieval period and 18th Century.

� Influence of parkland landscape visually evidentwithin central part of character area, dominatedby Lainston House

� Important ecological habitats include a large blockof mixed woodland including Crab Wood (SSSI),with hazel coppice, rich ground flora, woodbanksand remnants of wood pasture with old pollardedbeech. Other woodland SINC’s including smallerancient woodlands are found throughout thenorthern part of the character area.

� A large area of calcareous grassland at Teg Down(SINC), now the Royal Winchester Golf Course,including some species-rich areas on the scarpslope in the middle of the golf course.

� Fairly visually enclosed landscape due to thestrong woodland and hedgerow structure.

� Littleton Stud, with its small enclosed paddocks;the dominant military character of Sir John MooreBarracks and Teg Down golf course to the east ofthe character area have all modified a proportionof the landscape in this area.

� Network of footpaths and narrow winding, oftensunken, lanes lends an historical character to thearea.

� Numerous historical features, including LainstonPark and the ruins of St. Peters Church within itsgrounds; Northwood Park; a roman villa in WestWood and numerous tumuli, many of which areScheduled Ancient Monuments.

� The two main settlements at Sparsholt andLittleton are Saxon in origin and nucleated inform, although the 20th Century development inLittleton is more linear.


Formative Influences:The geology and landscape of this area is dominatedby Upper Chalk with infrequent deposits of clay withflints. The majority of the woodland is on chalk ratherthan clay, and consists largely of beech with oak, hazeland yew. The highest land is to the south of thecharacter area and generally falls to the north andeast.

The arable landscape seen today has been influencedby late 18th and 19th Century parliamentary typeenclosure of former grazing land, creating medium-sized fields with straight boundaries. The exception isan area to the south enclosed in the 17th and 18th

Centuries, where the fields characteristically have wavy boundaries.

The majority of Crab Wood and West Wood, thoughancient, have been subject to replanting. However,many smaller areas of ancient woodland in thecharacter area, particularly those associated withNorthwood Park, are ancient semi-natural woodlandthat have not been subject to replanting.

Much of the open arable landscape west ofMoorcourt Farm derives from enclosures formed bythe 19th and 20th Century clearance of West Wood toform arable land and, therefore, has a strong physicaland visual link with the remainder of this wood.

In the 19th Century, Littleton became a centre fortraining racehorses, which exercised on Worthy Downand Flowerdown (now Sir John Moore Barracks). Thistradition still continues with Littleton Stud, resulting inthe pattern of small scale enclosed fields. The stud, thebarracks and Teg Down golf course and to someextent the Sparsholt Agricultural College have allinfluenced/modified the local landscape in parts of thecharacter area.

Landscape and SettlementDescriptionWoodland and mature hedgerows feature stronglywithin the character area and, as such, are its unifyingfeatures. The Crab Wood and West Wood complexcovers a large proportion of the character area andprovides an important wildlife and amenity facility.Part of Crab Wood is designated as an SSSI.

The arable landscape, though consisting of medium tolarge-scale fields, maintains a fairly enclosed characterdue to the presence of woodland and woodland belts,many of which are associated with parkland settingsand well-treed hedgerows. The wooded parklandlandscape associated with both Lainston House andNorthwood Park contributes much to thedistinctiveness of the character area, with avenues andancient boundary woodland. In addition the horsechestnut avenue along part of the Stockbridge Roadalso forms a strong feature within the character area.

Teg Down golf course contains some importantecological areas of calcareous grassland, particularlyon the scarp slope.

The key settlements are Sparsholt and Littleton. Both

are thought to be Saxon in origin. The village ofSparsholt has a strong link with the landscape, lyingon high ground on a clay cap within a strong treedstructure. It loosely nucleates around the 12th Centurychurch, which acts as a focal point. The majority ofLittleton has developed within the 20th Century in alinear form along the Crawley Road, although originalvillage lies to the north, slightly separated on higherland. Both Sparsolt and the old part of Littleton haveretained a low-density rural appearance.

The majority of the older dwellings within Sparsholtare 17th Century, other buildings date from the 19th

Century, but many have also been built in the 20th

Century. The village includes a variety of building stylesand materials, and is particularly characterised bysteeply pitched roofs with clay tiles. The older part ofLittleton contains a number of timber-framed 16th and17th Century buildings, while the majority of the villagewas developed in the 20th Century and has a moresuburban character. Boundaries in both Sparsholt andLittleton are largely banked and hedged.

Many of the minor roads within the character arearadiate out from Sparsholt and are often narrow,winding, steeply banked and wooded. The busierroads within the character area radiate out fromWinchester, on routes to Stockbridge, Crawley andAndover. Some of these are aligned on Roman roadsand are typically straight, direct and often tree-lined.

Key Issues

Landscape Strategies� Conserve and enhance the structure and condition

of woodlands and wood pasture, throughappropriate traditional woodland management,such as thinning, coppicing, replanting, ride andedge management, in order to conserve keyspecies.

� Restore locally appropriate semi-naturalcommunities through the replacement orenhancement of plantations on ancient woodlandsites.

� Restore and enhance hedgerow structures throughreplanting and appropriate management, usinglocally indigenous species, to link existing semi-natural habitats.

� Ancient woodland and hedgerow/hedgerow treemanagement.

� Influence of modern non-agricultural land uses onthe character of the area, for example thebarracks, the college, the stud and the golfcourse.

� Low biodiversity value of large areas ofconiferous woodland

� Management of historic parkland and loss ofpasture to arable.

� Management of important ecological habitats.


� Monitor and minimise the impacts of modern non-agricultural land uses on the landscape andenhance through appropriate siting and planting.

� Monitor key ancient woodland and woodland ridespecies to measure the success of the biodiversitystrategy;

� Conserve and enhance Historic Park landscapesthrough appropriate management plans, returningarable to pasture and resisting inappropriatedevelopment.

� Restore and enhance the biodiversity of golfcourses and arable farmland, by encouraging theretention of conservation headlands, wildlife stripsand grass strips around fields, and the increaseduse of spring sown arable crops and retention ofwinter fallow fields.

� Encourage environmentally and economicallysustainable agricultural practices to reducepotential for adverse effects on the underlyingaquifer and the River Itchen and River Test.

Built Form Strategies � Conserve and respect the rural hill top locations of

settlements in the area, set within their structure ofmature trees.

� Conserve and respect the nucleated form ofSparsholt and the linear form of Littleton.

� Integrate new development into the surroundinglandscape through the use of locally indigenousplanting and appropriate siting and detailing.

� Conserve and promote the use of local buildingmaterials such as red brick, white colour-washedbrick, flint, clay plain tiles and long straw thatch.

� Conserve and promote the use of traditionalgarden and parkland boundaries such as brick andflint walls, palisade fencing, railings and non-coniferous hedging.

Key Designations

� Conservation areas

Sparsholt

Littleton

� Scheduled Ancient Monuments

Bowl barrow 1km E of Farley Mount (Mon. No. 12139)

Roman villa in Cow Down Copse (Mon. No. 163HA)

St Peter’s Church, Lainston House (Mon. No. 165HA)

Romano-British farmstead and associated fieldsystem on Teg Down (Mon. No. 21902)

Three round barrows 500m WNW ofFlowerdown House (Mon. No. 26702)

� SINCs

Northwood Park Woods; Strowden’s Copse Belt;Garston’s Woods; Privet Copse; Ower Wood;West Wood / Crab Wood Complex; Pitt Down;Little West Wood; Crabwood Farm Woodland;Royal Winchester Golf Course (Teg Down).

� SSSI’s

Crab Wood

� Parks listed in the Hampshire Register of HistoricParks and Gardens

Sparsholt Manor (site 1570),

Lainston House (site1572 English HeritageGrade II* Listed Park), Pre 1810 Park

� Local Nature Reserves

Crab Wood


Landscape Character Area CRAWLEY DOWNS Map 3


Landscape Types within the AreaOpen Arable Open Arable (Exposed)

Chalk and Clay Chalk and Clay (Woodland) (Farmland)

Historic Parkland

Settlement Types within the AreaChalk Downland: Dry Valley

Location and BoundariesCrawley Downs Character Area is located to the northwest corner of Winchester District. It is bounded tothe south by the Sparsholt Woodlands Landscape

Character Area and to the north by the rising land andby Crawley Forest and Crawley Clump plantations.Trees along the Andover Road (A272), create a strongvisual boundary to the east. To the west, the Districtboundary identifies the character area boundary,however the visual envelope continues into theadjacent district of Test Valley.

Formative InfluencesSoils here over-lie Upper Chalk, and tend to be shallowand well drained, with deeper fine silty calcareous soilsin the dry valley. To the north and south of thecharacter area the landscape is generally more treed,corresponding with the more clayey soils associatedwith adjacent areas of Clay with Flints.

4.03 Crawley Downs Landscape Character Area

Near Crawley

Key Characteristics� A wide, open, gently rolling dry valley on a west-

east alignment and forming part of catchmentarea of a tributary of the River Test

� Largely shallow, well-drained calcareous soils witha dry valley associated with gravel.

� Predominantly medium to large-scale arable fieldswith straight boundaries of low trimmed hedges.Historically this was an area of downland that wasenclosed by formal agreement at the time ofparliamentary enclosure in the 18th and 19th

Centuries, followed by boundary loss in the 20th

Century.

� Woodland confined to the northern edge of the district, consisting largely of 19th Centuryplantations (including Crawley Forest) androadside shelterbelts.

� Historic 18th Century park of Crawley Court lies atthe north-western extremity of the village ofCrawley.

� Key ecological habitats of nature conservationconcern; declining farming birds, arable fieldmargins and a small group of semi-natural ancientwoods in the west of the area, centred onWhiteberry Copse.

� Visually contained to the north and south by thegenerally higher topography and higherproportion of trees and woodland.

� Visually exposed landscape, with much of the areaparticularly visible from Sparsholt College.

� Distinctive straight roads with direct routes, suchas the A272, which follows the course of a Romanroad.

� Crawley is the only settlement within the characterarea. The only other buildings are farmsteads andassociated cottages.

� Crawley is situated in a sheltered dry valley andconsequently has a linear form. It has a ruralcharacter with the majority of buildingsconstructed using traditional constructionmethods and materials such as flint, brick andlong-straw thatch


Historically the area was used for sheep rearing, usingan old open field system, but typically arable has now become the dominant form of agriculture. Thelandscape pattern is strongly influenced by theparliamentary enclosure acts of the late 18th and 19th

Centuries, with rectangular fields with straightsurveyed boundaries. More recently fieldrationalisation, associated with the increasedmechanisation of agriculture, has resulted inhedgerow loss and the creation of some larger fields.

Landscape & Settlement DescriptionWoods tend to be small and isolated and are largelycontained to the northern part of the character area.They are mostly 19th Century plantations, the largestbeing Crawley Forest. There are a few semi-naturalancient woodlands such as Bushy Copse and LongCopse, which have been assarted.

Crawley is the only village in the character area. It hasdeveloped along a single street, which has formedalong a dry chalk valley. The manor (Crawley Court)which was demolished and redeveloped in the late19th Century, is situated at the upper end of the village,while the village pond forms an important landmarkat the eastern end; . The village has a strong ruralcharacter, consisting of detached cottages constructedusing traditional local building materials andtechniques. These include flint, brick, timber-frames,long straw and combed wheat reed thatch and clayplain tiles. Other forms of settlement in the areaconsist of farmsteads and their associated workerscottages, for example, New Barn.

Key Issues

Landscape Strategies� Extend and reconnect links between existing

isolated woodland and hedgerows, whilstretaining the open character of the downland.

� Manage over-trimmed hedgerows and neglectedleggy hedgerows appropriately and replant gapswith locally indigenous species. Encourage theplanting of new hedgerow trees and retention ofself-sown hedgerow saplings.

� Conserve and enhance the structure and conditionof ancient semi-natural woodlands, throughappropriate traditional woodland management,such as thinning, coppicing, replanting, ride andedge management

� Restore and enhance the biodiversity of arablefarmland, by encouraging the retention ofconservation headlands, wildlife strips and grassstrips around fields, and the increased use ofspring sown arable crops and retention of winterfallow fields

� Restore over-mature shelter-belts.

� Create new broad-leaved woodlands on lowergrades of agricultural land using locally indigenoustree and shrub species.

� Create and appropriately manage substantial areasof permanent chalk grassland to reduce threat tofarmland birds, including the stone curlew.Monitor declining farmland birds to measure thesuccess of the biodiversity strategy;

� Manage, appropriate, roadside verges whichsupport chalk grassland.

� Encourage environmentally and economicallysustainable agricultural practices, to minimisefertiliser and soil run-off for example, which couldlead to the pollution of watercourses and the chalkaquifer.

Built Form Strategies� Conserve the open rural character of the landscape

by locating agricultural buildings close to existingfarm groups and on lower lying land avoidingskylines.

� Reduce the impact of modern agriculturalbuildings by using traditional materials or darkcolours and careful siting.

� Conserve the sheltered linear form of Crawley byencouraging residential dwellings to respond tolocal character in terms of location, materials, builtform and detailing.

� Local building materials such as red brick, whitecolour-washed brick, flint, clay tiles and long strawthatch should be conserved, and their usepromoted in new development.

� Traditional garden and parkland boundaries suchas brick and flint walls, palisade fencing, railingsand non-coniferous hedging should be conserved,and promoted in any new development.

� Conserve the intimate rural character of the narrowwinding lanes and tracks by ensuring they are notaltered through inappropriate road improvements.Conserve the soft road verges.

Key Designations

� Declining farmland birds and arable weeds

� Loss and fragmentation of hedgerows throughlack of appropriate management, during thesecond half of the 20th Century

� Opportunities for restoration of species rich chalkgrassland

� Potential pollution of the aquifer and the Testfrom agricultural chemicals

� Conservation Areas Crawley

CONT


Key Designations cont.� Scheduled Ancient Monuments

Settlement site at Brockley Warren (Mon. No.518HA)

Two round barrows on Crawley Down, 830mNNE of Warren House (Mon. No. 149HA)

Crawley Clump round barrows, Crawley Down(Mon. No. 148HA)

Round barrow 1600m NNW of Littleton(Mon. No. 150HA)

� SSSI’sNone

� SINC’sWorthy Copse; Hoopshavers Copse; Whiteberry Copse; Long Copse; Bushy Copseand Turnpike Copse.

� Parks listed in the Hampshire Register ofHistoric Parks and Gardens

Crawley Court (site 1512) Pre-1810 Park

landscape character areas - chapter4 · 4.0 introduction landscape character areas are defined by...

Documents