Landscape type:
Character areas:
The clay vale landscape type is represented by the intimate and rural Marshwood
and Halstock Vales. They have predominantly small pastoral fields with trimmed
hedgerows and hedgerow oaks, patterns of Medieval settlement and
clearance and a long tradition in dairy farming. Scattered farmsteads underpin
the largely undeveloped and tranquil character.
Clay Vale
Vale
• Marshwood
• Halstock Vale
Landscape Guidelines
Landscape change
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Policy driven farming changes over the last sixty years have resulted in
concentration of stock levels. This limits the availability of livestock to graze land
of low agricultural, but high environmental value such as wet pastures.
Limited loss of hedgerow boundaries and particularly mature hedgerow oaks.
Loss of mature elms in 1970’s.
Intensification of farming leading to drainage and improvement of permanent
pasture and further loss of riparian vegetation.
Agriculture is becoming more market driven with intensification of production
and farm diversification. Traditional agricultural areas are likely to diversify,
resulting in the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential or industrial
uses and the establishment of secondary enterprises. This may include
establishment of commercial shoots or growth of novel crops such as biomass
crops which could alter the sense of enclosure in the vale.
Limited pressure for further expansion of settlement and new development
threatening the character of the small villages and scattered farmsteads.
Increasing road use could further diminish the rural tranquillity of the vale
landscape.
Pressure to upgrade roads through additional kerbing and signage to
accommodate an increase in farm traffic size and numbers.
Some orchards have suffered from a lack of management due to wider
economic forces.
Agricultural intensification through market forces threatens the remaining
small scale field patterns and traditional pastoral landscape.
Coppice management is economically unviable in many woodlands.
The overall objective is to conserve the patterns that contribute to the rural,
tranquil landscape of winding lanes and small scattered settlements. Restore
elements in decline such as the hedgerows and hedgerow trees and narrow
corridors of wet woodlands.
Planning guidelines
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Management guidelines
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Conserve the pattern of small settlements and associated surrounding woodlands.
Resist any development that would destroy the visual unity of the undeveloped
vale, ensuring scale and materials enhance local character.
Minimise small scale incremental change such as signage, fencing or
improvements to the road network which could change the rural peaceful
character of the landscape.
Conserve the sense of rural tranquillity and views of surrounding summits.
Consider screening views to intrusive agricultural buildings and small village
edges through planting new small scale broadleaved woodlands.
Conserve the character of rural roads and enhancement of hedge banks and
traditional finger posts.
Encourage the restoration of traditional barns and farm buildings.
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Encourage maintenance and enhancement of boundaries, particularly along the
vale and replant any gaps where necessary.
Plant new hedgerow oaks at regular intervals.
Restore stream side habitats and wet woodlands and consider extending wet
woodland, particularly around existing settlements and farmsteads.
Conserve and enhance management of neutral unimproved meadows and
encourage restoration where appropriate.
Protect watercourses and associated wildlife from soil erosion and the
effects of diffuse pollution.
Encourage restoration of traditional orchards.
Restore and manage pollard trees.
Protect the consistent pattern of regular enclosures and surviving strip and
open fields.
Restore remaining coppice woodlands around the vale edge.
Consider screening views to intrusive agricultural buildings and small
village edges through planting new small scale broadleaved woodlands.
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Enhance management of boundaries, particularly along the
vale and replant any gaps where necessary.
Conserve the pattern of small settlements
and associated surrounding woodlands.
Conserve the sense of rural tranquillity
and views of surrounding summits.
Plant new hedgerow oaks
at regular intervals.
Restore remaining coppice woodlands
around the vale edge.
Restore stream side habitats and wet
woodlands and consider extending wet
woodland, particularly around existing
settlements and farmsteads.
Conserve and enhance management of
neutral unimproved meadows and encourage
restoration where appropriate.
Encourage the restoration of
traditional barns and farm buildings.
Conserve the character of rural roads
and enhancement of hedge banks and
traditional fingerposts.
Clay Vale
The overall objective is to conserve the patterns that contribute to the rural, tranquil landscape of winding lanes and small scattered settlements.
Restore elements in decline such as the hedgerows and hedgerow trees and narrow corridors of wet woodlands.
Encourage restoration of
traditional orchards.
Character Area:
Marshwood Vale
The Marshwood Vale, draining the rivers Char and Simene, is a traditional,
largely undeveloped pastoral clay vale. The visual character is dominated by
consistent patterns of trimmed hedgerows and hedgerow oaks set around
regular enclosures. This strong pattern, along with small isolated settlements
and agricultural buildings add to the sense of rural tranquillity and character.
Narrow belts of stream side vegetation and species rich verges add to ecological
Key characteristics
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Broad bowl shaped, gently rolling lowland pastoral vale based on clay,
enclosed by greensand ridges with associated forts.
Consistent regular field patterns with network of hedgerows with banks
and mature hedgerow trees, providing a speckled appearance to the
landscape.
Sunken, winding rural lanes with steep species rich verges.
Scattered, isolated farmsteads.
Winding network of watercourses and streamside willows, alder and
other riparian vegetation.
Settlement pattern of dispersed small clustered hamlets with variety of
vernacular building materials and thatch.
A peaceful, tranquil and rural character with wide open skies.
Meadows of neutral unimproved grassland with patches of rush.
Occasional orchards.
Small patches of oak, ash and hazel coppice around the vale edge.
interest. Viewed from a distance the hedgerow oaks are the defining feature,
creating a speckled appearance to the landscape. A sense of distant enclosure is
provided by surrounding greensand summits, particularly to the north, south
and west. A break in slope is marked by the Char valley towards the south.
Evaluation
Land shape & structure
Strength of character
The bowl shaped clay vale has a flat central area with gently undulating sides
towards the surrounding greensand summits. Small river valleys of the Char and
Simene flow towards the coast.
The landscape is judged to have a strong character. The area has a strong
agricultural character dominated by the consistent patterns of trimmed
hedgerows with evenly spaced hedgerow oaks, with small scattered hamlets
and farmsteads of vernacular materials. Landuse has remained largely pastoral,
underpinning the strong association with traditional dairy practices, with little
evidence of recent change. Further east however, the strength of character is
weaker with less landscape interest.
Soils and vegetation
The underlying clay with associated heavy clay soils supports a range of damp
neutral pastures with patches of rush. Along the network of small streams, thin
corridors of wet willow and alder add structure to the flat vale landscape. Small
coppice woodlands are found around the edge of the vale.
Settlement and land cover
Settlement is largely related to the agricultural character of the area. The are no
significant developments with a dispersed pattern of small clustered hamlets and
farmsteads, connected by an expansive network of narrow, often sunken, winding
rural lanes. Characteristic landcover consists of damp neutral pastures, set within a
continuous network of trimmed hedgerows with oaks with occasional small oak,
ash and hazel woodlands.
Historic character
Perhaps the most significant historical influence on landscape character is the
consistent and intricate pattern of Medieval or perhaps prehistoric, fields evolved
over centuries of agricultural production and woodland clearance. Enclosures are
largely regular with trimmed hedgerows, banks and hedgerow oaks. Some
piecemeal enclosures survive along with some limited parliamentary enclosure.
Towards the north, fragments of strip fields are found. There are few highly
visible monuments in the area but the remains of St Mary’s chapel and castle in
centre of vale are of interest. Occasional traditional orchards are also found.
Visual character & perceptions
The flat vale landscape has a broad character with vast open skies with a strong
sense of rural tranquillity. Towards the west and south, the landscape is more
intimate with deep sunken lanes and small intimate river valleys. When viewed
from the surrounding ridges and greensand summits, the landscape has a speckled
appearance with the consistent pattern of mature hedgerow oaks.
Marshwood Vale
Description
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Condition
The Marshwood Vale is a well managed pastoral landscape although intensively
managed in places, particularly towards the east. Historical intensive farming
practices have resulted in the loss of most prehistoric fields. Some hedgerows
are in decline with hedgerow oaks becoming mature and stag headed. Although
there are some areas still managed as unimproved grassland, many of the wet
meadows have been lost. Wet woodlands are mostly confined to a narrow
corridor with orchards in need of positive management. A major pylon line crosses
the Vale although when viewed from a distance from the surrounding higher
ground, the impact is not as great when viewed from the ground. Condition
of the landscape is judged as moderate and stable.
Character Area:
Halstock Vale
Similar to the Marshwood Vale, the Halstock Vale is a traditional, pastoral clay
vale with consistent patterns of trimmed hedgerows and hedgerow oaks. The
irregular pattern of winding rural lanes and streams, along with small isolated
settlements and agricultural buildings add to the sense of rural tranquillity and
Key characteristics
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Intimate gently rolling lowland pastoral vale
Consistent field pattern with network of trimmed hedgerows and mature
hedgerow trees, providing a speckled appearance to the landscape
Winding rural lanes with trimmed hedgerows and steep species rich verges
Scattered, isolated farmsteads
Small scale watercourses and streamside willow, alder and other
riparian vegetation
Settlement pattern of dispersed small nucleated villages with variety of
vernacular building materials and thatch
A peaceful, tranquil and rural character with wide open skies
Occasional meadows of unimproved, neutral grasslands
Occasional orchards and parkland landscapes
character. It has a more intimate character and undulating landform than the
Marshwood Vale with large broadleaved woodlands on the gentle slopes around
the central part of the vale. To the north, the vale is enclosed by limestone hills
with the slopes of the chalk escarpment to the south.
Evaluation
Land shape & structure
Strength of character
With a small central flat clay vale centred on winding streams, the surrounding
limestone hills and chalk escarpment create a sense of intimate enclosure. The
west of the vale has a more undulating landform.
The area has a strong character dominated by the consistent patterns of trimmed
hedgerows with equally spaced hedgerow oaks, with small scattered hamlets and
farmsteads of vernacular materials. Landuse has remained largely pastoral,
underpinning the strong association with traditional farming practices, with
little evidence of recent change. Large geometric plantations sometimes weaken
the intimate, pastoral character.
Soils and vegetation
The underlying clay with associated heavy clay soils supports a range of damp
neutral pastures with patches of rush. Along the network of small streams, thin
corridors of wet willow and alder add structure to the flat landscape. On the
margins of the vale, small patches of calcareous grasslands are found.
Settlement and land cover
Settlement is largely related to the traditional agricultural character of the area.
Except for the village of Halstock, there are no significant developments with a
dispersed pattern of small clustered hamlets and farmsteads, connected by an
expansive network of narrow, often sunken, winding rural lanes. Characteristic
landcover consists of irregular damp neutral pastures, set within a continuous
network of trimmed hedgerows with oaks and small oak, ash hazel woodlands.
There are also larger mixed plantations and shelter belts. Towards the south east
of the vale, the area has a parkland character.
Historic character
The area has been shaped by centuries of agricultural production and woodland
clearance, possibly from prehistoric times. In the western part of the vale,
piecemeal enclosures predominate with a mix of regular and planned enclosure
to the east. Occasional areas of strip fields also survive. Although the area has
little undiscovered visible archaeology, the site of a Roman Villa in the centre
of the vale is of interest. Occasional traditional orchards are also found with a
parkland landscape to the south east of the area.
Visual character & perceptions
The flat vale landscape has a broad character with vast open skies and a strong
sense of rural tranquillity. However, the area has more of an intimate feel than
the Marshwood Vale due the presence of larger broadleaved woodlands and small
scale valleys.
Condition
The Halstock Vale is well managed pastoral landscape although intensively
managed in places, particularly towards the east. Some hedgerows are in decline
with hedgerow oaks becoming mature and stag headed. Although there are some
areas are still managed as unimproved grasslands, most of the wet meadows and
unimproved pastures have been lost. Wet woodlands are mostly confined to a
narrow corridor with orchards in need of positive management. Large agricultural
barns and geometric woodland plantations sometimes stand out in the open
landscape. Condition of the landscape character is judged as moderate and stable.
Halstock Vale
Description
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