Thornton Hough Rural Farmland
Wooded horizon
Rural character
Key Characteristics
Very broad flat valley with wooded ridgelines to the east and west creating the impression of a 'wide bowl'
Substantial geometric blocks of woodland prominent within large arable fields
Frequent linear woodlands
Frequent formal linear routes bordered by avenues of ornamental trees such as sweet chestnut and sycamore
Farmland bordered mostly by low hedgerows with hedgerow trees although farmland close to causeways is more
enclosed in character
Relatively low woodland cover in the area although the combination of blocks of woodland, causeways and hedgerow
trees creates a strong wooded impression
Wooded horizon lines
Large prominent manor lodge at Thornton Hough
Distinctive buildings with sandstone, red clay roof tile and render within small villages
Church spire with blue clock face is a localised feature of the roofline within Thornton Hough
Urban features are not prominent in this character area
Large farms are frequently present on village fringes with occasional farms elsewhere in the character area
Sandstone walls and gate lodges frequent within the landscape
Landscape Character
This character area is within the central part of Wirral
extending from the M53 to the railway. The landscape
has few urban influences which gives the impression of
a remote rural landscape despite its close proximity to
larger urban areas.
Small pockets of parkland are present around halls or
former estates such as Wirral Manor House. These are
characterised by mature and young specimen trees, the
houses are often obscured by walls or mature trees and
boundary hedgerows.
The land is generally flat although minor undulations
occur around Thornton Hough and along watercourses.
The land rises on the fringes to ridgelines outside the
character area and creates the impression of the
landscape being set within a wide 'bowl'.
Character is less distinctive to the west of Manor Wood
adjacent to Parkgate Road where hedgerows have in
places been replaced with Cheshire Rail fencing and
overhead lines. Large modern farm properties and
modern housing increase the urban influences reducing
the sense of remoteness.
The area is almost entirely farmed with small pockets of
more formal landscape and gardens, particularly at
Thornton Manor adding an element of formality. Field
pattern is mostly regular and geometric with fields
often being large and a mix of both arable and pasture.
Arable farming becomes more prominent within the
northern part of the character area. There are few other
land uses within the character area and farmland
extends up to village boundaries.
There are a number of small watercourses which
mostly flow west to east or east to west through the
landscape. Field ponds are present although often set
within woodland vegetation and are therefore not
obvious.
Thornton Hough Rural Farmland
Woodland and tree cover/ vegetation pattern
Woodland blocks tend to be geometric in shape often
being the equivalent shape and size of adjacent fields.
Narrow belts of woodland following tracks are also
features particularly within the southern part of the
character area. Woodlands tend to be predominantly
oak with a varied mix of deciduous species. Beech is
often present in more formal woodland such as at
Thornton Manor.
Adjacent to villages such as Brimstage and Thornton
Hough fields are bounded by mature hedgerows which
are well maintained although vary in height. Some
resemble small wooded belts preventing views beyond
each field. Further north hedgerows are slightly lower
enabling longer distance views across a number of
fields. In the northern part of the character area, field
size has expanded to accommodate larger scale arable
farming with hedgerows less frequent. The woodland
blocks within this area are particularly prominent and
contrast with the lower more infrequent hedgerows.
The character area contains a series of prominent linear
routes which are lined by ornamental trees such as
sweet chestnut, sycamore and Norway maple and they
appear to link Thornton Manor and surrounding large
farmsteads with Storeton to the east. When viewed
from the wider landscape the tracks appear as linear
native woodlands. Native tree and shrub planting on
adjacent field margins often softens and naturalises
their appearance.
The combination of woodlands on high ground,
geometric woodland blocks, wooded linear features
and wooded field boundaries gives the impression of
high woodland cover.
Distinctive buildings at
Thornton Hough
Built form
Built form is relatively infrequent and indistinct when
seen due to the high levels of tree cover. Large farm
buildings are present throughout the area and are often
concentrated around the fringes of villages such as
Brimstage and Thornton Hough. Thornton Hough has a
slightly rising roofline, however much of the village is
screened by woodland vegetation with only some of
the larger properties and the churches visible above.
Views of the village are particularly distinctive from
footpaths to the south around Raby and from across
the Village Green.
Thornton Hall Hotel and a small housing estate adjacent
are some of the more prominent buildings within the
character area. Although reasonably wooded
boundaries soften their presence within the landscape,
the hotel in particular is visible above this vegetation.
Thornton Hough is a Victorian era village expanded by
Lord Leverhume in the 1880s. It retains a strongly
distinctive character with the majority of properties
having distinctive red roofs and black and white
panelling above a red brick or sandstone base. Other
buildings are constructed completely from red
sandstone. Chimneys on many of the buildings in the
village centre have distinctive patterns in the
brickwork. The village is centred around a village green
and has two churches.
Boundary treatments within the village are mostly low
brick or sandstone walls with many properties set
within small neatly maintained front gardens.
Brimstage is a small hamlet with properties set around a
small central green. The majority of properties are semidetached or detached with white render and distinctive
red roofs. The village is on lower ground and set either
side of a small wooded brook. Field pattern is smaller
closer to Brimstage with mature hedgerow boundaries.
A number of large farms on its fringes integrate the
village with the surrounding landscape.
Farm buildings across the character area tend to be
large and farmsteads often contain a number of large
agricultural buildings in addition to a residential
property. Within Thornton Hough farmhouses are
typically of a similar style to other residential buildings
in the village incorporating black and white panelling,
white render and red roofs. Thatch is present on older
barns and stables. Sandstone former barns and stables
are present in other areas and have been converted to
private residences or facilities such as Brimstage Craft
Centre. Larger modern agricultural buildings are present
within farms and tend to contrast with the surrounding
distinctive built form, these buildings tend to be fairly
well screened although are visible and prominent in
places.
There are a small collection of buildings on the outskirts
of Wirral Manor including: small bungalows; short
terraces with distinctive large chimneys; and a large
sandstone property with converted buildings. A
distinctive zigzag pattern sandstone wall is a feature
around the boundary of the manor.
Thornton Hough Rural Farmland
Views
Nature and extent of views
The views close to wooded tracks are often localised
and only across one or two fields. However, along many
of the roads and footpaths within the character area
views are more open and channelled or framed by
woodland blocks. Distant views are contained by
woodland ridgelines particularly Storeton Woods to the
east and the railway which obscures Heswall to the
west.
Most views are rural and across fields with few urban
features present; continuous wooded boundaries
around fields are characteristic features of the horizon
in the central part of the character area, altering to
woodland on high ground further north.
Landmark buildings
All Saints Church
St George's Church
The gate lodge to Thornton Manor along Manor Road.
Key viewpoints
Manor Road adjacent to Thornton Manor
Zones of visual influence
Views into and out of this character area are relatively
contained by woodland on high ground which limits
distant views beyond. The landscape is nestled at the
base of a series of wooded ridgelines which helps to
maintain its rural and remote character.
Groups of trees within
farmland
Linear belts
woodland
of
Sandstone walls
Ornamental avenues along causeways
Area set within a wide
‘bowl’
Moderate
Poor
Landscape Condition
Good
Quality and condition of the landscape
MODERATE
Enhance
MODERATE GOOD
Conserve and
Enhance
GOOD
Conserve
Geometric blocks of woodland
MODERATE POOR GOOD
MODERATE MODERATE
Enhance and
Restore
POOR
Restore/Create
Weak
Enhance
Conserve and
Enhance
POOR MODERATE MODERATE
Enhance and
Restore
Moderate
Enhance
Strong
The strategy for this character area is
CONSERVE. Emphasis should be on conserving
the rural landscape and promotion of continued
good landscape and agricultural practice to
maintain the condition and strength of character
Landscape Strength
Good - although weakening slightly within the northern
and western fringes due to increasing urban influences
reducing the rural character of the landscape and
intensification of farm practices altering field pattern.
Features generally form easily recognisable patterns
within the landscape which are distinctly different from
the surrounding character areas and make this
landscape distinctive.
Landscape Condition
Good - landscape features are well maintained with
little evidence of fragmentation, loss of field pattern or
loss of boundary features although this is evident in the
northern part of the character area.
Thornton Hough Rural Farmland
Main trends or threats to the landscape
Shelterbelts of poplar which emphasise the presence
of development and contrast with the softer more
natural appearance of other linear belts of mixed
native woodland
Loss of hedgerows through intensification of farming
resulting in the loss of more intimate landscapes and
regular field pattern
Subdivision of fields for horse paddocks using timber
and electric fences which often have an inconsistent
and untidy appearance.
Risk of maturing mixed woodland being replaced by
single species plantations
Mature hedgerow
boundaries
Native planting along edges of causeways
Landscape Guidelines
Landscape features
Conserve the geometric pattern of woodlands
Enhance rural routes through hedgerow and avenue
tree planting to reflect the linear causeways
Conserve views of woodland on high ground to
maintain the impression of being within a wide 'bowl'
New planting should be of a geometric or linear form
and where close to properties or urban fringes should
be enclosed by stone boundaries or hedgerows
Conserve the wooded horizon
Landscape management/agriculture
Conserve and maintain intact hedgerow boundaries
Enhance fragmenting field boundaries to the north
through replacement planting
Enhance hedgerow tree cover in the northern part of
the character area
Maintain wooded hedgerow boundaries and ensure
replacement planting of hedgerow trees
Conserve the regular geometric field pattern, any subdivision should reflect this pattern and use native
hedgerows and hedgerow trees to form the boundaries
Built form
Conserve the distinctive rural and compact character of
Thornton Hough and Brimstage; any new development
should seek to take reference from the distinctive style
and materials used within these villages
Conserve the rural character of the landscape ensuring
that any new development does not make village or
urban fringes more prominent within the landscape
Conserve rural views towards Thornton Hough where
the village is viewed as a small rising village with few
properties set within mature woodland with All Saints
Church visible on the skyline
Encourage the use of red brick and sandstone in any
new agricultural buildings
Ensure careful siting of any new agricultural buildings
to ensure they appear small within the surrounding
landscape
Other development/structures in the landscape
Ensure that where former agricultural buildings are
converted, for example to tourism such as Brimstage
Craft Centre, changes do not significantly alter their
rural or distinctive character
Conserve the rural character of roads through the area
Encourage the planting of native avenues of trees along
rural routes, particularly on approach roads to manors
or parkland
Capacity to accommodate change
This is a rural landscape which is set within a wide 'bowl'. Woodland is visible on high ground outside the character
area and provides screening to urban development beyond. Built development is relatively indistinct in the landscape
although where present villages are distinctive either on slightly rising ground with church spire visible or within low
lying ground surrounded by mature woodland/trees. The buildings within villages, particularly Thornton Hough, are of
a distinctive style and are important in providing a sense of place within this character area. Other important features
include intact post-medieval field patterns; avenues of ornamental trees bordered by more naturalistic woodland and
trees; and areas of parkland such as Thornton Manor.
This character area is sensitive to any changes which reduce the local distinctiveness of villages or increases the
prominence of roads or urban edges. Future changes must enhance or protect landscape features such as avenues of
trees or parkland at Thornton Manor. In addition it should be ensured that the field pattern is conserved or enhanced
through replacement hedgerow planting.
Any future development should ensure that it demonstrates its positive contribution to the local landscape through
reflecting and enhancing local distinctiveness. Positive characteristics to conserve, protect and reinforce include
parkland features, linear avenues, geometric blocks of woodland, views to a wooded horizon and intact wooded
hedgerows.