Historic Landscape Charaterisation

Appendix 6 Analysis – Enclosure Regular Enclosures in Hoggeston parish, Vale of Aylesbury Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 6 Introduction Enclosed land comprises the most extensive HLC type representing over 72% of the land total. Its main use is for agriculture, a large proportion being for the pasturing of sheep and cattle. The type has a significant impact on aspects of the social and cultural life of the county, where both its form and maintenance are defining characteristics of the aesthetic appeal of the landscape, and is by turn a major influence upon matters such as tourism and planning. Pre 18th Century Enclosure accounts for 32.13% of enclosed land in Buckinghamshire, Parliamentary Enclosure for 28% and Modern Enclosure for 15%. Both the Pre 18th Century (Irregular Enclosure) and Post-Medieval Enclosure types have changed little in the last 150 years, especially when compared with the Modern Enclosure type. Most 20th Century Enclosure is an alteration of a previously enclosed landscape (greatly changed) with just 19% of hectares newly enclosed since the nineteenth century. The HLC mapping (see diagram below) suggests that most of the enclosed landscape has remained largely unchanged for at least 150 years, if not for considerably longer. However, the HLC process did not evaluate the continuing presence of smaller landscape features, such as barns and trees, or the composition of boundary type, boundary size, hedgerows and routeways. Nor did it assess the intrusive features of modern life, such as pylons, new roads, street lighting or other elements leading to the sub-urbanisation of the countryside. These may have a significant impact upon the appearance and condition of the landscape and all play an important part in shaping the landscape visible from the ground. It is likely that there will be areas which will have a different ‘feel’ today to that of a couple of centuries ago, although the basic pattern of enclosure has remained the same. Enclosed from Enclosed from Woodland Settlement 1.15% 0.18% Enclosed from Commons Heaths Enclosed from 2.35% Parkland 0.33% Ancient Enclosure 32.13% Enclosed from Mixed Origin Open Fields 1.10% 37.62% Enclosed from Downland Enclosed from Enclosed from 0.25% Older Enclosures Industry 24.91% 0.004% Fig. 1: The Origins of Buckinghamshire/Milton Keynes enclosures; percentages represent area of land cover. 2 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 6 Fig. 2: The distribution and phasing of Parliamentary Enclosure Acts in Buckinghamshire 3 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 6 Boundary Loss Figure 3 below shows the distribution of boundary loss and boundary gain in Buckinghamshire. The areas of most loss are in distinct areas, north east area of Milton Keynes, the landscapes surrounding Stowe and Whittlewood forest; while the Chilterns district contains the most amount of loss in the south. Boundary gain is almost evenly distributed although there are greater concentrations in South Buckinghamshire district in proximity to urban centres. Much of this boundary loss has coincided with prime agricultural land grades 1 &2. Boundary Loss No Loss Minimal Major Gain Boundary Gain Major Los s 12% 12% Minimal Los s 30% Unchanged 46% 4 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 6 Enclosed land The occurrence of on high valued agricultural land in Buckinghamshire coincides with an increase in prairie fields and parliamentary enclosures. Woodland( All Varieties) 1.73% Allotments Open land 0.39% 0.31% Assarts Industrial (All varieties) Recreation Areas 0.91% Meadows 2.28% 2.42% 2.21% Airfields Park and Gardens 0.28% Coaxial Fields Fossilised Strips Hospitals Schools 6.19% 1.17% 0.26% 0.12% Settlement All varieties Sinouous Fields 5.15% Irregular Fields (Pre 18th 0.50% century) Reservoirs and Restored 19.06% Lakes 0.27% Crofts (Medieval Post Medieval) 0.05% 20th Century Enclosures 7.71% 19th century fields 6.62% Parliamentary Enclosure Prairie Fields 22.72% Regular Fields (Pre 18th 15.95% century) 3.73% 5 Appendix 7 Analysis – Woodland Hollowhill Wood, Medmenham, Wycombe District Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 7 Introduction Woodland represents nearly 9% of the land cover in Buckinghamshire, covering some c.175 km² of landscape. However, this figure does not include woodlands under 2 hectares and also omits those found within the boundaries of Historic Parks and Gardens. This would add to the total coverage but even without these classifications, Buckinghamshire is still one of the more woodland landscapes in England. The distribution of woodland (as will be seen below), is not consistent and the extent is largely due to the Buckinghamshire Chilterns, which are renowned for their beech woodlands. The woodland cover comprises six HLC types: Ancient Semi Natural, Ancient Replanted; Wood Pasture; Secondary Woodland; Coniferous Plantations and Orchards. (The details and definitions of all these types can be accessed in Appendix 1). Fig. 1: The distribution of Woodland in Buckinghamshire /Milton Keynes 2 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 7 Aylesbury Vale As the largest district in Buckinghamshire, the Vale of Aylesbury has a distinctly un- wooded feel to it. The landscape is synonymous with planned, open enclosures with scrubby hedgerows, the result of successive phases of post-medieval enclosure. However, there are areas where woodland forms the a distinct characteristic of the landscape, this is largely due to the survival of the former ancient hunting forests of Bernwood, Whittlewood and the hunting chase at Whaddon. The extent of much of these woodlands has remained unchanged since the 19th century, although some replanting has taken place, removing the natural broadleaf species for pantations. The other main characteristic of woodland in the Vale of Aylesbury is that 46% of the wood in is made up of secondary woodland and coniferous plantations. This large proportion can be attributed to natural regeneration of farmland but also the proliferations of coverts for the purposes of hunting, the Aylesbury Vale was once home to the Bicester and Whaddon Chase hunt and an abundance of small woodlands punctuate the landscape. It is also a revealing statistic that the average woodland size is 3.28 hectares, although the most amount of woodland area is found in woodlands that are 50< 100 hectares, reflecting the contribution of the former hunting forests, (see Figure 10). Woodland (Ancient Semi Natural) 9% 2% Woodland (Ancient Replanted) 45% Woodland (Secondary Woodland) 37% Woodland (Coniferous Plantation) 7% Orchards Fig. 2 & 3 Pie chart depicting the proportion of woodland types by area and the character of woodland landscape in the Winslow area of Aylesbury Vale depicting small rectangular plantations and coverts. 3 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 7 Chilterns Woodland covers c.15% of the Chiltern woodland almost two-thirds of which is ancient semi natural woodland. It is noticeable that ancient woodlands in the north part of the district has a distinctive morphology, being long and sinuous in form, (see Fig. 5), generally these are located in areas of high relief along the sides of the ridges that run along the Chess valley. These also coincide with parish boundaries and conform to the ladder-like layout of ancient coaxial enclosures. The character of ancient woodland changes towards the southern end of the district; here, larger blocks of woodland are found, including the important relict wood pasture of Penn Wood. Much of ancient woodland found along the edge of parish boundaries. The district includes the present of Penn Wood, a rare relict of wood pasture. Secondary woodland represents 38% of wood cover, this largely relates to re-growth surrounding existing woodlands and the colonisation of downland, (example). It is also noticeable that this area of Buckinghamshire has the highest proportion of Orchards. Woodland (Ancient Semi Natural) 4% 12% Woodland (Ancient Replanted) 48% Woodland (Wood Pasture) 24% Woodland (Secondary Woodland) 9% 3% Woodland (Coniferous Plantation) Orchards Fig. 4 & 5: Pie chart depicting the proportion of woodland types and the character of woodland in the Chilterns District 4 Buckinghamshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Appendix 7 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes is the least wooded part of Buckinghamshire with less than 4% of landscape coverage. Despite this low figure, there are notable concentrations of ancient semi-natural woodland, the most prominent is found in an area to the north west of Milton Keynes covering the parishes of Gayhurst, Ravenstone, Stoke Golding and Weston Underwood; this coincides with part of the former ancient hunting forest of Salcey. There are also some remnants of ancient woodland fossilised within the city of Milton Keynes, where the city’s architects and planners have purposefully incorporated this into its design, the woods of Linford wood in Stantonbury and Howe Park Wood, Shenley Brook End are good examples. In terms of modern woodland, coniferous plantations are found across the region, although the greatest concentration is found on the Greensand ridge of the Brickhills, where 20th century planting has covered much of the former heathland. Woodland (Ancient Semi Natural) 1% 21% Woodland (Ancient Replanted) Woodland (Secondary Woodland) 52% Woodland (Coniferous Plantation) 20% 6% Orchards Fig. 6 & 7: Pie chart depicting the proportion of woodland types and

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