Northumberland Sandstone Ridges and Vales A Valued Landscape Technical Report for Consultation January 2021 Alison Farmer Associates 29 Montague Road Cambridge CB4 1BU 01223 461444 “The land of far horizons, where the piled and drifted shapes of gathered vapour are for ever moving along the farthest ridges of the hills, like the succession of long primeval ages, that is written in tribal mounds and Roman camps and Border towers.” G.M Trevelyan, The Middle Marches, 1930 Photograph by Tony Meikle – Above Eslington looking west into The Vale of Whittingham Foreward 4 Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Appointment ................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Scope of Work ............................................................................................................................................. 6 1.3 Structure of Report....................................................................................................................................... 7 2 Background .................................................................................................................................................. 9 2.1 The Study Area ............................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Designation History ...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Areas of High Landscape Value ................................................................................................................ 13 2.4 Landscape Character Assessment 2010 ................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Glover Landscapes Review ....................................................................................................................... 17 3 Approach .................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.1 Definition of a Valued Landscape .............................................................................................................. 19 3.2 Practical Application of Relevant Factors ................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Defining Extent .......................................................................................................................................... 24 3.4 Desirability to Provide Formal Recognition ................................................................................................ 25 4 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................. 27 4.1 Desk Study and Data Sources ................................................................................................................... 27 4.2 Defining Evaluation Areas .......................................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Assessment of Evaluation Areas ............................................................................................................... 31 4.4 Candidate Areas ........................................................................................................................................ 31 4.5 Boundary Options ...................................................................................................................................... 32 4.6 Desirability ................................................................................................................................................. 33 4.7 Meetings and Consultation ........................................................................................................................ 33 5 Evaluation .................................................................................................................................................. 34 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 34 5.2 Evaluation Tables ...................................................................................................................................... 34 6 Boundary .................................................................................................................................................... 63 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 63 6.2 Boundary Tables ........................................................................................................................................ 64 7 Desirability ................................................................................................................................................. 77 7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 77 7.2 Special Qualities ........................................................................................................................................ 77 7.3 Issues Affecting the Qualifying Area .......................................................................................................... 81 7.4 Mechanisms for Conserving and Enhancing Special Qualities .................................................................. 81 8 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 86 Northumberland Sandstone Ridges and Vales Final Report for Consultation January 2021 5 List of Drawings: Drawing 1: Designation History Drawing 2: Evaluation Areas and Landscape Character Drawing 3: Candidate Areas North Drawing 4: Candidate Areas South Drawing 5: Boundary Section 1 Drawing 6: Boundary Section 2 Drawing 7: Boundary Section 3 Drawing 8: Boundary Section 4 Drawing 9: Boundary Section 5 Drawing 10: Boundary Section 6 Drawing 11: Valued Landscape List of Figures: Figure 1: Extract from Dower Report Figure 2: Extract from Hobhouse Report Figure 3: National Character Areas Figure 4: Extract from The Northumberland Landscape showing Natural Regions Acknowledgements: Thanks goes to the artists listed below who have kindly given permission for the reproduction of their artwork within this document. Andrew Binnie Siobhan O’Hehir Rachel Tweddell Judith Appleby Elidh Gardiner Northumberland Sandstone Ridges and Vales Final Report for Consultation January 2021 6 1 Introduction 1.1 Appointment 1.1.1 Alison Farmer Associates were appointed in February 2020 by the Northumberland and Newcastle Society (NNS) to undertake an evaluation of land between the Northumberland National Park in the west and the A1 in the east, and from north of Wooler, to Rothbury in the south. The evaluation sought to: a) Determine if land within the Study Area is a valued landscape as set out in Paragraph 170a of the NPPF; b) Define a boundary to such a landscape and consider how it should be given recognition. 1.1.2 This study was commissioned following recognition by NNS that: • the Landscape Character Assessment for Northumberland (2010) (‘NLCA’) had shortcomings in relation to understanding landscape value; • the Country Council had not taken forward landscape value work recommended by the NLCA; and • current national planning policy and best practice in relation to landscape evaluation, now gives recognition to valued landscapes. 1.2 Scope of Work 1.2.1 The overall scope of work within the Study Area has included three broad stages namely: 1. Desk-based work reviewing existing evidence on the area contained in landscape character assessments, historic landscape characterisation, landscape evaluation and sensitivity and capacity assessments. Additional information was also gathered on literary and artistic associations. Based on this understanding the Study Area was divided into seven Evaluation Areas for assessment. 2. Field assessment of each Evaluation Area against factors recognised as contributing to landscape value (see section 3.1 below) in order to define Candidate Areas within which a boundary could be drawn to define the extent of the valued landscape. 3. Review of management and designation options which afford recognition to the valued landscape and enable conservation and enhancement of special qualities. Northumberland Sandstone Ridges and Vales Final Report for Consultation January 2021 7 1.3 Content and Structure of Report 1.3.1 This document sets out the evidence for recognition of valued landscape within the northeast of Northumberland in an area broadly between the Northumberland National Park and the A1 and between Wooler and Rothbury. This landscape comprises a series of distinctive inland ridges which, coupled with higher land in the surrounding area, define a series of vales with wide scenic views across a patchwork of farmland containing a wealth of natural and cultural interest. An overview of the recommended extent of the Valued Landscape,