Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary REVISED EDITION - 2003

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Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment

and

Countryside Design Summary

(Revised Edition, 2003)

Adopted by Sedgemoor District Council, Chris Marks 10th September 2003 Head of Planning and Transportation Sedgemoor District Council Bridgwater House Tel: 01278 435244 King Square Bridgwater Fax: 01278 435770 Somerset E-mail: [email protected] TA6 3AR

Design: Sedgemoor Graphic Design

All maps in this document are reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District Council. LA079286. SEDGEMOOR LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT AND COUNTRYSIDE DESIGN SUMMARY

Contents

page

PREFACE 7 - 9 National context 7 The original draft 7 Public consultation 7 - 8 Extent of revisions 8 Design guidance 8 Acknowledgements 9

1. INTRODUCTION 11 - 12 The purpose of the study 11 - 12 Structure of the report 12

2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE DISTRICT 13 - 26 An introduction to the landscape of the District 13 - 14 The evolution of the landscape 15 - 17 Hydrology and Drainage 17 - 18 Agriculture and Rural Land Management 18 - 21 Existing patterns 18 The impact of changing agricultural practice 19 - 20 The management of woodlands and orchards 21 Settlement in the District 22 - 23 Geology and Minerals 23 - 24 Recreation, leisure and tourism 24 - 25 Nature conservation 25 - 26

3. LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS 27 - 28 Criteria for landscape character area definition 27 - 28 Countryside Design Summary aims 28

4. LEVELS AND MOORS 29 - 54 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 29 - 34 The existing landscape 29 - 31 Evolution of the landscape 31 - 32 Key issues and forces for change 32 - 33 Landscape Management Issues 33 - 34 B. THE PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS 35 - 40 Photo pages 35 - 36 Description in detail 37 Landcover types 38 Settlement and building form 38 - 39 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 40 Key principles for new development

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 3 C. THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors) 41 - 50 Photo pages 41 - 43 Description in detail 44 Landcover types 45 Settlement and building form 45 - 50 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 46 - 47 Key principles for new development D. SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE 51 - 54 Photo page 51 Description in detail 52 Landcover types 52 Settlement and building form 52 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 53 -54 Key principles for new development

5. MENDIPS 55 - 75 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 55 - 58 The existing landscape 55 Evolution of the landscape 56 - 57 Key issues and forces for change 57 - 58 Landscape Management Issues 58 B. THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES 59 - 64 Photo page 59 Description in detail 60 Landcover types 60 - 61 Settlement and building form 61 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 61 - 64 Key principles for new development C. SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE 65 - 67 Photo page 65 Description in detail 66 Landcover types 66 Settlement and building form 67 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 67 Key principles for new development D. MENDIP PLATEAU 68 - 69 Photo page 68 Description in detail 69 Landcover types 69 Settlement and building form 69 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 69 Key principles for new development E. SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS 70 - 73 Photo page 70 Description in detail 71 Landcover types 71 Settlement and building form 71 - 72 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 72 - 73 Key principles for new development

4 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary F. BREAN DOWN 74 - 75 Photo page 74 Description in detail 75 Landcover types 75 Settlement and building form 75 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development 75

6. LOWLAND HILLS 77 - 108 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 77 - 79 The existing landscape 77 Evolution of the landscape 78 - 79 Key issues and forces for change 79 Landscape Management Issues 79

B. ISLE OF WEDMORE 80 - 85 Photo page 80 Description in detail 81 Landcover types 81 Settlement and building form 82 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 82 - 85 Key principles for new development C. POLDEN HILLS 86 - 91 Photo page 86 Description in detail 87 Landcover types 87 Settlement and building form 88 - 89 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 89 - 91 Key principles for new development D. ISOLATED HILLS 92 - 94 Photo page 92 Description in detail 93 Landcover types 93 Settlement and building form 93 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 94 Key principles for new development E. QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS 95 - 102 Photo page 95 Description in detail 96 - 97 Landcover Types 97 Settlement and building form 97 - 98 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 99 - 102 Key principles for new development F. STOCKLAND HILLS 103 - 108 Photo page 103 Description in detail 104 Landcover types 105 Settlement and building form 105 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 105 - 108 Key principles for new development

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5 7. QUANTOCKS 109 - 119 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 109 - 112 The existing landscape 109 Evolution of the landscape 109 - 110 Key issues and forces for change 110 - 111 Landscape Management Issues 111 - 112 B. QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES 113 - 116 Photo page 113 Description in detail 114 Landcover types 115 Settlement and building form 115 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 115 - 116 Key principles for new development C. QUANTOCK SUMMITS 117 - 119 Photo page 117 Description in detail 118 Landcover types 118 Settlement and building form 119 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 119 Key principles for new development

8. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY 121 - 127 GENERAL AIMS AND BACKGROUND 121 Principles of Sustainability 121 The role of Landscape Management in achieving Sustainability 121 MAINTAINING APPROPRIATE PLANNING POLICIES 121 Protection of Designated Landscape Areas 121 Safeguarding other areas of landscape interest 122 PREPARING A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 122 Landscape Aims and Objectives 122 MONITORING FUTURE CHANGE 122 - 123 Land and Soil Resources 124 Resource Protection 124 Water Conservation 124 Biodiversity 125 Air Quality and carbon dioxide fixing 125 Cultural Heritage 125 Open Space and public access 125 Quality of Life in towns and villages 126 Travel generation 126 Mode of travel 126 RECOMMENDATIONS ON LOCAL INDICATORS 126 - 127 LANDSCAPE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AREAS 127 Collaboration and guidance 127 APPENDIX 1 - Glossary 128 APPENDIX 2 - Bibliography 129 Map 1 - Topography Map 2 - Simplified Geology Map 3 - Landscape History Map 4 - Designated Areas Map 5 - Landscape Character Areas Map 6 - Areas of High Sensitivity

6 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary Preface

National Context 1 Since 1996 the Countryside Commission (now the Countryside Agency) has been promoting the preparation of Countryside Design Summaries and Village Design Statements as tools which can help to improve the design of buildings in the countryside. In addition to publishing detailed advice on the preparation of such “supplementary planning guidance” the Countryside Commission also worked in collaboration with English Nature to produce a map and associated summary statements which attempt to define the diverse and distinctive characteristics of the English Countryside – published in 1996 as “The Character of England; landscape, wildlife and natural features” and also known as “The joint character map”. 2 At the heart of this national guidance is a concern for the quality of the whole of the English countryside rather than a focus on designated areas of special quality. Areas of national importance for landscape or nature conservation reasons (National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest) cover substantial parts of the country but even the “ordinary” English countryside has a rich diversity and possesses a wealth of character and local distinctiveness. Concern that a range of land management changes and unsympathetic developments are eroding the quality and identity of our landscape heritage underlies the importance of adopting a “character approach” towards the landscape as a whole. 3 The “Joint Character Map” identifies 159 separate “character areas” as the basic building blocks for understanding the diverse character of the English countryside and a further 22 coastal character areas. The area covered by Sedgemoor District encompasses 5 of these landscape character areas (Mendip Hills, Somerset Levels and Moors, Mid Somerset Hills, Quantock Hills,Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringes) and one coastal character area (Bridgwater Bay).

The original draft of this document (LUC,1997) 4 Sedgemoor District encompasses parts of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Mendip Hills and Quantock Hills). The Countryside Commission engaged consultants to prepare a detailed landscape assessment of the Mendip Hills AONB in 1996 and the final document was published in 1998. When a similar assessment was being commissioned for the Quantock Hills AONB in 1997, Sedgemoor District Council took the opportunity to utilise the same consultants to provide a landscape assessment document for the whole district. 5 The brief for the Sedgemoor Study had sought not only a landscape assessment but also a building design guidance component. The resulting document “Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary” was completed by Land Use Consultants in September 1997.

Public consultation 6 The document was treated as a draft that could be further refined following consultation. Copies were circu- lated to all Town/Parish Councils in the District and a number of other relevant local organisations, inviting feedback.The report was also featured in an 8-page Local Plan consultation newsletter which was distrib- uted to all households and businesses in the District in March 1998 and copies were available in local libraries.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 7 Preface

7 Much of the feedback was generally supportive although only 19 organisations made detailed responses. The detailed responses did however raise a wide range of specific points. All these points were summarised and considered by a District Council working group which met in November and December 1999.

Extent of revisions 8 The document has subsequently been exhaustively revised. The revisions have retained the basic structure of the LUC draft but the document is inevitably now something of a hybrid. A number of the landscape character sub-areas have been given amended names but the basic geographic framework of the landscape assessment remains unchanged, although reclassifying part of the Levels and Moors territory as being “Moors” rather than “Levels” has required significant changes in Chapter 4. More generally the changes have been aimed at correcting factual errors and / or providing additional relevant information. 9 The District Council sees the primary purpose of this document as being of assistance in its role as local planning authority. To this end there is explicit cross-reference to this document in the draft Sedgemoor District Local Plan (June 1999, October 2000) as a potential source of supplementary planning guidance. The document also has a clear role in providing contextual information to aid local Village Design Statement work. Some of the detailed revisions have therefore tried to provide more information on the relevance of local geology and building materials. 10 Farming practices and woodland management are clearly key influences on the character and appearance of the countryside. Land drainage and water level management are also significant factors in the Somerset Levels and Moors. The Landscape Assessment rightly contains a commentary on landscape management matters but readers should note that the District Council has a relatively limited involvement in land management and there are many other agencies with more direct influence. At a European and national level the process of modifying agricultural policy and practice continues to undergo changes intended to offer better support for landscape and wildlife. Locally it is organisations such as the Somerset Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group which may be best able to help farmers deliver positive changes at a local level whilst also maintaining a viable and sustainable business.

Design guidance 11 The original LUC document contained commentaries and photo captions that were in some cases critical of the design of individual schemes. Identifying good and bad practice is a necessary component of an analyti- cal review; the District Council recognises that we, along with the designers and developers of such schemes, carry some responsibility for such errors. The Council intends that this document and other forms of supplementary planning guidance will be a positive and supporting aid for designers by helping to more clearly identify characteristics which are important factors in maintaining the distinctiveness of local building patterns. The guidance should be utilised in this way at the outset of the building design process, well before a proposal becomes a detailed planning application, but the Council will clearly also use this document if necessary to negotiate design changes or support a decision to refuse permission. 12 The Countryside Design Summary should provide important context for Village Design Statement work undertaken by local project groups. The Council’s experience in dealing with such projects since the LUC draft was prepared is that there is a need for more detailed information to aid the analysis and understanding of local built environments. 13 The basic format of the LUC Countryside Design Summary draft, wherein settlement / building form and development criteria advice is provided for each landscape character sub-area, has been retained. However, readers should be aware that the potentially relevant attributes of buildings and spaces are many and varied; there is some danger that a ‘characterisation’ approach can be an over-simplification. There are many factors with widespread relevance and others which can be very localised. Characterisation might identify key components but fail to identify the full range of ingredients which can be relevant to creating designs which are “in keeping”. In order to help bridge this gap a separate guidance note for Village Design Statement projects has been prepared.

8 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

Preface

Acknowledgements and contributors 14 This document is based on work commissioned from Land Use Consultants of Bristol (Peter Nelson – Principal, Simon Michaels – Associate and Richard McDonnell – Archaeological Consultant). Assistance during the study was provided by Katie Sellek of the Countryside Commission and Sedgemoor District Council staff, principally Nigel Davies - Planning and Transportation Policy Manager, Rob Shuttleworth – Principal Planning Officer, Mark Alcock – Principal Planning Officer, Janette James – Landscape Officer and Peter Seccombe, Senior Countryside Officer. Subsequent editing has primarily been the responsibility of Rob Shuttleworth and the assistance of all those who provided feedback at the consultation stage is hereby gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to Somerset County Council, Somerset Environmental Records Centre, the Environment Agency and to the authors of the many background documents identified in the bibliography for whatever assistance their work gave to our collective understanding of the landscape of Sedgemoor.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 9 10 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

1. Introduction

The Purpose of this study 1.1 In July 1994, the Secretary of State for the Environment published a discussion document entitled “Quality in Town and Country”,followed a year later by the Urban Design Campaign. Since then, the quality of new development and its impact upon the environment has become one of the most important planning issues. 1.2 In May 1995, this Council published its proposals for the preparation of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan. These proposals identified a number of aims and objectives which the Local Plan will attempt to achieve. Part of the purpose of the Local Plan, will be to safeguard the valued and unique characteristics of the district, including its natural, built and historical heritage. 1.3 In September 1996, the Countryside Commission published its advisory booklet ‘Countryside Design Summaries - Achieving Quality in Countryside Design’. The Commission identified that the main threat to diversity of the countryside and its distinctive sense of place, stems from the common use of standardised building designs and layouts, and from the gradual suburbanisation of the rural environment. In consequence, the Commission sought to improve the design of buildings in the countryside by promoting new development which is harmonious with its setting, and which respects and sustains local diversity and distinctiveness. 1.4 Planning Policy Guidance Note 7 - The Countryside - Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development, supports the adoption of the “Character Approach” to accommodating necessary change within the countryside without sacrificing its local character. The approach attempts to ensure that within the countryside, new development respects or enhances landscape character. This is reinforced by Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 - General Policy and Principles, which identifies good design as being one of the cor- nerstones of the planning system. 1.5 This study was commissioned by the Council and the Countryside Commission in January 1997, and has been prepared in response to these concerns and initiatives. It forms part of an ongoing process to improve the design of new development within Sedgemoor. The study follows established techniques which have evolved and been guided by the Countryside Commission. It aims to satisfy a number of objectives as follows: • to provide an analysis of the character of the landscape; • to describe the way in which the landscape has evolved, identify current forces for change, and identify key issues with regard to landscape management as it affects landscape character; • to identify the distinctive character of rural settlements and their surroundings to help to ensure that new development fits well with this character; • to assess the impact of the built environment on the landscape and to identify areas of high vulnerability to new development and other forms of land use change; and • to make recommendations for policies and planning mechanisms which will allow principles of sustainable development to be incorporated into emerging policies and proposals. 1.6 The study was subject of public consultation, following which the document has been revised prior to being adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the development plan. While the study is a material planning consideration in determining planning applications, it must be recognised that a number of its recommendations relate to land-use management and ‘permitted development rights’ which fall outside planning control.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 11

1. Introduction

1.7 In parallel with this study, the consultants also produced a Landscape Assessment of the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the Countryside Commission. This was published as the “The Quantock Hills landscape - an assessment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”,by the Countryside Agency, in January 2003. This provides a useful sister document to the Mendip Hills landscape assessment published in 1998. These together with the Sedgemoor Biodiversity Action Plan and the Sedgemoor District Local Plan, will help to progress the Council’s Environmental Policy under Local Agenda 21. In the future, this study will provide a context for Village Design Statements which will be progressed in partnership with Parish Councils and their constituent local communities.

(left) Quantock Hills landscape - an assessment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (right) Mendip Hills landscape assessment

Structure of the report 1.8 The report has been divided into several chapters: Chapter 1 describes the purpose of the study; Chapter 2 provides an overview of the landscape of the District and common issues with regard to landscape change; Chapter 3 identifies landscape character areas and the working methodology, whilst Chapters 4 to 7 describe the character areas and define issues in detail; Chapter 8 describes how issues of sustainability and environmental quality can be addressed, and makes recommendations for future planning policy.

1.9 The Landscape Character Areas are depicted on Map 5, which is at the end of the document. For some readers, the main interest may lie in one particular Character Area, in which case the relevant individual chapter (4, 5, 6 or 7) could be read in isolation. Each of these chapters starts with a general description of the landscape, its evolution and an indication of key landscape issues, before then providing a more detailed description and analysis of the character and sensitivity of individual sub-areas.

1.10 Information in Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on the subject of “evolution of the landscape” should be read in conjunction with Map 3. This material is based on work done by archaeological consultant Richard McDonnell; any reader with a particular interest in this topic could be given access to his original report, which is unpublished, but can be obtained via the District Council.

12 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The low-lying landscape of the Levels The Quantock Hills Cheddar Gorge, in the Mendip Hills

An introduction to the landscape of the District 2.1 The District contains a great diversity in landscape types. Much of the District comprises the Somerset Levels and Moors, a low wetland landscape on a fragile knife edge between land and water. Surrounding and con- taining the Levels and Moors are the upland landscapes of the Quantocks and Mendips, whilst a number of lower rolling hills, knolls and ridges divide the wetland areas. These lower hills include the Polden ridge and the ‘Isle’ of Wedmore, together with distinct isolated hills such as Brent Knoll. 2.2 The Quantock Hills and the Mendips Hills are both especially attractive landscapes, with national designations as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Much of the rest of the District has previously been designated as Special Landscape Area in the Somerset Structure Plan but this type of local designation has now been abandoned in favour of a character-based approach to landscape assessment, an approach to which this study is directly relevant. 2.3 Agricultural activity varies greatly, from the grazing meadows of the lowlands to the upland moors and market gardening in the Mendip fringes, with the pattern of the seasons defining the ebb and flow of agricultural activity and the complex management of the water systems in the wetlands. It is a landscape rich in history, with evidence of continuity in settlement from pre-history to the present day. Patterns in the lie of the fields, the form of buildings and settlements, and the mosaic of hedgerows and woodlands reflect this history. 2.4 The topography of the district tells us much about its nature (see Map 1). Much of the area lies only a few metres above sea level, and in the past this low land was subject to regular inundation by either fresh or salt water. In order to regulate this, a complex system of channels (rhynes) and ditches has evolved, with seasonal pumping or releasing of water to the larger rivers or cuts which discharge to the sea. Above this, the high ground of the Polden Hills, the Isle of Wedmore, and the limestone outcrops such as Brent Knoll, rises with varying degrees of steepness. Around the edges of the District, the much larger hills of the Mendips and the Quantocks contain views from all areas, with Glastonbury Tor visible to the east and Aller Hill, the Fivehead Ridge and the Blackdown Hills forming a backdrop further south. 2.5 A look beneath the surface of this landscape at the underlying geology gives a rationale to the lie of the land (see Map 2). The sandstones, limestones, clays and marls of the higher areas give way to the alluvial clay, peat and sand and gravel outcrops of the lower areas. These outcrops of rock have given rise to very localised use of building materials. The western area of the low lying land is mostly founded on clay, and is known as the Levels, whilst the more easterly Moors are tangibly lower and wetter. 2.6 Agricultural and settlement patterns reflect these basic components of the landscape. The peat Moors traditionally supported only summer grazing; pasture and some arable crops are found on the drier ground in the Levels; whilst the higher ground and hills support a more varied range of agricultural activities. 2.7 Settlement in the Levels has occurred where dry ground is found, with some notable isolated gravel outcrops in the wetlands accommodating sizeable villages, such as Westonzoyland. In the Moors the few farm buildings have sought locations which are only marginally above the level of the fields, often on the banks of the rhynes. The clay areas of the Levels have allowed the development of more major settlements such as Bridgwater, whilst many villages of great antiquity occupy the drier ground of the hillsides.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 13

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The major settlement of Bridgwater on the edge of the Levels and the Polden ridge in the background.

2.8 Woodland is largely confined to the hills, but hedgerows and mature trees are a major landscape feature throughout most of the District. The species reflect the ground conditions, with willows for example following the criss-crossing ditches and rhynes of the wetlands and often seen in their traditional pollarded form, whilst oaks and ash are more common in the hills. Beside settlements, small orchards are also a distinctive feature of the landscape, although their numbers have reduced in recent years.

Small orchards are a distinctive, but declining, feature of villages throughout the District.

2.9 On the Levels and Moors, the flat nature of the low land and the general absence of woodland creates a landscape of long views and wide panoramas. Similarly, views to and from the hills are extensive (although the landscape before Dutch Elm disease in the late 1970s would have been somewhat more enclosed than it is today). 2.10 For much of the District, little has changed in the nature of the landscape and man’s activities over the past two hundred years. Despite a slow taming of the water systems in the wetlands, and limited urban expansion and the influence of the M5 motorway, it remains a largely unspoilt rural area, a landscape which is varied and in parts distinctive. The vulnerability to rain and tide, the sense of the timeless pattern of man’s activities, and the richness of the flora and fauna, combine to create a landscape which is unique. It is also a landscape in which these fine balances could easily be damaged, through insensitive development or changes in land management.

14 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The evolution of the landscape Pre-History

2.11 There is evidence, from caves at Cheddar, that our ancestors occupied the area 42,000 years ago. Between 20,000 and 13,000 BC the severity of climate was such that there was no occupation of this part of Europe. After the last Ice Age the area was reoccupied by hunter-gatherers. By 8,000 BC the post-glacial woodland cover was well established and sea levels had begun to rise, separating Britain from continental Europe by about 6,000 BC. Sea levels had been some 30m lower than today and the area that is now the Somerset Levels formed a series of valleys. The gradually rising sea levels began to deposit marine clay in these valleys; the level of the clay and alluvium rose with the sea and was eventually to form the characteristically flat Levels landscape of today.

Early Farmers: 4,000-2,000 BC 2.12 Agriculture was probably introduced to the region 6,000 years ago. Initially small areas of woodland will have been cleared and then abandoned creating a patchwork of primary and secondary woodland interspersed with active and abandoned fields reverting to scrub. By the end of this period the woodlands of the hill country within the District will have been considerably reduced and the transformation into the landscape of farmland, moorland, woods and hedges that we recognise today had begun. Occupation sites and settlements became more permanent and ritual monuments like the henge at Gorsey Bigbury on Mendip were built in this period. The tidal flats and peat bogs of the emerging Somerset Levels and Moors supported areas of reed swamp, salt marsh and wet woodland. Wooden trackways were built across the bogs both to connect the ‘islands’ of Westhay, Meare and Burtle and simply to access the rich resources that these wetlands offered. The earliest and most famous is the Sweet Track which we know from tree ring studies to have been built from wood felled in 3087/6 BC. Some tracks were made from woven hurdles; a local hurdle making industry continues today on the Levels.

A structured landscape: 2,000 BC - 43 AD 2.13 Developing agriculture formed the economic basis for society and some of the prehistoric field systems on Brean Down and Mendip may date from this time. The tidal Levels and the raised bogs of the peat moors continued to be used for a variety of subsistence purposes. A slow downturn in climatic conditions affected both the upland arable fields and the lowland bogs. Little is known of the religious beliefs of the period though the dead were buried in round barrows that were built often in groups on hill tops and hill spurs and many can still be seen on the Quantocks and Mendip. During the later Bronze Age defended settlements began to develop. 2.14 Iron Age society (650 BC – 43 AD) was based on a tribal structure which led to the development of fortified enclosures. There are Iron Age hillforts at Cannington, Brent Knoll, Ruborough, Brean Down and just outside the District at Dolebury. Sea levels were close to present day levels and there were settlements around the edges of the Levels and Moors. The rich resources of the wetlands continued to be exploited and the lake village at Glastonbury, just outside the District, also dates from this period. Evidence from that site indicates the presence of sea eagles, crane and pelicans in addition to the wildfowl we are familiar with. Wild boar, wild cat, polecat, marten and beaver as well as the domesticated animals such as horse, ox, sheep, goat, pig and dog would also be found.

The landscape of exploitation: 43 - 450 AD 2.15 The Roman conquest of Britain which started in 43 AD quickly led to the economic exploitation of the new province. The agricultural potential of the Levels and the mineral wealth of Mendip were soon engaged by the new administration. While some parts of the Levels and Moors were drained and farmed, others were used for salt production and retained their tidal character. The export of the produce was probably undertaken from ports on the Axe and on the Parrett. There is evidence of a port with warehouses at Crandon Bridge on the Parrett and also evidence of a settlement at Combwich.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 15

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The Dark Ages: 450 - 700 AD 2.16 The collapse of the Romano British administration will have had a significant effect within this area. Settlements were abandoned and some of the hillforts were resettled. Christianity began to take hold in the 4th century AD but it was during the next three centuries that it really gained ground. While some churches in the area have Celtic dedications, suggesting early Welsh and Irish connections, some of the Romano British temples continued in use until the sixth century AD.

The landscape of expansion and retraction: 700 - 1540 AD 2.17 The Anglo Saxon period was one of expanding markets and settlements with the construction of defended towns like Axbridge and East Lyng. At Cheddar there was a Royal Palace which was used by the Saxon Kings as a base for hunting. It was probably during this time that the settlement and enclosure of the coastal levels and the Quantock Hills began to take place and much of today’s landscape in these areas dates from this time. The large estates were owned by the king and the church though by the end of the period much of the ownership of the countryside was held by the Church. 2.18 After the Norman conquest in 1066 the expansion of settlements continued. The Saxon hunting grounds of Mendip and Quantock became Royal Forests while on the Levels and Moors this period is characterised by the continued squabbling between the two biggest land owners, the Bishop of Bath and Wells and the Abbot of Glastonbury. Despite the conflict many new drainage works were undertaken and fisheries established. 2.19 Later in the period many villages and farms were deserted and large areas of the Levels and Moors that had been enclosed and drained were abandoned. This was the result of economic and social factors and epidemics such as the Black Death.

More recent rectilinear enclosures

Medieval field pattern

Aerial photo showing the medieval and later field patterns surrounding Othery.

The landscape of drainage and enclosure: 1540 - 1900 AD 2.20 With the dissolution of the monasteries the large land holdings on the Levels and Moors came into the ownership of the Crown. This was an important stimulus to new drainage activities between 1600 and 1640 but very little drainage work or enclosure was undertaken between 1640 and 1770. By 1770 nearly two thirds of all the floodable land on the Levels and Moors was still unreclaimed but by 1840 almost the entire area had a system of drainage channels and was enclosed by rhynes, creating the landscape of roads and fields we see on the inland Moors today. Similarly the present character of much of the Mendip Hills results from the enclosures of this period. 2.21 During the nineteenth century the increased need for improved communications saw the construction of canals and the railway network, with their attendant expansion of urban areas and new trading opportunities.

16 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The twentieth century 2.22 In addition to the usual defensive features the Second World War caused the creation of the Huntspill River which was cut as a reservoir for the armaments factory near Puriton. The national trend from rail transport to roads is well illustrated by the removal of all railways except for the main line and the creation of what is now a dominant feature of the coastal levels, the M5 motorway. Other twentieth century influences which have had an effect on the Sedgemoor landscape include changes in farming practices (which have included hedgerow removal, loss of wildflower meadows and erection of large buildings), expansion of towns and some villages, caravan sites, coniferous forest plantations, loss of hedgerow trees through Dutch Elm Disease, and larger scale quarrying and peat extraction. These influences and continuing pressures are reviewed in more detail in the remainder of this chapter.

The M5 is a dominant feature through the landscape of the Levels

Hydrology and Drainage 2.23 With the exception of areas near Shipham, the northern part of the District is in the catchment of the River Axe or River Brue, and the southern parts drain to the River Parrett. 2.24 All three river systems flow through the lowlands of the Levels and Moors area and discharge to the Severn Estuary. The rivers are supplemented by major drainage channels such as the King’s Sedgemoor Drain and Huntspill River. The River Parrett has an exceptionally long tidal reach (because of the shallow gradient of its lower and middle reaches and the high tide range of the Severn Estuary) and is tidal through to a point several miles beyond the District boundary. By contrast tidal inflows to the Axe, Brue, Huntspill River and King’s Sedgemoor Drain are prevented by sluice gates (clyces) and these watercourses are therefore not subject to tidal influences except at their seaward extremities. 2.25 The River Axe and its tributaries the Cheddar Yeo and Lox Yeo, rise from limestone springs on the Mendips, before flowing through the Somerset Levels and Moors to the sea just north of Brean Down. The River Brue rises in the clay uplands to the east of the catchment, before flowing slowly through the flat lowlands of the Somerset Levels and Moors, often in man-made channels, before entering the sea at Highbridge. The two rivers are interconnected in several places by rhynes controlled by sluices, forming a very complex artificial drainage system. 2.26 The catchment of the River Parrett is probably the most complex network of interconnected semi-natural and man-made watercourses in Somerset. The catchment is bounded to the north by the ridge of the Polden Hills, and incorporates small streams running from the steep scarp slopes of the Quantocks and Blackdown Hills, joining to flow through the lowlands of the Somerset Levels and Moors to discharge via the tidal Parrett into the Severn Estuary. The complex geology and landform of the catchment gives rise to an exceptional range of landscape and river types from short steep streams on the Quantock Hills to the sluggish nutrient-rich water in the lowland Moors.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 17

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

2.27 The Axe and Brue are highly modified river courses and the River Parrett, whilst flowing in a more natural course has also had substantial flood embankments built on top of the natural levees (the slightly higher ground alongside the river formed naturally by the settling out of silt from floodwater). The long history of the creation and maintenance of the drainage of the Levels and Moors is a complex and fascinating subject.

Huntspill River and Cripps River sluice gate at Gold Corner

Agriculture and Rural Land Management

Exisiting patterns 2.28 The rural and agricultural patterns in the District reflect the natural conditions (topography, geology, soils and climate) of the area, as well as historical uses and farming practices. Thus the lowest parts of the Levels and Moors have almost exclusively supported summer grazing, whereas the Quantocks and Mendip Hills have supported a range of activities from hunting forest and woodland, to arable cropping. On some of the best land on the lower Mendip fringes, horticulture and market gardening have been practised, although this is now changing with competition from more intensive production systems. 2.29 For many years on the Levels and Moors the main emphasis in the work of the internal drainage boards and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, was to improve the drainage capacity of the rhyne system. By reducing winter water levels, soils could be encouraged to dry out and warm up more rapidly in the spring, providing better grass growth. The drier conditions allowed livestock to return to the land earlier in the year reducing poaching of the surface, and providing better conditions for sheep grazing. 2.30 This intensification of agricultural use had adverse consequences for the flora and fauna of the wet grasslands leading to a reduction in the diversity of plant species favouring wet conditions, and a marked decline in the numbers of wading birds which feed on invertebrates and molluscs thriving in the damp soil and vegetation. The reduced water levels, and drying out of peat also add an adverse impact on the buried archaeological resource. Increases in the area of cultivation also degrade archaeology and weaken the grassland character of the moors.

2.31 Since 1991 a large part of the Somerset Levels and Moors have been designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (see Map 4) within which the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (now the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) encourages farmers to enter into management agreements aimed at achieving “environmentally-friendly” farming. The highest tier of ESA payments are aimed at achieving raised water levels, particularly in the lowest lying areas of the moors where it is most practical and where habitat restoration would help to sustain the flocks of wading birds for which the Levels and Moors have been vital breeding and wintering grounds.

18 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

2.32 Woodland has not been a very widespread element of the landscape in Somerset, partly due to the limited opportunity for good woodland growth in the wetland areas, or for other reasons such as the creation of open Forest (a term indicating use for hunting rather than tree cover). However, the visual impact of even small areas of woodland is very significant, standing out strongly on the skyline of the Polden Hills for example, and creating a distinctly contained landscape character in the small valleys which run down from the Quantocks. The ancient woods which survive are largely oak dominant, although areas of lime woods remain, a reminder of the dominance of lime in the forests of the pre-history period in the area. On many areas in the Moors, secondary woodland has developed where peat cutting or grazing has ceased, comprising wet ‘carr’ woodland of alder and willow. 2.33 Commercial conifer plantations have created a strong imposition on landscape character in defined upland areas of the District, creating a largely negative impact on the landscape both in terms of visual character and nature conservation. 2.34 Parkland too, has created distinctive landscapes in many places, and remains evident in the mature parkland trees and other built features in areas of permanent pasture.

The impact of changing agricultural practice 2.35 Historically, changes in agricultural practice have always been likely to impact on the landscape. The second half of the twentieth century saw many changes in farming practices, policy and economics. Increased mechanisation and use of pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilisers in order to increase yields and also more intensive livestock rearing have been accompanied direct and indirect effects on the landscape. The direct effects have included hedgerow removal to create larger fields and the erection of large buildings. At a smaller scale, the flailing of hedgerows and mechanical clearance of ditches and rhynes have tended to have a negative impact both visually and on wildlife. Widespread changes in grassland management have had an insidious and dramatic impact on the number of wildflower meadows and management changes on the wetlands of the Levels and Moors have impacted on the feeding and breeding grounds of wild birds. New crops such as oilseed rape, maize and outdoor pig-rearing can have a dramatic visual impact. Much of this change has been driven by economic and political factors and has been subject of negligible planning control. At a national level, recognition of these impacts led to agri-environment schemes such as Environmentally Sensitive Area payments and Countryside Stewardship being introduced and also some control over hedgerow removal and agricultural buildings. 2.36 Hedgerow management is also one of the key features of both the lowland and hill landscapes which needs careful attention. The pattern of hedges, their maturity and scale, contributes in large part the nature of the various landscape character areas. In many ways the reasons for maintaining hedgerows, as stock proof barriers and for shelter, are diminishing, as barbed wire fences become more ubiquitous, hedge laying skills become lost or expensive, and as more arable cropping develops. 2.37 Field and other boundary walls too, particularly dry stone walls in the Mendip area, are important features which are often no longer required for their original function. The expression of local geology which these walls convey is an important element in creating local distinctiveness.

Dry stone walls are a particular feature of the Mendip area.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 19

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

An illustration of significant hedgerow loss, 1971 to 1992

These three drawings are based on aerial photographs and show a single 1 kilometre square between Nether Stowey and Fiddington.

(left) Trees and hedgerows in 1971

(below left)Trees and hedgerows in 1992

(below)The difference i.e what was lost

1971

1992 difference

18 19 20 21 40

ST2039 - The 1 km grid square examined 39

20 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

The management of woodlands and orchards 2.38 The richness of habitats which many ancient woods display has evolved through the use of those woods by man. Coppicing, selective felling, woodland grazing and other activities, once controlled by defined management regimes such as commoner’s rights, are often no longer carried out. As a result, the diversity and regeneration of woodlands has become a major issue nation-wide. 2.39 Orchards too are a key feature of both the lowland and the Quantocks landscapes, yet the many smaller orchards attached to farmsteads are no longer used, and through neglect may disappear. Grants are available from the County Council for replanting but not for maintenance, and protection of orchard trees by Tree Preservation Orders is not possible as they are regarded as an agricultural crop. 2.40 A tremendous change in the landscape occurred during the late 1970s, with the outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. It continues to affect the development of the common elm scrub in hedgerows, creating a sucker- ing thicket which dies back at about 7 metres in height, and denies the landscape part of its sense of maturity.

A regenerating hedgerow, suffering a further attack of Dutch Elm disease

2.41 Other features associated with woodland, such as the enclosing hedge banks typical of protected medieval managed woods, can easily be lost. Traditional wood pasture techniques, which in the Levels and Moors are clearly represented by the pollarded willows, may easily disappear also, without a commercial use for the small timber which can be produced in this way, although subsidies for pollarding are also now available and show signs of being successfully applied. 2.42 In the upland areas of the Quantocks in particular, mature hedgerow or solitary trees are an important feature, standing out on the skyline from many vantage points. Many of these, especially the mature beech trees, which have developed as trees from hedges planted during early 19th century parliamentary enclosures, are over-mature and until recently there was little sign of a major commitment to re-planting. The Quantock Hills AONB Service now actively promotes the conservation and restoration of Beech Hedge Banks and some projects have been aided by Countryside Stewardship funding. 2.43 Coniferous forestry plantations have been introduced into the Quantocks and Mendip Hills, often on the site of former deciduous woodland or more open landscape. Even where beech hedgebanks have been retained at the edges, the dark plantations of uniform age and species tend to be a discordant feature. The forest cover has also tended to mask features of archaeological interest such as the Iron Age hill fort of Ruborough Camp. The Forestry Commission’s plantations have accommodated recreational use and here the provision of car parks and low key facilities tends not to have an adverse landscape impact. When the plantations mature and are felled there is an opportunity to recreate some areas of broadleaved woodland.

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2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

Settlement in the District 2.44 Settlement, by which we mean the built environment of farmsteads, villages and towns, has taken on distinctive patterns in the District. The occupation of the land by farming and trading communities has dictated both form and location, whilst the use of local building materials and styles is intact in many of the older settlements, creating harmony and a sense of place. 2.45 Strong reasons are evident for development of the major towns, with Bridgwater historically a major port, later strengthened by the development of the railway. Railways also promoted the development of Highbridge as a port and railway town and Burnham-on-Sea as a seaside resort. Cheddar and Axbridge, by contrast, developed in Anglo Saxon and medieval periods along the main road on the northern edge of the wetland areas, and were a focus for mining and textile industries at the foot of the Mendips with its clean water sources. 2.46 Villages developed in relation more specifically to the rural economy. The string of villages of Saxon and medieval origin on the north side of the Poldens, for example, related to the use of both hill and wetland areas and connections between the two. The larger villages at the foot of the Quantocks developed out of the richer agricultural lands of the area. Elsewhere, a more dispersed pattern of small villages and hamlets has emerged in relation to patterns of land tenure. 2.47 In identifying the history of settlement, we have to look at the most enduring elements of settlement in particular the street pattern, and the relationship with natural features such as areas of high ground. Buildings reflect adaptation to natural environmental conditions and the availability of local materials, although few buildings survive for over a few hundred years so they give us only a relatively limited glimpse of the deeper historical patterns. Examination of plans is therefore a prime element in the analysis of settlement type, followed by field survey which identifies the pattern of massing and vernacular building form and the relationship to landscape context. 2.48 The street pattern of the settlements is generally organic, although in some cases a planned form is evident in the loosely rectilinear pattern of some Anglo Saxon and medieval villages such as Shapwick. Historically, change in village form would have been gradual, with expansion or contraction in response to periods of prosperity or poverty. Much of the expansion in villages as we see them today has occurred either through infill development, or through new housing development of the 20th century.

A range of settlements in the District Mark(above left) Axbridge(above right) Bridgwater (below)

22 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

2.49 The history of the use of local building materials is very apparent. The use of local stone is an important feature of the landscape in terms of creating local identity, and the relationship between geology and architectural materials is strong. Whilst stone has always been imported some distance for special purposes, such as the use of Doulting Stone or Ham Stone for ashlar work, there remains a strong local pattern in the use of Lias limestone, carboniferous limestone and red sandstone. The bricks and tiles formerly produced in the Bridgwater and Highbridge area also appear as a common building material. These patterns could easily be lost through insensitive new development, or reduced to peripheral and token gestures.

Geology and Minerals 2.50 The underlying geology varies significantly across the District (see Map 2) and is a key influence not only on landform and topography but also on soils and drainage (and therefore agricultural potential) and on local building stones. A number of local stones are illustrated below, but are no longer quarried locally. The clays of the levels also underpinned a major brick and tile industry, which has a widespread influence in the area.

Use of local stone is a key element in defining local distinctiveness

(above) Carboniferous limestone (Cheddar) (above) Lias limestone (Poldens) (below) Devonian sandstones/slates (Quantocks) (below) Otter (“New Red”) sandstone (Cannington)

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 23

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

2.51 Modern-day quarrying in the District is concentrated on the extraction of carboniferous limestone, primarily as crushed rock aggregate for the construction industry, from two quarries in the Cheddar area and one at Cannington. The quarries near Cheddar (Battscombe and Callow Rock) both lie within the Mendip Hills AONB. It is County Council policy to concentrate hard rock extraction in the East Mendip area (outside Sedgemoor District) but the established quarries within Sedgemoor have substantial reserves and will remain active for many years to come. Dormant quarries at Shipham Hill and Cannington Park have the benefit of historic planning consents and could be re-opened in future. The environmental impacts of quarrying include not only visual impact, noise, dust, lorry traffic, loss of habitat, etc but also potential disruption of aquifers with consequences for the only water supply to springs or watercourses and hence on local agriculture and the wetlands. Historically there were many more small quarries in the District from which local building stones and lime were sourced. 2.52 Peat production has been a traditional land use on parts of the moors for several centuries. commercial extraction is now limited to defined areas in the Brue valley, mainly in neighbouring Mendip District, but with some activity also in Sedgemoor. Considerable nature conservation interest is found in these areas, and this has introduced limits to the potential growth of the industry. Alternative land uses, including tourism related activities, have been identified in a study of the Brue Valley by Land Use Consultants (1994). These include coarse fishing, fish ranching, water reed production, withy production, duck and goose farming, biofuel production, and active watersports.

Peat digging at Catcott Heath

Recreation, leisure and tourism

2.53 The provision of sport and recreation facilities is largely focused on the larger urban centres, but provision locally for rural communities, the tourism industry and for specific activities will of necessity be located in the countryside. In particular this will include access to the countryside, water based sports and recreation. The development of other attractions such as those based on heritage or countryside may be encouraged where they respect landscape quality and character. 2.54 Sedgemoor benefits from a wide diversity of tourism activities, ranging from the traditional seaside holiday at Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean, and the national attraction of Cheddar Gorge, to nature study and rural activity holidays on the Somerset Moors. The District is also part of a wider tourism circuit which includes Wookey Hole,Wells, Glastonbury and Street. Much of the existing tourism is based on car travel between sites, and this poses considerable pressures on local communities through traffic, congestion and demand for parking spaces, especially in Summer. New tourism initiatives, like Pedal the Levels, (holidays based on cycling), and wetland restoration in the Avalon Marshes are designed to encourage recreation and tourism which is more compatible with environmental objectives.

24 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

2.55 Along the coast the aim is to raise standards of attractions and accommodation and to enhance environmental quality. Inland the main focus is on conservation of the environment and rural image, and the avoid- ance of new large-scale attractions - although opportunities for sustainable tourism initiatives which maintain the health of existing local economies will be encouraged

(above) Bird hide at Steart - The River Parrett Trail (above) Cheddar Gorge, a national attraction (below) Fishing lake at a coastal caravan site, Brean (below)The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal is an important recreational corridor

Nature conservation 2.56 The District is rich in sites of nature conservation interest, particularly in relation to the wetland areas. Nationally important sites are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (see Map 4), and some of these are also of international importance. In addition, there are numerous sites of county importance which have been identified and listed by the Somerset Environmental Records Centre. The wildlife sites include the following habitat types: • river habitats, ditches and rhynes • areas of open water and reed beds • ancient semi-natural woodland • mixed woods or plantations • limestone gorge and cave systems • unimproved herb-rich grassland • neutral or heathy and marshy grassland • calcareous grassland, limestone heath and rocky outcrops • herb-rich meadows and wet flushes • peatland grazing areas and raised bog

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2. An overview of the Landscape of the District

Introduction G Evolution G Drainage G Land Management G Settlement G Geology G Recreation G Nature Conservation

• old parkland • coastal dunes • intertidal mudflats and other coastal features

2.57 It can be seen from the list above, that there is an extensive range of habitats to be found here. In the Levels and Moors in particular the process of colonisation and succession, inundation and drying which has shaped the land is still there to be seen. The richness of these wetland habitats is of national importance and designations, including that as a Special Protection Area under EC legislation, reflects this status. Other habitats on parts of the Mendip Hills and Quantock Hills are also of European importance as “Special Areas of Conservation”. 2.58 Wildlife is, of course, not limited to designated sites and there is merit in considering the wildlife potential of all countryside areas.

26 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

3. Landscape Character Areas

105 National Context - the local portion of the 106 “joint character map” (Countryside Commission and English Nature, 1996) 177 118 107 176 117 143 141 Number Character Area 142 132 145 144 143 141 146 Mendip Hills 143 133 140 142 Somerset Levels and Moors 149 143 Mid-Somerset Hills 147 134 139 144 Quantock Hills 148 135 146 Quantock Fringe and 150 138 136 Vale of Taunton 173 137 176 Bridgwater Bay 172 151

Criteria for landscape character area definition 3.1 The purpose of defining landscape character areas is to identify geographical tracts of land which display similar physical characteristics, and in consequence present similar issues in terms of landscape management and forces for change. At a national level, a framework has already been established in the “joint character map”,produced by the Countryside Commission and English Nature in 1996. Within that broad framework, a more detailed assessment is expected to reveal further attributes which need to be recognised, in order to allow landscapes and settlements to evolve in ways which respect and enhance local character and distinctiveness. 3.2 It should be noted that as expained at paragraph 2 of the Preface, the “character approach” to landscape assessment operates entirely separately from the designation of finest quality landscapes as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is intended to help our understanding and appreciation of the the diversity, character and local distinctiveness of each part of the English countryside. 3.3 The criteria which are used to define boundaries to the character areas are as follows:- • topography - both elevation and gradients begin to define the main landform groups • geology and soils - geology and soils are often related to topography, and give rise to distinct patterns of land use • landcover - types of agriculture, or other land uses such as forestry, combined with field pattern and the nature of hedgerows and woodland • settlement pattern - the nature of settlement, from areas largely free of built form through to a nucleated or dispersed pattern of farmhouses, hamlets and villages, to large villages and towns 3.4 Four major categories of character area have been identified in Sedgemoor District - the Levels and Moors, the Lowland Hills, the Mendips and the Quantocks. These correspond closely with character areas identified by the Countryside Commission and English Nature in ‘The Character of England’. However it should be noted that the national joint map shows five character areas applicable to the District but two of these (‘Mid Somerset Hills’ and ‘Quantock Fringe and Vale of Taunton’) have been amalgamated into the ‘Lowland Hills’. Further sub-divisions have also been identified, and these are described in detail in Chapters 4-7.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 27

3. Landscape Character Areas

3.5. The character areas and sub areas have been defined as follows, and are shown on Map 5:

G Levels and Moors - Peat Moors -Clay Moors - Levels - Estuarine Levels - Islands in the Moors - Sea edge and Intertidal Zone

G Mendip Hills - The Strawberry Belt and Footslope Villages - Scarp slope,West Mendip Summits and Cheddar Gorge - Mendip plateau - Shipham slopes and valleys - Brean Down

G Lowland Hills - Polden Hills -Isle of Wedmore - Isolated Hills - Quantock Foothills - Stockland Hills

G Quantock Hills - Quantock Hills and Combes -Quantock Summits

Countryside Design Summary aims 3.6 The Countryside Commission in 1995 produced a new publication, Countryside Design Summaries, which promotes the understanding of the design character of settlements and the relationship to their landscape setting. The identification of local distinctiveness is a central theme of this publication, and the analysis carried out in the process of preparing the landscape assessment for the District has been used to provide the basis for guidance. The definition of separate character areas provides the basis for specific recommendations. 3.6 The aim is to use the analysis of local distinctiveness to identify key issues and consequent principles for the planning and design of new development, and for the management of rural areas. The principles will apply to both rural areas and small settlements or urban edges. This guidance will provide a reference for all those involved in the process of landscape change, including planners, developers, and landowners. 3.7 Alongside the design analysis, the management of countryside areas has been addressed, to give a compre- hensive coverage of landscape issues. The components which have been considered include the following: Landscape patterns • distinctive elements of landform, aspect and views • land use • field pattern • woodland, hedges, trees and other planting • hydrology and drainage • elements of value for nature conservation Settlement patterns • street pattern and spatial pattern • massing and density • prominent features and landmarks • views and enclosure • relationship to landscape patterns • edge characteristics Buildings and materials • locally used materials • distinctive building forms • distinctive hard landscape features

28 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

Levels and Moors

Levels and Moors Main settlements

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The existing landscape 4.1 The Somerset Levels and Moors is a vast area of drained wetland which lies at or below the level of high tide in the adjacent Bristol Channel. Covering a total of about 230 square miles, this landscape extends beyond the District boundary into the heart of Somerset and is drained by the Rivers Parrett, Brue, Axe and their tributaries. Formed mainly by the accumulation of marine and estuarine alluvium as sea levels rose in the post- glacial era, broad valleys have been filled to a depth of up to 30 metres. This is topped by peat which began forming from wetland vegetation about 6000 years ago. Continued deposition of marine/estuarine clays created the broad belt of coastal “Levels” which are slightly higher than the inland “Moors”. This height difference allowed the Levels and a number of low islands to be drained and occupied much earlier than the Moors. The Moors were generally not drained and enclosed until the eighteenth century, prior to which they had a more untamed wetland waste character and hence were called “Moors”. 4.2 This distinction between “Levels” and “Moors” persists in local place names and is relevant to this landscape assessment but in common usage the phrase “Levels and Moors” is often used as a generic term. The Levels and Moors landscape is commonly characterised as an area of summer pastures criss-crossed with a geometric pattern of rhynes (drainage ditches), long straight access droves and distinctive pollarded willows. But whilst these elements are characteristic of some Moors, others have hawthorn hedgerows and the Levels landscape shows further differences with a pattern of drainage ditches and lanes which is often much less regular and includes more mixed hedgerows. 4.3 The Mendip Hills to the north and the Quantocks to the south-west define the outer limits of this flat landscape. The Polden Hills form a dividing feature and other areas of high ground such as the Isle of Wedmore also rise above surrounding Moors. These adjacent areas of higher ground were a natural location for settlements. Within the Levels and Moors area itself the larger towns and villages are all on the Levels, whilst settlement on the Moors is infrequent and generally limited to small farmsteads or hamlets. 4.4 The extent of tree cover in the Levels and Moors is limited and it is often a very open landscape. The rhynes can serve as “wet fences” so hedgerows are not absolutely necessary. In some instances rhynes are lined with individual willow trees which create what has come to be seen as the quintessential Levels and Moors landscape. Where hedgerows do exist they are often cut low but more fully-grown hedgerows are also found and can significantly reduce the openness of local views. The growth of carr woodland on blocks of land in the Shapwick Heath area has a similar effect. Old cider orchards, often with sheep grazing under the old gnarled trees, can still be found associated with the farms and villages throughout the Levels area. 4.5 Over 60% of land in the District occupies the low areas of the Levels and Moors. Most of the land within this areas lies between 6 and 3 metres above ordnance datum (AOD). It is significant that the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world, with high tides reaching up to 6.7 metres AOD at Bridgwater Bridge. Consequently virtually the whole Levels and Moors area lies below maximum sea level. Tidal incur- sions are prevented by the natural barrier of coastal sand dunes and man-made sea defences. However, major breaches of the sea defences have occurred, most recently in December 1981 which resulted in extensive flooding in the Burnham and Huntspill area and subsequent construction of a new sea wall at Burnham and raised banks on the Parrett estuary.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 29 4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

4.6 Water levels in the main ditches and rhynes are controlled by the internal drainage boards. This is achieved using a variety of penstocks, from quite sophisticated mechanically operated sluices to wooden boards which are placed across a simple channel restriction. Very distinct seasonal patterns of operation have been developed. In the autumn, water levels are dropped in order to provide some freeboard and storage for run- off from the adjacent fields. In summer, water is fed from the main river off-takes into the rhyne system to maintain water levels, and provide a source of irrigation. 4.7 The arterial rivers are characterised by raised floodbanks. Outfalls into the arterial rivers are provided through the floodbanks with sluices to prevent backflow. Extensive areas rely on gravity drainage, but pumped drainage has been provided for about 25% of the moor area in the Parrett catchment to enable the clearance of surplus water. The county’s first steam land drainage pump was installed at Westonzoyland in 1830. During the 1960s enlarged pumping facilities were installed together with automatic floodgates but there are still occasions when extensive flooding occurs on some Moors.

Island in the Moors: Middlezoy lies on a low island, rising out of the lower wetland landscape criss- crossed with drainage ditches running through agricultural land (at Westonzoyland, Chedzoy and Burtle the slight elevation above the surrounding moors is less obvious)

The “High Spring Tide Level” marker high on the wall of the Gold Corner Pumping Station (eastern end of the Huntspill River) - a graphic illustration of the area’s reliance on controlled drainage

30 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

4.8 As has been explained above, the distinction between “Levels” and “Moors” is not always made or fully under- stood, but there are significant differences which this Landscape Assessment reflects. In addition to this basic division, it is possible to identify further subtle differences. In the case of the Moors the differences hinge on whether it is clay or peat which makes up the land surface. The islands of land which sit slightly higher than the surrounding moors share this characteristic with the main belt of the Levels and have a similar history of settlement but can be regarded as a separate entity. Such sub-zones have been shown on Map 5 (Landscape Character Areas) but the text of this document is organised on the basis of the basic division between “Levels” and “Moors”. It may be relevant to note that a separate Landscape Assessment document also exists for those parts of the Levels and Moors which are in the Environmentally Sensitive Area, prepared by ADAS.

Evolution of the landscape 4.9 Following the retreat of the ice sheets, the tidal flats of the emergent levels and moors territory are thought likely to have been exploited by early nomadic hunter gatherers. Flint tools have been found on the islands of higher ground that stood above the gradually flooding valleys. The peat bogs of the moors are thought to have begun forming about 6000 years ago and as more settled early agriculture developed on the adjacent high ground the wetlands were probably still important for hunting and fishing. Wooden trackways were constructed across the bogs and some have been preserved in the peat, e.g. the ‘Sweet Track’ dating from 3087 BC. 4.10 By the start of the Iron Age period (650 BC) sea levels were close to present levels and deposition of the coastal clay belt continued. In addition to sites on surrounding higher ground, island sites at Alstone,West Huntspill and Westonzoyland had been settled. The rich resources of the wetland areas continued to be exploited for hunting and fishing, and the lake village at Glastonbury (just outside the District) dates from this period. 4.11 There is evidence that some parts of the Levels were drained during the period of Roman occupation (43- 450 AD). But there is also evidence of an extensive industry based on the extraction of salt from seawater between Huntspill and Burtle and at Edithmead; these areas must have retained a tidal character at this time. There were ports on the River Axe, at Crandon Bridge on what is now an abandoned loop of the Parrett and at Combwich. A Romano-British settlement on the Levels east of Brent Knoll was subsequently inundated by the sea, possibly as a result of lack of maintenance of sea defences. 4.12 The Levels were probably being gradually enclosed around the growing settlements of the Anglo Saxon period. The Moors remained an untamed wetland, a wild place in which King Alfred was famously able to hide. But the fish and wildfowl were important resources and the Moors were apportioned to individual communities. Parish boundaries on the north side of the Polden Hills still reflect this relationship and the Doomsday Book recorded the presence of fisheries at Cheddar and Wedmore. 4.13 The remains of motte and bailey castles built soon after the Norman conquest can be found on the Levels at Downend and Edithmead. The enclosure and drainage of the Levels was probably continued in the early medieval period and Bridgwater was given town status in 1200. Other speculative 12th century urban ventures at Downend, Lower Weare and Rackley were not so successful. 4.14 Much of the Levels and Moors were in the possession of the principal religious houses, with the Abbot of Glastonbury having the largest share followed by the Dean and Chapter of Wells and on a more restricted scale the Abbot of Athelney.Wells and Glastonbury were responsible for the large-scale drainage, river diver- sions and reclamations that occurred during this period. All of the major river systems were affected with new cuts shortening and straightening the Tone, Parrett, Brue and Axe. In addition to drainage, navigation was also an important consideration and the Pillrow Cut from the River Brue to the old course of the River Axe is an example of a canal that fulfilled both functions. It was probably operational as early as 1235 and gave the Abbot of Glastonbury access to a port at Rooksbridge on a tidal pill of the old river and to his coastal estates at Lympsham, Brent and Berrow. 4.15 Later in the medieval period rural settlements, both villages and farms, were abandoned in considerable numbers especially on the coastal Levels and either side of the Parrett downstream of Bridgwater. The extensive relict landscapes that underlie the current system of drainage and enclosure to the east of Bridgwater and between Woolavington and Mark may also be casualties of this period of desertion.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 31

4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

4.16 With the dissolution of the religious houses the great estates of the Levels and Moors came to the crown, which gave a new stimulus to drainage activities between 1600 and 1640 especially on the coastal fringes and the inland peat Moors. In order to create more coastal pasture extensive areas either side of the Parrett were reclaimed with similar work undertaken at the mouth of the Brue and on the Axe. The draining activity on the peat moors was generally not so successful; opposition from the commoners prevented a scheme for King’s Sedgemoor proceeding. This period also witnessed disastrous flooding in January 1607 when waters reached the foot of Glastonbury Tor. 4.17 The civil war brought this period of reclamation to a close and between 1640 and 1770 very little drainage work or enclosure was undertaken. Conflict recurred in the region after the restoration of the monarchy, with the Monmouth rebellion culminating in the Battle of Sedgemoor fought just to the north of Westonzoyland in 1685. 4.18 By 1770 nearly two thirds of all the floodable land on the Levels and Moors was still unreclaimed but by 1840 almost the entire area had a system of drainage channels and was enclosed by rhynes. Despite this, flooding still occurred and although the system was in place many areas remained vulnerable. 4.19 The railway network grew throughout the region in the mid to late nineteenth century. The GWR line between Weston super Mare and Bridgwater was opened in 1841 and a year later was extended to Taunton. What was to become the Somerset and Dorset line opened between Highbridge and Glastonbury in 1854 and was extended to Burnham in 1858. A branch line between Bridgwater and Edington opened in 1890. Industrialisation and the railways encouraged the growth of Bridgwater and Highbridge, and Burnham was renamed Burnham-on-Sea to promote its development as a resort. 4.20 The 20th century brought further urban development, caravan sites near the coast and construction of the M5 motorway across the Levels. Other significant new elements of the landscape date from the Second World War. The construction of the Huntspill River, while helping to drain the inland Moors more effectively, was motivated more by the need to create a reservoir for the armaments factory near Puriton. Remains of a wartime airfield survive at Westonzoyland and there is a barrage balloon hangar still standing near Pawlett. There are also a number of pillboxes and other structures which were part of the western defence line across the south-west peninsula. 4.21 The Levels and Moors landscape has evolved over centuries, but during the second half of the 20th century this flat low-lying grassland has been subject to many potentially significant changes. Traditional farming methods (a mid-summer hay cut with grazing afterwards or summer grazing from May onwards on the wetter moors) had helped to create and maintain a rich wetland habitat with mixed flora in the meadows and a haven for wintering and breeding waders, ducks, swans, geese and migrating birds, otters and other aquatic species. But agricultural improvements to intensify production – artificial fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, reseeding with cultivated grasses, lowering the water table by under drainage, cropping grass as silage and growing fodder crops – have substantially changed the detail of much of the traditional pastoral landscape. 4.22 Beds of willow “withies”,cropped for use in basket making are a distinctive feature in parts of the Somerset Levels and Moors. Once an important local industry with a huge market, production is now much more limited and within Sedgemoor District withy beds are a feature only in the Lyng area.

Key issues and forces for change 4.23 Changing agricultural practice continues to be one of the main threats to the character of the landscape. This includes the vulnerability to change through alteration of water management or new agricultural drainage. Agricultural improvement of pasture areas and changes to traditional pasture practice may threaten floristic diversity and adversely affect the traditional habitat of many wetland birds and other species. Water level management is also relevant to the preservation of archaeological remains in the Peat Moors. 4.24 The pattern of hedges and trees in hedgerows, orchards, woodlands and beside settlement, may suffer greatly over the next 50 years. In particular, the willow pollards are little used for small timber and their traditional management is threatened, and hedgerows are becoming less well managed and consequently gappy. The decline of farmhouse cider production as part of the rural economy has led to a major reduction in the number of orchards.

32 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

4.25 Rhynes have an important land drainage function and are a characteristic feature of the Levels and Moors landscape. Their value as wildlife habitat depends upon appropriate management. Their potential significance as historic landscape features, identifying different periods of drainage or marking old river channels, should also not be overlooked. 4.26 Tourism development in the coastal areas in particular will need to be carefully managed as the character of much of the Brean and Berrow area is becoming dominated by visitor facilities and attendant signage. Other parts of the Levels and Moors area offer opportunities for leisure activities such as coarse fishing and cycling. The creation of new fishing lakes or cycle tracks may raise concerns if proposed in areas of particular sensitivity for nature conservation but should generally be entirely compatible with local landscape character. 4.27 Large industrial buildings at Highbridge, Bridgwater, Puriton and elsewhere tend to be prominent in the local landscape. New development areas on the edge of the larger settlements and road corridor proposals present both a threat and an opportunity in terms of the impact on the rural areas adjacent. Similar issues relate to new housing development, either for larger schemes on the edge of settlement areas, or in terms of infill development which has been responsible for the erosion of village character. 4.28 Recent severe flood events have been a reminder of the vulnerability of the Moors. With the prospect that climatic change may increase the frequency of such floods, attention must also turn to floodplain management.

Pollarded willows are little used for small timber and their traditional management is threatened

Landscape Management Issues 4.29 Management of the landscape, by landowners and other interested parties, will play a major role in determining the future character of the area. A number of grant paying and subsidy systems, or management agreements, are currently employed to this end, including in particular the ESA designation (Environmentally Sensitive Area), and grants for hedge laying, pollarding of willows, and re-planting of orchards. 4.30 The landscape of the Levels and Moors has developed over the centuries, with new watercourses cut to make the process of control more efficient, or for other related purposes, such as the enlargement of the Huntspill River, cut to supply water for the ordnance factory at Puriton. The process of drainage and the control of water levels through pumping or storage and release has been a finely balanced art, which continues today. Agricultural drainage too has been employed to lower water tables locally or to drain fields more quickly. 4.31 Water level management is a key component of the ESA package and the work of the Environment Agency. But the landscape of the whole Levels and Moors and the area’s importance as habitat for a range of wetland flora and fauna are also vulnerable to other forms of land management change. “Improvement” of grassland and early cutting for silage rather than hay are changes which affected ground-nesting birds and floristic diversity. Mechanical ditch clearing changes the aquatic habitat more rapidly and flora and fauna are less able to survive or recolonize if an area is comprehensively cleared.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 33

4. Levels and Moors: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

4.32 Key issues of relevance include the following: • maintenance of traditional patterns of summer grazing • maintenance of the traditional pattern and systems of land drainage • pollarding of willows • maintenance and re-planting of orchards • hedge laying and maintenance of species diversity • maintenance of diversity in woodland and individual tree species, as appropriate to the particular location • an integrated approach to wetland management which protects not only nature conservation interests but also vulnerable archaeological remains • maintenance of dew ponds in estuarine Levels areas

34 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Peat Moors (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 Summer grazing,Tealham Moor 2 Winter wetland, Catcott Lows 3 Pollarded willows,Tealham Moor 4 Tadham Moor - tree species include willow, alder and Scots pine 5 Peat soil exposed in a ploughed field 6 North Drain,Tealham Moor 7 Sluice on King’s Sedgemoor Drain, at Greylake Bridge 8 Winter flooding,Tealham Moor 9 Peat digging, Catcott Heath 10 Withy bed, near Lyng 11 Winged gate, near Athelney

1 5

2 6 9

3 7 10

4 8 11

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 35 4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Clay Moors (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 Towards Mark, from the summit of Brent Knoll 2 Long, straight road and rhyne with an open view, Mark Moor 3 Thick hedgerow, restricted view, Mark Moor 4 Cheddar Moor Drove 5 Roadside cottages, Little Moor 6 Farmhouses and trees, Mark Moor 7 Houses at the eastern end of Mark Causeway 8 Contrasting hedgerows,Yarrow

1 7

2 4 8

3 5

36 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS) Description in detail 4.33 The Moors comprise the very low-lying areas which, other than limited attempts at draining land at the edges, were mainly marsh or fenlands until large-scale drainage and enclosure was effected between 1770 and the mid-nineteenth century. Elevation here is generally between 3 and 5 metres AOD, well below the high tide levels in the Bristol Channel, although in the Axe valley a height of 6 metres is more common. The Moors are characterised by a strong rectilinear pattern of drainage channels and accompanying straight drove roads. The complex system of control of water levels is apparent through the hierarchy of ditches, rhynes and canalised rivers or cuts, with sluices and pumping stations. 4.34 The land was traditionally given over to pasture and still subject to periodic flooding, but with improved drainage some fields are now ploughed. The exceptions to this generally pastoral landscape were withy beds in the Lyng area and woodland at Shapwick Heath. Where maize has been introduced as a crop in recent years, it seems an alien intrusion in the Moors landscape. 4.35 The distinctive form of the pollarded willow is the archetypal tree of the Somerset Levels and Moors but this is not a universal feature. Alder and poplar are common too, enjoying the wet conditions, and where hedgerows were planted, hawthorn is the most common species on some Moors. In some areas oak is a significant mature hedgerow tree species and scots pine also feature next to some moorland farms. On some Moors sporadic tree growth alongside drainage ditches forms intermittent lines of scrub rather than continuous hedgerow, elsewhere the Moors landscape may be very open and treeless. 4.36 Layers of peaty soils exist across much of the Moors but it is only in the areas north of the Polden Hills that it has been extracted commercially. Elsewhere the peat is thinner or non-existent; the western Moors have a mainly clay soil. In parts of the Moors north of Shapwick there are active peat workings but most extraction takes place in neighbouring Mendip District. Areas of peat extraction create their own distinctive local landscape with strips of exposed black ground, water-filled pits and mounds of stockpiled peat. Some former diggings are now managed as nature reserves. 4.37 Views are mostly wide and panoramic. It is a particularly distinctive and atmospheric landscape, with a very remote feeling strengthened by its lack of buildings and settlement. Hedgerows or woodland can be a localised obstruction to long views but the Brue valley in particular has views which feature Glastonbury Tor. Rhynes give a constant awareness of the presence of water and the landscape is of course dramatically trans- formed in times of flood. Timber field gates with associated wing fences mark the points where bridges or culverts give access over the ‘wet fences’ of the rhyne network. These ‘winged gates’ are a distinctive element of the Levels and Moors landscape and can be particularly prominent in areas of open moor, where they may be the only vertical element in the landscape. 4.38 Other landscape components include the areas of open water or wet flushes, especially at the nature reserve at Shapwick Heath. The Shapwick Heath area is also a distinctive locality because of the presence of woodland. This woodland is part of a complex habitat where local conditions have allowed natural plant succession. The area still contains a mix of all these stages from open water, through peat bog with tussock sedge and sphagnum moss, to carr woodland initially with bog myrtle, alder, willow and birch and then pine and oak. 4.39 Most of the Moors area is included within the “Somerset Levels and Moors Environmentally Sensitive Area” where particular assistance is available for land management to conserve and enhance traditional agricultural practice and conservation. Nature conservation value in parts of the Peat Moors area is of national importance, due to the diversity and scale of surviving wetland species and these areas are also regarded as internationally important bird habitats. The areas where peat extraction is permitted, the Peat Production Zones, are covered by particular planning conditions controlled through minerals planning policy.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 37 4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Landcover types

4.40 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Agricultural land Flat, low-lying fields defined by a generally rectilinear pattern of ditches, rhynes and droves. Mainly permanent pasture, traditionally for summer grazing and hay, but latterly also arable, where water level management allows. Peat or clay soils. Landscape may be very “open” with few trees, except occasional pollarded willows or interrupted/ enclosed by more substantial waterside trees and hedgerows. Very few buildings. Many moors prone to winter flooding.

Open water Arterial drains and water-filled former peat workings provide extensive areas of open water. Increases substantially when the moors are flooded.

Peat bog/woodland Complex habitat with various stages of natural succession (mainly in the Shapwick Heath area)

Peat workings Exposed dark peat contrasts with pastoral landscape; may be stockpiled in large heaps; isolated packing/storage sheds.

Settlement and building form 4.41 The area generally contains few buildings other than isolated farmsteads. More commonly, farms and settlement associated with the use of the Moors areas have been located on the islands of higher ground or the lowland hills adjacent. The one significant exception is the village of Mark Causeway which, as the name suggests, has developed alongside a historic route linking the Levels and the Isle of Wedmore. 4.42 The structured rectilinear pattern of the landscape, with its ditches and rhynes and straight drove roads, is reflected in the pattern of settlement both at Mark Causeway and in the other more isolated locations where there is any built development. Buildings tend to be sited alongside the roads, with garden or farmyard areas in a rectangular plot. Plots are sometimes very shallow, sandwiched between a road and parallel rhyne, with the house abutting the road and garden/orchard to the side(s). This is a pattern also found on the Levels and may be encountered as individual plots or as a small linear settlement. On less constrained sites the house is usually set back from the road and the front of the house is commonly turned to a southerly aspect. 4.43 Simple two-storey farmhouses and cottages in the local vernacular style using local materials of Lias limestone and brick, with clay tile roofs are the archetypal building form. Colourwashed render is also common. Several properties in Mark Causeway feature elaborate cast iron railings and gates (probably from a former foundry at Mark) and there are some fine detached 19th century houses. Frontage gaps have been infilled with more modern houses and bungalows. The farmsteads and peat works buildings also display the use of more temporary timber and corrugated metal sheet structures.

38 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Moor Settlement Patterns Typical Plan elements Road

Farmhouse Drove Pollard and willows outbuildings

Old orchard Field ditches

Rhynes Narrow or Field gates linear plot

Typical section through a settlement in the Moors

Drove roads

Rhynes and Isolated farmhouses pollarded willows or roadside groups

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 39

4. Levels and Moors: (B) THE MOORS (PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development / Key principles for new development 4.44 The capacity for new development on the Moors is limited not only by landscape and nature conservation considerations but also by flood risk. 4.45 The opportunity for further infill development at Mark Causeway is very limited but any development / redevelopment must take account of the street scene and respect the pattern and rhythm set by the village’s older buildings and boundaries. 4.46 Very little development is expected in the Moors, with the possible exception of agricultural buildings, extension of existing property and bird hides or other visitor-related facilities. Such proposals should be encouraged to maintain traditional patterns of settlement and building form or, in the case of visitor facilities, use natural materials such as timber and thatch in ways which draw inspiration from the area’s more ancient history. 4.47 The potential visual impact of buildings or structures in areas of open moor is obviously high, but in areas where there are hedgerows or woodland these features could very effectively screen things from view within this flat landscape. However, the views to the Moors from higher ground must also be considered. 4.48 The Moors are often edged by steep slopes which give lofty vantage-points across a wide area and in these circumstances the potential visibility in these views needs to be assessed.

40 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Levels (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 Towards Burnham-on-Sea, from Brent Knoll summit 2 Levels landscape at Berrow - hedgerows can screen caravan sites 3 Rhynes and ditches are often sinuous rather than straight 4 Reed-fringed pond 5 Church tower, landmark and indicates historic settlement 6 Traditional farm buildings 7 Looking inland from the Brue estuary shows the Levels’ tidal floodplain origin 8 Typical farmhouse (East Huntspill) 9 Typical materials - brick and tile 10 Stone was also brought in from local hills - as here at Lower Weare

1 7

2 8

3 5 9

4 6 10

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 41

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Estuarine Levels (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 View from Brean Down showing the sparsity of hedgerow cover 2 The open and windswept landscape surrounding the Parrett Estuary 3 Pasture and arable fields, Pawlett Hams 4 Drainage ditch, Pawlett Hams

3 4

42 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Islands in the Moors (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 A view towards Westonzoyland 2 Large fields, low hedges - open views. (Othery from the A372) 3 Landscape with hedgerow trees (near Burtle) 4 Farms near the moorland edge (near Chedzoy) 5 Group of traditional farm buildings, Greylake 6 Group of houses on the main road, Westonzoyland 7 Thatched roofs and limestone walls, Middlezoy 8 Street scene, Chedzoy 9 A lane at Westonzoyland 10 Lias rubble, brick,clay tiles, Othery 11 Lias rubble, brick, clay tiles, Burtle

1 8

2 5 9

3 6 10

4 7 11

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 43

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

THE LEVELS (INCLUDING ESTUARINE LEVELS AND ISLANDS IN THE MOORS)

Description in detail 4.49 The Levels comprise the lowland areas where alluvial and marine clay or gravel deposits have created land slightly above the low-lying Moors. Most of the area is a coastal belt of clay several miles wide at generally about 6m AOD and in addition there are several separate “islands” of land which sit above the level of surrounding Moors. 4.50 This is a largely flat landscape, with a pattern of fields defined by a combination of drainage channels and hedges. Unlike the Moors, the field pattern on the Levels cannot be described as rectilinear. The pattern is much less regular and it is notable that many of the major local drainage channels or rhynes take a sinuous course. This is thought to be a consequence of the gradual process of reclamation which began in prehistoric times and which took the driest ground first and worked with an area’s natural edges and drainage channels. The course of an old river channel, possibly a meander of the River Parrett but also referred to as the River Siger, is fossilised in the landscape in this way at Applewithy Rhyne/Brent Broad Rhyne between Brent Knoll and Burnham-on-Sea. The field pattern is therefore largely medieval or earlier, with a few later additions on the margins of the Parrett estuary and near Brean Down. 4.51 The “islands” of slightly higher ground which rise out of the Moors are generally underlain by sand and gravel deposits which geologists refer to as the Burtle Beds. The islands at Middlezoy and Othery also include a more solid geology of Mercia Mudstone and therefore have hills that stand more obviously above the surrounding Moors. Since the adjoining Moors have been drained the significance of the slightly higher ground is less obvious but clearly accounts for the origin of settlement at Chedzoy,Westonzoyland, Middlezoy, Othery and Burtle. The field pattern here is again medieval or earlier, but varies in the extent to which fields have been enlarged to support arable crops. 4.52 The areas close to the coast, near the confluence of the Parrett and Axe with the Bristol Channel, are generally quite open and windswept, and many of the fields contain small ponds, which were sunk to water the livestock. These areas were also drained or reclaimed in later periods and this is another factor in the lack of hedgerows. 4.53 Hedgerows are widespread throughout the Levels, except in the open coastal areas, and contain a wider range of species than the Moors, with willows still common, but many other hedgerow trees. A number of more ornamental tree species, especially the coniferous trees associated with churchyards and the larger houses, stand out in the landscape and contribute towards the creation of a more inhabited and civilised character than on the Moors. 4.54 The area is mostly used for pasture for dairy cattle, with some arable cropping, especially for animal feeds. Historically, brick and tile making has been an important local industry using the extensive clay deposits. Bridgwater was particularly renowned for its brick and tile industry but there were also works at Chilton Trinity, Combwich, and Highbridge. Although no longer in operation, these works have left their legacy in the local built environment, and also in the flooded clay pits which are now areas of open water and reedbed of amenity, recreation and nature conservation value. 4.55 Despite the area being the location of the District’s main urban areas, coastal holiday sites and the M5 motorway, much of the countryside retains a sense of quiet and unspoilt rural charm. Whilst very little of the Levels area is included in the designated “Somerset Levels and Moors Environmentally Sensitive Area”,the Levels are nevertheless an important component of a distinctive Somerset landscape.

44 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Landcover types 4.56 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Agricultural land Flat, low-lying fields defined by ditches and rhynes, which are (Levels) occassionally straight but more commonly have a sinuous alignment, giving an irregular rather than rectilinear field pattern. Alluvial clay soils. Mainly pasture, with some arable cropping for cereal and fodder. Boundaries commonly include a hedgerow, mainly hawthorn, willow and ash. Degree of visual enclosure varies according to height of hedgerow. Other trees and orchards often associated with farmsteads and villages.

Agricultural land As above, but with intermittent hedgerows and a general (Coastal Levels) absence of large trees. Very few buildings.

Agricultural land Slightly higher and drier land, with underlying sand gravel; (Islands in the Moors) topography more elevated and undulating at Middlezoy and Othery. Pasture and arable. Mix of small, medium and large fields; boundaries mainly hedgerows and predominantly straight, but overall pattern generally irregular in response to location of wetland edge or local lanes. Villages and isolated farms often have associated orchards.

Open water/reedbed Water-filled former clay pits provide substantial areas of open water and reed bed.

Settlement and building form 4.57 Being higher than the Moors, it is the Levels areas which have a longer history of settlement. The towers of parish churches tend to mark an ancient settlement focus. In some instances, settlements occupy locations near higher ground and are effectively on the fringe of the Levels (e.g Bridgwater, Brent Knoll), but many other settlements are in the midst of the Levels (e.g Highbridge,West Huntspill, Lympsham, Biddisham), near the coast (Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow, Brean) or occupy islands of higher ground in the midst of the Moors (Chedzoy,Westonzoyland, Middlezoy, Othery, Burtle). 4.58 Apart from the urban settlements and villages, the landscape is occupied by a scatter of small farmsteads and hamlets, often with small orchards close by. There are also large caravan and camping sites near the coast at Brean and Berrow and near M5 junction 22. The coastal levels adjacent to the Parrett estuary are largely devoid of buildings.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 45

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

4.59 There are a good number of fine buildings including farmhouses and ecclesiastical buildings which have been constructed out of local stone, bricks and tiles. Settlement patterns are found in various forms, and vary in the extent to which they are scattered, loose-knit or consolidated. Typical patterns can be characterised as follows:-

Roadside or simple Linear settlement (see illustration on page 50) • linear pattern of development alongside roads, sometimes consolidated as a linear village as at Mark Causeway and Brent Knoll but also occurring as smaller groups, scattered settlement or isolated plots, e.g Rooksbridge,Tarnock, Lower Weare. • older houses and farms set close to the road, with stone or brick boundary walls • plots often very shallow, with garden/orchard areas at the sides rather than front and rear because rhyne system constrains plot depth • orchards and other remnant agricultural features between houses, allowing views out into countryside beyond • local brick and tiles, and lias stone comprise the main building materials

Villages with parallel streets or rectilinear network (see illustration on page 51) • loosely rectilinear street pattern, sometimes a single main street with parallel lanes, but also more complex networks (e.g Chedzoy, Middlezoy) • older houses and core area of village clustered and forming enclosed streetscapes • enclosing boundary walls close to street edge • prominent stone church towers • backland and edge development of 20th century residential areas with suburban character • predominance of lias, local brick and render with local clay tiles as primary building materials, with some use of thatch particularly notable at Middlezoy and Othery • old orchards softening edges of settlement, but with some boundaries well-defined by lanes, hedgerows or ditches

Villages with an organic plan form (see illustration on page 52) • apparently organic street pattern, usually formed around the junction of several meandering lanes, as at Lympsham, East Brent and West Huntspill • Churches mark the historic core, often with mature trees in the churchyard and Lympsham also has a Manor House with associated parkland • village cores often have buildings from a mix of periods with 20th century residential infill plots and peripheral estates • use of lias limestone and brick is widespread, rendered or painted rubble walls are the main alternative and most buildings have clay tile roofs. Slate roofs and ashlar stonework also found, particularly on major buildings • the 19th century influence of the Manorial estate is evident in much of Lympsham’s architecture, including Victorian Gothic motifs, distinctive drip-mouldings above windows, and several decorative tiled roofs • boundary walls in lias or local brick

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/Key principles for new development 4.60 The extent of views in this flat landscape is generally dependent upon the extent of tree cover. Low-cut hedgerows often allow long vistas past the pattern of hedges and farmsteads, to distant church towers or the enclosing hills and knolls. But conversely thick hedgerows and trees can be very effective at obstructing views or helping to screen buildings. In the traditional Levels landscape church towers were the only significant landmark buildings and other buildings, which were generally no more than two storeys high, were usually not visible at any great distance. This issue of scale is particularly relevant in this flat landscape and structures such as electricity pylons, the armaments factory at Puriton, and the former milk-processing factory at Bason Bridge demonstrate the more intrusive impact of tall buildings. The larger modern agricultural buildings and industrial units can also tend to be locally prominent due not only to scale but also colour of materials.

46 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

4.61 The M5 motorway and the main line railway from Taunton to Bristol run through the Levels, and constitute important view corridors in terms of perceptions of the landscape. 4.62 The approach to the urban area of Bridgwater, from the north or east, is one where the industrial activities create a negative impression of the town, but large industrial and warehouse buildings are an inevitable element of the urban landscape. Careful choice of the colours of the roof and cladding of such buildings is important and whilst there may be limits on the extent to which tree planting can successfully reduce the visibility of large buildings in the wider landscape, it is nevertheless important that landscaping is undertaken with this objective in mind. The extensive tree planting undertaken at the motorway service area near East Brent is an example of how good landscaping helps assimilate necessary development into the surrounding landscape. 4.63 The opportunity for screening of new low level development as viewed from other areas at low elevation means that capacity for development in the Levels is often higher than in many other areas of the District. This is, however, dependent on the extent of existing tree cover or potential for this to be reinforced by new planting. Sites which lie close to the higher ground and view corridors such as the ridge of the Polden Hills will also need to take account of views from these vantage points. 4.64 Development proposals in the Levels should respect the following: • the distinctive patterns of the different settlement types • the relationship between locations and the use of local stone or brick as the principle building materials • views of the settlement in the landscape, particularly the retention or creation of soft edge characteristics (hedgerows and orchards) and careful consideration of rooflines • the distinctive relationship between areas of high ground and settlement location

Mature tree screen on the western side of the armaments factory at Puriton, demonstrat- ing that such planting can be effective in views across the Levels

The M5 is a major imposition on the landscape. It is also a key view corridor from which perceptions of the landscape quality are made.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 47

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Levels linear settlements: Typical plan elements

Continuous/semi-continuous frontage of older properties

Mixture of farmhouses, cottages, manor house/villa give a varied and interesting streetscape

Development may be on one/both sides of the road: degree of containment varies accordingly

Old remnant orchard

Grass verge, ditch and pollarded willows beside road New development interspersed with old

Older houses often set close to road

New houses and bungalow depart from traditional building shapes and mater Building line may have bee back, but roadside waiting bays of geometric design and associated boundaries introduce more suburbanisation and disr of the street scene.

48 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Levels: Villages with parallel streets or rectilinear network

Typical Plan Elements Defined (Middlezoy) settlement edge

Prominent church on high ground

Clustering of older properties

20th century backland development

Orchards Rectilinear street pattern

More recent linear development along roads

Typical Street frontage and Key Elements

Some thatched Pantile roof cottages

Lias rubble walls

Brick quoins and window surrounds

Fruit trees

Lias boundary wall

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 49

4. Levels and Moors: (C) THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors)

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Levels: Villages with organic plan form

Plan form of Lympsham

Mature trees are a major component of the village scene

Small estates of modern houses

Buildings in remainder Manor house with of village more extensive grounds in clustered along roads the heart of the village

Church and nearby buildings form an attractive group Organic road pattern

Sketch of levels village in the landscape

Church tower announces the presence of the village in the Levels landscape. On closer approach, the village may still be softened by trees and hedgerows or buildings may be clearly visible in the landscape.

50 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 4. Levels and Moors: (D) SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Sea Edge and Intertidal Zone (a sub-area of the Levels and Moors)

1 The coast at Brean 2 Towards Burnham-on-Sea, from Steart 3 Mudbanks at the mouth of the River Brue 4 Sand dunes and beach, Burnham-on-Sea 5 Salt marsh, Axe estuary 6 From Brean Down 7 Bird hide at Steart 8 Wall at Steart

3 5 7

4 6 8

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 51

4. Levels and Moors: (D) SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

Description in detail 4.65 The western edge of the Levels meets the Bristol Channel in a broad open landscape of sand dunes, mud flats and river estuaries. The dunes have created a slightly higher strip of land along which the settlements of Brean, Berrow and Burnham-on-Sea have developed, and much of the coast edge today is settled with holiday homes or other tourism related development. On the western side of the mouth of the River Parrett, Sedgemoor’s coastal edge includes the relatively remote settlement of Steart and bird hides associated with the Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve. 4.66 The pattern of the rivers and the flats has changed many times throughout history, leaving remnant archaeological features in the Parrett estuary, with sea walls and embankments now protecting the area. 4.67 The estuarine flats are an important, designated area for nature conservation. The dunes behind the beach areas are covered by a thicket of mainly sea buckthorn, which has been the subject of a programme of control. Other vegetation includes ornamental trees and shrubs associated with the developed areas, and some pine and other trees including willow and ash, blackthorn and hawthorn. 4.68 The dunes and long flat sandy beaches are popular with visitors, and parking areas are available on the beach itself. A golf course is located at Berrow on the landward side of the dunes and a nature reserve has been created here, whilst at Brean a large caravan site dominates the landscape character at the foot of Brean Down.

Landcover types

4.69 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Sea-edge dunes A raised linear strip of land on the sea edge; significant area of residential and tourism related development; golf courses; scrubby semi natural vegetation on sand including marram grass, sea buckthorn and mature pines;

Salt Marsh Coastal floodplain, with salt-tolerant vegetation

Sandy beaches Long and shallow sandy beaches, and mudflats of nature and mudflats conservation and archaeological importance

Settlement and building form 4.70 The linear development along the sea edge, at Brean and Berrow, is largely 20th century, interspersed with some older, mainly brick built farm buildings but the parish churches are evidence of a longer history of settlements along this coast. Visitor facilities and related signs create a significant impact, and few positive aspects of townscape character can be attributed to the area. 4.71 Burnham, by contrast, has a fine sea front which is designated as a Conservation Area, although much of the residential hinterland is again 20th century and suburban in character. The older seafront buildings include good quality stonework and colourwashed stucco. 4.72 Farmhouses and boundary walls at the remote coastal settlement of Steart exhibit distinctive use of rounded stones, doubtless gathered from the coastal shingle ridge.

52 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

4. Levels and Moors: (D) SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/Key principles for new development 4.73 The caravan sites at the northern end of the area are very visually dominant from Brean Down, and do not benefit from any tree planting which could soften this impact. Despite a substantial amount of residential and holiday accommodation within dune areas accessible from the coast road, most of the beach between Brean and north Burnham remains backed by natural sand dunes and when viewed from the beach this appears to be a relatively undeveloped coastline. 4.74 Capacity for new development is considered to be low in most of the area. Infill development along the landward side of the main north – south coast road at Brean is considered undesirable as it will sever the visual connections with the rural hinterland. 4.75 Development proposals in the Sea Edge and Intertidal Zone should respect the following: • the close relationship between landform and settlement pattern • the impact of development on views especially from Brean Down, Steart bird hides, the beaches or the Parrett Trail • the need to control the spread of suburban development

Public footpaths through the dunes at Brean can be adversely affected by the invasion of sea buckthorn and the visual impact of caravan sites.

The beach at Brean is generally backed by natural dunes, but where the dune- belt becomes narrower, some property owners have erected unsightly boundaries.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 53

4. Levels and Moors: (D) SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

A view from Brean Down; the coastal caravan sites near the foot of Brean Down are particularly prominent. At present densities, there is little scope for landscaping to soften their impact, and ideally the sites should be relocated.

Burnham-on-Sea with its attractive sea front; designated a conservation area

54 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

Mendips

Mendips Main settlements

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape 5.1 The Mendip Hills rise steeply at the northern edge of the District. Long recognised for their landscape value, the Mendips were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1972. The rounded hills rise from the steep scarp slope on the northern edge of the District, dominating views from much of the lowland areas and the Isle of Wedmore. The south face of the Mendip Hills presents a dramatic landscape, rising from the low and flat landscape of the Levels, through a narrow band of fertile farmland and settlements, to the steep scarp face with deciduous woodland, enclosed pastures, open heath and downland and a relatively bare plateau skyline. 5.2 The Mendips is the most southerly carboniferous limestone landscape in the country; a series of rolling ridges with an often bleak and imposing character. There is a rich sense of history, with many pre-historic features and intact medieval field patterns. Much of the area has been exploited for mining and mineral extraction, with extensive agriculture of mainly sheep grazing. Much of the plateau is a landscape of large fields contained by drystone walls, the unenclosed heathland and downland of Wavering Down, Crook Peak and Brean Down have a more untamed character. 5.3 Geology is a major influence on the character of this area. Cheddar Gorge cuts dramatically into the Carboniferous Limestone and there are dry valleys, caves and swallet holes which form part of the typical underground drainage system which develops in this rock. Springs at the foot of the scarp slope gave rise to a line of villages which also have the advantage of southerly aspect and a fertile belt of gravelly loam soils. At Cheddar the river was also harnessed to power water mills. Widespread use of Limestone as a local walling and building stone is clear, the stone continues to be actively quarried locally but primarily as crushed rock aggregate. Two other local stones, Red Sandstone and Dolomitic Conglomerate, have also been used as a building material. 5.4 Mature hedgerows and specimen trees are an important element of the lowland landscape. Dry stone walls are not only a key feature of the upland areas but are also evident on many lower slopes. 5.5 Five main sub-zones have been identified as follows: • Strawberry Belt and footslope villages • Scarp slope,West Mendip Summits and Cheddar Gorge • Mendip Plateau • Shipham slopes and valleys • Brean Down

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 55

5. Mendips: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

View of the scarp slope with open downland

Evolution of the landscape 5.6 Cave deposits have provided evidence of human occupation on the Mendips at about 40,000 BC but between 20,000 and 13,000 BC the severity of the climate was such that there was no occupation of this part of continental Europe. After that period hunter gatherer communities reoccupied the area and the caves in Cheddar Gorge in particular have provided archaeological evidence of how these people lived, exploiting the resources of upland, coastal and wetland habitats. 5.7 The early farmers of the Neolithic period (4,000-2,000 BC) gradually cleared areas of woodland and began to create the landscape which we recognise today. Pollen evidence from henges just outside the District at Priddy shows that the area was grassland at the time of their construction. The henge at Gorsey Bigbury is a monument from this period. 5.8 Division and enclosure of the countryside continued during the Bronze Age (2,000-650 BC) and remnant fields above Cheddar Gorge and on Brean Down may belong to this period. The many round barrows bear testimony to the use of the high ridges and hilltops for funerary purposes. Across the Mendip plateau as a whole there are over 300 barrows, often in distinct groups. There is a loose cluster of barrows near Tynings Farm but elsewhere in Sedgemoor’s part of the Mendips surviving barrows tend to be more scattered. 5.9 The Iron Age period (650 BC-43 AD) brought the construction of hillforts at Brean Down and at Dolebury, just outside the District. Cave sites were re-occupied in the late Iron Age and there is evidence of iron workings at Rowberrow Cavern. 5.10 The mineral wealth of the Mendips was exploited by the Romans who extracted lead and silver. The main centre and principal upland settlement during this period was at Charterhouse, just outside Sedgemoor District. A fort lies just to the north of Charterhouse Farm, there is also a settlement and amphitheatre close by. Export to other parts of the empire was probably via ports on the River Axe, possibly at Hythe near Cheddar. 5.11 The history of the Mendips for 250 years after the Romans (450-700 AD,‘The Dark Ages’) remains very vague, but there is evidence of early Christianity, with a cemetery at Brean Down and the churches at Brean, Badgworth and Cheddar have Celtic dedications which suggest an early origin. Place names indicate that the landscape was settled prior to the Saxon period, but after 700 AD Saxon encroachment westwards led eventually to inclusion in the West Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The Royal Palace at Cheddar was an important establishment, the choice and attraction of this long lived site may have been influenced by the local opportunities for hunting on Mendip and the wetlands and by the proximity of the ancient church at Glastonbury. Axbridge was one of the important defended ‘Burghal Hidage’ settlements of the late Saxon period. 5.12 Land around Cheddar was an important hunting centre in the late Anglo-Saxon period and after the Norman Conquest it became a royal forest. It was expanded to include all land from the Axe estuary to the edge of Frome before being reduced in extent in the thirteenth century and effectively ended in 1338. In the early thirteenth century the Bishop of Bath and Wells acquired the Cheddar estate from King John, mining continued on the Mendips and development of a port on the River Axe at Rackley was promoted. Wool, and subsequently cloth, was the great industry of the later Middle Ages. Sheep pastures on the upland commons were

56 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

a central feature and the local churches with their spectacular towers survive as prominent landmarks from this period of prosperity. By 1394 Somerset was the largest producer of cloth in England and one of the richest counties. The cloth industry continued to flourish into the eighteenth century when the industry gradually came to an end. 5.13 Mining of calamine, the zinc ore used in the making of brass, started at Rowberrow and Shipham in the seventeenth century. By the end of the eighteenth century the easily accessible calamine was largely worked out; foreign competition and changes in industrial processes finished off the industry but the disturbed ‘gruffy ground’ of old mining areas can still be seen. Another industrial activity was paper making, which began in the seventeenth century, utilising suitable water resources at locations along the foot of the Mendip slopes.Water power was also used for grinding corn. There were thirteen mills established along the Yeo at Cheddar and several mill ponds remain in existence. 5.14 The 18th and 19th centuries brought construction of Turnpike roads and then the railway network. The Cheddar Valley railway line, which opened in 1869, was particularly important in encouraging the development of market gardening on the fertile land between Axbridge and Draycott. Strawberries became a particular speciality and the railway became known locally as the ‘Strawberry Line’. The railway also helped bring visitors to Cheddar Gorge. 5.15 Quarrying probably had the most dramatic impact on the local landscape during the twentieth century, but other significant changes include the coniferous forestry plantation at Rowberrow Warren, Cheddar reservoir, and expansion of the built up areas at Cheddar and Axbridge. Agricultural mechanisation and intensification have had their usual impacts and there has also been a slow decline in traditional horticulture in the Strawberry Belt. In some cases fields have been enlarged by the removal of boundaries but loss of drystone walls through disrepair is also a problem. Scrub growth had begun to mask the scenic grandeur of Cheddar Gorge until a programme of selected clearance was undertaken for landscape and nature conservation reasons in the 1990’s.

Key issues and forces for change 5.16 The pattern of hedges and trees in hedgerows may suffer greatly over the next 50 years. Hedgerows are becoming less well managed and consequently gappy. Mature hedgerow trees are not being replaced and the continuing Dutch Elm disease creates unhealthy hedgerow thickets. Deciduous woodland is also poorly managed and will require new management and initiatives. 5.17 Agricultural improvements and changes in traditional farming practice continue to be major threats to the character of the landscape. There has generally been a gradual loss of permanent pasture through cultivation and also a significant loss of species-rich grassland through increased use of fertilizers. The amalgamation of farming units or intensification of agricultural practice may result in larger farm buildings. The recent growth of pig farming in open fields has had a significant, though localised, impact on the character of the Mendip plateau; both in terms of the visual impact of bare earth and pig arcs and also alteration of the character of the grassland when subsequent rotation takes place. Careful consideration needs to be given to the vulnerability of heathland to management changes such as stocking densities. Traditional farming methods need to be encouraged and incentives given for conservation measures. The loss of the strawberry belt and the decline in market gardening will change the character of the fertile agricultural belt at the foot of the hills. 5.18. New housing developments either for large schemes on the edges of settlements or as infill developments may result in the erosion of settlement character. 5.19 The extent of quarrying and the consequent impact on views from the south may have a detrimental impact on the character of the region in the future. Quarrying also has noise, vibration, dust and lorry traffic inpacts. The Mendips contain an important aquifer and quarrying could also adversely affect the springs which feed local rivers. County Council minerals policy should prevent any additional quarries in this area but current quarries have consent to continue extraction for many years.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 57

5. Mendips: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

5.20 Tourism and leisure opportunities are a significant aspect of life in the Mendips. In the upland areas this may generate the need for increased use of forest areas for recreation. Visitor management, parking policies, and design of signs and visitor facilities will be important in the Cheddar area. Control is necessary to preserve bridleways, pathways and tracks from erosion and damage, such as along the West Mendip Way and on the open heath. There must be clear signage along routes. Noisy activities such as motorcycling and four wheel drive should be discouraged. Additional information on the area should be provided to visitors. Visitor management and sustainable tourism are addressed further in the new Mendip Hills AONB Management Plan. 5.21 The limestone grasslands in particular include a range of distinctive features such as rocky outcrops, swallet holes, dry stone walls and individual hawthorn trees. None of these features have specific protection and recognition of their significance as distinctive local landscape features should be fostered amongst landowners. 5.22 Dry stone walls, are being lost through neglect. Existing walls should be restored and maintained; payments are available to encourage landowners to do this. Construction is labour intensive and relatively expensive, take-up of grant aid may be low if landowners consider these incentives to be inadequate, but all opportunities for restoration of these important landscape features should be encouraged, including using conservation volunteer groups. 5.23 The Mendip area includes a rich variety of habitats and substantial parts are designated SSSI’s. Concerns for threatened wildlife and habitats are a significant driving force for land management not only in designated nature conservation sites but also the wider countryside. At Cheddar Gorge scrub management is a sensitive issue; a balance is required between landscape and ecological interest and there is a need to establish an appropriate grazing regime to maintain grassland following scrub clearance. Elsewhere the maintenance of limestone grassland, woodland, heath and down all demand appropriate management. Conservation management of such habitats can be expected to generally sustain landscape character but site management plans should specifically integrate landscape and archaeological interest where appropriate. 5.24 Archaeological features are potentially under threat from inappropriate farming practices such as cultivation of permanent pasture, deeper ploughing of arable land, and under-management of scrub. Ideally sites under threat should be identified so that benign land management can be encouraged and sites conserved in a stable condition.

Landscape Management Issues 5.25 Management of the landscape, by landowners and other interested parties, will play a major role in determining the future character of the area. Its status as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty strengthens the need to address key issues which include: • traditional hedgerow management, and in particular conservation of medieval field patterns • the need for a coherent strategy with regard to Dutch Elm disease, which may include retention or removal and replacement • new woodland management initiatives, which will support the planting and cropping of local hardwoods • the need to discourage overgrazing and agricultural improvement in areas of high nature conservation importance • the viability of traditional horticulture and market gardening in the Strawberry Belt. • responsible pig farming practice to alleviate grassland destruction. • screening of quarrying activities, especially in views from the south; and restoration plans for nature conservation. • restoration and maintenance of dry stone walls • maintenance and re-planting of orchards • heathland management

58 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

The Strawberry Belt and footslope villages (a sub-area of the Mendips)

1 Cross and Compton Bishop 2 Cheddar 3 Axbridge from the A38 4 Axbridge 5 Axbridge 6 Tuttors Hill, Cheddar 7 Cheddar 8 Stone gatepost and walls, Cheddar

2 6

3 7

4 5 8

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 59

5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail 5.26 The fertile agricultural band at the foot of the scarp slope has been a site for settlement throughout history, with major villages at Cheddar and Axbridge, a number of smaller settlements, and strong evidence of medieval field patterns. The main road running along the foot of the scarp slope, now classified as the A371, has been an important conduit of movement since the medieval period. 5.27 This band of fertile agricultural land varies in width from about one kilometre to only about two hundred metres, as at the extreme western edge of the character area beside the M5 motorway. Tracks sometimes extend from the area straight downhill into the Levels and Moors below, whilst the unenclosed downland, heath, rough grazing or woodland creates a distinct upper edge. 5.28 The deep loam soils of the lower band of the hillside has given rise to a rich agricultural tradition, and until recently the area around Axbridge and Cheddar was known as the ‘Strawberry Belt’. Some market gardening activities remain within this band, alongside mixed pasture and arable cropping. 5.29 The pattern of the landscape is determined in large part by the nature of horticultural and other farming activities, with a pattern of small fields enclosed by hedgerows or dry stone walls. The pattern is largely medieval, with hedgerows varying from low flailed hawthorn to more mixed hedgerows with mature trees, especially ash and oak. Topography is typically gently sloping, contrasting with the steeper slopes above and the flat land of the Levels and Moors below.

Landcover types

5.30 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Small scale Gentle foothills of Mendip escarpment; deep loam soils; permanent agricultural land pasture, market gardening and some arable cropping in medium sized fields, most with hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak; frequent small orchards; isolated small woodlands; historic settlement and roads, some dry stone walls

60 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical view to the footslope villages

Major settlement, on key Deciduous woodland historic road, clustered and urban and moorland on at centre, suburban and softened withsteeper slopes above well-treed edge agricultural belt

Market Managed Medium-sized fields gardeninghedgerows in medieval pattern Levels at foot of with hedgerows, etc, lower slopes dry stone walls

Settlement and building form 5.31 The settlements vary considerably in scale and form. Axbridge is a fine historic small town with buildings tightly packed along its narrow main street. These continuous, but varied, frontages open out at a central market square overlooked by the parish church. Local stone (limestone and conglomerate) is used extensively but the frontages are often rendered. Axbridge also has a number of medieval timber-framed buildings. The high density and richly-detailed streetscape of the historic core is accompanied by peripheral housing developments from various periods of the 20th century. 5.32 At Cheddar there is a historic core with market cross and parish church, but in contrast with Axbridge, the historic settlement pattern was more dispersed around a network of lanes. The village grew significantly during the 20th century, with infill development on former orchards/fields and some peripheral expansion. Older buildings are predominantly of grey carboniferous limestone, with red or yellow brick detailing. Limestone is also widely used in boundary walls along the old lanes, and gives some continuity to the street scene even where modern house plots have been created. The red/pink tones of Dolomitic conglomerate also feature in some buildings. Colour-washed render also features. Some recent housing schemes have created an alien character, in particular due to the use of fenced boundaries facing main roads, and in the use of materials. 5.33 Cross and Compton Bishop are much smaller villages. Both contain old farms, and Cross features some large houses and former coaching inns. These villages and other small clusters generally consist of roadside plots. Stone, render and clay tiles are again predominant materials.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/Key principles for new development 5.34 The landscape at the foot of the Mendip Hills is rich in history and retains many features of medieval origin, from field patterns through to the exceptional villages. The area also lies on a major visitor access route, and is therefore considered both to be important in terms of perceptions of the character of the landscape, and to be of high sensitivity to change. Of particular concern is the nature of village edges, such as that at the northern edge of Axbridge, where insensitive new development could create a major detraction to perceptions of landscape and townscape quality. The settlements are also often visible from vantage points on the Mendip Hills and the Moors.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 61

5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

5.35 Outside the villages the capacity for new development is substantially constrained the AONB designation that affects parts of this zone. Cheddar is an important local service and employment centre, and the Local Plan has allocated land on the south side of the village for extension of the existing Business Park. Integration with the landscape features of the Moors will be important in this case. 5.36 Agricultural or other buildings in this countryside should be carefully controlled in respect of siting, scale, materials and landscaping. In some circumstances, adjacent to through routes or public rights of way, the re-use of local stone may be particularly important. Use of bright or discordant colours of sheet cladding materials should be avoided. 5.37 Development proposals should respect: • the traditional pattern of varied and interesting streetscapes • the consistent use of local buildings materials • the opportunity to incorporate elements of the landscape into site plans (especially trees, hedgerows, water courses and footpath links) • the pattern of high density and urban streetscape in the settlement core, with lower density and softer, planted edges

Cheddar - The Business Park development area on the village’s south-western edge features prominently in the approach on the B3151 from Wedmore.

62 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Historic map of Cheddar (1884) Not to scale

Above, Above right: Boundary walls and stone cottages give local character and unity, but much of the later infill development has been suburban in character

Right: New housing on the edge of Cheddar breaks the pattern of layout (with back gardens facing the public realm) and of materials (non-local brick).

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 63

5. Mendips: (B) THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Plan of Axbridge High density historic core with continuous street frontage and long plots Ancient market square Church

20th century housing estates on the edge Large house and garden with mature trees

Above, Above right: The tight urban streets in the centre of Axbridge use a range of use of building materials, including carboniferous limestone, render, clay tiles and slates and timber framing. Painted render is predominant, and many frontages display Georgian period features which were often added to an earlier core.

Right: The form and massing of buildings and the materials used on modern housing estates have departed entirely from these traditions.

64 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5. Mendips: (C) SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Scarp slope,West Mendip summits and Cheddar Gorge (a sub-area of the Mendips)

1 The Mendip skyline and scarp slope (Crook Peak to Cheddar Gorge) from the M5 at Edingworth 2 Battscombe Quarry, woodland and Cheddar Gorge 3 Cheddar Gorge, from National trust viewpoint 4 The Old Quarry, Cross 5 Scarp slope, south east of Cheddar 6 Scarp slope, west of Axbridge

3 5

4 6

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 65

5. Mendips: (C) SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE

Description in detail 5.38 Immediately above the fertile agricultural band, the scarp slopes of the Mendips rise steeply to a height of 190 to 250 metres AOD. Above Cheddar the scarp is backed by the Mendip plateau, but further westwards the topography takes the form of a ridge line with individual peaks. This ridge terminates locally when the valley of the Lox Yeo River cuts through to join the Levels west of Crook Peak; the route of the M5 utilises this natural break in the hills. The steep cliffs of Cheddar Gorge cut dramatically into the scarp and two other dry valleys also cut down into the hills and have become obvious transport routes. A number of smaller dry valleys have created a series of gentle ripples along the scarp face. 5.39 The relatively steep hillside land is cloaked by a mixture of open downland, heath, deciduous woodland and pasture. Unenclosed heath and downland is the dominant feature of the western part of this zone, giving a distinctly upland character and dramatic contrast with the pastoral Levels landscape which it overlooks. Most of this land is owned by the National Trust and is SSSI; its character and appearance is therefore safe- guarded and the bare skyline which includes the distinctive profile of Crook Peak is set to be an enduring feature of the local landscape. Further east the scarp includes blocks of deciduous woodland and intervening areas of pasture and limestone grasslands. South east of Cheddar Gorge the blocks of woodland are generally smaller and the scarp becomes mainly pastureland in small and medium sized fields. Much of the scarp face woodland is ‘ancient woodland’ (at least 400 years old) and whilst this may have been a wooded landscape continuously since the primeval ‘wildwood’,the woods have previously been actively managed as an important resource. 5.40 The underlying geology is mainly Carboniferous Limestone and extraction from Batts Combe Quarry above Cheddar is a very obvious scar on the landscape. Callow Rock Quarry at Shipham Hill is much less visible in the wider landscape but does have local impacts. There are other disused quarries near Axbridge, Cheddar, Cross and Webbington and even in Cheddar Gorge. Limestone is no longer quarried as a building stone but its past widespread use in local buildings and drystone walls is clearly evident. Dolomitic Conglomerate is another element of the scarp geology; this reddish coloured natural concrete has also been used as a building stone and can also be found used as massive gateposts.

Landcover types

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Heath and Open heath and rough grassland with some scrub and rough grassland limestone outcrops

Woodland Large irregular blocks of broad-leaved and ancient woodland, often covering the full height of the scarp

Pasture Mainly small and medium sized fields on moderate/steep slopes; mainly permanent pasture, often enclosed by drystone walls but also some hedgerows and small woodlands

Cliffs and quarries Natural limestone cliffs with associated scree, grassland and woodland at Cheddar Gorge or exposed quarry faces

66 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (C) SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Settlement and building form

5.41 This area is virtually devoid of settlement except for isolated farmsteads and houses on the slopes south east of Cheddar. Where buildings are found, local materials such as carboniferous limestone, red conglomerate, brick, render and clay tiles are generally used. Other buildings and structures are found at the quarries.

5.42 New development is considered inappropriate except in exceptional circumstances. Designated AONB status, the prominence of the scarp slope, the extensive skyline and the significance of Cheddar Gorge as a landscape feature mean that new development must be strictly controlled.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/Key principles for new development 5.43 The visual dominance of the escarpment from much of the Levels and Isle of Wedmore, and in longer views from much of the rest of the District, make this area one of high priority for conservation of the landscape. The scarp slope is within the AONB. The visual impact of the large quarry at Batts Combe is significant, especially on clear days, with the quarry faces visible from Cheddar Moor,Wedmore and the Polden Hills in particular. 5.44 There might occasionally be proposals for agricultural buildings within the more pastoral areas of the scarp; these will have to be controlled particularly carefully in respect of siting, scale, materials and landscaping. 5.45 The scarp slope heathland and deciduous woodland are important in creating a perception of an untamed landscape. The extensive bare profile of the Mendip skyline when viewed from the south is an important aspect of this landscape and would be adversely affected by the erection of any additional masts, pylons, wind turbines or similar structures. 5.46 Little new development is expected, but where it does occur, particular attention should be paid to: • the use of local building materials • the use of screening elements such as hedgerows, orchards and other trees

The visual impact of Battscombe Quarry is significant from many locations (seen here from the B3151 near Wedmore)

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 67

5. Mendips: (D) MENDIP PLATEAU

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Mendip Plateau (a sub-area of the Mendips)

1 Fields near Tynings Farm (arable cropping replacing traditional pasture, also note tumuli) 2 Plateau landscape at Cheddar Head 3 Forestry changes the character of the open plateau landscape 4 Middle Down Drove 5 Dry stone wall

2 5

68 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5. Mendips: (D) MENDIP PLATEAU

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

MENDIP PLATEAU

Description in detail 5.47 Land at the north-eastern corner of the District forms part of the broad plateau on top of the Mendips. The break of slope at the top of the scarp above Cheddar occurs at a height of about 230-250 metres AOD. Within Sedgemoor District the gently undulating plateau has a maximum elevation of about 260 metres AOD except at Tynings Farm, where on the flank of Black Down the District boundary is at a height of about 300 metres AOD. Except for Black Down, which is underlain by sandstone, the underlying geology is carboniferous limestone. 5.48 The plateau area is sparsely populated, with only a few isolated farms, and a largely open character with relatively few trees. Field boundaries define a largely rectilinear pattern of large and medium sized fields, which were enclosed in the early nineteenth century. Dry stone walls, which are a typical feature of the Mendip plateau, are common but north and west of Cheddar Gorge the landscape also contains many hedgerows. Some of the fields, particularly in the area south east of Cheddar Gorge, have the rocky outcrops which are a characteristic feature of a limestone grassland landscape. Elsewhere improved grassland and some arable cropping is more common and in recent years free range pig farming has been introduced, bringing a noticeable change to the previously grassland landscape. The unimproved limestone grasslands are of nature conservation value and there is a range of archaeological interest on sites across the plateau. The zone also includes the extensive coniferous forestry area at Rowberrow Warren on the flank of Black Down.

Landcover types

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Upland agriculture Undulating plateau with rough grazing, improved grassland and some arable cropping in medium sized or large fields; acidic stony or calcareous clay soils; dry stone walls and some hedgerows, few trees; occasional archaeological features and limestone outcrops

Forestry Mainly coniferous plantation with some deciduous edges

Settlement and building form 5.49 The area is generally free from settlement, with the exception of a few isolated farmsteads. 5.50 Carboniferous limestone is the traditional local building material, especially noticeable in the dry stone walls and also in the few older farm buildings.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development / Key principles for new development 5.51 The topography and general lack of tree cover is such that in most locations any new development could be highly visible from the roads or public rights of way across the plateau. The whole zone is within the Mendip Hills AONB and development will be strictly limited. If the need for new agricultural buildings arises they will need to be sited and designed with particular care. Tree planting in copses could help absorb farm buildings into the landscape, in a manner which would be consistent with the character of the Mendip plateau. The repair of dry stone walls would help to retain local character.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 69

5. Mendips: (E) SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Shipham Slopes and Valleys (a sub-area of the Mendips)

1 Star and Shipham from the flank of Sandford Hill 2 Approaching Shipham from Rowberrow 3 “Gruffy ground”,Shipham 4 Roadside cottages, Star - stone, render, claytiles 5 Shipham - narrow lanes, stone walls 6 Shipham - narrow lanes, stone walls 7 Red/ochre/grey stonework (conglomerate, sandstone, limestone)

1 6

3 4 7

70 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5. Mendips: (E) SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS

Description in detail 5.52 A series of valleys etched into the generally north-west trending slopes create an undulating hill and valley landscape around Shipham. This area lies between the upland plateau and the lowland landscape of Winscombe Vale (outside the District) and ranges in elevation from about 60 to 250 metres AOD. The underlying geology of the upper parts of the area is limestone, limestone shale and old red sandstone, elsewhere the bedrock is dolomitic conglomerate. Veins of lead and zinc ores in the conglomerate near Shipham were subject of extensive surface mining which left tell-tale pitted and grooved (‘gruffy’) ground. The landscape is predominantly pastoral with small and medium sized fields interspersed with occasional blocks of woodland. Dry stone walls, built from limestone or sandstone, form the field boundaries in some places but generally hedgerow boundaries are more common. In many parts of this zone the hedgerow trees and the scatter of woodlands create a relatively well-wooded landscape. The field patterns in much of this area are largely of medieval or earlier origin but the upland areas were not enclosed until the early nineteenth century.

Landcover types

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Agricultural land Rolling hills and valleys with some steeper slopes; permanent pasture and some arable cropping in medium sized or large fields, hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak, some dry stone walls, particularly on higher ground; acidic stony or calcareous clay soils;

Rough grassland Unimproved upland fields, rough grassland on reclaimed mining and “gruffy ground” sites and grassy areas of uneven ground with small pits and heaps (‘gruffy ground’ associated with former surface mining activities);

Woodland Broad-leaved woodland, mainly on steeper slopes or former mining sites; also some small conifer plantations;

Settlement and building form 5.53 There is a long history of human settlement in this area. There is a scatter of farmsteads and cottages, a complex network of narrow lanes with small clusters of development at Rowberrow and Star, but the largest village in the area is Shipham. Nestling on gently undulating ground well below the Mendip plateau, Shipham is the most elevated sizeable village in Sedgemoor (125-165 metres AOD). The eighteenth century calamine industry created dense but haphazard groups of cottages and patches of ‘gruffy ground’. Subsequent development has led to a more consolidated village. 5.54 Three types of local stone have been traditionally used in this area: carboniferous limestone, sandstone and dolomitic conglomerate. The sandstone is geologically part of the Devonian ‘old red sandstone’ but is locally found to be a yellow ochre, pink or grey colour rather than the more usual purplish-red. Bricks were often used in combination with stonework, particularly to form door and window openings. Rendered walls are also common and clay tiles are the predominant roofing material. The form and materials of modern houses and bungalows have often failed to respect these important elements of local character. Farmsteads also display the use of more temporary timber and corrugated metal sheet structures. 5.55 Shipham has an open spatial quality in the centre with a village green, old stone houses and generous gardens, whilst older houses on the village edge cling to the roadsides. The stone church is the dominant landmark in the village. Other prominent features are attractive dry stone walls, the stone cross in the village green and mature trees.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 71 5. Mendips: (E) SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

5.56 The public space within the centre of the village adjacent to the pub and church is an important focus for the village, and the open views to the north and west are a significant feature too.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/key principles for new development 5.57 With the exception of the main built-up area of Shipham, the whole of this zone is within the Mendip Hills AONB. The undulating topography and tree cover may give scope for new agricultural buildings to be sited unobtrusively but conversely exposed visible locations should be avoided if possible; if unavoidable then special care with design and landscaping will be required. Landscape enhancement in the form of tree planting in copses or hedgerows and the repair of dry stone walls may be appropriate. 5.58 Little development is expected, but where it does occur, particular attention should be paid to: • the use of local building materials • the distinctive spatial patterns in different parts of Shipham • the use of dry stone walls within both rural and settlement areas

Twentieth century expansion areas Typical Plan Elements Shipham

Views out to north west over folded valleys

Large open space in the centre; church/green

Enclosed streets in older hillside areas

Low density, large properties

72 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (E) SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Shipham A generous spatial quality in the village centre and consistent use of building materials including carboniferous limestone, sandstone and dolomitic conglomerate, painted render and clay tiles.

Typical section through Shipham The relatively small church tower is a not a prominent landmark feature

“Gruffy ground” forms a Older buildings Lower edge of the transitional edge to surround the settlement is well agriculture and church and screened with forestry land village green woodlands and hedgerows

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 73

5. Mendips: (F) BREAN DOWN

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Brean Down (a sub-area of the Mendips)

1 Brean Down and Axe Estuary from Uphill 2 Brean Down from Brean beach 3 View inland from the summit 4 Western end, including fort 5 Grassland and wind-sculpted thorn bushes

2 4

74 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

5. Mendips: (F) BREAN DOWN

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

BREAN DOWN Description in detail 5.59 Brean Down is an outlier of the Mendips standing isolated at the mouth of the River Axe. It is an outcrop of carboniferous limestone, which juts out into the Severn Estuary, creating a distinct promontory with a maritime island character. One and a half miles long and rising to over 90 metres AOD, it has steep cliffs on all sides. Rising abruptly above the estuary and the Levels it is an imposing landmark, terminating the northern end of Brean beach and also prominent in coastal views from Weston-super-Mare. Brean Down is owned by the National Trust and the airy open grassland with panoramic views is a popular destination for residents and visitors.The area is largely unenclosed and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Down has some interesting archaeological features, a fort, tumulus and remnant medieval field system. A Bronze Age settlement with round houses has been excavated in the sand cliff at the base of Brean Down. The sequence of Bronze Age settlement, the Romano British temple and the sub-Roman cemetery are key elements in the archaeological importance of Brean Down. There is some tourism-related development at the base of the hill: a Tropical Bird Garden, car park and cafe.

Landcover types

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Open grassland Open limestone grassland and scrub with rock outcrops; and grass-covered sand accumulation

Cliffs Sea-cliffs with exposed faces of limestone; also a sand cliff behind Brean beach

Settlement and building form 5.60 The archaeological record shows that Brean Down has been a significant site for past settlement, but the Down is no longer a site of human habitation. The only standing buildings are the remnants of military forti- fications at the western end.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development 5.61 There has been some restoration work at Brean Down Fort but, with the exception of that site, no other new buildings or structures are likely to be acceptable on this National Trust site.

Brean Down from Brean beach - the promontory creates a distinct northern limit to the District

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6. Lowland Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

Lowland Hills

Lowland Hills Main settlements

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape 6.1 Rising out of the low and wetland landscape of the Levels and Moors, are a series of hills and isolated knolls which have a close association with the wetlands both visually and historically. The Countryside Commission’s Countryside Character map called these the ‘Mid-Somerset Hills’ which within Sedgemoor District comprise the Polden Hills, Brent Knoll, the Isle of Wedmore and Nyland Hill. That national assessment defined another area of lowland hills at the fringe of the Quantocks as being part of a separate character area (‘Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringe’). But within Sedgemoor District those areas also border the Levels and Moors and share common characteristics with the ‘Mid-Somerset Hills’ and have therefore been regarded as forming a ‘Lowland Hills’ character area. 6.2 These hills have been occupied since early prehistoric times, providing dry land for village settlements and agriculture, whilst allowing easy access to the rich fishing and hunting grounds of the wetlands below. 6.3 The hills are comprised, in the District, of lias limestone, clays and marls, together with some sandstone, silt- stone and slate in the Quantock fringes. The hills have typically rolling, broad profiles, with some steeper slopes, particularly on the south side of the Polden Hills and the north-east side of the Isle of Wedmore. Agriculture is mainly permanent pasture supporting a strong tradition of dairy and livestock farming, with arable cropping on the gentler gradients. A pattern of small fields with mature hedgerows is typical in the steeper hill areas, with larger fields on the gentler slopes. 6.4 The hedgerows are a significant feature of the landscape in most places. They vary from being unmanaged and outgrown with many mature trees, to lower flailed forms, but traditional hedge-laying is not widespread. Woodland is not particularly common, but those blocks which do exist generally make an important contri- bution to the local landscape. The woodlands, hedgerows and some remaining areas of species-rich grassland are also important for nature conservation. 6.5 Settlement patterns vary between the hills, from significant, large villages through to a dispersed pattern of hamlets and farmsteads. Twentieth century expansion is largely confined to the larger settlements, and has broken a typical pattern of villages closely integrated with the rural landscape through edge features including old orchards and mature trees. The use of local stone is a common feature in both buildings and walls in the area, with lias limestone as a dominant building material, and stone from the Quantocks and Mendips becoming more common with proximity. 6.6 The main hill areas are described below, and include:- • The Isle of Wedmore • The Polden Hills • The Isolated Hills • The Quantock Foothills • The Stockland Hills

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 77

6. Lowland Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

Evolution of the landscape 6.7 The high ground of the hills surrounding the Levels and Moors provided dry land for both settlement and more permanent agriculture, and the Lowland Hills have therefore enjoyed continuous occupation. Early evidence of this is the arterial trackways across the bogs, such as the Sweet Track, which joined the ‘island’ of Westhay to the Polden ridge. The earliest evidence for systematic woodland management in Britain comes from these trackways. 6.8 The social organisation of Bronze Age society may be reflected in the division and enclosure of the countryside that was undertaken during this period, although there is little evidence left today. Arterial tracks continued to be built with perhaps one of the most sophisticated constructions, the Meare Heath track, joining the ‘island’ of Meare to the Polden ridge. 6.9 The Roman conquest of Britain began in 43 AD but the timing of the conquest of Somerset is still not clear. It has been suggested that following the initial campaigns the northern part of the Durotrigian kingdom survived as a client state, still minting its own coinage, and was not brought under direct Roman rule until the end of the first century AD. The county was fairly densely populated at this time with the exception of the uplands of Exmoor and the Quantocks and the lowlands of the Levels. Evidence for the road network at this time is poor within the District and the only contender is the ridge road along the Poldens which will have connected the port at Crandon Bridge with the Foss Way and the hinterland. 6.10 The collapse of the Romano British administration will have had an effect on the both the economy and the landscape. The settlement pattern developed over the previous 400 years changed with many Romano British settlements being abandoned, although there is evidence for continuity at a few sites on the Poldens. 6.11 It is possible that some of its population retreated back to the hillfort on Brent Knoll as these sites were reoccupied at this time; the hillfort at Cannington may have had a permanent settlement throughout this period. 6.12 The encroachment of the Saxons westward led eventually to the inclusion of the area in the West Saxon kingdom of Wessex from which much of England was ruled. The period might be characterised as one of urban development and expansion. 6.13 In addition to developing urban centres many new villages were planned and laid out during the Saxon period. Those with rectilinear street patterns are considered to be the most likely candidates and good examples are found along the north side of the Polden ridge at Woolavington, Edington, Cossington and Shapwick. 6.14 Urban development in the medieval period continued on the basis of the growth seen in the Saxon period. Many manor houses and estates developed, with surviving houses and parkland particularly on the Polden Hills and in the foothills of the Quantocks. Later in the period rural settlements, both villages and farms, were abandoned in considerable numbers. These desertions were probably attributable to a variety of causes but the breakdown of the manorial system, economic changes in late medieval society and population reduction resulting from epidemics of the Black Death will have been contributory factors. 6.15 Seasonal use of the high and low ground was a feature of agriculture in these areas, and at certain times of the year large numbers of animals would have been on the move, from the surrounding high ground, over considerable distances and in all directions across the lowlands. Land tenure and access tracks on to the wetland areas is reflected in the pattern of fields and lanes today, particularly on the north side of the Polden Hills. 6.16 In the nineteenth century, one of the greatest influences on settlement patterns was the development of the railway. The GWR line between Weston super Mare and Bridgwater was opened in 1841 and a year later was extended to Taunton. What was to become the Somerset and Dorset line opened between Highbridge and Glastonbury in 1854, supporting development on the north side of the Polden Hills. This line and the later Edington branch line, which cut through the Polden Hills to Bridgwater, are both now abandoned but becoming partially re-used as part of the National Cycle Network. 6.17 Twentieth century impacts have been seen mainly in the intensification of agriculture, creating larger field systems on the shallower gradients and the loss of hedgerows and woodland, and in the expansion of settlements.

78 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

New housing development on the edge of villages or as infilling has changed their physical appearance, and the town of Bridgwater has expanded. Large, modern agricultural buildings can be unduly prominent in the landscape. The major loss of hedgerow trees through Dutch Elm Disease has had a particularly significant impact in these ‘Lowland Hills’.

Key issues and forces for change 6.18 The pattern of hedges and trees in hedgerows may suffer greatly over the next 50 years. Hedgerows are becoming less well managed and consequently gappy. Mature hedgerow trees are not being replaced and continuing Dutch Elm disease has created hedgerow thickets, which, whilst self-managing due to die-back, have diminished wildlife value. Deciduous woodland appears to be generally poorly managed, and new initiatives for renewal and positive management will be required. 6.19 Orchards are a key feature of the landscape, especially as a component of village edges. Their gradual loss is a significant issue. Although grants are available for new planting, long term management is important and is unlikely to be considered a priority. Although protection is desirable, it is not possible due to the status of fruit trees as an agricultural crop. 6.20 Agricultural improvement and diversification continue to be one of the main threats to the character of the landscape. The reduction of pastureland in particular is likely, and will lead to loss of grassland or meadow habitats. The amalgamation of farming units or intensification of agricultural practice may result in larger farm buildings. 6.21 New housing developments, either as large schemes on the edge of settlements or as infill often results in the erosion of a settlement’s character. There is pressure for urban expansion on edges of Bridgwater. Most of the villages in these lowland hills are regarded as desirable residential locations with attendant invest- ment in property enhancement and pressure for new development. The development of individual houses in the countryside may result from farms moving out of villages, or through permission for agricultural dwellings. 6.22 The extent of quarrying and the consequent impact may have a detrimental impact on the character of the Stockland Hills in the future, from both visual impact and traffic generation. 6.23 Tourism and leisure may generate pressures on village character, and on countryside issues such as grassland flora, archaeological features and erosion of footpaths.

Landscape Management Issues 6.25 Management of the landscape, by landowners and other interested parties, will play a major role in determining the future character of the area. Common key issues include: • traditional hedgerow management, and in particular conservation of medieval field patterns • the need for a coherent strategy with regard to Dutch Elm disease, which may include retention or removal and replacement • new woodland management initiatives, which will support the planting and cropping of local hardwoods • re-planting and conservation of existing orchards • the conservation and correct management of areas of herb-rich grassland • the conservation and new planting of parkland trees and conservation of other parkland features

The intensification of farming has lead to the enlargement of fields and loss of hedgerows

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6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Isle of Wedmore (a sub-area of the Lowland Hills)

1 near Alston Sutton 2 near Ashton 3 Badgworth, on the gentle slopes above the Levels 4 Farms at the edge of Tealham Moor 5 Church Street,Wedmore 6 West End,Wedmore 7 Westham 8 Range of typical materials, Blackford 9 Clay tile roofs with dormers, Blackford 10 Stonework detail,Wedmore 11 Stonework detail, Blackford

1 5 9

2 6 10

3 7

4 8 11

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6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail 6.25 The ‘Isle of Wedmore’,as it is known locally, is one of the two main hill areas sitting within the Levels and Moors. The underlying geology is basically a mix of siltstones, mudstones and limestones. These layers of sedimentary rock generally dip westwards and are faulted, giving rise to a gently undulating topography with the steepest slopes occurring at the eastern and southern edges. The area reaches a maximum elevation of just over 70 metres AOD in the south east. The area is quite uniform, with a limited diversity in landscape character. For the most part the area appears as a quiet rural backwater, with permanent pasture and some arable in a patchwork of small to medium sized fields with mature hedgerow boundaries. A medieval pattern of fields remains largely intact. 6.26 The hedgerows are generally unmanaged, creating a contained and intimate character in the area, and generally include a large proportion of elm, which, due to Dutch Elm disease, suckers to form a thicket of about 5 metres height. There are no major areas of woodland but several small woods and copses form important features in the local landscape (e.g. at Lascot Hill,Weare and Sand).

Landcover types

6.27 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Small scale Gently hilly with some steeper slopes; permanent pasture agricultural land in medium sized fields, most with hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak; calcareous clay soils;

Larger scale Gently hilly pasture or arable cropping in larger fields; infrequent agricultural land mature trees, usually ash, in sparse hedgerows; calcareous clay soils;

Broad-leaved woodland Broad-leaved and ancient woodland; smaller woodland blocks

The gentle gradients and small pasture fields with mature trees and hedgerows is typical of the Isle of Wedmore landscape

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6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Settlement and building form 6.28. Wedmore is the largest settlement in this area and in common with many other villages and hamlets in the locality it occupies a position close to the adjacent moors. Elsewhere the settlement pattern is relatively dispersed, with many small villages or hamlets and farmsteads connected by a network of country lanes. Many of the hamlets or small villages have a simple linear pattern with development consolidated to varying degrees (e.g Weare, Blackford,Theale, Stone Allerton, Chapel Allerton). 6.29. Locally sourced building stone and clay tiles were widely used in the construction of houses, cottages and farm buildings; colourwashed render is also common. Whilst Blue Lias is a component of the local geology and available as a building material in the Isle of Wedmore, its use is not as predominant as in the Polden Hills. A mixture of sandstones and limestones are available and building stones in the Wedmore area are clearly different in character from Lias limestone (colour, texture, size, shape and workability of blocks) and this is identified on the Geological Survey map as ‘Wedmore Stone’. Other stones which have been used locally include carboniferous limestone and red conglomerate from Mendip, Doulting stone (oolite) or Ham stone ashlar. 6.30 The spatial pattern of the majority of the smaller settlements is of individual plots along narrow lanes. The streetscapes tend to be full of variety and interest: a rich mixture of old farms, cottages, other buildings and boundary walls, with greenery provided by grass verges, hedges and trees. 6.31 Wedmore village contains many attractive old stone buildings and much of the village has been designated as a conservation area. The centre of the village is characterised by its enclosed urban streets with generous open spaces and old orchards behind. The village has an intricate pattern of lanes with old houses and cottages, large Victorian villas, substantial stone walls and many mature trees. Twentieth century expansion has occurred on the edges and in some cases has been sited in highly visible hilltop locations.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/Key principles for new development 6.32 The village of Wedmore is the only significant settlement in the area, and yet has little visual impact on views from the Cheddar/Wells corridor, due to its location in a fold of the hills and the richness of tree cover. Development on the edges of the urban area could, however, create a noticeable impact to the north west if this is carried out insensitively. 6.33 The gentle gradient of most of the hillsides creates an indistinct boundary between the Levels and Moors and the higher ground, and the dispersed pattern of settlement reinforces this character. Landscape change higher on the hillsides, however, will be visible from the Levels and Moors and from the Mendips and Polden Hills. 6.34 Capacity for major new development is therefore considered to be low, but infill development in the smaller settlements is likely to be capable of being absorbed. 6.35 Development proposals in Wedmore should respect: • the historical pattern of urban streetscape and open spaces in the core area • the consistent use of local building materials • the sensitivity of hilltop areas to new development • the importance of trees, within and at the edges of the village 6.36 Development proposals in the smaller settlements should respect: • the pattern of development along the main road creating interesting and varied frontages • the consistent use of local building materials • the softened edge characteristics

82 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical Plan Elements Wedmore Enclosed urban streetscape in historic core

Extensive 20th century expansion

Open areas at rear of core streets

Fields at West End help to retain rural character

The presence of mature trees in the large gardens and remnant orchards in the heart of the village contribute substantially to the character of Wedmore

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 83

6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical section through Wedmore

Stone walls and overhanging vegetation

Orchards and mediaevalNarrow urban streets Open former Built area nestles into coo field pattern softenwith continuous frontage:orchards hilltop development village edge predominance of local stonein core blocks is inappropriate

Right: The narrow streets of Wedmore are typified by properties set close to the edge of the road or set back behind substantial boundary walls

Below, Below right: New development in Wedmore has varied in the extent to which there is respect for the use of local materials and built form.

84 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (B) ISLE OF WEDMORE

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Wedmore - Smaller linear settlements Typical Plan Elements - Blackford

Organic street Houses close form to main street

Backland expansion

Orchards at village edges

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 85

6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Polden Hills (a sub-area of the Lowland Hills)

1 Near Stawell 2 Polden ridge, A39, Bawdrip 3 Near Greinton (including skyline mast) 4 Shapwick 5 to 11 Lias limestone and clay tiles give unity; variations in siting, massing, detailing and boundaries create interesting street scenes and individual character. (5 Catcott, 6 Catcott, 7 Catcott, 8 Edington, 9 Catcott, 10 Catcott, 11 Moorlinch)

1 8

2 5 9

3 6 10

4 7 11

86 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail 6.37 The Polden Hills form a long low ridge which cuts across the Somerset Levels and Moors.Within Sedgemoor the ridge reaches a maximum height of 98 metres AOD. The topography is variable, with steeper slopes and hillocks on the southern side of the ridge, and shallower gradients on the northern side leading gently down to the moors. The underlying geology is chiefly Lias limestones and clays, with other marls, siltstones and shales on the southern side. 6.38 The clay soils and gentler gradients have allowed a variety of agricultural usage, including arable and permanent pasture or grass leys, in a pattern of either large fields with flailed hedgerows and few mature trees, or smaller fields with mature hedgerows which are predominantly pasture. A patchwork of small but visually dominant woodland blocks is an important feature of the southern side of the hills in particular, with one area of commercial forestry. Deciduous woodland is a key feature of the ridge along the A39. 6.39 The area is also rich in history. The ridge-top route followed by the A39 was a Roman road and probably has ancient origins. The pattern of villages is directly influenced by historic systems of land-use which sustained communities through the use of farmland and wetland resources. There is archaeological evidence of a continuity of settlement in this area from pre-history. Parkland and managed estates are also evident in a number of locations. 6.40 The area is a rich tapestry of landscape, with frequent long views over the Levels and Moors and to the other hill areas, creating a very high quality landscape character.

Landcover types

6.41 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Small scale Gently hilly or isolated knolls with some steeper slopes; agricultural land permanent pasture and some arable cropping in medium sized fields, most with hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak; frequent small orchards; isolated small woodlands; calcareous clay soils;

Larger scale Gently hilly or isolated knolls with some steeper slopes; agricultural land permanent pasture and some arable cropping in larger fields; infrequent mature trees, usually ash, in sparse or flailed hedgerows; calcareous clay soils;

Parkland / estates Noticeable features include mature trees as specimens or in clumps in pasture (especially species such as lime) and ornamental trees relating to large houses (species include coniferous trees such as cedar); remnant built structures or follies

Broad-leaved woodland Broad-leaved and ancient woodland; smaller woodland blocks and copses or linear woodland as along the A39

Commercial forestry Commercial conifer plantations with deciduous edge species

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 87

6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Settlement and building form 6.42 The Polden Hills have been valued as a location for settlement from the earliest times in historical record. The opportunity to access the rich fisheries and grazing land of the Levels and Moors from the elevated, dry land of the hills, led to the development of a string of settlements on the northern side of the ridge which date from Saxon and medieval periods. There is also evidence of Roman occupation, and the road which runs along the ridgeline is a Roman road. The villages here were located often about one third of the way up the slopes of higher land, in response to the presence of a good source of water, whether a spring or stream course. The villages are generally loosely rectilinear in plan form, a reflection of their Roman and medieval origins.This pattern remains strong today. The street pattern generally runs along or at 90 degrees to the contours, generated from the series of lanes which run down on to the Levels and Moors. 6.43 By contrast, the settlements on the southern side of the ridge are much fewer and generally located at the foot of the hills, which are steeper on this side. Their plan form is also more organic, with a generally linear arrangement of the older properties. 6.44 The more recent development areas, in villages such as Puriton and Woolavington, have generally paid little respect to traditional village patterns. These new housing areas are often quite exposed to views from the north, and evident in particular from the M5 motorway. 6.45 The parkland and manor houses which are a feature of the area, also create a distinctive impact on the character of settlements. These include the presence of the larger houses themselves, their dominance on the plan form and visual aspect of the villages, and the associated parkland features (in particular the mature trees such as lime, chestnut and cedar). 6.46 Common elements for all built form on the Poldens include: • the common use in traditional properties of lias limestone blocks as the main building material • the use of Bridgwater brick and tiled or slate roofs • strong integration of the village edges with landscape elements which include orchards and hedgerow trees All the Polden villages exhibit extensive use of blocks of lias limestone in buildings and boundary walls. Details such as copings and block sizes can be seen to vary between villages, but overall the use of stone is a unifying feature. Painted render is also common, and clay tile roofs are another unifying feature. Red bricks commonly feature in window arches, and were occassionally more extensively used (as at Stawell).

West House, Chilton Polden Catcott Parkland trees and clustered A core of stone cottages around a farmsteads create a mature memorial, with little open space and high quality landscape

88 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Cossington Orchards are traditionally located close to farmhouses, and form an Typical locally used materials are integral part of the village scene. lias, red brick, clay tiles, features such as stone boundary walls and mature trees of larger properties or estates.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/Key principles for new development 6.47 The visual prominence of the Polden Hills and the variety and richness of its landscape promotes it as a high priority area for conservation. In particular, the western end of the hills and the southern hillocks have a high value in terms of views from lowland areas. 6.48 The A39, running along the ridge for much of its length, has a sequence of views over the Levels and Moors, broken and framed by the sometimes linear pattern of woodland, and this represents an important view corridor. Views from the western end of the ridge towards Bridgwater, however, are to the mixed industrial and residential areas on the east side of the town. 6.49 Capacity for new development is considered to be limited in all areas of the Polden Hills. Tree planting at village edges would help to absorb modern housing developments into the surrounding landscape. Similarly tree planting in the vicinity of modern agricultural buildings, perhaps as small copses, would be of benefit. Such additional woodland should be of appropriate native species and would be of benefit not only to landscape character but also to wildlife. 6.50 Development proposals on the north side of the ridge should respect: • the rectilinear streetscape pattern and integration with lanes and field pattern • the close relationship of buildings to street edge • the use of stone boundary walls • the consistent use of local building materials • the soft edge characteristics • the importance of key buildings and mature parkland trees

6.51 Development proposals on the south side of the ridge should respect: • the organic streetscape pattern and more linear development layout • the consistent use of local building materials • the soft edge characteristics

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 89

6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical section through a settlement on the northern side of the Polden Ridge

Transitional Lower edge of edge-orchards settlement well screened with hedgerows and orchards

Transition to Saxon and medieval Fine churches Landscape of levels and moors springline villages, and other small fields, predominance of localmajor buildingsmature hedgerows limestone and tree belts

Typical pattern of villages on north side of ridge

Woodland ridge

Old village core in rectilinear lay

Manor house and parkland tre

Linear field pattern

Orchards on Lane leading to moors village edge

90 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 6. Lowland Hills: (C) POLDEN HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical views on the southern side of the Polden Ridge

Main hill ridge broken by steeperDefined woodland blocks wooded hillocks on southern faceand linear woodland ridge

Hedgerows vary from flailed and fe Mixed arable, pastureon arable, to mature where field pattern and specialist cropsis older and pasture predominat Remnant parkland landscapes with mature parkland trees

Polden Hills - south side of ridge Typical plan form - Moorlinch

Village at foot of steep slopes

Orchards at village edges

Buildings close Organic street pattern to street relating to landform

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 91

6. Lowland Hills: (D) ISOLATED HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Isolated Hills (a sub-area of the Lowland Hills)

1 Brent Knoll from Webbington 2 Brent Knoll from the west 3 Nyland Hill 4 Pawlett village, on the gentle slopes of Pawlett Hill 5 Individual roadside plots at the foot of Brent Knoll 6 Farm at the foot of Nyland Hill 7 Village green, Brent Knoll 8 Street scene, Brent Knoll 9 Local stone at Nyland (Dolomitic conglomerate) 10 Traditional form and materials, Pawlett

1 7

2 5 8

3 6 9

4 10

92 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 6. Lowland Hills: (D) ISOLATED HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

ISOLATED HILLS

Description in detail 6.52 Rising out of the Levels and Moors, are the isolated hills of Brent Knoll (rising to 137m AOD), Pawlett Hill (33m), Nyland Hill (76m AOD) and just outside the District, Burrow Mump. These outcrops or knolls vary in their visual dominance. Brent Knoll in particular provides a constant reference point from the coastal and Brue valley lowland areas. Nyland Hill and Burrow Mump are locally significant landmarks, whilst Pawlett Hill has a much gentler profile and is a less dramatic landscape feature, perhaps best regarded as an outlier of the Polden Hills. 6.53 These hills were a natural location for early settlement. Surviving earthworks on the summit of Brent Knoll confirm that this was an Iron Age hill fort site. Public footpaths to this summit allow an appreciation of its commanding position above the surrounding Levels. 6.54 The landscape components of these hills are very similar to those of the Poldens or Wedmore hills. Blocks of broadleaved woodland on parts of the steep slopes of Brent Knoll and Nyland Hill are important elements of their visual character. Parts are Ancient Woodland and some other parts of the steep slopes are unimproved grassland of nature conservation value.

Landcover types

6.55 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Small scale Gently hilly or isolated knolls with some steeper slopes; agricultural land permanent pasture in medium sized fields, most with hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak; calcareous clay soils;

Larger scale Gently hilly pasture or arable cropping in larger fields; infrequent agricultural land mature trees, usually ash, in sparse hedgerows; calcareous clay soils;

Open pasture Open pasture becoming scrubby

Broad-leaved woodland Broad-leaved and ancient woodland; smaller woodland blocks

Settlement and building form 6.56 There are several farms and associated buildings sited around the foot of Nyland Hill but no buildings encroach significantly up the hill. The villages of Brent Knoll and East Brent occupy a similar position at the foot of Brent Knoll; but in the case of Brent Knoll village, settlement has also climbed the lower flanks of the hill. Brent Knoll parish church and the Manor House both occupy elevated positions and there are other buildings accessed from the lane which climbs over the lower tier of the Knoll to East Brent; hillside woodland helps to mask many of these buildings from view. The base of Pawlett Hill is also a location for a scatter of farms and the hamlet of Stretcholt but here the gentler slopes were not an obstacle to development, and the village of Pawlett occupies a hillside position. Pawlett is comparable to the string of villages on the north side of the Polden Hills in terms of location and general character, with Lias stone, brick, render and clay tiles being predominant materials.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 93

6. Lowland Hills: (D) ISOLATED HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development / Key principles for new development 6.57 Brent Knoll and Nyland Hill are significant focal points and landmark features which could be adversely affected by new buildings. All development, including agricultural buildings, should be very strictly controlled. Planting of coniferous hedgerows to provide screening near properties on the flanks of Brent Knoll has introduced an alien feature which fails to respect the established character given by broadleaved woodland and hedgerows. 6.58 Pawlett Hill is less prominent topographically but because of its location on the crest of the hill, expansion of the village is potentially visible in the surrounding landscape. Development of the former Manor Hotel site is particularly exposed to view approaching Pawlett from the north on the A38; peripheral sites such as this require particular care over design and landscaping. The southern face of the hill is significant in views from the River Parrett and surrounding Levels. 6.59 New development in the village of Pawlett should, in addition to taking account of visibility in the landscape, respect the characteristic features identified for Polden Hills villages.

Nyland Hill is a prominent Unsympathetic design: modern farm- landscape feature in the moors house in a prominent location on top south of Cheddar of Brent Knoll’s lower tier, adjacent to a popular path to the summit.

Brent Knoll dominates much of the western part of the Levels

94 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Quantock Foothills (a sub-area of the Lowland Hills)

1 Low, rolling hills, Spaxton area (Quantock Hills in background) 2 Landscape at North Petherton 3 Landscape near Thurloxton 4 Lane and farm buildings, Rhode 5 Red sandstone, colourwashed render, clay tiles (Cannington) 6 Castle Street, Nether Stowey 7 Boundary wall at Goathurst - sandstone rubble capped with rough hewn slate 8 Angular blocks of sandstone and slate, Spaxton

2 6

3 7

4 5 8

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 95

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail 6.60 South and west of Bridgwater, the land rises from the Levels in to an area of low, broad, rolling hills which form the transition to the higher and more steeply folded landscape of the Quantock Hills and Coombes. Most of the area is at an altitude of less than 100 metres AOD, but in parts rising ground of a higher elevation leading up to the Quantock Hills AONB has been included. The undulating topography contains an ancient network of lanes and field patterns, and a scatter of settlements and farms punctuates the landscape. 6.61 These broad low hills contain a number of small deciduous woodlands but the area is predominantly a farmed landscape, with a mixture of pasture and cultivated land. The area also contains remnant parkland landscapes originally laid out in the 18th century. The pattern of field boundaries is thought to be generally medieval or earlier in origin, although field sizes and shapes have also been influenced by hedgerow removal in some cases. Field boundaries are chiefly hedgerows, many of which are maintained by flailing but also contain a good number of mature Ash and Oak. Elm trees were also common prior to Dutch Elm Disease and regrowth is evident in many hedgerows. There is a large commercial orchard near North Petherton but individual farm orchards are now a less common feature of the local landscape than previously. 6.62. The siltstones and mudstones of the Mercia Mudstone Group (“Keuper Marl”), sometimes overlain by gravelly loam deposits form the underlying geology of most of the area. Ploughed fields commonly have a distinctly reddish appearance. The presence of red sandstone near Cannington, Nether Stowey, North Petherton and Wembdon has provided a distinctive local building stone. Some localities have harder slatestones and siltstones which have also been used for building or walling. 6.63 The area is drained by a number of small streams and brooks, many of which rise in the Quantocks and run to the River Parrett. The M5 motorway dominates the southern end of the area, breaking the grain of the landscape even more noticeably in this rolling terrain than in the Levels. In places the landscape is adversely affected by the presence of high voltage electricity transmission lines.

West of North Petherton - Bridgwater occupies the transition from the undulating Quantock foothills to the drained landscape of the Levels

96 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Low rolling hills, larger arable fields and varied hedgerow types and occasional hedgerow trees are typical features of the foothills, with the Quantocks as a constant backdrop

Landcover Types

6.64 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Larger scale Gently hilly permanent pasture and arable cropping in larger fields; agricultural land field boundaries generally hedgerows, often with mature trees (oak, ash and previously elm) but also commonly reduced by flailing; calcareous clay soils;

Broad-leaved woodland Broad-leaved and ancient woodland; smaller woodland blocks and copses especially related to areas of Quantock fringes

Settlement and building form 6.65 Settlements in this area include the historic villages of Cannington, Nether Stowey and North Petherton which have been major centres for their respective rural catchments. A scatter of smaller villages, hamlets and individual farmsteads or cottages is also found. At the edge of this area, Bridgwater developed as a market town on a site where elevated ground next to the River Parrett provided a castle site and river crossing point. Development as a medieval port and market town was followed by industrial development from the 19th century onwards. Some of Bridgwater’s growth has been on the low-lying Levels but the town has also expanded westwards and southwards along the ends of Quantock Foothill ridges at Durleigh, Hamp and Huntworth. The adjacent village of Wembdon expanded onto a ridge in similar fashion.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 97

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

6.66 Typical elements of settlement include: • suburban expansion around a historic core • use of a range of locally-sourced building/walling stone or brick are the primary building materials, with some rendered walls. The presence of red sandstone near Cannington, Nether Stowey, North Petherton and Wembdon is directly manifest in local buildings. Harder, dark red sandstones and slates have provided the more angular blocks used in the Spaxton area and other slate/siltstones have been used in the Nether Stowey and North Petherton areas. Carboniferous limestone was also available at Cannington. The now defunct brick and tile industry in Bridgwater produced distinctively orange-red materials which have had a widespread influence. • clay tiles are the predominant roof material but there is also some slate and occasional thatch. 6.67 Both large and smaller settlements have notable ecclesiastical and historic features which should be conserved. The bridge and green with associated buildings at Cannington, and the central area of Nether Stowey with its ‘stowey cobbling’ are fine examples of features which help make distinctive places. High red sandstone walls are another typical feature especially in Cannington. 6.68 Within the larger settlements the massing of the buildings of high density in the centre, with lower density on the periphery is typical; with buildings a maximum of two storey at the edge and three in the centre. Soft edges to such settlements are typical, through the traditional planting of orchards and back gardens with tree planting and hedgerow trees. Some recent housing developments at Cannington and Nether Stowey in particular, have been carried out with a lack of sympathy to local settlement patterns. This has included the creation of ‘left-over’ spaces at the entrance to new development, the creation of new raw, fenced edges to the village, and the use of building materials not found locally. 6.69 The smaller settlements such as Goathurst and Spaxton are linear in form and have an organic street pattern which follows the landform. Development is of medium density. Existing views within settlements from between houses are important in allowing views to the countryside beyond. Soft edges to such settlements are also common due to orchards, mature trees and hedgerows.

Typical settlement in the Quantock foothills

Large settlements with Rolling arable Quantock Hills Parkland trees historic core (largely with mixed in background and old estateshedgerow types red sandstone) and suburban expansion

98 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/Key principles for new development 6.70 The higher areas adjacent to the Quantock AONB boundary are important in terms of developing the setting of the higher quality landscapes beyond, and in particular the old parkland landscapes are a valuable landscape resource. 6.71 Mixed deciduous woodland and hedgerow trees are a characteristic, but declining, component of this lowland landscape; where present, tree cover will generally offer opportunity to minimise the impact of new development in the countryside. Capacity for new development is considered low in the smaller settlements, and reaching the limits of acceptability in the larger settlements. 6.72 Development proposals in the larger settlements should respect: • the traditional relationship of buildings to the street, leaving no undefined open space • the consistent use of local building materials • use of specific local materials such as Stowey cobbling • the soft village edge characteristics • the use of stone boundary walls 6.73 In the smaller settlements, proposals should additionally address: • maintaining varied and interesting street frontages • the desirability of allowing views out to countryside from between houses

Left: The historic core of Cannington should provide a strong precedent for the massing and materials for new development Below left: Cannington. New housing does not follow the layout or massing found locally and takes no inspiration from the interesting mix of materials, form and detailed design of buildings in the village core.

Below: Cannington. This new development, by contrast, uses sandstone boundary walls and bricks of a colour which compliment local red sandstone and Ham stone ashlar. Care has also been taken to retain prominent trees.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 99

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Typical Plan Elements Historic core with enclosed Nether Stowey urban character and integrity of building materials

Edges of settlements exposed to bypass (Nether Stowey and Cannington)

Extensive 20th Century expansion with suburban character

View of Nether Stowey from the east, where suburban expansion has been considerable

100 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

1 & 4: The central area of Nether Stowey with its cobbling is a fine example of urban character

2: The red sandstone toll gate house at Nether Stowey shows a distinctive use of local materials.

3 & 5: The historic streets display stonework of varied colour and texture (mainly a range of red sandstones), painted render and some brick, slate and clay tiles. Individual buildings are generally of a simple and 2 straightforward form, but subtle variations in proportions, detailing, rooflines and materials combine to create a quality streetscape. These qualities are sadly lacking in most modern estate developments.

3 5

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6. Lowland Hills: (E) QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Quantock foothills - smaller settlements

Typical Plan Elements Goathurst

Prominent church towers

Organic street plan Mature trees, relating to landform hedgerows and orchards around village edge

Linear development along roads

Spaxton Spaxton Linear development along roads is a typical feature of Soft elements such as orchards and treed edges are smaller Quantock Foothill settlements common features of the small linear villages

102 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Stockland Hills (a sub-area of the Lowland Hills)

1 Stockland Hills rise gently above the levels of the Steart peninsula 2 South and south west of Cannington Park 3 West of Cannington Park 4 Arable fields near Nether Stowey 5,6 Traditional materials at Combwich - lias limestone, brick, render, clay tiles 7 House and former mill, Bonson 8 Roadside wall, Stockland Bristol

3 5 7

4 6 8

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6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

STOCKLAND HILLS Description in detail 6.74 This area has many of the characteristics of the Quantock Foothills, yet has a more diverse and smaller scale patchwork of landscape elements on complex undulating topography. The close relationship with the coastal and estuarine areas of the Parrett and Bridgwater Bay also help to create a distinct character. 6.75 The area is characterised by its series of small hills, rising from 10 metres to an average of 50 to 60 metres AOD, and several which are higher, notably Pinnacle Hill (95 metres) and the hill fort site of Cannington Park (80 metres). The geology of this small area is quite complex and includes potential sources of almost the full range of building stones used in the District (lias, red sandstone, carboniferous limestone, siltstones). The outcrop of carboniferous limestone is quarried at Cannington Park and past use of the range of stones in local buildings is clearly evident. The ‘local’ stone can change over relatively short distances and can seem incongruous if the area’s varied geology is not appreciated. 6.76 The area contains a patchwork of larger, mainly arable and small pasture fields, unmanaged hedgerows and small woodlands, with a dispersed settlement pattern. Field patterns are likely to be largely medieval in origin and include part of a deer park boundary (Deer Leap) at Nether Stowey, however parts of the area have suffered substantial loss of hedgerows in recent decades.

View from Stowey Castle towards the patchwork landscape of the Stockland Hills, showing enlarged arable fields in the middle distance, with smaller fields and woodlands beyond.

The Stockland Hills is a gently hilly landscape of pastureland or arable crops and small broadleaved woodlands

104 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Landcover types

6.77 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Small scale Gently hilly or isolated knolls with some steeper slopes; agricultural land permanent pasture and some arable cropping in medium sized fields, most with hedgerows and mature trees especially ash and oak; occasional small orchards; isolated small woodlands; calcareous clay soils;

Larger scale Gently hilly pasture or arable cropping in larger fields; infrequent agricultural land mature trees, usually ash, in sparse hedgerows; calcareous clay soils;

Broad-leaved woodland Broad-leaved and ancient woodland; smaller woodland blocks

Settlement and building form 6.78 Settlement in the area includes the old port of Combwich, which retains a maritime character, the small village of Stockland Bristol, and a scatter of isolated hamlets and farmsteads. Much of the area has an undeveloped backwater character, but features such as electricity pylons linking to the nearby Hinkley Point power stations and the silos of a grain depot bring signs of the modern world into this landscape. 6.79 Smaller settlements such as Stockland Bristol are linear in form and of medium density. Streets run along contours. Prominent features include churches and other older properties. Soft edges to such settlements are again typical, with orchards, back garden trees and hedgerow trees. Use of lias limestone is predominant in the buildings and boundary walls of Stockland Bristol, but elsewhere the range of other local stones is encountered, together with brick and render. As elsewhere in the District, locally produced clay tiles became the predominant roofing material. 6.80 Combwich is sited on high ground adjacent to the Parrett estuary. Suburban development has occurred on infill plots, backland areas, edge-of-village sites and redevelopment sites. This has created a more consolidated settlement wherein the siting and design of properties breaks with the traditional linear streetscape. Combwich has also seen the construction of a major wharf facility to service Hinkley Point. The local brick- works are long-gone but the ponds in the former clay pits are a residual feature and there is a large area of riverside common land.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development / Key principles for new development 6.81 The A39 separates the Stockland Hills from The Quantocks and those areas visible from this important holiday route should be regarded as sensitive. A long-distance walking route, the River Parrett Trail, also skirts the area. Copses, coverts and other woodland blocks are a feature of this area which, together with remaining hedgerows, provide some opportunity for buildings to be absorbed into the landscape. Conversely, tree and hedgerow removal in some localities has significantly reduced this potential. 6.82 The hill at Cannington Park was a hill fort site. The woodland cover on its crest and north side makes this a locally prominent landscape feature, particularly in views from the Combwich road to the north-east. Unfortunately a quarry mars this view.

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6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

6.83 Other than development for which a countryside location is necessary, new building will be in the villages. New development proposals should respect: • the linear settlement pattern or other street characteristics, aiming to harmonise with existing street scenes through the appropriate use hard/soft boundaries and the grouping of buildings • the use of local building materials; (lias limestone is predominant in Stockland Bristol but elsewhere a more diverse mix of stones, brick and render may be appropriate) • visibility in the wider landscape, including the colour of roof materials and tree planting to achieve soft village edge characteristics

Stockland Bristol - the settlement is linear in form and edged with back garden trees and orchards; much of the village is sited just above the adjacent levels, and is overlooked by the Manor House, which occupies a more elevated position.

Left & below: Combwich has a rich mix of materials and built form

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6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Stockland Bristol

Linear village form

Orchards at village edge

Left: Lias limestone, brick and clay tiles are traditional local materials Below: Prominent features of Stockland Bristol include the limestone church and boundary walls

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6. Lowland Hills: (F) STOCKLAND HILLS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Combwich

Enclosed streetscape in historic core on higher ground

20th century expansion, suburban character

Combwich - there has been a lost opportunity to create an attractive harbour frontage

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7. Quantock Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

Quantock Hills

Quantocks Main settlements

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The existing landscape 7.1 The Quantocks create a majestic southern limit to the landscape of the District. The hills comprise a ridge of Devonian rock running from north-west to south-east, and rise to over 300 metres AOD. On the hilltops are extensive areas of open moorland, with forestry and enclosed upland pasture. The hillsides are less steep on the north-eastern side (within the District boundary), than on the western escarpment, with folded and often wooded valleys or combes and a patchwork of small fields. 7.2 The landscape has been occupied for thousands of years, with evidence of Bronze Age activity. Saxon and medieval occupation of the land has left a strong imprint in the pattern of fields and lanes, and the area has an unspoilt and ancient character. Parklands have also developed on the hills, including ancient deer parks, and remnant features such as veteran trees survive in several places. 7.3 The quality of the landscape has been recognised in the designation as an AONB, although it should be noted that this character area also extends beyond the AONB boundary, particularly near Enmore and Goathurst. A rich diversity of natural habitats also exists, with meadows, woodland and hedgerows, heath and acid grassland, creates a rich resource of both flora and fauna. Beech hedgebanks, which are a common feature of both the Quantocks and Exmoor, mark many road edges and in many places have now grown in to magnificent trees. A group of beech trees near the summit of Cothelstone Hill (just outside the District) is a prominent landmark feature on the Quantock skyline and similar beech copses can also be found as notable features within the farmland landscape of the Quantocks. 7.4 The nature of views both to and from the hills is one of its fundamental features. The ridge creates a dominant landform at the southwestern edge of the District, creating a spectacular backdrop to the Levels and Moors landscape. From the ridge and hillsides, wide views over the surrounding landscape are possible, including the coastal edge and South Wales beyond, the Vale of Taunton Deane to the south and Exmoor to the west. The District boundary does not simply run along the crest of the hills but follows the framework of local parish boundaries, several of which straddle the hills. Hence some places visible on the north-east side of the Quantocks are not in the District and conversely parts of Sedgemoor District lie on the southern side of the hills.

Evolution of the landscape 7.5 Iron Age hillforts and smaller defended enclosures are still in evidence, and some field boundaries have survived. Bronze Age funerary sites are also evident. 7.6 The Romans had little interest in the area, and it is in the Saxon and early medieval period that the landscape as we see it began to develop. Many of the roads, fields, farms and settlement developed, driven by an expanding population and new markets. These fields are generally small and irregular. The area was a Royal Forest early in the period, and was at that stage a mix of woodland and moorland.

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7. Quantock Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

View towards Merridge and Broomfield Hill from the road to Lydeard Hill. Permananent pasture and wooded combes, forestry and moorland (foreground fields are not in Sedgemoor).

7.7 Changes in agricultural management and events such as the Black Death led to the abandonment of many fields, especially on the steeper slopes, where woodland can now be found. Much of the moorland too, was once used for arable, and some low earth banks give evidence for this. 7.8 The parliamentary enclosures of the 18th and 19th centuries have created a distinct pattern of larger and more rectilinear fields, often hedged with beech on earth banks. 7.9 In the 20th century the most significant impacts have been the introduction of conifer plantations. These have resulted in the loss of many archaeological features and sit astride the typical patterns of the landscape. Recreational pressure too now has a significant impact on habitats and historical features.

Key issues and forces for change

7.10 Agricultural improvement and changes in traditional farming practices continues to be one of the main threats to the character of the landscape. The improvement of pasture in particular has led to the loss of grassland species. The pattern of hedges and trees in hedgerows is also suffering as hedgerows are removed, and the mature beech trees are not being replaced. Hedgerows are also becoming less well managed and consequently gappy, or flailed creating a box like form with no opportunity for tree growth. New agricultural activities such as turf production have created a negative impact on the unspoilt valley sides. 7.11 Grazing patterns have altered; with moorland grazing reduced, and farmers are changing livestock from sheep to beef cattle. This allows the encroachment of scrub and bracken. Sale of landholdings and fragmen- tation of commoners rights further diminishes the use of the uplands. 7.12 Orchards and deciduous woodland are also poorly managed, due to their largely redundant purpose in modern agriculture, and may be lost in the future. 7.13 The landscape contains a scatter of hamlets and farmsteads but no settlements which have “village” status for development plan purposes. There may be pressure for conversion/extension of existing buildings which will need to be carefully controlled to avoid adverse impacts on landscape character. The creation of larger farm units or the need to house large machinery has created a demand for larger farm buildings. 7.14 Recreational pressures, particularly use of four-wheel-drive vehicles on the open moor, have had serious impacts on footpath erosion and on archaeological sites. Similarly the diversification of rural activities to respond to visitor use has created new landscape features such as car parks.

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7. Quantock Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

7.15 Within the Quantock Summits, large areas of coniferous forestry plantation have changed the character of the landscape. Many of the plantations were previously deciduous woodland; the names of ancient woods may have survived but their character changed dramatically when conifers replaced broadleaf trees. The design of plantations in some locations could be improved. 7.16 The demand for tall structures, carrying telecommunications equipment in particular, would be very damaging to the unspoilt character of the ridgeline.

Landscape Management Issues 7.17 Management of the landscape, by landowners and other interested parties, will play a major role in determining the future character of the area. Its status as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty strengthens the case for careful management . Key issues of relevance include the following. • the traditional maintenance of hedgerows and the retention of medieval field patterns • the retention and re-planting of hedgerow beech trees • discouragement of turf growing activities • new woodland management initiatives, which will support the planting and cropping of local hardwoods, and control of grazing in woodland • maintenance and re-planting of orchards • forestry planting patterns should aim to achieve a more satisfactory relationship with the landscape elements which are important to the character of the AONB (open heathlands on the summits, deciduous woodlands and a patchwork pattern of fields). • visitor activity and hunting require careful management • stream courses should remain unimproved and where possible, woodland edges encouraged • parkland trees and other features should be conserved and restored • planned programmes of burning of upland heath • control of areas of bracken, gorse and rhododendron

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7. Quantock Hills: (A) GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The existing landscape G Evolution of the landscape G Key Issues and forces for change G Landscape management issues

View looking north towards Aisholt showing the impact of turf stripping on the landscape and pastureland in the foreground with the loss of hedgerows

View from the south of Buncombe Wood showing poorly-managed hedgerows in the foreground and forestry plantations staddling the transition to the upland areas

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7. Quantock Hills: (B) QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Quantock Hills and Combes (a sub-area of the Quantocks)

1 View from Barford 2 Buncombe 3 Landscape with beech copse (near Rooks Castle Farm) 4 Beech hedgebank, Aisholt 5 Parkland landscape feature - Temple of Harmony Halswell 6 Merridge 7 Broomfield 8 Aisholt 9 Plainsfield 10 Plainsfield 11 Stone wall with brick and stone pier, Broomfield 12 Rough hewn sandstones and slates, Lower Merridge

1 5 9

2 6 10

3 7 11

4 8 12

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7. Quantock Hills: (B) QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES

Description in detail

7.18 The Quantock Hills are carved into by a series of combes that create a landform of surprising complexity and variety. This complexity, with rolling hills, enclosed combes and intervening rounded ridges that descend steadily to the surrounding lowlands, is not immediately apparent in the view to the hills. On the hilltops, some large fields support improved pasture or arable crops, and mature trees can be prominent skyline features. On the valley sides and in the combes, a patchwork of small fields with mature hedgerows, and mainly permanent pasture, combines with woodland and a series of intimate winding lanes. There are several areas of parkland landscape on the lower slopes.

7.19 The combes are a particular feature of this side of the Quantocks. Beginning as wet areas on the open heathland or steep springline valley heads, they drop through a series of folds in the hills, finally opening out into the gentler landscape of the foothills. The small, clear streams that run along their base are often wooded or fringed with alders. The combes are covered by a patchwork of hedged pastures created by Medieval or earlier enclosures. Farmsteads or small hamlets in the area are generally located beside the streams, with small pasture fields, orchards and unimproved grassland on the steeper slopes. The impression overall is one of intimate sheltered valleys. Some of the steeper valley sides retain ancient woodland cover, but in some areas combe woodlands have been converted to coniferous plantations.

7.20 In contrast the hilltop areas are in many places quite open, and their gently rolling landform offers sometimes long views from gaps or gates in the hedgebanks. Whilst most of the land is still used for pasture, the more southerly areas include a number of large arable fields. The red colour of the soils of the ploughed fields is a very distinctive element in the landscape.

Typical view of the Quantock Hills and Combes

Pastures in Moor and Dispersed farmhouses, Some large small fields forestry red sandstone and thatc arable or with mature beyond in sheltered locations pasture fields hedgerows

Deep, winding lanes with hedgebanks Steep coombes Streams and deciduous woodland in steep coombes

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7. Quantock Hills: (B) QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Landcover types 7.21 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Hilltop pasture Permanent pasture and some arable in fields of medieval or later parliamentary enclosures; continuous mature hedgerows or hedge banks with isolated mature trees, especially beech and oak, small hamlets and farmsteads with stone buildings

Wooded combes Steeply folded wooded valleys extending into moorland or upland areas; small streams, creating patchwork of deciduous woodland, some commercial forestry, and smaller enclosed pasture fields

Parkland Maintained or former parkland with mature exotic trees in small groups or as specimens, related to private estates and stately homes

Settlement and building form 7.22 Settlement in this area is limited to small villages, hamlets and farmsteads, often located in the sheltered combes, or associated with medieval agricultural enclosures on the higher ground. Where intact, the pattern of small irregular fields is of historic interest and may represent Iron Age landscape patterns or phases of Saxon and Medieval expansion. A number of large country houses with associated parklands have been added into this landscape. The hills are crossed by a network of narrow winding lanes, contained by thick hedgerows that are often on banks. 7.23 Many roadside cottages cling to sloping sites where topography directly influences building form and orien- tation. In several locations along these lanes there are loose clusters of traditional farm buildings and cottages whose juxtaposition has created attractive hamlets which are a quintessential component of the Quantock farmland landscape. 7.24 Other than agricultural buildings, there has been little modern development in this area, and the majority of buildings are of traditional construction and appearance. Farmhouses, cottages and barns date from various periods but are commonly of robust construction. Walls are mainly built from a range of locally-sourced stone, including red sandstone and rough-hewn slatestones with lustrous dark red/grey colouration. Use of limewashed render is also common, often in pink, a colour that was traditionally achieved using earth pigments. Bricks are commonly used in conjunction with stonework to form door/window surrounds. Clay tiles are common but thatched roofs are also found.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development / Key principles for new development 7.25 All areas within this zone are considered to be of high priority for conservation and enhancement, and any proposals for new development will be very carefully assessed. Whilst the combes are often fairly hidden from long distance views, most land in this area can be seen in views within and across the AONB, both from the hilltop summits and the many lanes that cross the area. 7.26 Most of this “character area” lies within the designated Quantock Hills AONB. Near Enmore and Goathurst the land outside the AONB includes three parkland estates. This is therefore an area where new development will be severely restricted. The key characteristics which new development proposals should respect are: • integration with the landscape through the retention/planting of hedgerows, woodland and orchards • designs in keeping with the scale and form of traditional buildings • harmonise with traditional siting patterns e.g. sheltered location and proximity to stream courses, and loose-knit clustering of buildings • the consistent use of local building materials

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7. Quantock Hills: (B) QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

View of parkland adjacent to Enmore Castle

View of Broomfield, where Fyne Court nestles in a mature woodland setting, but other buildings are more visible in the surrounding landscape

Large arable fields, wooded combes and small settlements typify the landscape in the south of the Quantock Hills

116 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

7. Quantock Hills: (C) QUANTOCK SUMMITS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Quantock Summits (a sub-area of the Quantocks)

1 Moorland and deciduous woodland, near Dead Woman’s Ditch 2 Broomfield Hill 3 Hilltop pasture and Great Wood 4 Great Wood 5 Beech hedgebank with stone facing 6 Car park for Cothelstone Hill

2 5

3 6

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7. Quantock Hills: (C) QUANTOCK SUMMITS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

QUANTOCK SUMMITS Description in detail 7.27 The Quantock summit areas comprise open heath and moorland, deciduous and coniferous woodland, open unimproved grassland, and some enclosed pasture. The heather-clad upland plateau of the northern part of the Quantock Hills is the most distinctive landscape of the AONB. The more extensive tracts of this landscape lie in neighbouring West Somerset but there are parts within Sedgemoor and a section of the District boundary runs along the old ridge road. The southern summits of Cothelstone Hill and Broomfield Hill are isolated from the main block of heathland plateau but through elevation and exposure they offer long views and share a similar sense of isolation and solitude. 7.28 The landscape of the upland area changed dramatically in the early part of the twentieth century when an extensive area of coniferous forest was planted on the site of a large area of oak woodland believed to have been in existence since Saxon times. The Great Wood plantation covers an area of about 6 square kilometres. The forest includes a number of deep combes but the tree cover is a primary factor in defining landscape character and variations in topography have little significance in this respect. There are several other blocks of coniferous forest near Broomfield Hill. These coniferous plantations are in marked contrast to the character and appearance of the area’s more traditional deciduous woodlands. In some instances the plantations are edged by lines of beech trees which derive from enclosure hedgerows. Areas of mainly oak woodland do still exist on the flanks of the hilltop heathlands. 7.29 The heathland and deciduous woodland of the Quantock summits is unenclosed common land accessible by a number of public footpaths and bridleways. The mosaic of heathland types include both upland moor and lowland heath habitats which, together with the oak woodlands, are of significant ecological value. An extensive area of the Quantock summit, within and beyond the District boundary, is a designated SSSI accordingly. Undergrazing of the common land has led to some growth of invading scrub comprising birch, gorse and holly, and bracken has also invaded many areas. 7.30 The southern summits of Cothelstone Hill and Broomfield Hill are less untamed than the northern moorland tracts, with an open unimproved grassland or heathland flora. The tree clump called the Seven Sisters on Cothelstone Hill is a particular landmark; this summit is outside the District but the main public car park serving this popular recreation site is within Sedgemoor. 7.31 In distinct contrast with the open heathland, there is an area of enclosed and improved grassland at West Hill/Quantock Farm. The fields are bounded by beech hedgebanks which, in common with many other eighteenth century Quantock and Exmoor enclosures, contain trees which have been allowed to grow to maturity. Such lines of beech trees have become regarded as a characteristic Quantock landscape feature. 7.32 The upland area contains evidence of continuity of use from the prehistoric period, and the ancient beech and stone hedge banks, old tracks and features such as cast iron signs, where they remain, convey a strong sense of history.

Landcover types

7.33 The landcover types can be categorised as follows:

LANDCOVER TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Upland moorland Open heather moor and heath, with some scrub; rich in and heath archaeological features; beech hedgebanks

Broad-leaved woodland Mainly oak woodland; tops of wooded combes or other slopes

Upland forestry Commercial conifer plantations often large scale and on hilltops or shoulder, often with deciduous edge species

Hilltop pasture Permanent pasture; isolated farmsteads; beech hedgebanks

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7. Quantock Hills: (C) QUANTOCK SUMMITS

Description in detail G Landcover types G Settlement and building form G Sensitivity to visual impact

Settlement and building form

7.34 There are several isolated farmsteads and keeper’s / forestry cottages but the area otherwise contains few buildings. The upland areas are free of settlement but there are a number of car parks.

Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development / Key principles for new development 7.35 This upland area is entirely within the AONB. New development will be strictly controlled and limited to that for which there is a particular need. The large forest areas have shown themselves capable of absorbing recreational uses and car parks and may have the capacity to accommodate new buildings without adverse impact on the wider landscape. 7.36 The high visibility of the upland ridge and the importance of protecting the sense of remoteness mean that the siting, design and landscaping of any new structure or building will require particular care.

Typical view of the Quantock Ridge Large forestryGnarled beech trees of plantations parliamentary enclos

Rolling upland moor with gorse, holly and birch

Left: Pasture and beech tree enclosures at West Hill from the heathland of Black Hill

Below left: The open moorland of Aisholt Common with forest edge peeping over the skyline.

Below: The large forestry plantations dominate the character of parts of the area, with a consequent loss of traditional landscape patterns (Great Wood from the flank of Wills Neck).

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8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability

GENERAL AIMS AND BACKGROUND 8.1 This chapter emphasises the links between protection and enhancement of the landscape in Sedgemoor, and the wider aims of maintaining and improving the environment and quality of life. It also links together a number of the themes relating to development and landscape management which have been described in relation to discrete character areas in earlier chapters. The chapter begins with a discussion about the principles of sustainability, before setting out guidelines for future planning and management of the landscape in urban and rural areas of the District.

Principles of Sustainability 8.2 Historically, the world’s natural resources have been exploited without regard to the long-term consequences, leading to environmental damage on a global scale including destruction of natural forests, deple- tion of the ozone layer and the onset of global warming through climatic change. There is now increasing recognition that the human race must act responsibly so that: • no group or community passes on wastes, and pollution, or uses resources unreasonably, and, • each generation leaves the environment in as good, if not a better, condition than they found it. 8.3 Two broad principles can be drawn from consideration of these issues at both a global and at a local level. The first is that renewable resources should be managed so that their natural capability to regenerate is fully protected, in other words that their use is environmentally sustainable. The second principle is that human activity and development should not exceed the ‘carrying capacity’ of the local environment. This is what is meant by sustainable development.

The role of Landscape Management in achieving Sustainability

8.4 The character and condition of the landscape has a special relationship with the aims of achieving environmental sustainability because the landscape represents centuries of human endeavour in cultivation, animal husbandry, drainage, industry and construction overlaid on the backbone of geology, topography and soils. 8.5 Put in its most simple form, high quality landscape provides evidence that the natural and man-made environment is in good heart, whereas an impoverished or degraded landscape is symptomatic of more serious problems affecting both the environment and human well-being. 8.6 Identifying the factors which result in degradation of the landscape is relatively easy but finding practical solutions is invariably more difficult. In this chapter three approaches are advocated towards securing the long-term wellbeing of the landscape of Sedgemoor: • developing and maintaining appropriate planning policies, • preparing a sustainable development strategy, and, • devising a system for monitoring and steering future change to achieve these long term goals. 8.7 The latter approach, in particular, relies upon involving local communities so that they can play an active part in shaping the future. These three approaches are explained in more detail below.

MAINTAINING APPROPRIATE PLANNING POLICIES

Protection of Designated Landscape Areas 8.8 Protection of the landscape already forms a key part of District planning policies. Sedgemoor includes parts of two designated landscape areas, - the Mendip Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Quantock Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These areas receive the benefit of greater statutory protection, and are also provided with additional management services. 8.9 Much of the rest of Sedgemoor has previously been covered by Special Landscape Area designations where county and district planning policies have sought to protect landscape quality. This policy base is now changing and will be replaced by an emphasis on understanding and respecting local landscape character everywhere. This Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary has a key role in that new approach.

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8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability

Safeguarding other areas of landscape interest 8.10 Non-designated landscape areas have been shown by this study to make major contributions to the character and quality of Sedgemoor. There is therefore a need to ensure that appropriate policies apply to these areas in order to ensure that new developments are sited and designed with sensitivity. It is also important to recognise that while planning controls may prevent unsympathetic or inappropriate development, they are not necessarily designed to stimulate positive enhancement of the landscape. This requires a new approach which is discussed in the final section on Landscape management.

PREPARING A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 8.11 The process of ensuring that future change and development leads to more sustainable use of energy, less waste, and greater protection of the natural and man-made environment is an integral part of town and country planning. It is therefore appropriate that the main emphasis should be placed on getting planning policies and proposals right in the County Structure Plan and District Local Plan. 8.12 The Government has introduced a requirement through its Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG12), that all Development Plans should be subject to environmental appraisal before they are formally adopted, to ensure that the proposals, and programmes take full account of environmental concerns. 8.13 Existing local plans in Sedgemoor were completed before the requirement for environmental appraisal was introduced, but the new district-wide plan will be subject to the full process. 8.14 The essential steps in an environmental appraisal are to: • Clarify the broad environmental and sustainability goals of the plan, • check existing policies to ensure that they are consistent with these aims, • review the detailed plan proposals to ensure they will actually achieve the policy objectives, • revise any policies or proposals which do not meet sustainability aims and objectives, • introduce a framework for monitoring the performance of the policies and plan. 8.15 Specific requirements and policies relating to the landscape will be set out in the Deposit District-wide plan. However, the following aims are put forward in the light of this study for discussion:

Landscape Aims and Objectives • Local distinctiveness of the landscape is one of the main assets of Sedgemoor and this character should be maintained and enhanced. • In both urban and rural areas development control policies will be framed to reflect the findings of this landscape strategy, and ensure that local distinctiveness is protected in both the conversion of existing buildings and the design of new development. • In rural areas the distinctiveness of the countryside reflects the types of land use, pattern of field boundaries, and presence or absence of trees, Sedgemoor District Council will work closely with all agencies, community groups and individuals who share its concern for the wellbeing of the countryside in seeking to protect the quality of these landscapes.

MONITORING FUTURE CHANGE 8.16 Landscape is only one of a number of the criteria which can be used to define and monitor sustainability goals, and there is now considerable experience in developing appropriate indicators of environmental quality. Somerset County Council has adopted twelve sustainability criteria, which are being used to monitor the county’s performance in achieving environmental goals. The criteria are outlined in a report entitled ‘Somerset Structure Plan Review - Sustainability Appraisal’. They have been summarised, for conve- nience in the diagram opposite.

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8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability

Landscape and its relationship to other Sustainability Criteria

Land and Soil Resources Resource Water protection Conservation

Air Quality Biodiversity

LANDSCAPE Carbon dioxide Cultural Fixing Heritage

Quality of Life Open Space in towns and and villages Public Access

Traffic Mode of travel generation

Key

Close ties between enhancement and other sustainability objectives

Less direct links

Weaker connections

8.17 The Sustainability criteria adopted by Somerset County Council are very broad, but they provide a useful starting point for beginning to develop criteria which are specific to Sedgemoor. Use of County-based criteria is also helpful in ensuring that standard sources of data can be used. One of the biggest problems in setting up effective sustainable development programmes lies in obtaining consistent and reliable data . By concentrating on the same criteria as the County it will be possible for Sedgemoor to measure its progress against firm objectives and compare its performance with other districts in the region. 8.18 Sustainability criteria have three main functions.They: • provide the basis for checking the adequacy of existing plans and policies, • assist in developing new, more sustainable policies and management prescriptions for the future, and, • create a framework for measuring actual performance, and taking corrective action if objectives are not being met. 8.19 In this report it is the latter two functions which are important. The following paragraphs explore the relationship between landscape protection and enhancement and the other eleven criteria identified in the Structure Plan Review, and sets out some principles for future landscape management in Sedgemoor.

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8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability

Land and Soil Resources 8.20 In respect of land and soil resources, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Retain the best and most versatile agricultural land in appropriate uses, • Safeguard soil resources, and, • Promote wise use of finite mineral resources. 8.21 In Sedgemoor a significant amount of land is of high quality, including areas of grade 1 and 2 within the Peat Moors. However, as demonstrated in the discussion about individual landscape character areas, most parts of the district have their own distinctive agricultural landscapes, where soil quality does not necessarily dictate landscape quality. The future of the landscape in areas of high medium and low agricultural quality is dependent upon maintaining some form of land management. This issue is returned to in the section on Rural Land Management. 8.22 Mineral working occurs principally in the Peat Moors and the Mendips. There have been significant changes in the standards of restoration of former peat workings, with long term strategies being developed for future land use , nature conservation and landscape enhancement in these areas. Extraction of limestone presents greater problems in terms of restoration because of the greater volumes of material removed, and the size and depth of the resulting voids. Here the emphasis needs to be on developing integrated landscaping plans extending well beyond the site boundaries to assimilate and screen the workings as far as possible.

Resource Protection 8.23 In respect of safeguarding renewable and non-renewable resources, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Reducing consumption • Safeguarding energy sources • Promoting the recycling of resources, and, • Promoting the use of renewable energy sources These are all aims and objectives which are applicable within Sedgemoor.

8.24 By comparison with other more industrialised areas, Sedgemoor does not generate excessive demands for energy. However, due to the dispersed nature of settlements and in common with much of rural Somerset above average levels of car travel occur. There are obvious environmental, economic, and social benefits for local communities if ways can be found of providing more employment within rural areas. This has implica- tions for the landscape, and the design of appropriate small industrial, commercial, or service units. 8.25 Studies of areas like the Avalon Marshes have pointed to the possibility of growing bio-fuels as a source of renewable energy. It would be necessary, however, to establish sizeable areas of willow, poplar, alder or other fast growing tree species before harvesting could take place on a commercial scale and at a rate capable of supplying a small bio-fuel power station.

Water Conservation 8.26 In respect of water conservation, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Maintain ground water supplies and water levels, • Safeguard water quality, • Conserve and enhance river valleys / corridors, • Promote measures to retain water and prevent flash flooding 8.27 There are clearly very strong links between these objectives and the conservation and enhancement of the traditional landscapes of Sedgemoor, which owe much of their character to the managed water regime.

124 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability Subheading

Biodiversity

8.28 In respect of nature conservation, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Conserve and enhance Biodiversity (the stock of species and habitats) • Safeguard identified sites of ecological value 8.29 The Countryside Strategy for Somerset identifies some serious losses in both the areas and diversity of habitats with declines in broad-leaved woodland, unimproved and semi-improved grassland, and hedgerows. Loss of hedges has been particularly acute, with around 7.5% being destroyed in the twenty years up to 1991. Not all changes in the county have been adverse. In the Levels and Moors areas of open water have increased through the flooding of former peat workings. Heathland has seen little change while there is insufficient information to judge the extent of changes to Coastal areas. 8.30 An important feature of this landscape assessment is that it provides a framework for starting to consider the relative importance of the various habitats in relation to individual character areas. Proposals are set out in the final section which should make it easier to monitor change in future, and to safeguard valuable resources.

Air Quality and carbon dioxide Fixing 8.31 In respect of air quality and carbon dioxide fixing, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Reduce levels of pollutants • Increasing tree cover to fix carbon dioxide • Conserving wetlands 8.32 These objectives will be assisted in Sedgemoor through implementation of tree planting schemes which should be consistent with advice contained in this assessment.

Cultural Heritage 8.33 In respect of cultural heritage, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indica- tor of positive impact: • Safeguard and enhance cultural and historic assets (buildings and structures of historic or architectural interest, archaeological remains and historic landscapes) 8.34 These are all issues which are addressed directly in the Sedgemoor landscape assessment.

Open Space and Public Access 8.35 One of the main ways in which local people can judge whether their quality of life is being enhanced is through their freedom to enjoy the countryside and surroundings of their immediate neighbourhood. The Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Increase , or safeguard, the quality and availability of open space • Improve access to, and interpretation of, the natural and built environments 8.36 These characteristics of an attractive living environment can be particularly relevant in urban fringe locations, where new development, landscaping and access should be influenced by this assessment. Useable public footpaths and bridleways are obviously important for countryside access. This assessment may aid interpretation projects, and should be relevant to the design of parking facilities.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 125 8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability Subheading

Quality of Life in Towns and Villages 8.37 In respect of quality of life in towns and villages, the Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Improve access to employment, services and social facilities • Enhance the quality and distinctiveness of the built environment • Minimise noise pollution, and • Increase public safety and the sense of security 8.38 Achievement of most of these goals depends upon applying sound development control planning principles, but enhancement of the quality and distinctiveness of the built environment will require close adher- ence to the findings and recommendations of this Landscape Assessment.

Travel Generation 8.39 In the long term, issues relating to traffic congestion, air pollution, excessive energy consumption and use of non-renewable resources will require changes in basic lifestyles, including patterns of travel by private car. The Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: • Reduce trip lengths • Reduce the number of journeys made by car 8.40 This landscape assessment strongly supports the principle of seeking to concentrate new development within and around larger settlements, which have the necessary facilities to support an enlarged population and whose landscape setting is better able to absorb the scale of new construction. This pattern of development should make it easier to provide places of work, schools, medical and community centres closer to where the majority of people live, thus reducing the need to travel by car. However, in the rural areas of the District car travel is likely to remain as an important means of transport, and there will be a need to minimise the impact of roads on the landscape, especially where improvements are required to existing routes.

Mode of travel 8.41 The Somerset Structure Plan Sustainability Appraisal used the following indicators of positive impact: •Promote and improve access to more sustainable modes of transport • Create and improve existing transport nodes (transfer points) 8.42 Within Sedgemoor there are opportunities to encourage greater use of minor roads, tracks, and droves for walking, cycling and riding; and for developing navigable water routes. These developments would, in the main, be sympathetic to landscape protection and enhancement.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON LOCAL INDICATORS 8.43 The sustainability criteria adopted by Somerset County Council form part of a set of national indicators developed by the Department of the Environment. Their use is therefore valuable in providing a link between national and regional conditions. However, for the purposes of monitoring the condition of the landscape at district level, it will be necessary to develop criteria which apply more specifically to local circumstances. 8.44 Examples of local landscape sustainability criteria which should be developed include: • characteristics of footpaths, bridleways, and other local access routes in individual parishes, in terms of the quality of their landscape setting, and the attractiveness of the route itself. • landscape quality of views from public roads passing through the District • landscape quality of individual settlements • lengths of hedges, including general condition, type of management and records of species diversity to identify particularly old and ancient hedge lines • lengths of fully maintained ditches, droves and areas of open water • areas of farm woodland, reed beds and other distinctive habitats • records of individual trees in rural villages and the countryside • numbers of buildings constructed in distinctive architectural styles and / or using local material

126 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

8. Environmental Quality and Sustainability

8.45 Having adopted a set of criteria it will be necessary to build up the background data which will allow subsequent changes to be monitored and assessed. Some criteria will be directly measurable - for example the number of individual trees within a particular parish - but others will involve an element of subjectivity, such as assessing the quality of landscape within a village. 8.46 Where the assessment is qualitative, it will be important to define simple standards so that a reasonable level of consistency is obtained. It is recommended that landscape quality is judged primarily in terms of; • areas which are of high quality where the emphasis is on conservation of existing assets, • areas where the landscape structure is of reasonable quality but would benefit from restoration and enhancement • areas where the landscape is degraded and major improvements are required. 8.47 Analysis of some of this data could best be undertaken by the District Council and other bodies with access to aerial photography and other records, but in line with encouraging the maximum level of participation amongst local people, schools could be encouraged to take on the task of preparing inventories of the landscape features in and around their individual villages. 8.48 It is important that monitoring and review of landscape change should not be seen as a academic exercise, but as something which is directly relevant to land managers, including local government departments, national agencies, and individual landowners and farmers as the custodians of the landscape. It is also essential that ‘users’ of landscape should be invited to participate fully in the process, including school children, community groups, conservation and amenity societies, and local residents. This will be pursued through the Council’s Agenda 21 Programme. 8.49 Strong public support has emerged in many parts of the country, including Sedgemoor, for local action to combat deteriorating environmental standards and these efforts are being co-ordinated in community- based initiatives in response to Agenda 21, a report presented to the Rio Conference. The essence of Agenda 21 programmes is that the drive, and ideas, for environmental enhancement and improvement should origi- nate within local groups rather than being dictated from above as part of a formal strategy.

LANDSCAPE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AREAS 8.50 There are many ways in which the local planning authority can influence landscape character within urban areas, through the control of new development, the regulation of advertisements, creation of conservation areas, and promotion of various renewal programmes. Planning authorities also have a role in shaping the pattern of development within rural areas, in helping to manage access and recreation, and in carrying out assessments and developing strategies of the type represented by this report. However, the most important influences on the landscape of rural areas, are exercised by landowners and farmers. 8.51 Most of the management principles and prescriptions contained within the individual character areas relate to the work of foresters, farmers, nature conservation agencies, and bodies like the internal drainage boards, water companies and Environment Agency who oversee rivers and water courses. 8.52 This assessment provides a description of the essential principles which need to be followed in protecting the exceptional landscape character of the remoter areas of Sedgemoor, and the District Council will use it as a basis for continuing discussion and dialogue with land use and landscape managers from the many different agencies involved.

Collaboration and guidance 8.53 The emphasis of most planning policies is towards the control of inappropriate development, but Sedgemoor has taken a positive approach towards encouraging better standards of design and construction relating to new development, including its participation in the Department of the Environment’s 1995 Urban Design Campaign. That work together with this study forms a solid basis for moving forward in the preparation of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan, in working with local communities through Agenda 21 and in preparing Village Design Statements.

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 127

Appendix 1: Glossary

• Ancient Woodlands: Woodlands which have been in existence since at least the middle ages and now bear stands of native species which are not obviously planted. They are normally of landscape and nature conservation importance. • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty-(AONB): An area of landscape of national importance, within which the conservation and enhancement of its natural beauty is a priority. Designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. • Biodiversity: This is the collective description for the biological diversity, or variety of life, on the planet or in individual localities. In its wider context, biodiversity embodies principles of the maintenance of the gene pool through conservation of species and their habitats. • Catchment: The extent of the river basin, including arterial tributaries. • Conservation Area: is an area within the local authority’s administrative area which the planning authority has determined as an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Designated by Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. • Combes: Contained steep sided valleys. • County Geological Sites: Sites identified by the Somerset Environmental Records Centre as areas of geological importance. • County Wildlife Sites: Sites identified by the Somerset Environmental Records Centre in preparing its environmental record of the county. • Environmentally Sensitive Area - (ESA): These are tracts of land designated by the Ministry for Agriculture Fisheries and Food to protect or enhance special landscapes, wildlife or historic interest by the support of specific agricultural practises. The designation does not affect the status of the area in terms of national planning policies and development control decisions. • Ordnance Datum: relates to mean sea level. • Planning Policy Guidance (PPG’s): National policy guidance issued by the Department of Environment on a variety of matters relating to land-use planning activities. • Ramsar Site: Site designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Wildfowl Habitat-or “Ramsar Convention”. While Special Protection Areas are soley concerned with the needs of birds, the Ramsar Convention covers the ecological interests of the wetlands. • Rhynes: Local name for drainage ditches in the Levels and Moors. To be strictly accurate there is a hierarchy which starts with individual field ditches, then rhynes, then larger drains and rivers. • Scheduled Ancient Monument: Any archaeological site or area considered by the Secretary of State to be of sufficient significance to be added to the Schedule. Such sites are afforded protection under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 which regulates activities on the site, makes provision for preservation, investigation and recording and in some cases allows provision for grant aid towards the upkeep or sympathetic management of the monument. • Settlements: A group of dwellings which may vary in size from a hamlet/farmsteads to a town/city. • Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): A Site of Special Scientific Interest is an area of land which English Nature has identified as of special interest due to its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. • Special Protection Area (SPA): Sites designated under the provision of 1979 European Community Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, as being of international importance to birds. • Special Landcape Area (SLA): Locally-defined areas of high landscape quality, formerly included in the Somerset Structure Plan. • Sustainable Development: The concept is widely defined as development which meets the present generation’s needs without compromising the resources necessary to sustain life in future generations.

128 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary

Appendix 2: Bibliography/Further Reading

• ADAS Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, (1995),“Somerset Levels and Moors Environmentally Sensitive Area Landscape Assessment” • Countryside Agency, (2003),“The Quantock Hills Landscape” • Countryside Commission, (1993),“Landscape Assessment Guidance” • Countryside Commission, (1996),“Countryside Design Summaries” • Countryside Commission, (1998),“The Mendip Hills Landscape” • Countryside Commission and English Nature, (1996),“The Character of England : landscape, wildlife and natural features – Joint Character Map and Summary Statements” (141-Mendip Hills, 142-Somerset Levels and Moors, 143-Mid Somerset Hills, 144-Quantock Hills, 146-Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringes, 176- Bridwater Bay) • English Nature, (1996),“Draft Natural Area Profile: Mid Somerset Hills Natural Area” • English Nature ,(1996),“Draft Natural Area Profile:Taunton Vale Natural Area” • English Nature ,(1997),“Draft Natural Area Profile: Mendip Hills” • English Nature / Exmoor National Park, (1997),“Draft Natural Area Profile: Exmoor and The Quantock Hills” • Environment Agency, (1997),“Local Environment Agency Plan : River Parrett Consultation Report” • Environment Agency, (1997),“Local Environment Agency Plan : Brue and Axe Consultation Report” • Fletcher, Ken (1991),“The Somerset Levels and Moors” • Forestry Commission,“Landscape Design Guidelines” • Havinden, Michael (1981),“The Somerset Landscape” • Institute of Geological Sciences / Ordnance Survey,“Geological Survey 1:50,000 Sheets 279, 280, 295, 296” • McDonnell, Richard (1997),“Sedgemoor District Archaeological Landscape Assessment : A summary prepared for Land Use Consultants on behalf of Sedgemoor District Council and the Countryside Commission” (unpublished) • Mendip Hills JAC, (1998),“The Mendip Hills AONB Management Plan” • Newman, Paul (1986),“Somerset Villages” • Quantock Hills JAC, (1999),“Quantock Hills AONB Management Strategy” • Somerset County Council, (1988),“Aspects of the Medieval Landscape of Somerset” • Somerset County Council, Environment and Property Department, (1997),“Somerset Structure Plan Review - Sustainability Appraisal” • Somerset Environmental Records Centre, (1998) “Sedgemoor Biodiversity Action Plan” • Storer, Bernard (1972),“Sedgemoor Its History & Natural History” • Williams, Michael (1970),“The Drainage of the Somerset Levels”

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 129 000E 15 325000E 330000E 335000E 340000E 345000E 350000E 3 320000E 160000N 160000N Topography

75m Map 1 Brean Down

150m 75m 100m Mendip Hills North Somerset Shipham Key 200m

River Axe 250m Contour lines (heights in metres Brean 150m 200m 150m

200m 200m above ordnance datum (AOD))* 150m 10m 10m 25m 50m 155000N 75m 100m 150m 155000N 25m 75m River Axe 50m 100m A370 10m 75m 50m Axbridge 250m Areas below 5m AOD Lympsham 25m 25m M5 Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar 10m A38 10m 250m Weare 100m Berrow 200m 150m Areas over 50m AOD 25m 75m 50m East Brent A371

10m 10m 10m 25m 50m Bridgwater Bay Areas over 150m AOD 10m 100m 75m 25m 50m 10m Brent 25m 75m Knoll 10m 10m 150000N 150000N Areas over 250m AOD Burnham- on-Sea Cocklake

10m 25m B3151 50m A38 Significant built-up areas Blackford Wedmore 10m Highbridge 25m B3139 10m Mark 10m B3139 B3139 Other settlements 50m B3151

25m 10m West Huntspill 5 Huntspill River River Brue Reservoir M5 B3141 145000N River Parrett 145000N East Huntspill A371 Significant roads Stockland Bristol Levels and Moors Pawlett 25m 5 10m Burtle Railway Mendip District West Somerset District 25m 10m 10m 5 Combwich A38 South Drain 25m 25m Puriton 10m Woolavington District boundary 25m 50m 50m 10m

75m 50m 25m Cossington 10m 75m 10m 140000N 50m 25m Chilton 10m 140000N 10m Polden Nether Cannington Bawdrip Edington 50m Stowey A39 5 Polden HillsCatcott 100m 10m 150m 10m 10m 10m 200m King's Sedgemoor Drain 25m 5 250m Ashford A39 A39 Shapwick 25m 300m Reservoir 25m 50m * Please note: Contour intervals shown are 50m 10m 75m 75m 25m Chedzoy Ashcott 5, 10, 25,50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 10m 75m 200m Bridgwater 50m Spaxton 25m 50m 250m Durleigh 5 250, 300 metres 25m 100m Reservoir 10m 25m 150m Hawkridge 25m Reservoir 5 10m 10m 250m 50m Quantock200m Hills 25m 50m 300m 150m 5 200m 5 25m 300m 10m 5 35 A361 1 000N Enmore 5 135000N 100m 10m Westonzoyland River Parrett Goathurst 5 Sowy River A372 10m 10m 10m

50m 200m

75m 25m 300m 150m North 5 100m 25m 10m 25m 250m Petherton 10m Middlezoy 200m South Somerset District 200m M5 10m Broomfield Bridgwater and Taunton Othery 150m A38 75m 150m 5

100m 5 75m Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of 130000N 50m 130000N 25m the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright

10m reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District Council, LA079286. NOT TO SCALE 10m Sedgemoor District Taunton Deane District 10m A361 Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 350000E 345000E 340000E 335000E 330000E 325000E 320000E 315000E 000E 15 3 325000E 330000E 335000E 340000E 345000E 350000E 320000E 160000N 160000N Simplified Geology Brean Down Map 2

Mendip Hills North Somerset Shipham Key

Sand Brean

155000N 155000N A370 River Axe Alluvium A371 B3135 Axbridge Lympsham M5 Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Peat (surface) A38 Weare Berrow

East A371 Brent Valley Gravel and Head B3151 Bridgwater Bay

Brent Burtle Beds Knoll 150000N 150000N (shelly sands and gravels) Burnham- On-Sea

Cocklake Lias (limestone, mudstones & shales) A38 Blackford Wedmore Highbridge B3139 Mark B3139 Marls and Mudstones (Triassic) B3139 B3151 Dolomitic Conglomerate

Huntspill River River Brue M5 B3141 145000N River Parrett West Huntspill 145000N East Huntspill Carboniferous Limestone

Levels and Moors Stockland Sandstone Bristol Pawlett Burtle Mendip District West Somerset District Slates and Siltstones Combwich A38 Puriton Huntspill River Woolavington Cossington Gritstones

140000N 140000N Chilton Bawdrip Polden Edington Nether Cannington Polden Hills Stowey A39 Catcott

A39 A39 Shapwick Significant built-up areas Ashford Reservoir Bridgwater Chedzoy Ashcott Other settlements Spaxton Durleigh Reservoir King's Sedgemoor Drain QuantockHawkridge Hills Reservoir Reservoir 135000N Enmore A361 135000N

River Parrett Westonzoyland Sowy River Goathurst A372 A371 Significant roads

North Petherton Middlezoy Railway South Somerset District M5 Broomfield Bridgwater Othery and Taunton District boundary A38

Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of This simplified geology of the District has been derived 130000N the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright 130000N reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and from the relevant British Geological Survey (sheets may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District 279, 280, 295, 296) published by the Ordnance Survey. Council, LA079286. NOT TO SCALE Taunton Deane District Sedgemoor District Landscape A361 Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 315000E 320000E 325000E 335000E 330000E 345000E 350000E 340000E 000E 15 325000E 330000E 335000E 340000E 345000E 350000E 3 320000E 160000N 160000N Landscape History Brean Down Field boundaries and other landscape features Map 3

North Somerset Shipham This plan gives an indication of the likely age of field boundaries which will be found in different parts of the District, and also shows other notable historic landscape features.

Brean Key

155000N 155000N River Axe Probable Mediaeval or earlier A370 A371 Axbridge B3135 Lympsham Cheddar Reservoir Probable 17th century drainage & enclosure Cheddar A38 M5 Berrow Weare Probably late 18th century drainage and enclosure A371 East Brent Bridgwater Bay Probable 19th century enclosure

Brent Knoll 150000N 150000N Enclosure and/or drainage of uncertain period Burnham- B3151 On-Sea Cocklake Recent plantations

Highbridge Mark Blackford Wedmore Commons

B3139 B3139 B3139 Unenclosed land B3151 West HuntspillHuntspill River 20th century military River Brue M5 B3141 145000N River Parrett 145000N East Former brickpits, etc Huntspill

Stockland Known former river channels Bristol Pawlett Burtle Mendip District Early pre-enclosure features created West Somerset District Combwich A38 or influenced culturally Puriton South Drain Woolavington Area of earthworks representing earlier Cossington landscapes (pre-dating existing landscape)

140000N Chilton 140000N Bawdrip Polden Edington Ancient woodlands A39 Nether Cannington Polden Hills Stowey Catcott

Ashford A39 A39 Historic Sites Reservoir King's Sedgemoor Drain Shapwick henge Bridgwater Chedzoy Ashcott Spaxton hill fort Durleigh Hawkridge Reservoir Reservoir motte & bailey castle mediaeval deer park Enmore 135000N 135000N A361 18th century parkland River Parrett Westonzoyland Sowy River Goathurst

North Significant built-up areas Petherton Middlezoy A372

M5 South Somerset District Other settlements Bridgwater Broomfield and Taunton Othery A38 Reservoir

Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of 130000N the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright 130000N A371 Significant roads reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District Council, LA079286. Railway NOT TO SCALE Taunton Deane District A361 District boundary

Sedgemoor District Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 350000E 345000E 340000E 335000E 330000E 325000E 320000E 315000E 000E 15 325000E 330000E 335000E 340000E 345000E 350000E 3 320000E 160000N 160000N Designated Areas

Brean Down Map 4 Mendip Hills North Somerset Shipham Key

Brean

155000N 155000N Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty River Axe A370 (AONB) Axbridge Lympsham Cheddar M5 Reservoir A38 Special Landscape Area (SLA) * Cheddar Berrow Weare

East A371 Brent Ancient Woodland Bridgwater Bay Sites of Special Scientific Interest Brent 150000N Knoll 150000N (SSSI) Burnham- On-Sea Cocklake Environmentally Sensitive Areas

B3151 (ESA) A38 Blackford Wedmore Highbridge B3139 Mark B3139 B3139

B3151 Significant built-up areas West Huntspill River Brue

M5 B3141 145000N River Parrett 145000N Other settlements East Huntspill

Huntspill River Reservoir Stockland Bristol Pawlett Burtle Mendip District A371 Significant roads West Somerset District Combwich A38 Puriton Woolavington South Drain Railway

Cossington 140000N Chilton 140000N Nether Polden Stowey King’s Sedgemoor Drain District boundary Bawdrip Catcott Cannington Edington A39 Polden Hills Bridgwater Ashford A39 Shapwick Reservoir A39

Chedzoy Ashcott Spaxton Bridgwater * Please note: This local planning policy designation Hawkridge Durleigh Reservoir Reservoir is no longer in force

Quantock Enmore 135000N Westonzoyland A361 135000N River Parrett Sowy River Goathurst A372

North Petherton

Middlezoy South Somerset District M5 Bridgwater Broomfield and Taunton Othery A38

130000N Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of 130000N the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and Sedgemoor District Landscape NOT TO SCALE may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District Council, LA079286. Assessment Taunton Deane District A361 and Countryside Design Summary 350000E 345000E 340000E 335000E 330000E 325000E 320000E 315000E 000E 15 325000E 330000E 335000E 340000E 345000E 350000E 3 320000E 160000N 160000N Landscape Character Areas Brean Down Map 5

North Somerset Shipham Key

LEVELS AND MOORS Brean Peat Moors 155000N 155000N River Axe A370 Clay Moors A371 B3135 Axbridge Lympsham Cheddar Levels Reservoir Cheddar A38 M5 Levels - estuarine Berrow Weare Levels - Islands East A371 Brent Sea Edge/Intertidal Zone Bridgwater Bay

Brent MENDIPS 150000N Knoll 150000N Burnham- B3151 Strawberry Belt and Footslope Villages On-Sea Cocklake Scarp slope, West Mendip Summits and Cheddar Gorge

Wedmore Mark Blackford Mendip Plateau Highbridge

B3139 B3139 Shipham Slopes and Valleys B3139 Brean Down B3151 West HuntspillHuntspill River M5 B3141 River Brue 145000N River Parrett 145000N East Huntspill LOWLAND HILLS Isle of Wedmore Stockland Bristol Polden Hills Pawlett Burtle Isolated hills Mendip District West Somerset District A38 Combwich Quantock Foothills South Drain Woolavington Puriton Stockland Hills Cossington

140000N Chilton 140000N QUANTOCKS Bawdrip Polden Cannington Edington Nether A39 Quantock Hills and Combes Stowey Polden CatcottHills Quantock Summits Ashford A39 A39 Reservoir Shapwick Chedzoy Ashcott BridgwaterBridgwater Significant built-up areas Spaxton Durleigh Hawkridge Reservoir Reservoir King's Sedgemoor Drain Other settlements

Enmore 135000N 135000N Reservoir Sowy River A361 River ParrettWestonzoyland Goathurst

A371 Significant roads North Petherton Middlezoy A372 Railway

M5 South Somerset District Bridgwater Broomfield and Taunton Othery District boundary A38

Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of NOTE: Character areas are based on both objective assessment (from 130000N the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright 130000N geology, topography and landcover), and subjective assessment (visual reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and envelope, and response to the landscape). Character area boundaries may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District should, therefore, be considered indicative rather than precise. Council, LA079286. NOT TO SCALE Taunton Deane District A361

North Somerset Shipham Map 6

Brean

155000N 155000N Key A370 River Axe A371 B3135 Axbridge Lympsham Cheddar Cheddar Visually prominent areas of high Reservoir A38 M5 Weare quality landscape Berrow

East A371 Brent Areas of high sensitivity in relation Bridgwater Bay to road corridors

Brent Knoll 150000N 150000N Burnham- B3151 On-Sea

Cocklake

Highbridge Mark Significant built-up areas Blackford Wedmore

B3139 B3139 B3139 Other settlements B3151 West HuntspillHuntspill River River Brue M5 B3141 Reservoir 145000N River Parrett 145000N East Huntspill

A371 Significant roads

Stockland Bristol Pawlett Burtle Railway Mendip District West Somerset District A38 Combwich Puriton South Drain Woolavington District boundary Cossington Chilton 140000N Polden 140000N PoldenEdington Hills A39 Bawdrip Nether Cannington Catcott Stowey

Ashford A39 A39 Reservoir Shapwick Chedzoy King's Sedgemoor Drain Please note: BridgwaterBridgwater Ashcott Spaxton Durleigh Some, but not all, of the areas defined are already Reservoir Hawkridge designated within Special Landscape Areas or Reservoir Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Enmore 135000N 135000N A361 The areas defined on this plan extend or emphasise River Parrett Westonzoyland Goathurst Sowy River areas within which priority should be given to conservation and enhancement measures. North Petherton Middlezoy A372 SDC Disclaimer M5 South Somerset District Othery Broomfield This map was produced by LUC as part of the study, A38 but should be regarded as indicative only; it is a and TauntonBridgwater preliminary appraisal and is not definitive for Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of planning policy purposes. The sensitivity/capacity 130000N the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. © Crown Copyright 130000N reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and of individual sites or localities will require separate may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District appraisal. Council, LA079286. NOT TO SCALE Taunton Deane District Sedgemoor District A361 Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design 350000E 345000E 340000E 335000E 330000E 325000E 320000E 315000E SETTLEMENT PATTERNS, MATERIALS AND BUILDING FORMS, COLOUR AND TEXTURE, church towers, street pa tt e

r s e adtn,bik lytls hth islmsoe edr abnfru limeston carboniferous render, limestone, lias thatch, tiles, clay brick, sandstone, red ns,

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, ELG,TPGAH,LNCVR ADCP HRCE,lwad pad eln,psue rbe rhr,frs,heat forest, orchard, arable, pasture, wetland, upland, lowland, CHARACTER, LANDSCAPE LANDCOVER, TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, h Addendum sheet for Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and CDS, March 2013

Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary (Revised Edition 2003)

- adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document by Sedgemoor District Council on 27th March 2013

Advisory note

The document had previously been adopted as “Supplementary Planning Guidance” in September 2003. Whilst the national and local planning policy context has subsequently changed, and therefore some references within the document may be out-of-date, the Council considers that the design guidance at the heart of this document is still relevant to interpretation of policy – it remains capable of serving as a supplement to planning policies which reference “local character” / design matters etc. The Council has not at this stage sought to revise the document but readers are advised that specific references to national / local policy or guidance are likely to have been superseded and should be interpreted / substituted as appropriate. In particular:

 References to any national Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) / Planning Policy Statement (PPS) will have been superseded by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  The responsibility for landscape functions previously carried out by the Countryside Agency now rests with Natural England.  References to “Environmentally Sensitive Area” / Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food are historic and now replaced by “Environmental Stewardship” and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  Documents referenced in the Bibliography will in some cases now be superseded by more recent versions (e.g. AONB Management Plans).  References to the “Sedgemoor Local Plan 1991-2011” and individual policies therein are superseded.

1 Addendum sheet for Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and CDS, March 2013

The Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary contains information which is potentially relevant to the design and landscaping of new developments / landscape and visual impact assessment. It is directly referenced in Policy D14 of the Core Strategy. It could be relevant to interpretation of a number of Policies, particularly in respect of references to “local character” / “amenity” / “sense of place”; the following Policies (when applicable) are the most likely: • Policy D2 Promoting High Quality and Inclusive Design • Policy D5 Housing • Policy D11 Economic Prosperity • Policy D14 Natural Environment - Landscape • Policy D16 Pollution Impact of Development and Protecting Residential Amenity • Policy D17 Historic Environment • Policy D20 Green Infrastructure • Policy P4 Key Rural Settlements • Policy P5 Other Sustainable Settlements • Policy P6 Development in the Countryside

Nick Tait Service Manager, Policy Strategy and Development Sedgemoor District Council Bridgwater House King Square Bridgwater Somerset TA6 3AR

Email: [email protected]

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