Section 6.6 Lias Lowlands and Ridges
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS 6.6 LIAS LOWLANDS & RIDGES 1.0 MENDIP CHARACTER AREAS WELLS E1 Whitelake Valley E1.1 The Whitelake Valley E1.2 The Pilton - Worminster Ridge E2 Brue Valley SHEPTON MALLET E2.1 Brue Lowlands E2.2 Baltonsborough Farmlands and Orchards E1.2 E3 Polden Ridge 2.0 E4 Isle of Avalon 3.0 E5 Pennard Ridge E4 E1.1 GLASTONBURY EVERCREECH E5 STREET E3 E2.2 E2.1 Macgregor• Smith | | 215 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS 6.6 LIAS LOWLANDS & RIDGES 1.0 MENDIP CHARACTER AREAS WELLS E1 Whitelake Valley ■ E1.1 The Whitelake Valley ■ E1.2 The Pilton - Worminster Ridge E2 Brue Valley SHEPTON MALLET ■ E2.1 Brue Lowlands E2.2 Baltonsborough Farmlands and Orchards E1.2 ■ E3 Polden Ridge 2.0 E4 Isle of Avalon ■ 3.0 E5 Pennard Ridge ■ E4 E1.1 1.0 ADJACENT CHARACTER AREAS GLASTONBURY EVERCREECH South Somerset E5 ■ SS-1 Five Head & High Ham Escarpments Valleys and Moors SED-6 ■ SS-6 Escarpments Ridges & Vales East of Yeovil SS-7 Central Plain, Moors & River Basins STREET Sedgemoor E3 E2.2 SED-6 Lowland Hills: Polden Hills E2.1 ■ SS-6 SS-7 SS-1 Macgregor• Smith | | 216 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS 6.6 LIAS LOWLANDS & RIDGES 1.0 MENDIP CHARACTER AREAS WELLS E1 Whitelake Valley ■ E1.1 The Whitelake Valley ■ E1.2 The Pilton - Worminster Ridge E2 Brue Valley SHEPTON MALLET ■ E2.1 Brue Lowlands E2.2 Baltonsborough Farmlands and Orchards E1.2 ■ E3 Polden Ridge 2.0 E4 Isle of Avalon ■ ■ 3.0 E5 Pennard Ridge E4 E1.1 GLASTONBURY EVERCREECH E5 STREET E3 E2.2 E2.1 Macgregor• Smith | | 217 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS SETTLEMENTS IN LIAS LOWLAND & RIDGES Pilton Pilton Macgre gor• Smith | | 218 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS 6.6 LIAS LOWLANDS AND RIDGES E1.1 THE WHITELAKE VALLEY - INCLUDING only occasional hedgerow trees. Some hedgerow EVERCREECH SETTING removal has occurred to create larger arable field 6.6.1 Located between the upper headwater areas of the areas. Batcombe Downs and the very low-lying moors 6.6.4 The Whitelake Stream is contained within a wide these character areas form the middle section of valley for most of the length of this character area. 6.6.7 The area includes several main roads and other the Whitelake and River Brue catchments. The The valley sides are formed by ridges of high ground elements of infrastructure. The A37 is part of the northern side of this tract of landscape is defined rising by around 75 – 100 m above the level of the Roman Fosse Way and is now a straight, fast, busy by the high ground that separates these areas from stream. To the north the Pilton - Worminster Ridge road (links Shepton and areas to the north to the the more enclosed Sheppey Valley (LCA A6). Much (LCA E.1.2) forms a continuous flank merging with the A303). The A371 spurs off the A37 providing a link of the remaining landscape is gently rolling lowland higher hills within the Downs and Combes landscape to Castle Cary/Wincanton and the A303. The B3081 with the two main valleys separated by the Pennard to the east (LCA D1). Most of the southern side of links through Evercreech to Bruton. The A361 links Ridge (LCA E5). The southern edges of these areas the valley is defined by the Pennard Ridge (LCA E5). Shepton to Glastonbury. The valley also includes an are defined for this study by the MDC boundary but This ridge extends east (up the valley) from West east west power transmission line with pylons and there are frequent overlaps between areas extending Pennard to Easton Hill where it drops down towards solar farm developments close to the showground. beyond the district. Evercreech. Where the ridge drops at the upper end of the valley this valley starts to merge with the next 6.6.8 The village of Evercreech once stood at the junction 6.6.2 It is noted that the A37 Fosse Way and the and A361 valley to the south (the upper section of the Brue Valley of two railways and the settlement developed with cut right across this collection of landscapes providing LCAE 2.1). Topographically Evercreech is at the top the links these provided. The village has expanded transects of each LCA (generally heading north south). the Whitelake Valley but the village sits at a water since the closure of the railway and includes areas of At the same time more winding routes of minor lanes shed with some streams draining away to the east to commercial development around the former railway and paths cross east west and provide a different form the Whitelake Stream and others heading south yards (two sites; one in the village and a further slower appreciation of how the areas link together. to join the Alham. The valleys illustrate an example commercial development is located at Evercreech of stream or river capture (where the headwaters of Junction in LCA E2.1). The settlement pattern includes 6.6.3 The area subdivides into seven distinct character one water course become diverted into another). the smaller village hamlet areas of Stoney Stratton areas: and Prestleigh. 6.6.5 Around the watershed and in the lower valley cross The Whitelake Valley (E1) section the landform is comprised of mainly shallow • E1.1 - The Whitelake Valley - including slopes; but some areas of steeper hillside do occur. Evercreech Setting The main Whitelake stream is a small water course • E1.2 - The Pilton - Worminster Ridge fed by the side slopes and smaller side ditches. The Brue Valley (E2) 6.6.6 This is a relatively open landscape of larger sized • E2.1 The Brue Lowlands fields with a mix of dairy and arable production. • E2.2 The Baltonsborough Farm Small areas of woodland exist low in the valley The Polden Ridge (E3) and along the line of the former railway (link Isle of Avalon (E4) between Glastonbury and Evercreech). The field Pennard Ridge (E5) boundaries include many close cut low hedges with Macgregor• Smith | | 219 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS 6.6.9 In addition the area includes the extensive permanent Bath and West show ground that lies between the KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF :- LCA E1.1- THE WHITELAKE VALLEY INCLUDING EVERCREECH SETTING t-------------------------------------------------------------------7-------------------------------------------------------------------i A37 and A371. The site has accesses off both ' ' ' ' PHYSICAL/NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS ' SETTLEMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE ' main roads but is generally well concealed from the 't-------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------i ' ' external views. The lower part of the valley close to • Wide open valley landform ' • Extensive village Pilton also includes the Glastonbury Festival site. • Larger scale field patterns • Busy main roads This section of the valley includes some smaller • Small farm woodlands • Employment sites field areas and more tree cover. The festival site • Showground & festival sites includes some permanent infrastructure such as tracks ' t-------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------i' and a section of the disused railway (Evercreech to ' ' ' ' LAND USE/MANAGEMENT/HUMAN INFLUENCES ' PERCEIVED CHARACTERISTICS ' Glastonbury Line). 't-------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------i ' ' • Intensive improved grassland & arable 6.6.10 In this area the presence of the main roads, • More heavily managed landscape management showground and larger commercial developments • Busy road generating background • Former railway near the village reduce the sense of tranquillity. Coupled with this in some areas the greater proportion of arable and heavily managed improved grasslands t-------------------------------------------------------------------~-------------------------------------------------------------------i feel more intensely farmed and less interesting than ' SPECIAL FEATURES – NOTE NOT ALL FEATURES DESIGNATED ' other less heavily managed landscapes. Further west 't---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i ' ' ' the lower parts of the valley include more varied ' • Former railway ' landform and pockets of woodlands and smaller • Showground & festival sites scale field pattern; providing greater interest. Subject 't---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i ' to the festival activity these lower areas can be more ' ' ' LANDMARKS, VIEWS AND VIEWPOINTS ' tranquil and varied. 't---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i ' ' ' ' ' 6.6.11 The network of PROW’s varies across the LCA. ' • Views from festival site towards Glastonbury Tor ' ' ' Around village of Evercreech there is a pattern of ' ' connecting paths albeit these are in the less tranquil portion of the area. Further west in the lower valley there are a few minor interconnecting lanes but thinner pattern of footpaths. The Monarchs Way crosses the area to the west of Steanbow. Macgregor• Smith | | 220 LANDSCAPE TYPES & CHARACTER AREAS E1.2 - THE PILTON - WORMINSTER RIDGE slopes or where the ridgelines level out into small 6.6.19 North Wootton is very similar in character but much plateaus some areas of arable production occur. smaller than Pilton and is set well away from the main 6.6.12 As the northern flank of the Whitelake Valley this roads. A series of other smaller again hamlets