7A: NORTH WEST HAMPSHIRE DOWNS View from Ashmansworth – ridge top settlement over undulating chalk landscape which is well wooded. High proportion of assarts across thisFields are often bound by woodland Rolling pasture and arable fields – landscape. and shaws. some with field trees. There tends to be a more mixed ageFaccombe – typical of small ridge top Some hamlets are located in dry of farmsteads in this downland hamlets in the character area valleys along roads which stretch up landscape compared with other from scarp to the north such as downland areas. Dunley or from the Wallops / Test . Hampshire County 1 Status: Final May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North West Hampshire Downs . Hampshire County 2 Status: Final May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North West Hampshire Downs 1.0 Location and Boundaries 1.1 This character area comprises the north western downs in Hampshire which form the upland context beyond the Swift and Bourne Rivulet valley. Its northern boundary is defined by the steep chalk scarp (LCA 5C) while to the south the landscape undergoes a transition to a more open chalk upland (LCA 8D). To the east the landscape is bordered by the Test Valley and in the north east it makes a gradual transition to more open downland (LCA 8A). To the west this landscape continues over the county boundary. Overall this is a fairly complex landscape as a result of its topographic variation and mosaic of land uses. It is unified by its pattern of woodland cover and mainly southerly orientation around the Swift Valley. 1.2 Component County Landscape Types Downland Mosaic Small Scale, Open Downs, Downland Mosaic Large Scale. 1.3 Composition of Borough/District LCAs: Basingstoke and Dean Test District Ashmansworth and Binley Down Faccombe Wooded Downs Lichfield Down Linkenholt Downs Wyke Down Rushmoor Wooded Downs Tangley and Doles Wood North Wessex Downs AONB Chute Forest- Faccombe Litchfield Downs The character areas listed above have a high degree of correlation with each other and with this character area, with the exception of the southern extent. This reflects the fact that in the south the landscape is in transition and there is no clear demarcation or change in character. The southern boundary line which has been drawn reflects subtle changes in topography, land use, woodland cover and settlement. 1.4 Associations with NCAs and Natural Areas: NCA 130: Hampshire Downs NA 78: Hampshire Downs 2.0 Key Characteristics • Varied landform comprising high rolling hills cut by steep sided, long, sinuous dry valleys, scarps and dramatic combes. • Biodiversity value from remnant areas of chalk grassland and ancient woodlands. Hampshire County 3 Status: Final May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North West Hampshire Downs • Repeating pattern of woodland with long sinuous hangers on steep dry valley sides and extensive woodland blocks on clay capped summits. • Strong hedgerow structure defining arable fields, sometimes with hedgerow trees. • Mosaic of arable farmland between woodland with some pasture on steep slopes, former downland and valley bottoms. • A concentration of celtic origin field systems in the northwest of the character area still traceable in today’s landscape. • Varied field pattern including assart enclosures with wavy field boundaries and some areas of more large scale parliamentary enclosure. • Low density, dispersed pattern of nucleated ridge top and valley villages/hamlets and isolated farmsteads. • Generally inward looking and contained landscape as a result of topography and vegetation. • Unspoilt character, tranquil, rural and of high scenic quality (designated AONB). 3.0 Physical Characteristics and Land Use 3.1 The underlying solid geology is Upper Chalk with the Middle and Lower Chalks outcropping in narrow bands and with deposits of clay with flint across higher ridges. Soils are predominantly free draining calcareous except where there are deposits of clay where the soils become heavier. Landform is typical chalk upland with a rolling topography, dissected by dry v-shaped valleys. In the north and south of this character area the valleys are orientated north–south, flowing into the Swift Valley and towards the Anton Valley. These valleys can be steep sided forming long sinuous forms through the chalk upland. In the west of the area, south of Vernham Dean, there is a marked scarp similar to that further north in LCA 5C. The agricultural land quality of this area is predominately of medium quality, with small patches of poorer quality on steep chalk slopes. 3.2 This landscape contains extensive areas of interconnected woodland interspersed with areas of open and large scale arable cultivation and some remnant patches of grassland. This gives rise to a mosaic of land use patterns and a strong wooded and semi-enclosed character overall. There is a variety of woodland including sinuous semi-natural ancient woods which form hangers along the steep valley sides (e.g. Netherton Hanging Copse) as well as areas of more recent plantation woodland, some of which are replanted woods. Plantations occur mainly on the heavier clay soils in elevated areas such as Blagdon Copse and Long Copse. There are also smaller copses and game spinneys scattered throughout the area and some ancient woods include hornbeam coppice. The field patterns are generally medium in scale with wavy boundaries in the north and straighter boundaries in the south. Fields are defined by a strong pattern of hedgerows which vary in thickness and often contain hedgerow trees. 3.3 The area falls within the Environment Agency Test Upper catchment area. Due to the underlying chalk geology it is well drained and there are no streams or watercourses. 4.0 Experiential/Perceptual Characteristics . Hampshire County 4 Status: Final May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North West Hampshire Downs 4.1 This character area is one of great diversity, with experiences ranging from intimate and enclosed to dramatic and open depending on the particularly combination of landform and land cover. Taken as a whole, the rolling upland ridges combined with the distinct and repetitive patterns of woodland and steep sided valleys provide a strong degree of cohesiveness and unity. 4.2 The Test Way long distance footpath passes through the northern part of this character area. Other footpaths and bridleways form a good network of routes linking ridges with valleys and areas of woodland with open arable or former downland. Remnant areas of downland and common can still be found in the west and southern parts of this area and provide open access e.g. Hurstbourne Common. This is combined in the south with areas of accessible woodland e.g. Doles Copse and Long Copse. 4.3 The CPRE tranquillity assessment identifies this landscape as having medium to high tranquillity except in the areas around transport corridors including the A34 and A343 which pass though this landscape in a north-south direction. The extent of woodland cover and varied topography coupled with sparse settlement means that this landscape often feels remote, unspoilt and has high scenic quality which is reflected in its designation as AONB. 5.0 Biodiversity Character 5.1 This downland landscape character area comprises arable land with some improved grassland patches along roads and within urban areas. There are some isolated patches of unimproved calcareous grassland representing remnant areas of downland as well as patches of amenity grassland, providing further habitat variation. 5.2 Woodland tends to exist as small patches which interlink in places and include broadleaved woodland, plantations (mainly broadleaved or mixed) and parkland. There are also some patches of active coppice with standards mainly comprising oak-ash-hazel coppice and some areas of ancient semi-natural woodland with larger areas of replanted ancient woodland. 5.3 There are two SSSI designations. Rushmore and Conholt Downs SSSI comprises a series of chalk grassland habitats occupying a system of coombes in a folded chalk plateau. The coombe bottoms and westerly facing slopes support substantial tracts of chalk grassland which comprise a mosaic of shorter, rabbit grazed, species-rich turf, and more rank vegetation dominated by false oat-grass and, locally, by large, discrete patches of rosebay willowherb. Bare chalk rubble occurs on some steeper slopes, evidently derived from intensive rabbit grazing and these, in places, support a comparatively rich flora of bryophytes. Sidley Wood SSSI is an ancient secondary wood, developed over an ancient field system, situated on a south facing chalk promontory along the North Hampshire Downs. The wood assumes particular nature conservation importance for its stands of ancient hornbeam coppice: no comparable stands are known elsewhere in South Central England. Parts of Sidley Wood comprise pure hornbeam coppice: many of the stools are more than two metres in diameter, suggesting that the wood is of great age and of natural origin. Hornbeam is also abundant mixed with field maple, ash and hazel throughout much of the remainder of the wood, where the structure is oak standards over mixed coppice. Another SSSI - Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging - also extend into . Hampshire County 5 Status: Final May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North West Hampshire Downs the north fringe of this area, although it mostly lies beyond the Hampshire county boundary. 5.4 There are 105 SINCs within this landscape character area. The largest is Doles Wood, covering 71.96 hectares and designated for its ancient and semi- natural woodland resource, including remnant ancient woodlands within more recent woods. 6.0 Historic Character 6.1 Archaeology 6.1.1 There are no Mesolithic sites recorded in this area, but there is a light and general spread of Mesolithic material, suggesting some very low level exploitation, perhaps with a preference to areas close to water courses. In Hampshire, evidence of Neolithic settlement is most frequently associated with areas of open downland which lie around the margins of this LCA.