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Thurstaston and Arrowe Park Wooded Hills Sandstone Ridgeline Key Characteristics Series of wooded hills From high ground the character area appears almost totally wooded Undulating farmland often shows long and linear patterns bordered by mature hedgerows and trees and small belts of woodland Prominent sandstone ridgeline with heathland and establishing woodland on its slopes Expansive views across Wirral towards Liverpool, Frodsham and North Wales possible from high ground Formal parkland at Arrowe Country Park and Royden Park Frequent areas of informal open space Rising roofline of housing appears nestled within woodland Small villages within character area with larger urban areas beyond generally well screened along the character area boundary Arrowe Park Hospital visible above woodland vegetation on high ground Landscape Character This area is within the northern part of the Wirral and Larger open spaces include parkland at Arrowe Country includes land between Caldy, Heswall, Greasby and Park and Royden Park and informal recreational land, extending to the north of Frankby. managed for its heathland and nature conservation value, at Thurstaston Common. Arrowe Park Golf The area includes some of the highest land in the Course is to the south of Arrowe Country Park and there borough and forms a series of small hills and a is a small cemetery to the south west of Frankby. prominent sandstone ridgeline. High points are 91m AOD at Thurstaston Common, 77m AOD at Caldy and A series of small wooded brooks and streams flow 55m AOD south of Greasby and lower-lying land at 25m through the northern part of the character area and to adjacent to Greasby Brook. the east of Thurstaston Common. Field ponds are common with many fields containing more than one Land cover includes informal open space and woodland pond. Smaller seasonal ponds and wetlands are often associated with ridgelines and hills. Land between beginning to form within Thurstaston Common. Where is often farmland with a higher proportion of pasture to depressions exist in the rocks, small pools and ponds arable. The field pattern varies. It is often long and linear are establishing with rushes and other wetland species and bordered by heavily wooded boundaries to the apparent in these areas. south of the character area becoming smaller in size irregular to the north, where a number of small Man-made features such as formal pools, meres and a watercourses have an influence on field shape, and small waterfall are present within parkland at Arrowe around urban and village fringes. Woodland and mature Country Park, some smaller informal ponds are within wooded boundaries around fields and public open space the golf course and a couple of large wooded meres are help to provide unity and integrate the land uses. within Royden Park. Thurstaston and Arrowe Park Wooded Hills Woodland and tree cover/ vegetation pattern This is one of the most wooded character areas within when viewed from high ground. Woodlands are of the Wirral with woodland particularly concentrated variable age with the most mature along rivers, within around Thurstaston Hill, Royden Park and Arrowe Royden Park and Arrowe Country Park and at Caldy Hill. Country Park. Woodland usually contains a high Within the country parks the presence of large mature proportion of oak and beech with sycamore and pine holly and rhododendron bushes and the maturation of present within the central part of the character area. plantation woodland including beech, ash, Scots pine Where the underlying soils support heathland pine and and Norway maple add an element of formality to birch woodlands with a strong understory of gorse and woodland character. ferns are frequent, particularly around Irby Hill. In these locations sessile and turkey oak and downy birch are Hedgerows are mostly tall with numerous hedgerow also common. The majority of the woodland is on trees, usually oak although sycamore is present along slopes of the hills in places extending sporadically over roads. Towards the northern part of the character area the tops of the hills. The majority of the woodland the hedgerows become smaller. Fragmentation of comprises narrow and thin bands along the fringes of hedgerows is evident in this area. Hawthorn is the most fields or periphery of open spaces which creates the prominent species within hedgerows although in places impression of a densely wooded landscape, particularly gorse, blackthorn and holly are present. Along the ridgeline at Thurstaston Common, the vegetation is a mosaic of heathland, regenerating scrub of birch and gorse and sections of sandstone rock outcrops. The woodland is predominantly birch Woodland woodland although if left will ultimately succeed to oak Houses set in woodland. woodland Linear wooded Glimpsed view of wind boundaries turbines on coast Linear field pattern Linear field pattern Built form The adjacent urban fringes are on rising ground with The southern edge of Greasby is obscured from most housing set typically within mature wooded gardens. views by rising ground. Arrowe Park Hospital is a The northern fringes of Irby and the eastern fringes of distinctive vertical element above surrounding Caldy are set within mature woodland. At Caldy, large woodland. detached houses are set within large gardens and housing appears infrequent on the wooded slopes with Frankby which lies in the northern heart of the character only rooftops visible. The fringes of Irby are more area, by contrast is a small village on low ground. It densely developed although mature trees along roads appears nestled within woodland with farm buildings and within gardens means that it retains a wooded Royden Hall and Manor Farm characterising its fringes. character to the roofline, reinforced by a wooded Although close to the larger urban areas of Greasby and horizon with housing rarely emerging above. The Newton it has a rural and remote character. The village northern fringes of Irby nevertheless have less is compact, centred around Frankby Village Green. vegetation along their boundaries and consequently are Buildings are typically small and include detached more prominent. However mature hedgerows around cottages and agricultural buildings constructed from adjacent fields limit and contain the urban fringe sandstone or red bricks with Welsh slate roofs. Many of prominence maintaining a sense of separation from the former farm buildings in the village have been urban development when viewed in the wider converted into private residences. The properties are landscape. generally set back with small front gardens and red sandstone walls. Larger properties often have gate post entrances. Trees and hedgerows within the village soften and integrate the properties with the surrounding landscape. Thurstaston and Arrowe Park Wooded Hills Views Nature and extent of views Views within this character area vary. More enclosed Arrowe Park Hospital is the most prominent structure channelled views towards the northern coast and wind within the character area and is highly visible on the turbines and ships at sea within the central part of the horizon above surrounding woodland vegetation. character area. There are more open views towards urban development on a ridgeline at Greasby in the Thurstaston Hill is visible from the northern part of northern part of the character area although these are Wirral and the series of wooded hills which defines the contained by rising land to the north and south. character area often forms a backdrop in views from Extensive panoramic views are possible from viewing other adjacent character areas. points along the ridgeline at Thurstaston Common and Caldy. From these locations views to the east are of a Landmark features series of wooded ridgelines with small pockets of Thurstaston Hill farmland and housing glimpsed between woodland. Welsh coastline and hills Key buildings such as Bidston Observatory, Wallasey Caldy Hill Town Hall, a church at New Brighton and Bidston Windmill are prominent features on the horizon. Key Key viewpoints buildings within Liverpool, in particular the two Thurstaston Hill cathedrals, Radio City tower and Liver buildings are Selective points by Limbo Plantation other identifiable landmarks. There are also panoramic Some points along the A551 views to the west towards the Welsh countryside; in Telegraph Road good weather the high points within the Clywdian Caldy Hill Range such as Moel Famau are visible above the sloping countryside bordering the River Dee. These views are Zones of visual influence strongly characterised by the coast, the mudflats and Lower lying land within the character area is only locally saltmarsh within the River Dee, pockets of urban and visible from within the character area due to dense industry along it and the mountains and hills within intact hedgerows and wooded belts. Wales beyond. Higher ground, such as Thurstaston Hill exerts an Despite the expansive views across Wirral, the influence on land in the character area and often forms developed area to the east stretching from New a backdrop to views within other character areas across Brighton and Wallasey to Bromborough and Eastham is north Wirral and selective views within central Wirral. obscured by wooded ridgelines along its western boundary. Views are of Bidston Hill and other wooded ridgelines and key landmark buildings in Liverpool beyond with the main housing obscured. Pockets of open space Long views across at Arrowe Park woodland Quality and condition of the landscape MODERATE - d MODERATE GOOD o GOOD o Enhance Conserve G Conserve and n Enhance o i t i d e t n POOR - MODERATE - a o r C e MODERATE MODERATE GOOD d e o Enhance p Enhance and Conserve and a M c Restore Enhance s d n a POOR - L r o POOR MODERATE Landscape Strength o MODERATE P Restore/Create Enhance and Enhance Strong - The key features are easily identifiable and the Restore landscape particularly the hills around Thurstaston and Weak Moderate Strong Caldy exert a strong influence on the surrounding landscape.

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