1B: NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE PLANTATIONS AND HEATH Castle Bottom nature reserve (Hantsweb) – the mixture of open heath, valley mire and scrub woodland are internationally designated and hark back to a former open landscape which covered most of the character area in the 19th century. Fleet Pond acidic pond, mire and Heathy commons internationally Conifer plantation over heath - alder carr. important wildlife sites and for Hawley local access e.g. Yateley Common Common edge settlements typify the Eversley Cross Green typical Sand and Gravel extraction – early settlement plan form – the common historic form of medieval origin restoration phase nr Warren extends well into the village of settlement on terrace above the Heath Hartney Witney.- Blackwater valley floor Hampshire County 1 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Plantations and Heath Hampshire County 2 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Plantations and Heath 1.0 Location and Boundaries 1.1 This character area lies in the northeast corner of the County bounded to the north and east by the Blackwater River Valley and to the west by the White Water Valley. It is fringed to the south by more elevated land of the Hart Downs. The extent of this character area is determined primarily by the presence of sandy soils on locally elevated, gravely geology. 1.2 Component County Landscape Types Heath and Forest Enclosed, Lowland Mosaic Heath Associated, River Valley Floor 1.3 Composition of Borough/District LCAs: Rushmoor District Hart District (contd.) Blackwater Valley (including various Minley subdivisions) Tweseldown Urban (including military towns) Redlands Heathland and Forest Hart Valley Farnborough Aerodrome Whitewater Valley Southwood Amenity Open Space Tylney Pasture and Woodland Winchfield Hazeley/West Green Hart District Wellington Blackwater Valley Bramshill Firgrove Firgrove Urban The boundaries of this character area correlate well with local assessments with the exception of the area around Wellington. This area has been included because it comprises woodland and plantation on heath, a type common elsewhere in this character area. 1.4 Associations with NCAs and Natural Areas: NCA 129: Thames Basin Heaths NA 66: London Basin 2.0 Key Characteristics • Gently undulating landscape of plateau areas dissected by river valleys. • Predominantly well drained sandy soils over clays and sands giving rise to acidic conditions and some areas of local waterlogging. Hampshire County 3 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Plantations and Heath • Distinctive ‘heathy’ character throughout reflected in acidic loving vegetation and giving rise to a colourful landscape through the seasons. • Contains internationally important habitats including dry and wet heaths, bogs, scrub and woodland • Land use comprises a mosaic of woodland, including conifer plantations, blocks of remnant open heathland and medium scaled pasture fields. • Varied public access network of commons and open land on the heath and rights of way in the river valleys. • Strong connections to military training from the 18th century and aviation. • Concentration of large parkland landscapes and extensive areas of mineral extraction. • Broad shallow valley of the Blackwater and narrower valleys of the River Hart and Whitewater with flat and low-lying riverside meadows. • Large urban areas of Aldershot, Farnborough and Fleet and numerous transport corridors (M3, A30, and Basingstoke Canal) and high density of dispersed settlement of common edge origin, and smallholdings. • Enclosed often intimate character with limited outward views and a sense of remoteness and seclusion despite proximity to populated areas. 3.0 Physical Characteristics and Land Use 3.1 The plateau south of Beacon Hill rises to a maximum of 188 AOD but generally between 170-185AOD. It is noticeably higher than the Loddon and Whitewater valleys to the west and continues to rise into Surrey to the east beyond the Blackwater. In places there are marked scarps and incised valleys e.g. around Beacon Hill and Caesar’s Camp. The area forms the southern part of the London Basin and the edge of the Weald, comprising Bagshot Sands, Bracklesham Beds and Barton Sands. The result is a mixture of clays, sand and pebble formations which give rise to generally nutrient poor, free draining acid soils with pockets of waterlogged ground, supporting heathland and forest vegetation. More productive farmland occurs where brown earth soils are found, such as around Hartley Wintney, and where silts occur in the river valleys. Where classified, agricultural land quality is generally of medium quality but lower quality in river floodplains. 3.2 The area has a high concentration of commercial forestry on former heathland in the north with a gradual transition to more mixed heathland and farmland landscape to the south e.g. around Yateley and Hawley Commons. In the plateau areas where very acidic soils predominate, the typical vegetation includes birch, pine, gorse, heather, bracken and broom. There has been a recent trend of heathland restoration from conifer plantation. The larger areas of heathland are represented in the landscape types mapping. In the mixed farmland mosaic landscapes to the south, west and northwest, medium scaled pasture and arable fields are defined by thick hedgerows with hedgerow trees, often with banks and ditches, or by small ancient semi-natural woods. In places the rural character is affected by suburbanising influences such as golf courses, horse grazing, roads and pylons, as well as visual intrusion from adjacent urban areas. Large urban areas, mainly developed in the last 50 years, are a key component of this character area. 3.3 The principal rivers in the area are the Blackwater and the Hart, fed by a network of streams. Those that feed the Hart rise in the chalk to the south and flow Hampshire County 4 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Plantations and Heath northwards into the London Basin. The Basingstoke Canal passes through the south-eastern part of the character area between Fleet and Aldershot. Where former gravel extraction has taken place large water bodies have been created particularly along the valley floor of the Blackwater. 4.0 Experiential/Perceptual Characteristics 4.1 The varied colours and textures of acidic vegetation are a defining characteristic and add to this area’s scenic value. Weather conditions can strongly influence the perceptual qualities of the landscape, particularly in the open heath and plantation areas where experiences can range from exhilarating and colourful to sombre and bleak. Views are constrained by the many woodlands and thick hedgerows and although the Chalklands to the south may be visible from areas of higher ground, generally the landscape as a whole is intimately enclosed and is valued for remoteness and seclusion, despite close proximity to urban areas. 4.2 The heathland/common landscapes are popular for recreation. There is permissive access over much of the military owned land. The lack of roads and lanes across the heathland, common and plantation landscapes contrasts strongly with adjacent areas of mixed farming. Within the river valleys there is a good network of Public Rights of Way. Lakes which have been created following gravel extraction along the Blackwater valley are popular for water sports and fishing. The Southwood Amenity Open Space is a major open recreational resource for the adjacent high density population. 4.3 Areas of extensive common/heathland and conifer plantation are quiet and secluded and have a sense of remoteness. Although this declines within the more settled mixed farmland, adjacent to major urban areas and where suburban and military activity and roads are present, they contribute greatly to a perception of remoteness, isolation and tranquillity. 5.0 Biodiversity Character 5.1 This landscape character area contains a range of habitats which are internationally important for biodiversity, and part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA). This is a composite site across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. It consists of dry and wet heaths, bogs, scrub and woodland, and supports breeding lowland bird populations of Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler. 5.2 There are several Sites of Special Scientific Interest which fall largely within the SPA designation, and are similarly important for their heathland habitats and species. These include Hazeley Heath, a large tract of heathland with acid grassland, bracken, wet, dry and humid heath and extensive stands of gorse; Bramshill SSSI, a mosaic of coniferous plantation, shallow acidic ponds, mires within relict wet heath and small unimproved grassland areas and habitat for bird species such as Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler; Fleet Pond SSSI and Local Nature Reserve, a shallow lake with rich and aquatic flora and rare fauna, and is rare in the south of England, edged by extensive reedbeds, alder carr and acid, oak dominated, woodlands. Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons SSSI, comprises heathland habitats with coniferous plantations which represent one of the largest remnants of lowland heath in the Thames Basin, supporting species such as heather, bell heather and dwarf gorse; Bourley and Long Valley SSSI, a diverse Hampshire County 5 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Plantations and Heath mosaic or heathland,