Western Weald Farmland And

1C: RINGWOOD PLANTATIONS AND HEATH Plumley wood – typical landcover of the character area - large predominantly single age stand conifer plantations interspersed with small areas of open heath and acid grassland. Typical deciduous woodland belts Moors Valley Country Park set in Fields often with low hedges – in the between road and conifer plantation –commercial forestry. north and east there are signs of post Ringwood Rd. medieval enclosure. Small stream valleys cross the area egMineral extraction at Somerley – Part restoration to heathland after Hamer Brook © Colin Perrin,enclosed by plantation woodland. extraction Geograph Hampshire County 1 Status: FINAL DRAFT March 2010 Integrated Character Assessment Ringwood Plantations and Heath . Hampshire County 2 Status: FINAL DRAFT March 2010 Integrated Character Assessment Ringwood Plantations and Heath . 1.0 Location and Boundaries 1.1 This character area is located in the southwest of Hampshire and crosses over the county boundary into Dorset. It comprises a sandy/gravel undulating plateau which flanks the western side of the River Avon valley. 1.2 Component County Landscape Types Woodland and Plantation on Heath, Lowland Mosaic Heath Associated, Lowland Mosaic Small Scale. 1.3 Composition of Borough/District LCAs: New Forest Ringwood Forest The boundary of this character area strongly correlates with that identified in the District character assessment. 1.4 Associations with NCAs and Natural Areas: NCA 135: Dorset Heaths NA 81: Dorset Heaths 2.0 Key Characteristics Wooded undulating plateau to the west of on the Avon Valley. Free draining soils and plateau gravels giving rise to acid soils and associated vegetation. Extensive SINC designation, due to the diversity of habitat, species and ecological structure in the area. The area also contains a small wetland part of the Dorset Heaths RAMSAR designation. Rich mosaic of deciduous copses, tree belts, wooded water course and pasture on the valley sides. Extensive areas of 19th and 20th century conifer plantation comprising even age stands with linear rides and tracks and few surviving areas of former common heath. Straight roads derived from routes over former heath common which have fast traffic today. A landscape which was historically extensively exploited from neighbouring areas and did not evolve until relatively late. Local vernacular of red brick and thatch with no significant sized settlement - traditionally medium density dispersed farmstead pattern. Gravel extraction areas, felled areas and soil erosion are a feature. Very extensive informal recreational activity associated with plantation woodland. Hampshire County 3 Status: FINAL DRAFT March 2010 Integrated Character Assessment Ringwood Plantations and Heath . 3.0 Physical Characteristics and Land Use 3.1 The underlying geology of this area comprises Bagshot Sands capped by plateau gravels which give rise to acidic soils with large pockets of gravel. Topographically, the area forms an undulating plateau which defines the western side of the Avon Valley and rises to approximately 55 AOD around Plumley Wood before extending further into Dorset. Agricultural land is mainly medium quality. 3.2 This plateau area is an area of former heathland which is now dominated by 19th and 20th century plantation woodland. Even aged stands of conifers with geometric rides and tracks cut across the landscape and only a small area of heathland between North Plumley Farm and Plumley Farm remains today. There are also areas of bare ground, landfill and mineral extraction within the forest landscape where biodiversity is at its lowest. Heathland restoration has had mixed success. The woodland plantations mask much of the earlier land patterns except in the north where small scale hedged enclosures are still apparent defining fields of semi-improved pasture and arable. Some patches of deciduous woodland and scrub occur along the narrow stream valleys and in places there are patches of rhododendron. Elsewhere, areas of active gravel extraction and landfill occur although these areas are not visually dominant as they are often screened by existing vegetation. 3.3 Much of the area falls within the Environment Agency Avon and Hants catchment area, although the southwestern corner of the area falls within the Moors catchment area. A number of small streams including Hammer and Turner Brooks cut small valleys into the plateau and become more incised at the edges as they drop into the River Avon. There are also a number of waterbodies in this landscape - the largest of which is Hammer Copse which is derived from gravel extraction while others are smaller and run along watercourses e.g. the decoy pond on the Hammer Brook. 4.0 Experiential/Perceptual Characteristics 4.1 The wooded character of much of this landscape means that views tend to be contained and short creating an inward looking landscape. However this changes on the eastern edge of the plateau, particularly where it overlooks the Avon valley. In some locations there are longer distant views cross the valley meadows and to the heathland and woodland of the New Forest National Park. 4.2 Although there are no long distance footpaths which pass thorough this landscape much of the forest provides an important area for recreation and the majority is open access. This area provides doorstep countryside to Verwood as well and attracting visitors from further afield. The dense forestry limits the experience for visitors. There are also a number of public rights of way which generally run in an east-west direction and are concentrated in the north associated with former and current farmland. 4.3 The general lack of settlement and enclosed wooded character of this landscape gives rise to areas of high tranquillity. In some places the woodland cover may have a disorientating effect. Tranquillity is tempered adjacent to areas where there is active gravel extraction and by the fact that the landcover is predominantly plantation forestry. Hampshire County 4 Status: FINAL DRAFT March 2010 Integrated Character Assessment Ringwood Plantations and Heath . 5.0 Biodiversity Character 5.1 This landscape character area supports internationally important habitats and in particularly heathland habitats. A very small area in the south west of this landscape character area is designated as part of the Dorset Heath RAMSAR site. This area consists of acid fen and broadleaved woodland. The whole RAMSAR complex has an outstanding fauna in a European context, covering many different taxa. Many species have a specialist ecology, strongly associated with, or restricted to heathland. The area is ornithologically important for specialist breeding birds of lowland heathland, as well as for some wintering raptors. The Dorset Heathlands are also designated as SPA and SAC for the high degree of ecological cohesion that the heaths display. 5.2 In the wider landscape arable land and improved grassland is a strong element, particularly in the centre of the LCA. To the north, around Sandleheath, the mosaic is more intimate, consisting of arable land and improved grassland, broadleaved woodland, mixed woodland, unimproved neutral grasslands and scattered scrub. Further south, the habitat mosaic varies and is more wooded forming part of Ringwood Forest and comprising a large expanse of coniferous plantation, broadleaved and mixed woodlands, forestry scrub and new tree planting. Within this wooded area there are patches of open ground where trees have been felled. Small areas of dry heath/acid grassland mosaic and an acid mire exist within the coniferous plantation. 5.3 Ebblake Bog SSSI is an acid mire in the upper valley of the Moors River. A poor hydraulic gradient has permitted the accumulation of relatively deep peat. Valley mires are rare habitats in lowland England and the habitat is now internationally scarce with relatively few remaining undamaged mires, of which Ebblake Bog is one. 5.4 This landscape character area is part of the Ringwood Forest BOA. This BOA is an extension of the Dorset Heaths and displays an excellent diversity of habitats, species and structures. Unplanted areas of clearfell support important bird populations including sand martins. 5.5 Much of this landscape character area comprises the Ringwood Forest and Home Wood SINC, designated for the potential to recover the heathland habitats upon which the woodlands have been planted, it is also designated because of the ancient and semi natural woodland upon the site. 6.0 Historic Character 6.1 Archaeology 6.1.1 There is very little evidence of Mesolithic date in this area, despite evidence of Mesolithic activity on the flanks of the Avon Valley adjacent. and Some dense concentrations of material evidence were found on the heath overlooking the Avon Valley at Somerley and it is likely that this heathland zone close to the valley was visited. Similarly there is evidence of Neolithic evidence (e.g. settlement in the downland to the north), again indicating that this area was exploited by Neolithic populations who were settled in adjacent areas. Hampshire County 5 Status: FINAL DRAFT March 2010 Integrated Character Assessment Ringwood Plantations and Heath . 6.1.2 During the Bronze Age evidence from archaeological excavation during sand and gravel extraction in the Avon valley has shown Bronze Age settlement. The distribution of burial mounds suggests that the heathland ridges overlooking the valley were exploited. Likewise in the Iron Age there is evidence of settlement flanking either side of the upper Avon valley. In the Roman period the Avon valley is was a focus of activity, and settlement associated with that does appear on the eastern fringes such as at Somerley. 6.1.3 It would appear therefore that this area is adjacent to intensively used land which marginally encroached into it, but for the most part it is a landscape that is extensively exploited from neighbouring areas and is not settled and does not evolve as a landscape until relatively late. 6.2 Historic Landscape 6.2.1 This landscape was open heathland until the last few hundred years.

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