Landscape Character Type B: HighWoodedCoast,CombesAndCleaves
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Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT B: High Wooded Coast, Combes and Cleaves Landscape Character Type B: HighWoodedCoast,CombesandCleaves Worthy Wood and Culbone Wood as seen from Bossington Wood Summary Description This LCT is located in the northern part of the This is a striking and dramatic landscape of steeply National Park. It comprises wooded coastal valleys incised wooded valleys and cliffs. Trees cloak the and wooded cliffs, and extends for almost the full valley sides, and the dense and predominantly east-west length of the Exmoor coast. It is closely deciduous woodland changes colour with the associated, both physically and visually, with the seasons. The LCT includes the full length of the adjacent LCTs, comprising High Coastal Heaths, combe valleys, from springs rising near the moor, Enclosed Farmed Hills with Commons, Low Farmed turning to rushing streams, often with waterfalls, Coast and Marsh, Open Moorland and Farmed and and finally meeting the sea as rivers flowing into Settled Vale. rocky bays. Where the watercourses meet the sea, The largest settlements within the LCT are Lynton the wooded valley sides give way to steep wooded and Lynmouth, both near the mouth of the Lyn slopes that extend along the coast forming densely Valley. There are several small hamlets further inland, wooded cliffs, cleaves and bays. and scattered farms and hotels. The wooded There are six Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) hillsides of the LCT form the setting to several towns within this LCT, each representing a different and villages, including Minehead and Porlock. catchment. The LCT is also within 5 Seascape Character Areas (SCAs) identified in the Seascape Character Assessment. 96 Exmoor Landscape Character Assessment 2018 B1:HeddonValley B2:WoodyBay B3:Lyn B4:Culbone-Horner B5:Bossington B6:CulverCliff Key Characteristics of the High Wooded Coast, Combes and Cleaves l Underlain by Lynton Formation l Generally sparsely settled, but with a geology, (grey or dark grey silty slates or varied settlement pattern and character siltstones and grey sandstones) with from linear hamlets to seaside towns. deposits of alluvium in valleys. l Historic landscape features include l A dramatic landform of steep, bridges, churches, estate buildings and convoluted coastal slopes and deeply- ornamental woodland planting. incised narrow valleys and combes, generally between 0 - 300m AOD. l Primary and secondary roads follow some watercourses, but much of the l A series of steeply descending, fast- LCT is inaccessible by road. flowing rocky streams and rivers flow towards the coast, each with an l Views of wooded combes and cliffs are individual character. one of Exmoor’s most striking features. l Dominated by tree cover with Seasonal colour changes are continuous tracts of predominantly particularly dramatic. deciduous woodland (much of which is l Away from the coastal settlements and ancient) clothing the steeply sloping major roads, the landscape has a valleys and coast. Small pockets of tranquil character, and in many places pastoral farmland and settlement on feels remote. valley floors and lower slopes. l Strong cultural associations with artists, l Small-scale field pattern, interspersing writers and poets, and a strong social the woodland, reflecting medieval memory of the Lynmouth Flood of enclosure of the landscape (although some boundaries have been modified 1952. from the seventeenth century l A landscape popular with visitors onwards). containing a number of ‘honeypot’ sites 97 Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT B: High Wooded Coast, Combes and Cleaves Natural Landscape Features The underlying geology of Lynton Formation slates This LCT contains the longest continuous stretch of has been incised by a series of watercourses, Atlantic oak woodland on the western coast of creating numerous steep-sided V-shaped valleys Britain, and forms a significant proportion of South- which get deeper towards the coast. The cliffs and west England’s total remaining Atlantic oak valley sides contain rocky outcrops, often hidden woodland. The ancient coastal sessile oak woodland within woodland, and there are dramatic scree with associated lichens and ferns is of international slopes in the steep, unwooded gorge near importance for its conservation value, and most (but Watersmeet. Soils are typically freely-draining slightly not all) is designated accordingly (as SSSI and as part acid loamy soils. of the Exmoor and Quantocks Oakwoods Special Many (but not all) of the streams within the valleys Area of Conservation). As well as sessile oaks, parts are included within designated Sites of Special (e.g. Culbone Wood and Woody Bay) contain Scientific Interest. The streams are generally rocky endemic whitebeams, and others (e.g. North Hill and and fast-flowing with occasional waterfalls and Ashley Combe) contain exotic species planted pools, including the well-known waterfalls at within ornamental schemes. Ancient yew trees also Watersmeet. This is a popular spot for visitors to grow within the woodland. Small areas of the enjoy the rocky rivers in their wooded gorge setting. Exmoor Heaths Special Area of Conservation also fall The East Lyn River, which in spate can transform within this LCT. from a rocky stream to a raging torrent, is an Coastal features include steep, hog’s back cliffs, important habitat for migratory fish species, salmon coastal combes and waterfalls. There are coastal and sea trout - which spawn throughout its length - caves at Yenworthy, and a natural arch at Sir Robert’s and for the iconic otter. The sides of the valleys are Chair, known as ‘The Giant’s Rib’. Much of the often covered in dense deciduous woodland (much foreshore is inaccessible except at a few locations, of it ancient) and the deep, wooded, sinuous including Lee Bay and Woody Bay. corridors form dark, dramatic patterns in the landscape and create breathtaking scenery. The River Heddon Twisted oaks above Woody Bay 98 Exmoor Landscape Character Assessment 2018 Designated Nature Conservation Sites SpecialAreaof Exmoor and Quantock Oakwoods Ancient Woodland Extensive areas in B1, B2, B3, B4, B6 Conservation(SAC) (B1, B2, B3, B4); Exmoor Heaths (B3, B4, B5, B6) National Nature Hawkcombe Woods (B4); Reserve (NNR) Dunkery and Horner Woods (B4) Site of Special West Exmoor Coast and Woods (B1, Scientific Interest B2); Watersmeet (B3); Exmoor (SSSI) Coastal Heaths (B3, B5, B6); North Exmoor (B3, B4), Glenthorne (B4) Marine Conservation Bideford to Foreland Point MCZ Zone (MCZ) (B2, B3) County / Local Numerous woodland and Wildlife Site (C/LWS) grassland sites throughout LCT Heritage Coast Exmoor Heritage Coast (B1, B2, Local Geological East Lyn Group (B3); Ashton B3, B4, B5, B6) Site (LGS) Cleave Scree and Weir Water Reserve (B3); Yellowstone Cliff and Culbone Rocks (B4); Porlock Biosphere Reserve North Devon Biosphere Reserve Weir to Bossington Beach (B5); (transition zone) (B1, B2, B3) Culver Cliffs (B6) Historic Landscape Features and the Built Environment The Iron-Age sites at Bury Castle (B5) and the Lyn The nineteenth century saw parts of the LCT Gorge (B3) are among the oldest recorded sites, appreciated and developed as a fashionable both occupying prominent positions above river picturesque landscape. Examples of this are the valleys. There are numerous medieval sites within remnants of the ornamental woodland planted on this LCT, including the twelfth century Culbone North Hill by the Luttrell family of Dunster Castle (B6) church (said to be the smallest ‘complete’ church in and the ruined Italianate gardens at Ashley Combe England), and other churches, lanes, walls, bridges, (B4) where remaining landscape features include tracks, fords, farms, hamlets, fields, mills, lime kilns, ornamental plantings, towers, terraces, tunnels and harbours and manors. Many of these are still viewpoints. Other estate buildings also survive, integral parts of the landscape today, and remain in including the toll house for Worthy Toll Road (B4), use for their original purposes, with some and the area is a Principal Archaeological Landscape. designated as Listed Buildings or Scheduled The northern part of Selworthy (including the Monuments. They generally occur in the more distinctive whitewashed church) is located within accessible river valleys, although Culbone church is this LCT (B5). Selworthy is an estate village within located in a wooded cliff top position. the Holnicote Estate (National Trust), overlooking Churches and bridges are of stone construction, but the Farmed and Settled Vale LCT. domestic buildings exhibit a wide range of styles and building materials. The use of stone varies across the LCT, generally with more reddish sandstone used in the east, and greyer slate in the west. Other buildings are rendered or painted, and hung slates are sometimes seen on north-facing walls. Roofing materials also vary, including thatch, tile and slate. Farms and hamlets are often located at the crossing- points of rivers (bridges or fords) or at the base of the steep valley-side slopes. With the exception of some hotels, buildings are small in scale. 99 Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT B: High Wooded Coast, Combes and Cleaves Culbone Church Historic harbour, Lynmouth (rebuilt after Lynmouth Flood of 1952) As the area developed as a tourist destination, new The cliff railway between Lynton and Lynmouth is infrastructure and towns began to appear, still in use, as is the network of steep roads and particularly in the coastal parts of the LCT. These carriage drives. Monterey and other pines planted include the seaside towns of Lynton and Lynmouth on prominent positions above Lynmouth harbour (both Conservation Areas), which exhibit form distinctive features of its ‘Little Switzerland’ mid-Victorian seaside architecture (e.g. sash character. Work was started (but not completed) on windows and pointed gables) as well as more a resort at Woody Bay, and the remains of the pier, traditional buildings. There are several large tidal swimming pool and landing posts may still be nineteenth century hotels and houses (such as the seen on the shoreline.