79 6.0 the SETTING of MERE 6.1 Historical Development of the Settlement Landscape and Location 6.1.1 Mere Lies in the Southwes
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79 6.0 THE SETTING OF MERE 6.1 Historical Development of the Settlement Landscape and Location 6.1.1 Mere lies in the southwest corner of Wiltshire, with the higher land of the Salisbury Plain to the north and east, low-lying pasture land of Dorset to the south and the wooded, gently rolling hills of Somerset to the west. Mere is at the confluence of several varied landscapes, including rolling clay vale, greensand hills, greensand terrace, chalk downland and chalk escarpment. The environmental conditions in and around Mere have played a fundamental role in the development and character of the village. Historical Origins and Evolution 6.1.2 Mere and its neighbouring hamlets are good examples of ‘springline settlements’. Located at the dividing line between chalk and clay, a fault line with numerous springs runs through the settlement. The landscape setting of Mere includes evidence of prehistoric activity, with Neolithic long barrows at various sites and a causewayed camp at White Sheet Down. Bronze Age cremations and other finds occur in the area while the Iron Age has left the prominent hill fort on White Sheet Hill, overlooking the village. The area has been actively cultivated and grazed for many centuries, as evidenced by the small rectangular enclosures and finds of domestic animal bones. A ridgeway across Mere Down provided an early-east west route that would have been used throughout prehistory and into historic times. 6.1.3 Mere was most likely settled during Saxon times. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) Mere was a royal estate. In 1253 the manor of Mere belonged to the Earl of Cornwall, Richard the younger brother of Henry III. He obtained permission to build a castle on a hill (Castle Hill) in his manor of Mere, and to fortify that castle. It is most likely that Richard obtained a market for his manor and created urban growth by leasing land for merchants and craftsmen to live in Mere. 6.1.4 During the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle began to fall into disrepair and stone from its walls was used in several Mere houses. The 16th century saw cloth making in Mere well established and the market house was on the site of the present clock tower. From the late 17th century flax became an important crop locally and in the 18th century Mere became the centre of the local linen industry. The main London to Exeter road passed through Mere at 11106001R SettlementSettings_DW_02-08 80 this time, causing the older inns such as the Angel, The George, The Swan and the White Hart to prosper. 6.1.5 By the early 19th century there were more people engaged in trade and manufacturing than in agriculture. During this time Mere was very much the commercial centre of a rural area. The first council houses were provided at White Road in 1926, followed by more at Clement’s Lane and Barnes’ Place. Mere expanded in population in the post war years, with more council and private housing built. Mere was bypassed by the A303 in 1976 and largely retains a rural village character with relatively traffic free streets. 6.1.6 The area to the North of Mere which is comprised of the chalk escarpment and the downland beyond, forms on area of relatively recent enclosure. The majorities of fields were either created in the 19th century during the process of parliamentary enclosure or were created due to intensification of farming in the 20th century. Before this the area would have been predominantly open downland explaining the excellent survival of archaeological earthworks in this area. The chalk escarpment and the areas around the scheduled ancient monuments though fenced still maintain this open chalk grassland character. The wider downland though ploughed is comprised of large fields which still maintain a flavour of the historic open character of this area. The historic landscape to the west of Mere retains a much more varied pattern of landscape use being comprised of relic common land, pre 18th century fieldscapes, interspersed with more recent fields and secondary woodland. 6.2 Environmental Policy Designations 6.2.1 Mere is an area of exceptional importance for wildlife and natural features, with many sites of national or international importance. Environmental designations cover a range of habitats with many different reasons for designation; their implications are shown in Figure 6.1 and discussed in Section 6.8. 6.2.2 There are a range of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and County Wildlife Sites within the area, including lowland meadows, calcareous grasslands, neutral grasslands and wet woodland; which reflect the region’s diverse landscape and underlying geology. The chalk escarpment at Whitesheet Hill is a particular feature, which forms a dramatic backdrop to the north of Mere. Its scarp slopes are considered to be of outstanding landscape and ecological importance, particularly where they have retained their species-rich chalk grassland habitat (Whitesheet Hill SSSI). Other important wildlife habitats include ancient and semi-natural woodland. Areas of woodland vary in size and species throughout the 11106001R SettlementSettings_DW_02-08 81 landscape setting, with large swathes at the base of the nearby Greensand Hills, west of Mere. These hills support a large proportion of woodland, both deciduous and coniferous, along with other woodland habitats, such as wet woodland and acid woodland. Charnage Down Chalk Pit, which was once quarried for agricultural purposes, is now a geological Site of Scientific Interest, located east of Mere. 6.3 Cultural and Access Policy Designations 6.3.1 Figure 6.1 illustrates cultural and access designations within the landscape setting of Mere. 6.3.2 The majority of land in and around Mere (up to the A303) is covered by the Special Landscape Area. In addition, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers the majority of land to the north and east of Mere. The AONB has been established under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act to conserve and enhance the outstanding natural beauty of this area which straddles four counties and seven district councils. It is clear from the Act, subsequent government sponsored reports, and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 that natural beauty includes wildlife, scientific, and cultural heritage. It is also recognised that in relation to their landscape characteristics and quality, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are equally important aspects of the nation’s heritage and environmental capital. In terms of sensitivity, as a landscape of national significance, the absolute sensitivity of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB is deemed high as a function of its unusual or unique characteristics, its expression of natural beauty and quality of landscape, its heightened sense of tranquillity, and the extent and continuity of these attributes experienced on the ground35. 6.3.3 The area north of Mere is rich in historical and archaeological features, including several barrows, hillforts and field systems. Scheduled Ancient Monuments are dispersed throughout the area and represent archaeological sites from Prehistory onwards. The Neolithic camps on White Sheet Hill and Castle Hill form particularly important and prominent historic sites, north of Mere. It is thought that the ancient trackways, now called Long Lane and White Sheet Lane, may date from this time. The historical and archaeological importance of the settlement is recognised through Local Plan policy. 35 The Landscape Practice (2007) The Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty: Landscape Sensitivity Report. CCWWD AONB: Cranborne. 11106001R SettlementSettings_DW_02-08 82 6.3.4 There is one large historic park and garden in the area, Stourhead, northwest of Mere. Located amongst greensand hills, the park includes nationally renowned 18th century English landscape gardens and Stourhead house, a Palladian mansion. 6.3.5 A network of public rights of way (footpaths, bridleways and byways) covers the setting to Mere, including routes along ancient trackways and several routes traversing rolling clay vale south of the village. Monarch’s Way long distance footpath passes through Mere in an east-west direction. Access to areas north of Mere is limited; partly as a result of the construction of the A303, which hinders north-south permeability. 6.4 Topography and Geology 6.4.1 Figure 6.2 illustrates the topography of Mere, and the surrounding area. 6.4.2 The varied landscape within the area is directly related to its underlying geology, which spans approximately 150 million years of geological history, from the upper Jurassic Period to the present day36. The environmental conditions in and around Mere have played a significant role in their historical development. The topography closely reflects the underlying geology, which is characterised by rolling clay vale, greensand hills, greensand terrace, chalk downland and chalk escarpment. The village lies on the dividing line between the chalk and the clay. A fault line, along which there are numerous springs, runs through the settlement itself, with chalk and greensand to the north and Kimmeridge clay to the south. 6.4.3 The dramatic chalk escarpments at Whitesheet Hill and Heath Hill Farm have eroded into spurs and deep coombes, providing an outstanding landscape feature north of Mere. The Ashfield Water and Shreen Water meander through the low-lying land around Mere and carry away some of the outflow from the springline. These waters and their distinctive lowland meadows, providing an important foundation and landscape setting to Mere. 6.5 Townscape Character 6.5.1 Mere has evolved from a linear settlement pattern along Castle Street and Salisbury Street; which coincides with a fault line where the chalk meets clay. The village is compact but there are many small hamlets and settlements surrounding Mere, especially to the south.