Landscape Character Type E: FarmedAndSettledVale
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Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT E: Farmed and Settled Vale Landscape Character Type E: FarmedandSettledVale A typical view from within the Vale. Selworthy Church is visible on the valley side, in its wooded setting Summary Description This Landscape Character Type (LCT) is located in Selworthy (partly within LCA B5), Wootton the north-eastern part of the National Park, and Courtenay, West Porlock and Luccombe, as well as comprises the valley floors and lower sides of the several hamlets and scattered farms. valleys of the Rivers Avill and Horner Water. From The Farmed and Settled Vale is a gentle, enclosed Porlock it stretches south-east, branching to the and settled landscape, with an irregular patchwork north and south of the Plantation (with Heathland) of hedged fields, woodlands and villages nestling in Hills. To the east of Selworthy, the vale extends from the sheltered valley below the high moors and Combeshead into Bratton, and then north-east to enclosing woodlands. It is a rich historic landscape, Minehead (moving beyond the National Park with medieval farms, bridges, churches, lanes and boundary). To the south of the Plantation (with paths still in daily use. Historic estates (particularly Heathland) Hills, the Vale stretches east of Wootton Courtenay, encompassing and terminating at the Holnicote and Dunster) continue to have a strong ancient wool town of Dunster. Here, the vale influence on the landscape through their landscape merges and changes into the distinctly distinctive buildings, landscaped parkland and open, flat and low coastal landscape that flanks woodland. Dunster Castle and Selworthy Church Blue Anchor Bay. (within the adjoining LCT) are prominent The largest settlements within the Farmed and landmarks. Settled Vale LCT are Porlock and Dunster. Smaller There is only one Landscape Character Area (LCA) settlements include Timberscombe, Allerford, within this LCT. 156 Exmoor Landscape Character Assessment 2018 E1: Porlock-Dunster- Minehead Key Characteristics of the Farmed and Settled Vale l Varied underlying geology, of mainly l Main settlements are Porlock and Triassic mudstones, overlain by river Dunster, plus smaller nucleated villages deposits in the valley floor. (including distinctive estate villages), l A variable landform from flat floodplain hamlets and farms. to undulating high vale, with occasional l Numerous historic features, e.g. farms, small hills or hummocks. houses, bridges, churches and lanes l Drained by a network of small streams creating a strong sense of time-depth. forming tributaries of the larger rivers l Estates continue to have a strong Avill and Horner Water. influence on buildings and land l Agriculture is the predominant land management. use, mostly pasture but with fodder l Selworthy church (technically within LCT crops and some arable. B) and Dunster Castle are prominent l Semi-natural habitats include small landmarks from within the vale. woodlands, copses, mature hedgerows A strong visual connection and contrast and streamside vegetation, which l combine to create a well-treed with the surrounding landscapes that landscape. There are also meadow and enclose the vale, particularly moorland grassland habitats. and woodland. l A distinctive pattern of small, irregular l A gentle, pastoral quality to the fields bounded by hedgebanks landscape, which feels settled and (predominantly field maple and wych sheltered. elm) and hedgerow trees, which create l Cultural associations with the Romantic a strong sense of enclosure. poets, and local gentry families, such as the Luttrells of Dunster Castle 157 Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT E: Farmed and Settled Vale Natural Landscape Features The LCT occurs between 20m-250m AOD. The This is a well-treed landscape, including mature trees relatively low-lying landscape has been carved out in woodland blocks (including ancient woodland), by rivers and streams, and is contained by an parklands, alongside roads and in hedgerows. interconnected series of surrounding hills. The vale Traditionally walnut trees were grown here, for use in can be broken down into three distinct parts- the gunstocks. The hedgebanks are locally distinctive, ‘floodplain’, the ‘low vale’ and the ‘high vale’. Its containing field maple and wych elm, but with underlying geology is relatively recent compared to relatively little beech. The fertile reddish soils support other parts of the National Park, including post- mixed agricultural land uses, including pasture for glacial deposits on valley floors. sheep and cattle, cultivation of cereal and root crops, The floodplain comprises the flattest and lowest- and horse paddocks. lying parts of the vale - the areas which flank the For much of the time, this landscape appears main streams and rivers flowing through the relatively benign. However, it is also prone to landscape, e.g. the River Avill and Horner Water. flooding, and following heavy rainfall, small streams There are extensive deposits of alluvium (material rapidly become torrents, damaging roads and deposited by rivers) which creates fertile soils. The threatening to flood properties. Natural Flood lowest areas occur around the town of Dunster and Management (NFM) is one solution, and there are a between Porlock and Bossington, where the fresh number of local NFM initiatives. One example is the water rivers and streams are nearing the sea and the From Source to Sea project, where the National Trust vale is making its transition to the adjacent, lower- (owners of the extensive Holnicote Estate) have lying coastal landscapes. The ‘low vale’ occurs above been working to actively manage the land the floodplain and is a transitional area which is throughout the Horner and Avill water catchments neither as flat nor as undulating as the land on either to control physical processes and reduce the severity side. It is mostly underlain by river-terrace gravels, of flooding. Interventions take place within this LCT which help to create well-drained soils. The ‘high and within the adjacent LCTs, and include blocking vale’ occurs at the edges of the vale and forms the moorland drainage channels; managing woodland foothills to the more elevated surrounding alongside streams to slow water flows; creating landscapes. Around Luccombe and Huntscott there water storage areas on the valley floor, and is a locally-distinctive geology of breccia (an ancient managing land to reduce soil erosion (for example gravel made up of small pieces of sandstone and converting arable land to pasture). The large size of slate). This hard rock has created a localised landform the National Trust estate means that any future character of interconnected knolls. Around changes to National Trust aims or funding are likely Selworthy there is an area of Blue Lias Formation to have consequences on the landscape of this LCT. (grey mudstone and shale with fine limestones). Other local examples of NFM are described in LCT I. Hummocky breccia topography near Luccombe 158 Exmoor Landscape Character Assessment 2018 Tributary stream and parkland trees near Holnicote House Lane with mature oaks and wych elm hedgebank Designated Nature Conservation Sites Site of Special Exmoor Coastal Heaths; North Ancient Great Wood, Selworthy (E1) Scientific Interest Exmoor (E1) Woodland (SSSI) County / Local Numerous farmland, woodland and Local Geological Greenaleigh Point and Wildlife Site (C/LWS) wetland sites, including Holnicote Site (LGS) Smuggler’s Cove; Luccombe Estate; Horner Water; Wootton Boulder Bed; Gillham’s Quarry; Knowle; Knowle Brake; Wydon Huntscott Grange Quarry (E1) Allotment; Greenaleigh Plantation; River Avill (E1) Historic Landscape Features and the Built Environment This is a rich historic landscape, containing a The large number of Listed Buildings and particularly large number of surviving features from Conservation Areas within the Farmed and Settled the medieval period. Many of the features which Vale reflects the settled nature of the landscape, make up the historic landscape are still in use for and the concentration of historic buildings within it. their original purposes, such as houses, farms, Conservation Areas include the larger villages, but bridges, lanes, tracks and churches. Others such as also several historic farmsteads. The grounds of mills have only gone out of use in recent decades, Dunster Castle are a Registered Historic Park and and still remain an integral part of the landscape. Garden. Following the Norman Conquest, the strategic defensive site of Dunster Castle was This relatively sheltered area was also known for its granted to William de Mohun, who built a motte orchards, although few of these survive. and bailey castle from where he administered a The distinctive pattern of small, irregular fields is large estate. He also founded a Benedictine abbey predominantly medieval in date, although there are adjacent to the castle, which partially survives in the pockets of post-medieval and modern fields which fabric of the existing parish church, and in buildings are often larger and more regular in shape. Fields surrounding it. In 1404 the estate was sold to the are often smaller where the vale narrows, for Luttrell family, who owned it for the next 500 years example between Wootton Courtenay and and continued to modify the house and grounds. A Dunster. Where the floodplain is wider, the field size new deer park was laid out in the eighteenth tends to be larger. century, and the house was embellished to its 159 Part 4: Landscape Character Assessment of Exmoor l LCT E: Farmed and Settled Vale present neo-gothic ‘fairytale’ appearance by the The Farmed and Settled Vale is one of the few architect Salvin in the nineteenth century. The long areas of Exmoor where there is a clear local plots and narrow frontages of Dunster High Street vernacular style. Irregular-shaped red stone, indicate its medieval origins, although many of the prominent chimneys, small windows, dormers, buildings have later Georgian facades. In the thatched or tiled roofs and rendered walls are seen fourteenth century Dunster was a port, but the throughout the LCT in houses, farm buildings and location of the harbour is not known.