Upper Nidderdale Valley

A Looking down the valley. AREA 3

Approved Feb 2004 UpperUpper NidderdaleNidderdale ValleyValley

Area boundary* Not to Camera location Scale & direction

* NB Due to the nature of landform, surface treatment and soil/geology composition Character area bound aries cannot be delineated precisely and should be considered "transitional".

Location in Harrogate District

Description A diverse landscape covering 15km2 where the small- downstream. The area is well-used by walkers and valued scale valley systems of Blayshaw gill and How Stean by local people and the tourism industry. It is pleasant Beck converge with the Nidd valley. Many tributaries and attractive andA lies within the Nidderdale Area of Out drain the surrounding moorland into the River Nidd. standing Natural Beauty. The Upper Nidderdale Site of Special Scientific Interest includes the underground The valley is narrow and steep sided evoking feelings of course of the River Nidd and How Stean Gorge. partial enclosure along the valley floor. Channeled views are enhanced by dense tree/woodland cover along the river corridor and up the gills, which incise Key Characteristics the valley sides. At higher elevations the valley sides Geology, soils and drainage broaden and the landscape becomes more open offering longer, dispersed views. Middlesmoor village is situated Millstone grit solid geology with fluvio-glacial at the apex of the broad ridge between the Nidd Valley drift deposits. and How Stean Beck Valley and has extensive views Slowly-permeable, seasonally-waterlogged mixture across both. of fine to coarse loamy soils over clay with acidic Regimented blocks of conifer plantations are prominent peaty topsoil. along the upper extent of the Character Area particul Landform and drainage pattern arly on the south facing valley slope. V-shaped valley rising from 150m AOD in the The settlement at Middlesmoor may be prehistoric: field valley bottom downstream to approximately patterns vary from small, higgledy-piggledy fields (many 430m AOD at the valley rim upstream. of which were created as monastic farmland) at lower elevations and around settlement, to contrasting rect How Stean Gorge is a notable narrow gorge where ilinear enclosures higher up, bounded by stone walls, underlying limestone is exposed. fences and trees. The field patterns and other historic How Stean Beck, Blayshaw Gill and many major features indicate a long tradition of farming. tributaries and gills converge with the River Nidd. The main road follows the former Nidd Valley Light Land use, fields, boundaries, trees and wildlife Railway line (which is visible as a bank for most of its length). A public footpath network provides easy Improved, semi-improved and rough grassland access on foot and a road following the valley floor managed for livestock with grade 4 agricultural links villages and farmsteads with larger settlements land value. LCarea003.cdr LCarea003.cdr Sensitivities &Pressures Settlement, builtenvironmentandcommunications Key Characteristics Pressures onfarminganditsviabilityhaveledto Evidence ofBronzeAgesettlementat mining,textiles Evidence ofpastquarrying, Characteristic traditional farmbuildingshave Pressure fromexistingtourism facilitiesand Traditional buildingmaterialsoflocalgritstone Sparsely-scattered fieldbarnsofgoodcondition. There aresmall-scalescatteredfarmsteadsalong The mainsettlementsareMiddlesmoorand forNature There are3SitesofImportance Several smallgeometricblocksofconiferous stonewallsreinforced Fields areboundbydry Parliamentary enclosureof largerrectilinearfields Early enclosuresmallfieldsalongthevalleyfloor Public footpaths,includingtheNidderdaleWay, Farm roadscrossvalleysides. Middlesmoor. and watersupply. become redundant asfarminghasmodernised. the valleysideandfloor. landmark. MiddlesmoorChurchisaprominent Stean Beck. Stean isasmallhamletinthevalleyofHow Areas). (bothhavevillageConservation Lofthouse a fewindividualtreesscatteredwithinfields. woodland clumpsalongtherivercorridorplus plantations alongvalleyrimanddeciduous at higherelevations. and lowerslopes. radiate fromMiddlesmoor. could adverselyimpactupon character. attractions andpossibledemand fornewfacilities changes inlanduse(e.g.forestry). recreation facilities(e.g.caravanparks)and regimes, introducingnewbusinesssuchas fromtraditionalmanagement a needtodiversify barns. to theresidentialconversionofisolatedfield The remoteruralcharacteroftheareaissensitive buildings ofbreezeblockandYorkshire boarding. sheetingplusafewmodernfarm corrugated and stoneslateroofingsometimesreplacedwith Conservation: scattered alongfieldboundaries. fencing alongsidetheroadplusindividualtrees with postandwirefencinginareas,rail High ThropeWood (wetwoodlands). Backstone GillWood (oakwoodlands); Lofthouse SpoilHeaps(calcareousgrassland): Lofthouse (Cont'd) Guidelines Aim: To andenhancetheintimaterural conserve Aim: To encouragethe creationoftransitional Aim: Promote managementofrecreationalfacilities B New farmbuildingsmustrelatetoexisting Promote theconsolidationandappropriaterepair Conversion offieldbarnsshouldonlybe Rectilinear coniferplantations detractfrom Profiled metalsheetingroofshavereplacedstone Modern farmbuildings(neededtohelpbusiness Conifer plantationsshouldbedesignedtofitwith Promote diversificationofgrasslandhabitatat Car parkingprovisionmustintegratewithland Design ofvisitorattractionsignsrequiresco field Repair andmaintainstonewallstopreserve improved grassland. habitats betweenthemoorlandedgeand landscape andbiodiversity. and touristattractionstominimiseimpacton character ofthetwouplandvalleys. of fieldbarnsandtraditionalfarmbuildings. access. settlements andwouldnotrequireupgraded considered wheretheyrelatewelltoexisting landscape character. limited impactonoveralllandscapecharacter. ing inminorchangescharacterbuthaving roofs onsomebarnsforeconomicreasonsresult settlement patternandlandform. when theyarehighlyvisibleanddonotrelateto remain profitable)haveimpacteduponcharacter ordination torespectlocalcharacter. pattern variety-especiallyearlyenclosure. appropriate materials. farmsteads andsettlementpatternbeof deciduous fringes. landform andlandscapepattern, incorporating practices inconsultationwithDEFRA. moorland edgethroughlessintensivefarming locations wouldnotbeacceptable. scape characterandpattern. Highlyvisible Middlesmoor.