3. Savernake Plateau

3. Savernake Plateau 1. Avebury Plain 2. Marlborough Downs 11. Spye Parklands 7. Kennet Valley 4. Horton Down 3. Savernake Plateau 10.Bristol Avon Clay Vale 9. Vale of Pewsey 6. Chute Forest 5. Salisbury Plain (East) 5. Salisbury Plain (West) 8. Salisbury Avon Valley Character Area 3: Savernake Plateau 3: Savernake Plateau Landscape Character Overview District boundary and then join the River Kennet at the head of the Vale of Kennet beyond. This area forms the southern part of the chalk Landcover Marlborough Downs block, and is separated from Area 2 by the valley of the River Kennet. Its The underlying Clay with Flints strongly southern boundary is defined by the dramatic, influences landcover, creating less well drained steep chalk scarp which overlooks and forms the neutral soils which support woodland cover and northern edge of the Vale of Pewsey. The area is a generally rich landscape. Patterns of landcover distinguished from the northern part of the fall into three main groups; open arable Marlborough Downs by a richer vegetation cover downland, enclosed downland, and woodland. overall and by the extensive woodland cover of The latter includes solid woodland blocks, Savernake Forest in particular, lying on the mosaics of woodland/farmland, and the large deposits of Clay-with-Flints which mask the parks, and includes examples of relict heathland underlying chalk. Apart from the larger expanses in places. of forest, the landscape is characterised by a mosaic of farmland and woodland blocks, giving it an intimate and enclosed character which contrasts with the wide open downland to the north. The area is also characterised by parks and large estates (e.g. Tottenham Park and Littlecote) which have a more formal, designed character. Geology and Landform The geology of the area is very similar to that in Area 2 except that the upland is comprised Woodland and farmland mosaic at Clench Common, between West Woods and the Savernake Forest almost entirely of the Upper Chalk. The landform is similar with rolling downland The relatively few areas of open downland in dissected by both dry and wet valleys. The arable use tend to be located on the flanks of principle difference from Area 2 is that the chalk river valleys. There are areas of enclosed is overlain across much of the Savernake Plateau downland in arable use, and these demonstrate a by Cretaceous deposits of Clay with Flints and, hedgerow structure and a high proportion of further to the east, clays, sands and gravels of hedgerow trees together with scattered London Clay, the Reading Beds, Bagshot Beds woodland blocks and copses. and Plateau Gravel. These deposits mask the underlying chalk and create the damp, heavy soils suited to woodland cover. One of the highest points in the District occurs at Martinsell Historic Landscape Hill on the southern edge of the area where the Character scarp rises to 289 metres AOD. Here, as at high points elsewhere in the District, the Clay with Evidence for Neolithic activity within this zone is Flints caps the Upper Chalk. Overall the area limited, landscape features including isolated falls gently to the east where the two branches of long barrows in West Wood and at Bewley Farm the River Dunn converge at Froxfield near the and the causewayed enclosure at Crofton. Bronze Age round barrows may be found, mostly Character Area 3: Savernake Plateau 39 located either along the southern escarpment Settlement and Buildings overlooking The Vale of Pewsey, or in similar locations overlooking the Crofton to Hungerford Most of the settlements are in the east of the corridor. It is likely that these monuments were area, in the valleys of the River Dun, and within located on the fringes, or possibly beyond the the bounds of the ancient forest. Of these, Great outer edges of the Bronze Age forest limits. Iron Bedwyn is one of the larger, set at a central cross Age occupation within the area includes the hill roads, with frontages running along each of the fort at Chisbury and possible oppidum at Forest roads meeting in a small square. Froxfield is Hill, both situated on escarpments, overlooking grouped around a village green with its church The Vale of Pewsey, Crofton to Hungerford on the hillside above, and Little Bedwyn has a corridor and Kennet Valley respectively. number of attractive groups of brick cottages and an impressive stone church, with at its heart the The Romano-British period indicates a extensive Manor Farm complex. proliferation of activity within the area. This included the continued occupation of the Iron Originally, the main building material would Age hillfort at Forest Hill, overlooking Mildenhall, have been timber frame, but few such buildings the establishment of Littlecote Villa, and the remain intact, having been gradually patched roman road which crosses the area from Crofton with brick repairs. Fragmentary timber framing to Mildenhall. A significant element of this can be seen in a few cottages and farmhouses increased Romano-British activity comprised a across the area, e.g. cottages at Crofton. Most pottery industry, relying on the underlying clay buildings are of brick, however, often from the geology for raw material. There is very little local brickworks which existed at Great Bedwyn, evidence of Saxon activity within the area. The and this creates a distinctive local vernacular with Royal Forest was established in the 12th century, particularly good examples at Little Bedwyn and by the 13th century covered an area of c. (Manor Farm), and the Somerset Hospital in 100 square miles. Froxfield. All of the churches are of flint, and these are often prominent landmarks - the tall The post-medieval deer park, Tottenham Park, spire at Little Bedwyn, the large cruciform church was established in the early 18th century by the at Great Bedwyn, and the remains of the 1st Lord Bruce. This development resulted in medieval thatched chapel at Chisbury on its many of the cleared walks, avenues and clearings hilltop location. Brick and flint can be been that are still visible today. In 1770 Tottenham found in domestic buildings across the area. Park was emparked, and from 1770 to 1814 a massive program of tree-planting and landscaping was undertaken, some by Capability Brown, to establish the modern day landscape. Landscape and Visual The canal and later rail network both exploit the Character pass through the Savernake Plateau from Crofton to Hungerford. Large blocks of deciduous woodland at West Woods and Savernake Forest dominate the landscape in their vicinity. These areas of solid woodland are accompanied by extensive areas of woodland/farmland mosaic, and in the case of the Savernake, by formal parkland at Tottenham Park with its avenues and blocks of trees. Together, these areas have low intervisibility with the result that much of the area has a rich and intimate landscape character. This is emphasised by the 'assarted' character of the area east of the Savernake where farmland occurs as clearings in a wider forest, creating a distinctive and memorable, 'secret' landscape. Elsewhere areas The formal landscape of Tottenham Park of intensively farmed open downland are found above the Kennet Valley south west of Ramsbury, 40 Character Area 3: Savernake Plateau and more extensively between the arms of the • areas of dense and extensive deciduous River Dun and above the Vale of Pewsey near woodland cover, often with a predominance Shalbourne. These are set within a wider of Beech; wooded, or enclosed landscape which provides a • retains underlying chalk upland topography. strong backdrop, and tend to present areas of blander landscape within an otherwise strong structure. The river valleys in the eastern part of the area are small but significant features, particularly the southern branch of the Dun which the Kennet and Avon canal follows. This lower lying valley emphasises the fact that the eastern part of the area's gentle descent to the Vale of Kennet lowlands, beyond the District boundary. Individual components of this area may be broken down, and key characteristics are illustrated in Figure 10.1, and summarised below. Open chalk upland • typically very large fields with few hedgerows or trees; • productive farmland predominantly under intensive arable cultivation; • characteristic chalky soils, occasionally replaced by heavier clay soils; • permanent pasture often associated with steepest scarps, field systems and other monuments; • open and expansive with very high intervisibility. Enclosed Chalk upland; • generally large to medium scale fields with rectilinear boundaries formed by varied hedgerow species and hedgerow trees • individual fields may be extensive, but have a clear perimeter hedgerow; • may be arable or pasture; • hedgerows generally well maintained and complete, often with good hedgerow trees. Wooded Chalk upland • woodland extensive and largely continuous, open fields are occasional and insignificant in relation to the tree cover; • woodland interspersed with blocks of pasture and arable land; • large-scale blocks of woodland scattered within an open downland landscape; • areas of 'assart' landscape where fields appear to be cut out of the woodland. Character Area 3: Savernake Plateau 41 Steep Chalk scarps and valley sides; blocks of woodland, lakes, formal gardens, • steep sided bournes and smaller scarps; estate boundaries (walls or railings), • extensive scarps which may extend complete ornamental features, estate buildings etc. for a number of kilometres; • smaller features which fade out and reform; Estate farmland • permanent pasture on the steepest slopes, • traces of a former parkland character or sometimes associated with strip lynchets; typical estate characteristics; • scattered scrub. • fields enclosed by blocks of woodland and • woodland, scrub, pasture mix may occur as belts of trees; strong features which often identify scarps • regular single-species hedgerow trees, and steepest slopes in the landscape at some avenues; distance. • estate fencing (railings and post and rail); • game coverts.

Load more