8C: NORTH EAST HAMPSHIRE DOWNS

Sense of prospect over the lower slopes of the chalk to Basingstoke and the lowland mosaic landscape in the distance from near Upton Grey.

View over Crondall at the foot of theView from Pyott’s hill above Horsedown Common and Odiham chalk escarpment. Basingstoke – large scale fields and airfield © Andrew Smith scattered woodland.

Source of the river WhitewaterPond at Upton Grey – © Ron Strutt Old Basing Motte and Bailey site. south of Upton Grey Geograph.

Hampshire County 1 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs .

Hampshire County 2 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . 1.0 Location and Boundaries 1.1 This character area forms part of the northern Hampshire Downs which broadly slopes northwards and sits between an area of higher downland plateau to the south and lower lying heath landscapes to the north. The northern boundary to this character area is particularly marked as a result of a dramatic change in geology. To the south the change is more transitional as the land rises onto an elevated, and often wooded clay capped chalk plateau. To the west the area is boarded by Basingstoke located at the head of the Loddon Valley and to the east is the Hampshire administrative boundary.

1.2 Component County Landscape Types: Open Downs, Downland Mosaic Large Scale.

1.3 Composition of Borough/District LCAs: Basingstoke and Dean Hart District Tunworth and Upton Grey Down Hart Downs

This character follows broadly similar boundaries to the local assessments.

1.4 Associations with NCAs and Natural Areas: NCA 130: Hampshire Downs NA 78: Hampshire Downs

1.5 Townscape assessment areas: Old Basing

2.0 Key Characteristics • Rolling chalk landform with broad sweeping hills and ridges and dry valleys. • Northern areas slope northwards towards the lower lying heaths while southern areas form a gently undulating plateau. • Extensive tracts of intensive arable cultivation defined by well trimmed hedgerows. • Patches of improved and semi-improved grassland and wetlands add biodiversity value. • Scattered blocks of woodland habitats and stronger hedgerow structure in southern parts of the area. • Springs occur along the northern fringe of this landscape where the chalk meets the clay. • Remote and quiet landscape which is lightly populated with dispersed nucleated villages (including spring line villages at the foot of the chalk) and occasional farmsteads.

Hampshire County 3 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . • Sense of openness, space and expansiveness. • Generally, formal enclosures in the north and informal enclosures in the south • Nucleated settlement pattern of springline villages along the northern boundary, and small hamlets and villages in dry valleys to the south on higher ground.

3.0 Physical Characteristics and Land Use 3.1 This area comprises mainly chalk geology overlain in places by areas of clay with flint. This geology gives rise to strongly rolling landforms and smooth hilltops with dry valleys. Along the northern fringe the landscape is mainly north facing overlooking the lower lying clay and heaths landscapes, while further south it rises to approximately 150m AOD and becomes more topographically complex. In areas where there are thicker clay with flints deposits the elevation and topographic variation is at its greatest. Soils are mainly shallow, well drained calcareous soils over chalk with areas of fine silty soils over clay deposits which are often very flinty. The agricultural land quality of much of this area is medium, with small areas of higher quality occurring particularly in the southeast and within some dry valleys through the centre of the area.

3.2 Woodland blocks are a feature of the southern half of this character area where there are thick deposits of clay with flint e.g. Little Park Copse, Humbly Grove Copse and Brick Kiln Copse. These woods represent remnants of much greater woodland cover before clearance for agriculture or assarting began in the early medieval period. Elsewhere the land use is predominately arable within a medium to large scale field pattern defined by closely trimmed hedgerows and no hedgerow trees. In the northern fringes where natural springs occur there are areas of waterlogging or poor drainage resulting in permanent pasture and wet woodland/scrub.

3.3 The area falls within the Environment Agency Loddon catchment area. The springlines along the northern fringe of this landscape form the headwaters to the Loddon, Lyde, Whitewater and Hart. Elsewhere there are no major watercourses or water bodies as a result of the underlying chalk geology.

4.0 Experiential/Perceptual Characteristics 4.1 This an open and often exposed landscape with wide and long distant views across the rolling chalk hills, orientated mainly northwards over lower lying land. In the southern part of this character area the views can become more enclosed due to the increasingly complex topography and woodland blocks.

4.2 The Three Castles Path long distance route passes through this landscape connecting Tunworth with Greywell. Otherwise this landscape has a moderate network of public rights of way which generally follow the historic drove road routes from the lower lying clay landscape in the north onto the downs. As a result the footpaths tend to run in a north-south direction and connect into the narrow lanes that run east-west.

4.3 The CPRE national tranquillity mapping 2006 indicates that the south-eastern parts of this character area away from major conurbations such as Basingstoke and from major transport routes such as the M3 have the greatest tranquillity, with the rest of

Hampshire County 4 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . the character area of generally moderate tranquillity. The blocks of woodland and the extensive views over undeveloped landscapes suggest that in reality this area is probably of a higher level of tranquillity than the study indicates. There is night blight from the settlements of Basingstoke, Farnham and the Aldershot/Fleet conurbations which lie on lower lying land beyond this character area. Tranquillity is intermittently disrupted by low flying in association with RAF Odiham.

5.0 Biodiversity Character 5.1 This is an agricultural landscape dominated by arable land and agriculturally improved grasslands. However, small patches of other habitats exist throughout. There are many patches of unimproved and semi-improved grassland, most of which is neutral but there are some areas of calcareous grassland. Adjacent to streams and waterways there are occasional patches of wetland vegetation, including swamp vegetation and base rich fen, which is an unusual habitat for this area, due to the calcareous geology.

5.2 Woodland is varied; there are many small copses and strips of broadleaved woodland, some of which is ancient and semi-natural woodland. There are also areas of mixed plantation, parkland and active coppice with standards. Many of these woodland types interlink. Woodland cover is greater in the west and towards the south west, with some significant areas of parkland. Ancient and semi-natural woodland is well distributed throughout the area, being more dominant further south. In the north, there is running water associated with the River Whitewater. There is also an area of medium density residential development in this landscape, and areas of amenity grassland/ sports pitches.

5.3 This landscape character area includes Greywell Fen SSSI, a calcareous valley mire extending along the headwaters of the River Whitewater comprising wet fen meadow grazed by cattle, with the exception of an area of carr woodland along the side of the Basingstoke Canal. Some areas have been agriculturally improved in recent years, reducing their floristic diversity. Collectively, however, there is still a very rich flora, including most fen species, together with meadow species such as cowslip, dyer’s greenweed and pepper-saxifrage. One small area supports colonies of an unusual variant marsh helleborine and the fen subspecies of fragrant orchid.

5.4 The south of this area is fringed by the Herriard Wooded Downland Plateau BOA which comprises an exceptionally dense concentration of ancient semi-natural and replanted woodland SINCs, which support rare plant populations. There are over 60 SINCs in this landscape character area. Many are designated for the ancient and semi natural woodland that they represent.

6.0 Historic Character 6.1 Archaeology 6.1.1 There are clusters of recorded Mesolithic activity in this character area which indicate a preference to areas of water i.e. on the fringes of the Loddon valley, Wey valley and Whitewater. Elsewhere in this character area there is limited evidence of activity.

Hampshire County 5 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . 6.1.2 To the west of Hampshire the open downland areas are associated with Neolithic settlement and Long Barrows, and the evidence suggests that open downland is most closely associated with early landscape evolution. However this pattern is more ambiguous in this LCA due to the fact that there are no Neolithic sites or Long Barrows, and although there are Neolithic finds it is not possible to be confident whether this is an area of open downland associated with early settlement.

6.1.3 There is evidence for Bronze Age burial mounds, but whether these indicate extensive exploitation and local settlement is not clear. There is a Bronze Age settlement at Odiham and there are more burial mounds in this area than the area immediately to the north where extensive exploitation and lack of settlement is more reliably modelled. This may lead to the hypothesis that this character area was evolving but at a slower rate than equivalent areas of downland to the west. This pattern appears to continue into the Iron Age, for which there is evidence of settlement, but not at the density associated with the open downland to the west.

6.1.4 This relative weakness of pattern for open downland continued into the Roman period, where there is evidence for three areas of activity. There are Roman sites and villas at the eastern end over looking the Wey, and at the western end at the edge of Basingstoke and spreading south along the line of the Roman road to Alton. There are also Roman sites in the Odiham area associated with the Whitewater. But there are less settled areas between these three zones, again suggestive of less densely exploited open downland.

6.1.5 This ties in to some extent with the Historic landscape character. The land surrounding the head valleys of rivers such as the Whitewater show a pattern of late formal enclosure (parliamentary type). However the eastern and southern half of this character area has elements that are more reminiscent of medieval field system and in places even assart, and it is possible that this belt of open downland was actually a landscape which was cleared of woodland and evolved quite late, in the medieval period.

6.2 Historic Landscape 6.2.1 The historic landscape in this character area can be divided into two discrete areas – one which includes the central, northern and eastern fringes and the second which includes the land to the south. These two areas reflect the level of exploitation and settlement over time.

6.2.2 The central, northern and eastern fringes of this landscape comprise land which would have been used as open field systems and open downland for grazing in the medieval period, supporting a sheep and corn agricultural economy. It would appear that much of this land was in open field systems by 1700 as parish summaries indicate6 for Crondall, Odiham, Mapledurwell, Up Nately and Greywell. The significant presence of the historic landscape type ‘fields bounded by tracks and lanes’ supports this, and suggests the open fields were of at least medieval origin. The major period of formal enclosure in these parishes appears to have been by Act, from 1730 to 1800, and the OSD shows much of the land to be enclosed. In many places the fields were enclosed by hedges or divided by tracks and rights of way reflecting former routes onto downland. More recently in the 20th century some of the 19th century enclosure fields have been amalgamated to create large scale prairie

Hampshire County 6 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . fields. Amongst this large scale pattern there are also some remnant areas of downland landscape e.g. Horsedown Common and Sutton Common which stand out in contrast. There are numerous small pits along the northern fringes – these are old marl pits where chalk was removed to improve the quality of soils in the more clay and sandy areas to the north.

6.2.3 Also along the northern fringes of this landscape are the springs and river courses which flow northwards. These shallow valleys have a very different and distinctive character and have evolved separately from the wider downland. As areas of land subject to waterlogging or poor drainage they were used for grazing and also the construction of mill buildings e.g. Greywell Mill and Barton’s Mill. Watercress beds were established at Mapledurwell.

6.2.4 The southern fringes of this character area reflect a different historical landscape and one which has developed as a result of the clay-with-flints which forms a cap over the higher chalk hills. Here the heavier clay soils resulted in woodland persisting later than on the open downland and being subject to assarting. These informal enclosures for crops, grazing and wood supply are probably of medieval origin. Fields reflect a piecemeal process of clearance with wavy boundaries and are medium in scale. A greater proportion of open common land persisted here more recently than further north. Amongst this pattern of fields today remnant blocks of woodland are key features, while the fields are often defined by thick hedgerows and sometimes shaw woods. This area also contains Hackwood Park which is listed on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens and is of special historic interest. Several other smaller parks also exist, some of which have their origins as former deer parks, such as South Warnborough, Itchen Park, Basing Park and Weston Patrick Park which again reflects the woodland cover of this area in the medieval period. Hackwood has evolved considerably over the centuries and was extended in the 19th century.

6.3 Built Environment 6.3.1 There is a strong network of lanes which follow two patterns. Firstly those which run north-south from the northern fringes of this character area and which reflect the former drove roads for sheep grazing on the downs, and secondly the rural lanes which run east-west and connect former medieval manors which developed as irregular row settlements.

6.3.2 There are a number of nucleated villages across this area comprising two distinct types. Firstly the springline villages which occur in the northern fringes of this character area on springs at the heads of rivers e.g. Old Basing, at the head of the River Loddon, Greywell at the head of the Whitewater and Marpledurwell at the head of the River Lyde. Secondly the villages which occur on higher land across the centre of this character area e.g. Tunworth, Upton Grey, Weston Corbett and Weston Patrick, South Warnborough, Long Sutton and Well. These latter settlements tend to lie in the folds of the landscape and in sheltered dry valleys. They reflect early medieval manors which have grown and developed over time and which were closely associated with the corn and sheep agricultural economy that developed in this landscape in the medieval period – they appear to have been strategically located between the open downland to the north and more wooded arable land to the south. Today these settlements often comprise more than one

Hampshire County 7 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . manor house (as a result of the growth of settlement and the amalgamation of dispersed farmsteads), and are often associated with a church and farm/cottage buildings. The names of the settlements in some cases also reflect the families who owned the manor e.g. Grey Family at Upton Grey. Nearly all of the settlements have conservation areas covering most if not all of the settlement reflecting the fact that there is little modern development and the historic form and character of the villages remain remarkably intact. The settlements of Crondall and Basing have experienced most growth.

6.3.3 Beyond these hamlets and villages there is little settlement except for a dispersed pattern of occasional farmsteads. In the northern part of the character area this pattern is associated with parliamentary fields, and gives rise to a generally very rural, undeveloped character. There are a large number of surviving historic farmsteads which contain farmhouse, threshing barns (usually aisled with large expanse of roof), granaries and cartsheds. Historic medieval manor farmsteads are found within or on the fringes of the nucleated settlements e.g. Weston Cobett. Old Basing contains one of the county’s most important group of historic farm buildings. Some of the later farmsteads have grown and developed over the last century, with the addition of large scale barns e.g. Ford Farm south of Greywell.

6.3.4 An exception to the historic settlement pattern of this landscape is the development associated with the Odiham RAF airfield. The base was first opened in the 1920’s and in the last 50 years has seen the development of accommodation units, administrative buildings and aircraft hangars.

6.3.5 The prevalent traditional building materials found in this character area are generally timber-frame with a brick or rendered wattle and daub infill; red brickwork in English and Flemish bond; and tile hanging to main facades, with the use of decorative patterns such as scallops. Roofing materials include red clay tile, thatch, slate and corrugated on some farm buildings. Weatherboarding, often black stained, is a prevalent walling material for historic farm buildings. There are also examples of decorative barge borads and heavy timber eaves, and flint is commonly found on key public buildings such as churches.

6.3.6 Towards the east of the area are some buildings which reflect the hop growing/brewing industries in the southern part of Odiham, Crondall and Long Sutton.

6.3.7 This historic parkland at Hackwood Park is a key feature of this landscape as is the avenue at South Warnborough. The intact historic villages with their medieval manors and churches are also notable. At Upon Grey Manor House there is a well known designed garden by Gertrude Jekyll.

Hampshire County 8 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . EVALUATION

7.0 Forces for Change 1. Changes in agricultural practice/land management, particularly intensification of farming practices. 2. Incremental suburbanisation, as a result of insensitive modern development and road improvements. 3. Indirect impacts from settlements beyond the character area, including major proposed residential development around Basingstoke. 4. Military land use (RAF Odiham airfield). 5. Potential construction of masts and other tall structures. 6. Climate change, particularly potential affects on groundwater and stream levels, changing farming patterns and tree loss. 7. Mineral extraction (safeguarded site for oil/gas extraction).

KEY QUALITIES AND EFFECTS OF FORCES 7.1 A dispersed pattern of settlement including nucleated spring-line villages and farmsteads (connected by ancient lanes and trackways) which have retained their original medieval forms and contain exceptional groupings of historic buildings. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 1.2.5 Threats: Potential harm to the settings of historic settlements through development or changes in farming practice and land uses. Incremental loss of historic integrity of settlements due to insensitive modern development. Changes in agricultural practice resulting in demand for new agricultural buildings, or conversion of agricultural buildings into other uses. Potential loss of rural character of lanes due to insensitive engineering and highways measures.

Opportunities: When designing new or built additions promote reference to historic building guidance documents (HCC, EH and local, particularly in respect of traditional building materials. Use planning policies and conditions to ensure any new developments are very sympathetic to the historic forms, styles and materials of historic settlements, and are well integrated into the landscape. In larger villages where recent development has already occurred, use Village Design Statements to integrate residential development, sports pitches etc. into the landscape for example through carefully designed screen planting. Retain the historic character of farmsteads. Use planning policies and conditions to ensure all new development (including tall structures on skylines) respects the settings of historic settlements. Potentially use the Rural Roads Initiative to retain the historic character of rural lanes whilst meeting Highways standards.

Hampshire County 9 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . 7.2 A remote and quiet landscape with a sense of openness, space and expansiveness, due to the extensive areas of arable cultivation defined by tracks, lanes and well-trimmed hedgerows, with occasional pockets of grassland. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 1.3.4.5.6.7 Threats: Continued ”night-blight” from surrounding large settlements, including Farnham, Basingstoke and Aldershot and visual intrusion from large buildings, lights, security fencing and activity associated with RAF Odiham affecting the sense of remoteness. Potential oil/gas extraction and large scale residential development around Basingstoke could be highly visible in the open, expansive landscape. Noise intrusion from M3 and A roads at western end of character area. Potential visual intrusion from masts and other large structures within the landscape. Past intensification of agricultural practices has lead to a loss of biodiversity, which may continue in the future. Loss of hedgerows (in parts) leading to a weaker landscape structure. Past (and potential future) loss of unimproved grassland, particularly through conversion to arable use. Changing crop types in response to climate change could have dramatic effects on the visual characteristics of this open landscape.

Opportunities: Explore measures for reducing levels of light pollution from surrounding settlements. Explore measures for acoustic screening of major roads (possibly through the creation of new woodland belts). Inform planning policies and conditions to ensure that any major development is well located and designed, in order to enhance the setting of Basingstoke, and to blend into the surrounding landscape with minimal visual intrusion. Use planning policies and conditions to minimise the visual impact of large scale or tall structures. Target agri-environment and other grant schemes to encourage new planting of belts and blocks of woodland, hedgerows and groups of trees to form a stronger landscape structure in denuded areas, and to integrate intrusive development (e.g. Odiham airfield). Also encourage the retention/ creation of grass field margins, and linking of existing patches of remnant grassland. There may also be opportunities for re-creation of chalk grassland and scrub habitats in appropriate locations, such as on steeper slopes or other areas of under-utilised land.

7.3 The southern part of the character area comprises a patchwork of arable farmland, woodland and extensive parkland, giving a more enclosed and managed character to the rural farmed landscape. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 1.5.6 Threats: Potential lack of woodland management. Potential loss of veteran parkland trees due to over maturity (possibly exacerbated by drought and disease a result of climate change) and conversion of pastoral parkland to arable use, changing the character of the landscape. Potential damage to the setting and vistas of historic parkland by inappropriately sited development.

Opportunities: Target agri-environment and woodland grant schemes to retain and manage active coppice woodland, and manage existing woodlands, hedgerows and trees to secure their long-term presence in the landscape and maximise their landscape and ecological value. Retain historic parkland features, and resist conversion of parkland to arable use. Potential to carry out conservation management plans as appropriate for parkland landscapes within this landscape character area.

Hampshire County 10 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs . 7.4 The northern fringe of the character area contains locally rare streams, which emerge along the chalk-clay springline, and have associated wetlands and historic buildings. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 1.2.6 Threats: Loss of nationally rare wetland habitats (including swamp and base-rich fen) as a result of drainage for agriculture, other potential changes in land management or climate change. Potential neglect of distinctive historical features such as mill buildings and watercress beds, which would result in a loss of locally-distinctive character.

Opportunities: Retain wetlands, with appropriate grazing management where necessary in accordance with BOA objectives. Conserve (and ideally use) historic buildings and traditional land uses associated with the river valleys. Improve public access and interpretation of historic features in accordance with CAP actions.

Hampshire County 11 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment North East Hampshire Open Downs .