9. Vale of Pewsey

9. Vale of Pewsey 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 9: Vale of Pewsey 9: Vale of Pewsey Landscape Character Overview with a greater degree of enclosure and structure occurs to the west of Devizes, and in the area of The Vale of Pewsey forms a broad, low-lying the Lavingtons, and generally in that part of the landscape unit separating the two main chalk Vale east of Pewsey. upland blocks of the Marlborough Downs and Salisbury Plain to the north and south. It is dominated by intensive agriculture. and characterised by a mixed pattern of farmland, woodland and hedgerows. The Vale has for hundreds of years been the economic heart of the Kennet District area, and encompasses the great majority of the settlements in the District. These have developed in the rich and sheltered agricultural land present. The Vale east of Pewsey Geology and Landform Historic Landscape The Vale is fringed to the north and south by a Character shelf of Lower Chalk, which forms the rolling foothills of the main escarpment, and the chalk There are few recorded Neolithic, Bronze Age or grades gently down into the low-lying, flat floor Iron Age remains within the Vale of Pewsey. of the Vale. The base of the Vale is formed by Sustained settlement within the Vale appears to Upper Greensand, overlain in places by alluvial begin in the Romano-British period, although it is deposits most notably in the areas forming the possible that earlier evidence has been masked catchment of the River Avon. It gives way to the and/or obliterated by subsequent activity. Gault clay south and west of Devizes, and the Evidence for field systems and settlements persist junction between these rocks creates the at Manningford Bohune and, to a lesser extent at escarpment to the west of the town. The base of Potterne as well as on the northern edge of the the Vale is level between Devizes and Pewsey, Vale at Oare. In addition, settlement evidence is but east of Pewsey it climbs gently before also recorded at the foot of Salisbury Plain beginning to fall away again to the District escarpment near Ham. Further evidence for boundary. Romano-British activity within The Vale of Pewsey is provided by the roman road from Andover to Mildenhall, which crosses the Vale from Tidcombe to Wilton. Landcover The Saxon period saw a proliferation in The flanks of the Vale formed by the chalk settlement and farming in the Vale of Pewsey, typically are intensively farmed for arable crops with most of the central vale villages such as and demonstrate an open rolling chalkland Patney, Wilsford, Wilcot, and Pewsey itself landscape, in a lowland setting. This is established. These villages are predominantly particularly the case in the western half of the situated along the various streams and rivers that Vale, and in a block to the south of East Grafton. converge at Upavon to form the River Avon. As The predominantly arable cover found on the such, Saxon farmers not only utilised the free- edges of the Vale change to a more mixed draining Greensand derived soils, but could also farmland toward the centre, but retain an open exploited both the alluvial soils along the pattern, and a weak or absent hedgerow watercourses, and the watercourses themselves structure dominates much of the area. Farmland Character Area 9: Vale of Pewsey 83 (for food, transport water etc.). Beyond this transport network required to feed the Industrial central zone, settlement activity is also Revolution. Very little of the earlier open-field concentrated in the area of Shalbourne and Ham system survives today, although the general to the east, with Potterne to the west developing pattern of the parishes within the Vale closely as an important ecclesiastical site. reflects the pre-Enclosure tithings that probably originate in the Saxon period. The intensity of occupation within The Vale of Pewsey continued into the medieval period, with settlements extending along the entire length of Settlement and Buildings the Vale, establishing virtually all the present day villages and towns (i.e. Devizes, Erlestoke, Easton The Vale is the most densely populated part of Royal). Many of these villages are located along the District and possesses a rich variety of the southern fringes of the Vale, nestling at the settlements with over 30 villages distributed over foot of Salisbury Plain escarpment. This period the whole area from east to west. Particularly also saw the introduction of other distinctive characteristic are the spring line settlements in features into the landscape, including deer parks the west of the area, situated along the junction ( at Devizes, East Grafton etc.) and moated sites of the Lower Chalk and Upper Greensand. (at Potterne Park Farm, Etchilhampton etc.). The These include the Lavingtons, Urchfont, the intensity with which the Greensand vale was Cheverells and Easterton. Other prominent occupied and farmed can be contrasted with the settlements include the Cannings which lie south virtual abandonment of the adjoining chalk and below the A4361 on the east side of downland to north and south. Devizes. Elsewhere a number of small hamlets occur which developed along the canal in the By the end of the medieval period the modern 18th century, such as Honeystreet. Soft red day settlement pattern was established, and there brick and flint predominate as building materials, were few developments during the post- often used in decorative styles, but other medieval period that significantly affected this materials include limestone, sarsen, cob and pattern. Late 18th and early 19th century timber frame, with roofs of straw thatch or clay surveys of the Vale concluded that the distinctive tile. The use of local Malme stone at Woodbury long narrow parishes were becoming a hindrance and Manningford and Lower Greensand at to improving the management of the land. Potterne and Market Lavington, together with the Hence the benefits of enclosure were less brick and tile works at Market Lavington has marked than elsewhere. By the mid 19th influenced building styles in the western part of century the majority of the parishes had been the Vale. Erlestoke and Wilscot are notable as enclosed, removing almost all remnants of the examples of planned estate villages. open-field system. A slump in corn prices during the late 19th century led to the abandonment of the water-meadows, although some were subsequently reused for watercress beds. Landscape and Visual Character Other post-medieval developments of note include the construction of the Kennet and Avon The flanks of the Vale retain the wide open canal (1809/10) and the subsequent rail network character found on many of the upland chalk (1862). Both exploit the Vale of Pewsey as an areas, where intensive arable farming dominates. east to west aligned communication corridor. Some small settlements were established after these developments, particularly the canalside villages of Honeystreet and Pewsey Wharf. The landscape of the Vale of Pewsey, as it survives today, is a product of the 18th and 19th century Enclosure Acts, which had removed virtually any trace of earlier field systems. Within this enclosed landscape are the remains of the 84 Character Area 9: Vale of Pewsey Intensive arable farmland in the Vale; Woodborough complete, and include individual and groups Hill lies in the distance of mature hedgerow trees, and weak These create long views east and west along the structure where they are poor quality, gappy Vale, while views north-south, except from more and in decline, and where there are generally elevated positions, are interrupted by hedgerow few hedgerow trees; trees and small blocks of woodland. The core • moderate to low intervisibility. areas of the Vale are generally better vegetated with more enclosed fields, although many areas Wooded Chalk and Greensand lowland remain with very large fields and a weak or • Woodland and farmland mosaic - an even declining hedgerow structure. Landscape quality mix between woodland and farmland, is enhanced in a number of locations by including a patchwork of fields and woods as attractive parkland and areas of estate farmland. well as a more dispersed pattern of woodland Areas of pasture on the Vale floor, particularly blocks in open farmland. those associated with the catchment of the Avon, are very attractive where they pass through Greensand scarps and valleys; enclosed farmland, but become less well defined • Steeper slopes and minor valleys which mark within open arable areas. the edge of the Upper Greensand; • land falls into the clay vale to the west of Individual components of the area may be Devizes; broken down, and key characteristics are • smaller in scale and less steep than the scarps illustrated in Figures 16.1 and 16.2, and are of the chalk uplands but are nevertheless summarised below. prominent features when viewed from below; • may have pasture, or small groups of trees on Chalk and Greensand lowland landscapes them which lend form and character. • Foothills and lower-lying landscapes, underlain by Lower Chalk and Upper Vale floor farmland. Greensand; • Typical of the base of the Vale of Pewsey, • below the main chalk scarps of the generally flat and level; Marlborough Downs and Salisbury Plain; • may be associated with areas of riparian • flat to gently or even strongly undulating character

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