9B: SOUTH EAST COASTAL PLAIN

Buckler’s Hard –the main street leading down to the water is like stepping back to this time which add to the tranquil wooded setting of the .

Needs ore spit at the entrance toLepe country park provides one of Enclosed Coastal Plain character Beaulieu river. the few parts of access to the coast in pervades the character area – south this area. of Langley.

St Leonard’s Grange – the medieval Local ‘yellow’ brick used at terrace in Converted aircraft hangers at tithe barn was one of the largest inExbury. - observation tower the Country an indication of how influential was in local historic land use.

Hampshire County 1 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

Hampshire County 2 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

1.0 Location and Boundaries 1.1 This landscape character area stretches from the mean low water mark (Spring tides) in the south and east, to the start of the more acidic soils associated with the raised plateau gravels of the New Forest in the north. It extends westwards to where the coastal plain narrows. Fawley power station is located on the eastern edge of the character area.

1.2 Component County Landscape Types Coastal Plain Enclosed, Coastal Plain Open, Open Coastal Shore, Coastal Reclaim and Grazing Marsh, Estuary, Intertidal Estuary and Harbour.

1.3 Composition of Borough/District LCAs: New Forest DC: North West Solent Estates (predominantly) Beaulieu river (small part which includes the river floor and historic parkland)

This character area is very similar in extent and rationale as the Assessment: North West Solent Estates. It includes both sides of the river Beaulieu valley as far south as Buckler’s hard. and Exbury house are within this character area because of its setting in the coastal plain, and the views over to the Isle of Wight which are exploited in the layout of the grounds.

1.4 Associations with NCAs and Natural Areas: NCA 131: New Forest NA 77: New Forest

2.0 Key Characteristics • Coastal plain rising inland to more sandy soils. • Short wooded visual horizons inland but with open coastal edge over intertidal muds and saltmarsh and across busy Water. • Tall vertical elements such as electricity pylons, oil refinery chimneys and the towering Power Station stack of Fawley Power Station visible above the tree line. • Internationally-designated coastal biodiversity sites, an ecologically-rich diversity of habitats ranging from salt marsh to heathland, and a relatively high proportion of woodland. • Defensive sites include an Iron Age promontory fort at Exbury, and the Tudor Calshot Castle, which retains its original setting. • Much of the area remains undeveloped, reflecting the historic form of villages, numerous surviving medieval steadings, and saltern sites. • Influence of historic Estates on landscape design, gardens and architecture.

Hampshire County 3 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

3.0 Physical Characteristics and Land Use 3.1 This coastal landscape is underlain by comparatively young tertiary rocks of the Barton group in the east, and the Becton and Osbourne beds which stretch well into the New Forest. The Barton clays here are a yellow sandy colour (used as the traditional local brick material). The whole area is overlain by marine terrace gravels from the Pleistocene. Overlying this are well drained fine loamy acid soils. The coastal plain landscape is cut by several rivers creating a gently undulating topography, generally less than 30m AOD and mostly below 10m AOD.

3.2 There is a mix of grazing/dairying and arable use, with the latter increasing to the north and west on higher, drier land. Many of the fields have boundary ditches and internal ditch systems adjoining the coast. Verges are often wide with thick hedges, and contain closely spaced oaks (some ancient) on banks. The fieldscape is fairly regular in pattern, often with straight boundaries and sometimes set between more sinuous long boundaries associated with lanes and tracks. The fields tend to be small-medium in size, most being between 5-15ha and predominantly bounded by hedges. Other specific land uses include the power station at Fawley, and a comparatively high proportion of woodland compared with other coastal plain landscapes – often ancient in origin.

3.3 There are small well-wooded river estuaries which typify the eastern half of the character area running north to south. These include the Dark Water, Sowley, Mopley and the largest, the Beaulieu river, a 9km tidal estuary which is comparatively shallow varying from 1 to 8m.

3.4 There are two major coastal spits, one at the entrance to (formed over 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age as sea levels rose and large amounts of shingle worked along the coast by easterly longshore drift). The other is Needs Ore spit formed after the great hurricane of 1703, which formed in an easterly direction across the main Beaulieu river channel, dramatically deflecting the main channel. Recently with cliff erosion to the west a secondary spit has formed seaward of Needs Ore. There are low sandy cliffs at Lepe and the beaches are fairly narrow and shingly.

4.0 Experiential/Perceptual Characteristics 4.1 This landscape is full of visual contrasts, but is more enclosed than most other Hampshire coastal plain landscapes because of the gently undulating topography, thick wooded hedges and woodland. Fawley chimney stack is an enduring feature of many views. Emerging on the coast this is often the first sight of the waters of the Solent and Southampton estuary, although the hilly outline of the Isle of Wight is frequent, being less than 2 miles from Lepe.

4.2 This is a very quiet, rural landscape with visitors drawn to honey pot sites such as Buckler’s hard, and Lepe which in high season creates localised crowds. Much of the experience of this landscape is from the rural lane network. Lack of off road access is likely to affect people’s perceptions of being able to experience the tranquillity of the landscape.

Hampshire County 4 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

5.0 Biodiversity Character 5.1 Parts of this landscape character area are internationally designated with the Solent Maritime SAC covering most of the coastal and estuarine parts of this character area, along with the Solent and Southampton Waters RAMSAR site and SPA. These sites are of importance for their populations of overwintering and migratory wildfowl and wading birds, and of national importance for their populations of breeding gulls, terns and waders. These coastal areas and also the parallel valleys of the Beaulieu River, Dark Water and the Stanswood Valley are also designated as The North Solent SSSI and NNR. This SSSI has a remarkable diversity of habitat ranging from coastal mudflats and saltmarshes to valley mire, heathland and a range of ancient semi-natural woodlands as well as equally rich and diverse insect fauna.

5.2 Another SSSI designation in this LCA is SSSI which is an important refuge for both surface feeding and diving ducks. In this respect it functions as an integral part of the marshland system of the west Solent. The pond is surrounded by mature oak and Scots pine woodland which supports the largest Hampshire heronry. Hurst Castle and River Estuary SSSI also extends into the southwest corner of this character area although it exists mostly in LCA 9A.

5.3 Beyond the designated areas inland, habitats are associated with agriculture: there are arable fields and some improved grassland, this resource being most limited in the northwest of the area. Large woodland mosaics exist within the agricultural landscape with a range of woodland types, including broadleaved woodland, coniferous and broadleaved plantations, and mixed woodlands. In the west, there are patches of active coppice with standards and patches of unimproved grassland, often neutral. To the east of the Beaulieu River, and associated with Mopely Ponds and Badminston Common/ Spratsdown area, the woodland mosaic is significantly more diverse. It contains parkland and supports more ancient and semi-natural woodland than woodlands to the west of the river. In the far east, woodland is associated with a matrix of wet and dry heath, the latter also occurring in a mosaic with dry acid grassland. Still further east, the landscape changes again with quarrying sites, including settling ponds, and industry plus a significant patch of coastal grazing marsh.

5.4 This landscape character area is partially covered by the New Forest Coast BOA which covers a diversity of habitats supporting a rich flora and an equally rich and diverse insect fauna, as well as overwintering wild fowl, wading birds and breeding gulls and terns. There are over 50 SINCs in this landscape character area, designated for the woodland, grassland, heathland and coastal habitats which they support.

6.0 Historic Character 6.1 Archaeology 6.1.1 There are currently no Mesolithic sites or finds in this area, but a review of the wider New Forest coastal plain suggests that this area was generally exploited during the Mesolithic period and it is reasonable to assume hunter gatherer activity. Certainly Mesolithic material has been found offshore, deposited before the Solent valley was drowned. There is no evidence of Neolithic activity. It would therefore appear that the area was not farmed and settled at this time, but it is likely that extensive exploitation, such as grazing and hunting took place. This pattern appears to continue into the Bronze Age. There are burial mounds but no evidence of

Hampshire County 5 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

settlement. Burnt mounds and evidence consistent with mobile exploitation have been found in this area. In common with other coastal areas a Bronze Age hoard has been found inland. This may be a function of the land use or a means by which trade operated.

6.1.2 There was little Iron Age settlement, with the promontory fort at Exbury being the only substantive example, and this may relate to coastal control or trade rather than necessarily reflect a settled landscape. In the Roman period there was a road to Stone Point, presumably for crossings to the Isle of Wight and there is a Roman site here. More recently a Roman settlement has been suggested on the Fawley coast behind Calshot Spit, which being sited in a small inlet may have acted as an entrepot.

6.1.3 The historic landscape and settlement patterns suggest a relatively late landscape emerging from woodland, which may reflect the area’s forest status.

6.2 Historic Landscape 6.2.1 The modern landscape has evolved from a landscape that was disafforested in the early 13th century, when King John granted the Abbot large tracts of land for farming. There are a few areas of medieval enclosure origin south of Fawley and south of Exbury discernible in 1st edition mapping. There are frequent informal assart fields and woodland examples associated with the large woodland of Coopers Wood, Tyler’s copse, Ashen Wood and land to the north of Lepe. By 1800 much of the remainder of the landscape had medieval and post medieval enclosure of woodland and common. 17th and 18th enclosure was particularly associated with the estates such as Exbury, , Eaglewood, Stanswood and Beaulieu. These enclosures have a slightly larger scale and are more regular in shape, with few rights of way.

6.2.2 There are some areas of common which persisted to the late 19th century, the most extensive being Badminston. These have been replaced by late formal enclosure –but generally there is very little of late enclosure. Remnant common around the upper reaches of the Mopley stream such as Badminston common and Field Heath survives. The area fringing Langley is where the most recent enclosures are to be found.

6.2.3 There has been relatively little modern alteration and boundary loss, but fieldscapes associated with medieval enclosures south of Fawley and around Exbury, and larger scale regular estate landscapes further south have been altered severely. Tracks and lanes are the noticeable surviving features.

6.2.4 There were medieval saltern sites either side of the mouth of the Beaulieu river and a cluster of salt working sites south of Bucklers Hard is reflected in place names such as Salterns copse, and Salterns hill. There are regular formal enclosures over an area of former saltmarsh and probably common grazing marsh on the western side of the very southern section of the Beaulieu river.

6.2.5 Exbury Park and gardens (EH Grade II*) are a significant landscape with views of the River and the Solent described by William Gilpin in his Remarks on Forest Scenery. A nearby landmark is Luttrells Tower, a mid-eighteenth century coastal folly in the grounds of the late eighteenth century house, Eaglehurst.

Hampshire County 6 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

6.3 Built Environment 6.3.1 The lane network is twisting, often reflecting changes in direction of staggered field boundaries of early enclosures. The Beaulieu river has one crossing at the eponymous settlement and creates a strong barrier to east-west movement. There are no A roads and only two short stretches of B roads – reflecting the relative remoteness of this area. Open public access land is limited and much of the land is in private ownership. Lepe Country Park, leased to Hampshire County Council therefore provides an important recreational resource. Although large areas have origins as common these access rights have either been extinguished or exempt. There are few rights of way and none to the west of the Beaulieu river, with little availability of access along the coast.

6.3.2 This is a very rural coastal plain landscape, unlike the majority of other coastal plain landscapes in Hampshire, and has avoided coastline development. It was neither favoured for port development or Victorian coastal resort development as it was not connected to the rail network. The legacy that is left is a very few small nucleated settlements which have been little altered in the last 150 years. The exception is in the far east adjoining Southampton water. Where Calshot and Fawley have been developed, and Langley has spread from the north into the character area.

6.3.3 The density of farmsteads is low, with an unusually high proportion of steadings of medieval origin (about 25%) distributed predominantly west of the Beaulieu river.

6.3.4 The origins of Buckers Hard was in ship building – which reached a peak toward the end of the 18th century and supplied ships for Nelson fleet at the battle of Trafalgar. The yard, owned by Henry Adams in the early 19th century, overstretched its capacity with an order of 4 men o’war to be built at the same time. It defaulted on their production and went bankrupt. The scene today along the main street leading down to the water is like stepping back to this time, but is busy with tourists and yachts rather than navvies and tall ships.

6.3.5 Traditional building material includes the local yellow buff brick, almost exclusively used at Exbury. Agricultural buildings are often ornate in red brick with weatherboarding and thatch. There are isolated but prominent estate cottages and gatehouses adjacent to roads e.g. Exbury, Sowley and Stanswood.

6.3.6 The development of Fawley oil fired power station in the 1960s changed the essentially medieval shoreline into one of the most important centres for the British oil refinery industry. The single stack towers over hedges and woodland for miles around. Just to the south, Calshot former RAF base has a strong association with early seaplane development. The Sopworth was the first example, built in 1913. Large aircraft hangers remain, now converted such as the outdoor centre in the Sunderland hanger. Calshot castle stands guarding the approach to Southampton water and was commissioned by Henry VIII. Unlike other defence related sites in Hampshire, Calshot’s isolation on the end of a spit has ensured that there is relatively little modern surrounding development to affect its setting.

Hampshire County 7 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

EVALUATION

7.0 Forces for Change 1. New development and possible spread of waterside industry in the east. 2. New mineral extraction. 3. Pressure from urban fringe use related activities. 4. Recreation and tourism related development and pressures. 5. Climate change and coastal processes in particular sea level rise and increase in frequency of storms.

KEY QUALITIES AND EFFECTS OF FORCES 7.1 A rural coastal landscape of high scenic beauty which has had little modern development pressure and retains a pattern of small nucleated settlements, and prominent buildings associated with estates, the majority of which have been little altered little in the last 150years. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 3.4.5 Threats: Proliferation of modern materials in alterations/repair to predominantly traditional housing stock which used local materials. New housing development pressures likely to be only very small scale and likelihood of mineral extraction very unlikely. Pressure for farm building conversion to residential. Pressure for horse grazing land. Some of the medieval and 17th century origin farmsteads and mills are in areas affected by potential sea level rise, and farmland in areas of intertidal habitat creation to compensate coastal squeeze.

Opportunities: The rural quality and traditional built form could be emphasised in local level character assessments and village design statements. Positive land management for biodiversity and intertidal habitat potential could be supported by agri-environment schemes. Sensitive approach to coast realignment around traditional built forms potentially could use and restore former saltern embankment features, when coastal access opportunities are reviewed as part of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill 2008.

7.2 A variety of coastal features e.g. low sandy cliffs, spit formations and shingle beaches, protecting areas of mudflats, saltmarsh, saline lagoons, estuaries and marsh habitats of international importance. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 1.5 Threats: The majority of the coastline in this landscape is likely to be subject to coastal squeeze. Large areas susceptible to tidal flooding, and breaching of shingle spits and sea defences could result in loss of coastal habitat, Lepe country park land and alteration to coastline. Interruptions or changes to sediment / shingle beach replenishment- particularly changes to coast to the west (in the direction of longshore drift) such as Hurst spit.

Hampshire County 8 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain

Opportunities: Locating potential coastal retreat areas in relation to coastal squeeze in this stretch of coastline will affect predominantly private land. A co-ordinated, strategic approach could be sought to their design and support through agri-environment schemes.

7.3 A strong sense of enclosure created by woodland, treed hedges, and the undulating effect of stream valleys which pervades most of the landscape and contrasts with the open and exposed coastal fringes. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 5 Threats: Sea level rise and increase in saturated soils and soil salinity could have a detrimental effect on the woodland and treed hedgerows which link ancient woodland– particularly associated with stream valley sides and managed coastline retreat areas. Greater storm frequency and intensity could damage woodland and trees.

Opportunities: Existing trees hedges and woodland make an important contribution to character, and could be supported by grant schemes and agri-environment targeting. E.g. support for ditch, woodland and hedgerow management. The effect of improving provision for access to the coast through the Marine and Coastal Access legislation may have a radical effect on accessibility and therefore the ability to experience this coastal /estuary landscape.

7.4 Extensive areas of formal regular enclosures of mainly 17th and 18th but some early 19th century origins associated with large estates, little altered in the last 150years, with traces of underlying medieval field alignments in parts, particularly associated with the stream valleys and assarts. FORCES FOR CONSEQUENCES CHANGE: 3.5 Threats: Loss of mature hedgerow oaks from storm damage / saturated soils / old age. Further loss of remaining grazing and pasture fields and field enlargement to accommodate arable in remaining areas along stream valley sides and coastal fringe. Localised changes to ground and surface water levels by alteration to field drainage (dereliction or deepening) affecting mature oak hedges

Opportunities: Agri-environment and woodland grant schemes could be used to target the conservation and enhancement of estate-influenced field pattern and alignment, and the character of the tracks and lanes particularly associated with areas of medieval origin.

Hampshire County 9 Status: FINAL May 2012 Integrated Character Assessment South East New Forest Coastal Plain