Section 1 Conserving and enhancing natural beauty

he primary purpose of designating an It is divided into chapters reflecting all the area of countryside as an AONB is to components which combined create the Tconserve and enhance the natural intangible sense of place of the Chilterns, beauty of its landscape. In this sense, the term namely: 'natural beauty' refers not only to the scenic qualities of the landscape but to all those other Landscape elements which together produce the special character of the AONB. These elements include Farming and forestry wildlife and man-made features such as its Biodiversity archaeological and built heritage. Water environment This section seeks to unravel the special Historic environment qualities of the Chilterns AONB and to define Development the key issues which are affecting them.

Bluebells at Cowleaze Wood

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Landscape Character

Escarpment Scarp Scarp Foothills Landscapes Vale Fringes Barton-le-Clay Arterial Valleys River Valley Landscapes Chess Valley Hexton Level Plateau Plateau and Leighton Buzzard Dunstable Lilley Plateau with Valleys Dip Slope Hitchin Valleys and Ridges Landscapes Rolling Plateau Thames Fringes The Thames LUTON Thames Floodplain Valley Markyate Harpenden Aylesbury Tring Aldbury Wendover Gaddesden Tring Wendover Thame A4010 Berkhamsted Princes HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Risborough Princes Chesham Risborough Chinnor Gt. Missenden

Naphill Amersham Amersham Stokenchurch

Watlington High WycomHbigeh Wycombe

Wallingford Beaconsfield

Nettlebed Marlow

R. Thames Woodcote Maidenhead

Goring Goring Henley-on-Thames

R. Thames N

0 5 10 Kilometres READING 0 6 Miles

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Landscape

Introduction and flint which lends such distinction to all forms of building from churches to cottages. 1. The landscape of the Chiltern Hills is defined by the chalk escarpment which 5. The landscape has largely been created by runs along an axis from Hitchin in the farmers and foresters and remains an north east to Goring-on-Thames, a ancient landscape with features from distance of 50 miles. At its highest point, many ages. Even today, field and near Wendover, it reaches nearly 900 feet hedgerow patterns can be traced back (267 metres). The steep scarp faces to many centuries as can most of the lanes, the north west and to the south east the woodland banks and parish boundaries. dipslope appears more like a plateau, gently shelving to the south east, incised 6. It is a landscape of many hidden quarters, by shallow valleys, some with chalk of enclosures and surprise views, of dark streams flowing to the River Colne and beech woods and open downland. It is its River Thames. variety and timelessness which give it such charm and places such a premium on 2. Chalk is a rare form of geology laid down maintaining those special qualities. during the Cretaceous Era (65 – 100 million years ago), found in the south of 7. Climate change will result in some England and north-west France but significant changes to the landscape but almost nowhere else. The Chilterns over a relatively long timescale with few shares many characteristics with other noticeable changes in the short term. chalk landscapes in the Surrey Hills, Over a period of 50 years or more the North and South Downs. To the south most noticeable changes are likely to be west the chalk outcrop continues into the an altered species composition of North Wessex Downs and beyond into woodland with less beech and a greater Dorset. variety of arable crops better suited to warmer conditions. Those qualities which 3. Chalk is an unseen geology with few make the Chilterns a landscape of natural outcrops and is generally only national importance today will almost exposed in quarries, now largely certainly persist. redundant. It was little used for construction and only the relatively hard forms of chalk known as Totternhoe Stone and Clunch were used in local buildings.

4. The landscape is a combination of the landform created by underlying chalk and the land uses and buildings on its surface, which owe more to the clay and flint which overlie it. The heavy clay soils support extensive woodland cover and mixed farming on mostly grade three land. There are also deposits of fire clay, suitable for commercial brick-making, Sheep on Sundon Hills

1The Chilterns Landscape: Countryside Commission CCP392 1992

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Broad Aims 2. The main ridge of the escarpment provides fine long views across the lower Conserve and enhance the outstanding lying vales to the north and west. To the qualities of the Area of Outstanding south views are more restricted by dense Natural Beauty as part of the national woodland and low-lying ridges. landscape heritage. 3. The underlying chalk ridge is covered by Maintain those features which make a several feet of clay with flints, but along significant contribution to the character the ridge the chalk lies near the surface and quality of the area and to regional and is peppered with quarries, small and and local distinctiveness. large, now largely redundant.

Enhance and restore those parts of the 4. The landscape of the Chilterns is given landscape which are degraded or in unity by its escarpment but there are decline. notable local variations. The northern Chilterns are generally more open with larger fields and less woodland, also a characteristic of the southern tip in the Special Qualities area known as the Ipsden prairie. The central and southern Chilterns are 1. A dramatic chalk escarpment rising to dominated by heavily wooded nearly 900 feet (272 metres) with flower countryside with mixed farming and a rich downland and panoramic views. large number of scattered villages and Once extensive, the downland survives in hamlets. In the south the hills come down smaller fragments and now only covers to the Thames Valley and the River 3% of the AONB, of which less than half is Thames itself which forms a long and considered high quality calcareous sinuous boundary. grassland important for its biodiversity.

View from Watlington Hill

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5. Woodlands, notably beech, cover over landscape covering 2.4% of the AONB 17,000 hectares, more than 20% of the (2,000 ha). However this variety of AONB, making it one of the most wooded landscape was once more extensive, landscapes in England. Once the woods former cover lost to a combination of were home to bodgers and other enclosure, urbanisation and woodland woodland workers but today are mainly encroachment. Whilst open landscapes valued for their amenity, wildlife and as tend to be associated with common land, places to visit. a significant number of Chiltern commons would originally have been woodland or 6. Farmland covers approximately 60% of wood pasture. the Chilterns, creating a mosaic of fields with arable crops and livestock, bordered 10. Over 187 individual commons still provide by ancient hedgerows and trees. The mix special local landscapes largely of crops, dairy cattle, sheep and pigs was untouched by development and modern once commonplace but grazing livestock agriculture. Much of the common land in are less prominent now and a greater the Chilterns is in close proximity to variety of crops is found. towns and villages, providing valued, easily accessible green spaces for local 7. Chalk landscapes are dry landscapes, but communities. Over 8% of the remaining in a few shallow valleys can be found common land in the AONB is ancient gently flowing chalk streams, often woodland. bordered by pollarded willows and remnants of meadows and former 11. The Chilterns has an extensive network of watercress beds, once a common sight ancient routes, roadside hedges and and thriving local industry. sunken lanes. The Ridgeway (Icknield Way), reputedly the oldest road in the 8. The folds of the landscape hide many country, is elevated along the entire small dry valleys or coombs with no length of the Chilterns ridge, linking springs or streams. These places provide Wessex with Norfolk. hidden 'secret' landscapes and unspoilt countryside. 12. Villages and farmsteads with brick and flint cottages, churches and timber barns 9. Commons, heaths and greens are a are scattered throughout the area. The defining characteristic of the Chilterns’ more ancient settlements tend to nestle alongside streams and rivers or springs at the foot of the escarpment. More recent settlements have sprung up on the higher ground, strung along the edge of commons and besides droving routes.

13. The area boasts a wealth of great houses, follies, parkland and designed landscapes. Often built and embellished by statesmen and businessmen making their fortune in London, it is a trend which continues to this day. Foremost is the Prime Minister's rural retreat at Chequers near Wendover.

Walker in Hambleden Valley

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14. The Chilterns is a long settled landscape lows, farmers in the Chilterns will grow with relics of many different eras: Bronze crops for which they anticipate a steady Age barrows and fields, Iron Age hill if not increasing market price. This is forts, medieval deer enclosures, unlikely to lead to ploughing up of eighteenth century sawyer pits and chalk grassland important for its wildlife, as it figures carved in unknown times. once did, as these sites are largely protected, but it will change the landscape as has been seen, for example, Key Issues where short term grass leys have been converted to grow cereals and oil seed There are many factors affecting the landscape rape. and how it is managed. Often the causes of change are complex and the trends uncertain. 2. The removal of set aside may lead to The scale and variety of the Chilterns’ some relatively small losses of high landscape means that trends and issues affect quality field margins but as much of the different parts in different ways. Perhaps as permanent set aside in the Chilterns is on much as at any other time, global factors and poor quality land it is not expected that trends are influencing the Chilterns as, for much of this land will be ploughed. The example, farmers respond to world prices for value of set aside for wildlife, grain and new landowners from overseas invest particularly farmland birds, is well funds in newly acquired estates. known, however as set aside was introduced to reduce agricultural 1. The growth of arable farming in response production it does not enjoy significant to the world price of cereals is likely to protection for its biodiversity. be a factor for several years as concerns about food security grow and demand 3. The decline of livestock farming, of all increases from China, India and other types, is leading to problems for the countries. Traditional growers of grain management of sites which need grazing may be affected increasingly by climate in order to retain their biodiversity and change and as prices rise above recent landscape qualities. There is little likelihood of a reversal of this trend as farmers give up livestock and increasingly choose to concentrate on growing cereals or leave farming altogether.

4. The potential for scrub to spread across open grassland landscapes is increasing due to a combination of the problem of grazing sites and the more rapid growth of scrub due to climate change, which is lengthening the growing season.

5. As new owners buy land they often place higher priority on leisure and amenity than production. This has been partly behind the expansion of the area covered by pony paddocks, extension of gardens and newly landscaped grounds. Often it is

View from Dunstable Downs to Ivinghoe Beacon

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accompanied by the spread of fencing, 8. Many Chilterns’ commons are affected by screening of all kinds and inappropriate the increasing demands for access and clutter such as lights and temporary recreation and changing public attitudes, buildings. for example towards grazing livestock close to towns and villages. 6. The general growth of leisure uses, notably equestrian, has resulted in a 9. Although the number of full time farmers significant number of horses, new pony is declining there are many more small paddocks and associated buildings and agricultural holdings reflecting the equipment. Also prominent in the relative popularity of hobby farming. In landscape are new and expanded golf some places this is leading to a courses. Whilst they can provide high fragmentation of the landscape with quality habitat this is dependent upon smaller fields, new buildings and a extensive sympathetic management. greater diversity of activity in a smaller Such land uses are often most prevalent area. Inevitably not all of these new on the outskirts of towns and villages, a holdings are well managed and some perspective seen by large numbers of detract from landscape quality. people for whom such a landscape may become the norm. 10. The continuing fragmentation of the landscape by transfer to smaller holdings 7. A continuing and largely unnoticed trend is affecting the scale and nature of has been the loss, usually partial, of management of land. Such fragmentation unregistered parks and gardens, for also highlights the nature of intervening example around large houses now used land, for example between fragments of for institution or business use. chalk grassland or ancient woodland. The links are important to allow wildlife to

North Dean near High Wycombe

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move around a larger network of suitable 14. For the foreseeable future the landscape habitat. will still be dominated by farming and forestry and the spatial pattern of land 11. Many types of woodland, especially small use is unlikely to alter directly as a woodlands, are under-managed, even consequence of climate change. It is neglected. The long term decline of more likely that, for example, the species timber prices, notably for beech, has composition of woodlands may change depressed the market and is unlikely to but the general appearance will be change in the near future despite an similar to the woodlands of today but will increase in demand for fuel wood. A become more varied over time. corresponding decline of skills and the availability of skilled contractors will 15. The changes to the many mature beech restrict the extent of woodlands actively woods may result in long term changes in managed. A long term concern is the loss the woodland landscape. They will be of knowledge and experience of growing barely discernible in the short term, but trees to produce timber. already ash, which regenerated in the gaps left by beech trees blown down in 12. The current Government policy to the early 1990s, has changed the remove plantations, especially of landscape by altering the colours and conifers, from ancient and semi-natural timing of flushing and leaf-fall. woods (PAWS) will help restore their natural qualities. Where existing conifers 16. It is likely that beech will persist in are important for their amenity, for smaller pockets even through significant example by providing winter greenery a changes in climate, but it will no longer careful and phased removal is advocated. be as dominant. The balance of woodland cover needs to slowly change to reflect 13. The changing climate may change the the tolerance of species to more extreme landscape but predicting the nature of weather. If the Chilterns is to be a timber that change is difficult. Examples of producing area in the long term possible effects include a reduction in unfamiliar species may have to be the extent of beech woodland, effects on introduced. the flows of chalk streams and the introduction of new crops in response to 17. It is unlikely there will be many different growing conditions. applications to erect wind turbines due to low wind speed and the unacceptability of siting them along the skyline where wind speeds are higher. There may be places where relatively small turbines could be accommodated without unacceptable intrusion in the landscape.

18. The Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth area stretches down to Aylesbury, Luton and Dunstable. Large numbers of new houses are planned and, notwithstanding market fluctuations, construction will affect the land adjacent to and visible from the Chilterns on a larger scale. Land scheduled for Gade Valley near Hemel Hempstead

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development may be less well managed, must also exhibit the highest even abandoned in anticipation of new environmental standards in terms of development in the relatively near energy and water conservation. future. Once created there may be a harder, more defined edge between town 21. There is a tendency for clutter of all and country. The view from the ridge of types (e.g. signs, masts, barriers and the escarpment will be significantly fences) to accumulate along roadsides, affected in some places, although green around settlements and along the infrastructure provision is an intrinsic skyline. It is an insidious problem which part of the growth area strategies. is difficult but not impossible to reverse. The co-operation of the highways 19. A more immediate, but less obvious authorities is essential as they are often change, in the landscape is the impact of responsible for much of the clutter. building new houses on infill sites and gardens in villages. Usually the resulting 22. According to national surveys half of all houses have small gardens and there is visitors to the countryside are seeking less scope for trees to grow to maturity peace and quiet. The enjoyment of the and provide highly value amenity and landscape is being increasingly eroded by screening. In some cases the infilling a loss of tranquillity - peace and quiet is itself and unsympathetic design of the harder to find largely due to traffic new development changes the character noise, notably the M40 and several of the of the settlement. trunk roads, and the dramatic increase in over flying by aircraft of all types using 20. As the Chilterns’ landscape is a mosaic of Luton, Heathrow and local airfields. The the natural and built environment it is loss will intensify if the proposal by NATS important that the design of new (February 2008) to direct more aircraft buildings needs to complement the over the Chilterns at lower altitudes and existing character of the landscape and plans to expand Heathrow by building a settlement, especially where it is based third runway are given the go ahead. on vernacular architecture. New designs

River Thames near Goring

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Policies always. The town and country planning system and other regulatory and advisory processes need to be in place and applied L1 Recognise and manage positively those to ensure that damaging changes are elements of the landscape that prevented. A great deal of information contribute to the overall identity and and advice is available to help ensure character of the Chilterns. proposed changes are in keeping with the special character of the AONB. The main characteristics of the Chilterns' landscape have been created by human L4 Enhance the landscape by restoring intervention. In most cases they need to degraded landscapes, and encouraging be managed actively in order to retain the removal or mitigation of intrusive those qualities or restore natural developments and features. characteristics which are in decline e.g. chalk downland, hedgerows, ancient In some senses the Chilterns is a busy woodlands and chalk streams. landscape with a large number of buildings, structures and what some L2 Promote greater understanding and might call clutter. It tends to accumulate awareness of local landscape character rather than be removed even after its and those elements which contribute to useful life has ended. Sometimes local distinctiveness. concerted effort is needed to bring about its removal by planning conditions, The main landscape types such as regulations, advice, practical assistance woodland, farmland, river valleys and or incentives. There is also scope to downland are large in scale, but are mitigate or even screen less attractive owned by large numbers of individuals, structures and features where they are who often own small plots. The challenge still in active use or are unlikely to be is to help all owners and managers to be removed. aware of the character of the wider landscape and the context for their own activities. It also highlights the L5 Ensure the impact of development importance of managing boundary adjacent to the AONB is sympathetic to features well and where possible, the character of the Chilterns and ensuring there are no intrusive maintains the quality of views from it boundaries such as close board fencing in and of it. open countryside. This policy aims to help current stewards of the land to The Chilterns is surrounded by many ensure that future generations benefit market towns and the larger settlements from an equally high quality landscape. of Reading, Hemel Hempstead and High Wycombe, together with Luton, L3 Resist developments which detract Dunstable and Aylesbury which lie within from the Chilterns' special character. the Milton Keynes and South Midland Growth area where large numbers of new There are significant pressures to change houses will be built during the next 20 the use of land, erect new buildings and years. Associated with the housing is structures, improve transport likely to be the development of infrastructure or expand economic and employment sites. The design and leisure activities. They can often be location of these buildings also need to satisfactorily accommodated without be sensitive to the AONB, for example by detriment to the landscape, but not

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not having excessively high or reflective others are well supported. Together with roofs. The impact of development local authorities, including 117 town and adjacent to the AONB will be significant parish councils, voluntary and community in many ways including its visibility from groups there are many organisations with many popular sites. It is important that powers, resources and a willingness to appropriate landscape and visual work to conserve what is special about assessments are undertaken. the Chilterns and to act as stewards of the landscape. These organisations and L6 Conserve and enhance the distinctive individuals all need support to maintain character of buildings, rural settlements their active roles. and their landscape setting. L8 Manage landscapes close to existing and A primary characteristic of the Chilterns’ new areas of development so as to be landscape is the large number of capable of absorbing higher levels of attractive towns and villages, buildings, recreation whilst maintaining local farms, barns and churches. It is the character and biodiversity interest. combination of their charm and setting in the landscape that contributes so much The boundary of the AONB is long and to the special qualities of the Chilterns sinuous, curling around many towns and and reinforces what is distinctive about villages. The interface between the AONB the area. and these communities is important and the quality of landscape in this belt is often under pressure. Such problems may L7 Encourage local pride in the landscape be compounded where new development and special sense of place to promote is planned, resulting in less intensive concern for their conservation. management and additional pressures placed by new residents seeking to use The Chilterns is fortunate in that so many adjacent countryside for leisure and people and organisations are concerned recreation. These places create what is about the environmental quality of the being called green infrastructure and Chilterns. The Chiltern Society alone has need to be identified in advance and over 6,500 members and the Wildlife appropriate management and investment Trusts, National Trust and RSPB amongst put in place. The countryside close to home is often the most important, which means creating green spaces within the development zones as well as adjacent to them. It is essential there is no reliance on sensitive sites, for example along the scarp ridge, to provide green space in lieu of sites closer to new development.

L9 Manage landscapes sustainably to provide multiple benefits, which could include landscape character, biodiversity, opportunities for recreation and access, production of commodities, storage of carbon and water.

Hughenden Valley

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In a small country it is essential that land climate changes – for example it is provides as many benefits as possible. In suggested that walnut might fare better the Chilterns this means ensuring that in as a timber tree than beech. In general addition to any productive capacity land natural regeneration is to be encouraged may have it is part of a high quality as these systems cope best with climate landscape, supports biodiversity, locks up change. carbon, helps ensure clean supplies of water as well as providing places for To halt the damaging effects of climate leisure and recreation. This may seem change it essential that long term very demanding but much of the measures are put in place. For example, Chilterns is capable of providing such by ensuring that carbon dioxide is fixed in multiple benefits. This has long been the soils by maintaining or even enhancing case but as demands on a limited area of organic matter content. Other measures land continue to grow such multiple may include the use of trees to provide benefits (ecosystem services) need to be shade to reduce the need for air generated and may be a requirement in conditioning of buildings. return for public funding. The potential landscape impact of L10 Promote management of the landscape biofuels such as willow coppice of to enable it to adapt to climate change elephant grass must be given full and help mitigate the causes. consideration. Guidance has already been published, for example, on the growing The landscape of the Chilterns is of Miscanthus. changing constantly and one of the factors causing that change is the L11 The design and management of changing climate. For example, the chalk transport infrastructure and services streams low flows were, until recently, should conserve and enhance the due to prolonged periods of winter natural beauty of the Chilterns and drought. The relative strength of climate reduce their harmful impacts including change as a driver of change is likely to greenhouse gases. increase and be persistent over a long time. It is unlikely there will be rapid Transport infrastructure has a major changes in the landscape and some impact on the landscape of the Chilterns. changes barely discernible. Over 300 roads cross the AONB boundary and four railways including the west However more extreme weather events coast mainline. Many of the roads are will become more commonplace ancient in origin and are part of the requiring short term changes in environmental and cultural heritage. management of the landscape, for Many roadsides are rich in wildlife and example by coping with frequent heavy sunken lanes and milestones add to the down pours and minimising run off. landscape. In recent years the design and Longer term changes may affect the management of roads and other transport ability of beech to survive on many sites infrastructure has been unsympathetic to where it is now found. Foresters will the environment which has changed the need to consider how to manage woods landscape. Inevitably the use of this to both adapt to changes, for example by infrastructure is a major source of making stands of trees less prone to wind greenhouse gas emissions and speeding throw, or to plan for a change of species traffic in villages and in open countryside to those more tolerant of predicted adds to the negative impacts.

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Actions

1. Undertake a comprehensive, integrated, 11. Develop a better understanding of the Chilterns-wide landscape assessment and likely impacts of climate change on the publication of associated management landscape and support mitigating and guidance. adaptive action.

2. Work with adjacent urban local authorities 12. Campaign actively to prevent to undertake more detailed landscape fragmentation of the countryside (e.g. by sensitivity studies of the urban hinterland division into small plots) where this results to identify measures to conserve and in unacceptable impacts on the landscape enhance the special qualities of the and other forms of natural beauty. landscape. 13. Promote targeting and uptake of 3. Promote and support green infrastructure environmental stewardship schemes planning for new areas of development and generally and actively lobby for provision to better link existing settlements with of options most appropriate to the AONB. surrounding countryside. 14. Support management of trees, woodlands, 4. Undertake a regular survey to identify chalk grassland, commons, hedges, chalk trends in land use change and their causes. streams and other characteristic landscape features. 5. Undertake a five yearly survey of public perception and views on changes in the 15. Publish guidance and provide training for landscape. designers and managers of highways to enable them to conserve the landscape and 6. Publish good practice guidance for land remove unnecessary roadside clutter. managers, and target new owners of land and those involved in equestrianism and 16. Develop working arrangements with the other non traditional uses of land. North Wessex Downs AONB local authorities and Environment Agency and others to 7. Assess planning applications and conserve and enhance the River Thames development proposals for their impact on and its landscape corridor. the landscape. 17. Encourage the implementation of high 8. Promote the Chilterns Building Design quality landscape design and management Guide and other relevant guidance to which respects and enhances the ensure all new development respects and landscape, particularly in and around enhances the landscape. settlements of all sizes.

9. Support provision of training in the skills 18. Implement the recommendations of the needed by land managers to conserve and Chilterns Historic Landscape enhance the landscape. Characterisation.

10. Support initiatives which help local people and visitors understand and enjoy the landscape.

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