3 MENDIP IN CONTEXT MENDIP IN CONTEXT 3.0 MENDIP IN CONTEXT 3.1 Geology 3.1.1 On both geological and topographic maps the BATH Mendips stand out as a distinctive feature within the region. The hills formed originally as a mountain range when the mainly Devonian and Carboniferous bedrocks were pushed up at the end of the Carboniferous period. Erosion over the subsequent millennia planed off of the top parts of folded hard rocks to leave the instantly recognisable repeating pattern of concentric outcrops. These sit as RADSTOCK a chain stretching from Weston-super-Mare on the edge of the Bristol Channel to Frome in the eastern portion of the district. FROME WELLS SHEPTON GLASTONBURY MALLET STREET G204 - Context Map-Geology | | 17 MENDIP IN CONTEXT 3.1.2 On the geological survey the Carboniferous areas of its northern and southern slopes. The M5 Limestones of the Mendips stand out as blue flattened motorway has to skirt through gaps in the end of rings surrounding the earlier Devonian sandstones the hills but even this is forced to climb and contour (appearing as the reddy brown series of rock through a clearly more dramatic piece of topography; between). Generally the older rock formations are this arguably identifies the route more than any other contained within the middle of the rings of younger section from Birmingham to Exeter. To the east of the strata; exposing the geological history of the hills in a district this containment or separation of the deep pattern akin to tree rings. There are occasional local south-west is further extended by the elevated plateaus outcrops of older rock amongst younger formations of Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs. and intrusions of volcanic material which confuse this pattern adding to the local interesting variations in 3.1.5 The Mendip geology and topographic ridge extends both geology and resultant landscape and ecology. to the west well beyond the MDC administrative boundary. The Mendip Hills AONB designation 3.1.3 The harder rocks of the Mendips remain as a ridge protects the western end of the Hills within the MDC standing higher than much of the surrounding region. area and beyond into the districts of Sedgemoor, The highest point of the hills (and the MDC area) BANES and North Somerset. To the east the lower being Beacon Batch on Blackdown at 325 m above portion of the hills extend outside of the designation, sea level (1068 feet AOD). To the north the landscape close to Frome and are wholly contained within the drops down into the lower rolling hills that surround MDC area. Bristol and Bath generally these sit below 150 - 160 m AOD. To the north of Bath the Cotswolds rise back 3.1.6 The geology and topography have clearly dictated the up to around 200 m AOD (with the higher areas much pattern of settlement and infrastructure in the region. further north around Gloucester and Cheltenham). With the Bristol Channel and docks located as they To the east and south of the district the landform rises are and major routes of canals, railways and the with the more gentle chalk downlands of Cranborne later M4 motorway, the more strategic development Chase and Salisbury Plain. Two nearby landmark is located on the east west axis orientated towards hills of Cley Hill and Westbury White Horse stand at London well to the north of the district. The outcrop of 245 and 230 m AOD respectively. coalfields and minor iron workings on the north side of the Mendips contributed further to the urbanisation 3.1.4 This dominant topographic feature effectively contains on that side of the ridge but are not reflected on the the more urbanised districts of Bristol, Bath and North southern edge. The hills were crossed by several East Somerset and North Somerset. The Mendip railways but with fewer major destinations to the Hills act as a distant back drop to views from many south these were amongst the many lines cut in the points to the north. Travelling out from the two cities post war rationalisation of the network. the Mendips have to be crossed with steeper ascents and descents on all the main routes to the southwest. 3.1.7 In this way the hills not only provide a distinct As a distinctly higher and more sparsely populated boundary between areas, but have directly influenced landscape the Mendip plateau clearly separates the the split between more urbanised patterns on | | 18 MENDIP IN CONTEXT Proportion of AONB within each local authority area boundary. The area of low lying landscape within the Mendip Hills Living Landscapes; combined these the MDC area represents approximately 1/8th of the have created a focus for enhancing habitats across Mendip District Council - 87.67 km² (44%) levels and moors landscape area. some 42,000 ha of these areas spanning the district Sedgemoor District Council - 34.03 km² (17%) boundaries (Mendip Living Landscape Area 30,000 3.1.9 The Mendip escarpment forms a backdrop in BANES Council - 36.95 km² (19%) ha: Avalon Marshes area within the Levels and Moors many views from the south; with landmarks such 12,500 ha [source: Somerset Wildlife Trust). North Somerset Council - 39.35 km² (20%) as Glastonbury Tor, the Penn Hill mast and Wells = Total 198 sq km Cathedral visible from points many miles to the 3.1.11 At a more general level in the emerging discussion south and west (on a clear day the west face of the on climate change and resilience, catchment Cathedral can be spotted in the view from Ham Hill management and ‘Green Infrastructure’(see section on the Blackdowns some 25 miles to the south west). 9) considerations of the environment at a ‘landscape level’ i.e. extensive areas are seen as relevant. In 3.1.10 Reference to the collection of National Character this respect the position of the Mendips as a natural Assessment Areas [3.1] illustrate how the Mendip boundary between areas is noted. But also more District sits within a wider pattern of broad landscape subtly, the whole of the MDC area forms the upper character zones. These NCA areas are a based on a part of several different catchment zones including the broader scale assessment than the district assessment section of the moors that drain west into the levels. set out within this study. As illustrated the areas cross county and district administrative boundaries reflecting a wider context of how many landscapes knit together. These also reflect a current trend in policy and management practice to look at areas at a wider ‘Landscape’ scale. Relevant examples of such project areas are represented in Somerset with the county wildlife trust Living Landscapes initiatives. the north that contrast with the more open rural These relate to the Somerset Levels and Moors and landscapes to the south. The often quiet more remote landscape provided by the hills contrast strongly with Area of the Somerset levels and moors identified as some the landscapes and townscapes to the north; but this 65,797 ha (65 sq km) [National Character Area Profile 142 NE] area can also be seen as a gateway to the more rural landscapes of the deeper southwest. The Somerset Levels and Moors National Character Area (NCA) is a flat landscape extending across parts of the 3.1.8 This contrast and drama is perhaps further reinforced north and centre of the historical county of Somerset, with the character of the Somerset levels and moors reaching from Clevedon near Bristol in the north to that extend out from the southern edge of the Glastonbury in the east and Ilchester and Langport in the Mendips. The MDC area includes an extensive area south. The Somerset Levels and Moors NCA is dissected of the low lying moors but it is important to note the by the Mendip Hills NCA and the Mid Somerset Hills NCA, vast area of the levels continue beyond the district notably the limestone ridge of the Polden Hills | | 19 MENDIP IN CONTEXT As a result considerations of landscape change in the 3.1.15 The junction of the three authority areas of MDC, includes Radstock and Midsomer Norton of which district within this context may well have implications SDC and Wiltshire County is another area where parts of the built up area immediately adjoin the for areas well beyond the MCD area. the wider context of neighbouring landscapes is district boundary. In response to the pressure for noted. This is with the added complication of the development areas around the Bristol and Bath are 3.1.12 At the finer grain of this and other district studies adjoining LC assessments for Wiltshire pre-dating the designated as Green Belt. This designation is not the NCA areas are broken down into smaller local authority becoming a Unitary Authority (assessments related to the character or quality of the landscape but landscape character areas. At this scale district undertaken by the former West Wilts DC and Salisbury is intended to restrict urban sprawl. This designation boundaries can create some irregularities and DC). These areas also overlap with the Cranborne extends across the MDC boundary to include a artificial subdivision of local LCA’s. It is also evident Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB. This AONB small extent of the north eastern portion of the that in places historic administrative boundaries extends a short distance across the county boundary district but is clearly related to a much wider policy may well have evolved along the junction of varying into MDC area. Reference to the geology and objective.