EAST WIGHT LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT MAY 2015 2 East Wight Landscape Character Asssessment John Brownscombe Final version April 2015 Rural, Environmental and Landscape Consultancy CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Summary of significance......................................................................... 17 Chapter 3: Physical Influences ................................................................................. 20 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................ 20 Watercourses................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 4: Ecological Character (Biodiversity) ......................................................... 31 Farmland ......................................................................................................................... 31 Downland ......................................................................................................................... 32 Estuaries and wetlands .................................................................................................... 33 Woodland ........................................................................................................................ 35 Maritime cliffs ................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 5: Human Influences ................................................................................... 45 Chapter 6: Perceptions ............................................................................................. 55 Chapter 7: The Landscape Character of the East Wight .......................................... 59 Landscape Character Type: Arable Farmland .................................................................. 63 Character Area AF1: Park and Hill Arable ..................................................................................... 69 Character Area AF2: Nunwell and Hardingshute Arable ............................................................... 73 Character Area AF3: Princelett, Ninham and Landguard Arable .................................................. 77 Character Area AF4: Lessland, Bathingbourne and Moor Arable ................................................. 81 Character Area AF5: Scotland and Bridgecourt Arable ................................................................. 85 Character Area AF6: Leechmore and Holden Arable .................................................................... 89 Character Area AF7: Arreton, Perreton and Pagham Arable ........................................................ 93 Landscape Character Type: Chalk Downs ....................................................................... 97 Character Area CCH1: Bembridge and Culver Central Downs ................................................... 103 Character Area CCH2: Brading and Ashey Central Downs ........................................................ 107 Character Area CCH3: Arreton and Mersley Central Downs ...................................................... 111 Character Area SCH1: St Catherine's and Head Southern Downs ............................................. 115 3 East Wight Landscape Character Asssessment John Brownscombe Final version April 2015 Rural, Environmental and Landscape Consultancy Character Area SCH2: Week and Stenbury Southern Downs .................................................... 121 Landscape Character Type: Changed Countryside ........................................................ 131 Character Area CC1: Amenity ..................................................................................................... 135 Character Area CC2: Business .................................................................................................... 139 Character Area CC3: Equestrian ................................................................................................. 143 Character Area CC5: Leisure ...................................................................................................... 151 Character Area CC6: Solar Farms ............................................................................................... 155 Character Area CC7: Tourism ..................................................................................................... 159 Landscape Character Type: Coastal Designed Landscapes .......................................... 163 Character Area CD1: Esplanades and Parades .......................................................................... 167 Character Area CD2: Marine Villas .............................................................................................. 171 Character Area CD3: Public Park ............................................................................................... 175 Character Area CD4: Redeveloped Sites .................................................................................... 179 Landscape Character Type: Coastal Farmland .............................................................. 183 Character Area CF1: Yaverland Coastal Farmland ..................................................................... 187 Landscape Character Type: East Wight Woodland ........................................................ 191 Character Area EWW2: Northern Woodland ............................................................................... 199 Character Area EWW3: Southern Woodland .............................................................................. 203 Landscape Character Type: Harbours and Creeks ........................................................ 207 Character Area HC1: King's Quay ............................................................................................... 211 Character Area HC2: Wootton Creek .......................................................................................... 215 Character Area HC3: Bembridge Harbour ................................................................................... 219 Landscape Character Type: Pasture Land ..................................................................... 223 Character Area PL1: Bembridge Pasture Land ........................................................................... 227 Character Area PL2: North East Pasture Land ........................................................................... 231 Character Area PL3: Northern Clay Pasture Land ...................................................................... 235 Character Area PL4: East Yar Pasture Land ............................................................................... 241 Character Area PL5: Southern Downland Edge Pasture Land ................................................... 247 Landscape Character Type: Sandstone Hills ................................................................. 253 4 East Wight Landscape Character Asssessment John Brownscombe Final version April 2015 Rural, Environmental and Landscape Consultancy Character Area SH1: Knighton Sandstone Hills .......................................................................... 257 Character Area SH2: Bleak Down Sandstone Hills ..................................................................... 261 Landscape Character Type: The Undercliff .................................................................... 265 Character Area U1: Blackgang, Knowles and St Catherine's Undercliff ..................................... 271 Character Area U2: Puckaster and Binnel Undercliff .................................................................. 277 Character Area U3: St Lawrence and Steephill Undercliff ........................................................... 281 Character Area U4: Bonchurch, Landslip and Luccombe Undercliff ........................................... 285 Landscape Character Type: Valley Floor ....................................................................... 289 Character Area VF2: Lower Eastern Yar Valley Floor ................................................................. 299 Character Area VF3: Scotchell's Brook Valley Floor ................................................................... 303 Character Area VF4: Wroxall Stream Valley Floor ...................................................................... 307 Character Area VF5: Middle Eastern Yar and Tributaries Valley Floor ....................................... 311 Character Area VF6: Upper Eastern Yar Valley Floor ................................................................. 315 Character Area VF7: Monktonmead Brook Valley Floor ............................................................. 319 Character Area VF8: Springvale Valley Floor .............................................................................. 323 Settlement and Urban Areas .......................................................................................... 327 5 East Wight Landscape Character Asssessment John Brownscombe Final version April 2015 Rural, Environmental and Landscape Consultancy Figures Figure 1 Down to the Coast - East Wight Landscape Partnership Area Figure 2 Civil Parishes Figure 3 Island Plan Policy Boundaries Figure 4 National Character Areas Figure 5 AONB and Heritage Coast Figure 6 National Landscape Typology Figure 7 Isle of Wight AONB Landscape Character Assessment (1994) Figure 8 Solid Geology Figure