Executive Summary llarge urban areas development of the surrounding landscape. lscattered un-developed rural settlements Type Two - Vale Meadowlands “The landscape is a key element of individual and perched on the edge of the floodplain social well-being and that its protection, larable fields and river meadows A flat, low lying riparian landscape characterised by management and planning entail rights and a pattern of small and medium sized alluvial responsibilities for everyone" (European Landscape lthe broad expanse of the River Trent meadows, grazing animals and remnant wetland Convention, 2000) lextensive gravel pits vegetation. The areas tend to be narrow and flanking the meandering river. Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) provides a la skyline dominated by the cooling towers of basis for assessing the particular features and power stations Type Three - Industrial/Restored Vale elements within landscapes which makes one landscape type and area different from another. With a rich and diverse heritage: A diverse range of highly modified landscapes This LCA considers the characteristics of Trent lone of the most extensive network of crop marks created by mineral extraction and power Vale, one of the most dynamic and complex in the region production. environments within in East Midlands. The LCA considers the human and natural la pattern of Roman settlements Type Four - Vale Farmlands activities that have worked together to lcivil war sites produce a landscape that provides a A flat low-lying agricultural landscape characterised fascinating insight into the lan association with the Pilgrim Fathers by a traditional pattern of hedged fields and development of the region. lpairings of villages on either side of the river nucleated village settlements. Trent once connected by a string of ferries The Trent Vale Landscape is one of This LCA provides an assessment of these landscape the most dynamic and complex la range of priority habitats and a network of types, people's perceptions and the potential for the environments within the East SSSI's and SINC's future of Trent Vale. The conclusion is that Trent Vale Midlands, where both human and lcountryside and villages which retain the is a distinctive landscape, rich in natural, built and natural activities have traditional and rural character that has been lost cultural heritage and has a great potential, but it is interacted not just to create in so much of the region an area where the local people feel a disconnection successions of landscapes, but from their landscape and where the true identity of to change the actual form of Its It is all of these factors that combine to make up the Trent Vale faces the risk of being lost. the land. Its landscape and "feel or character" of the Trent Vale landscape and features provide a landscape highlights the essence of Trent Vale and what makes The production of this Landscape Character fascinating story of it an area of distinctive historical, natural and Assessment has funded through a Project Planning development, which is and features industrial character. Grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Trent often now overlooked. The Vale Landscape Partnership. Trent Vale is formed from Research has shown that in a national context Trent provide a the broad valley of the Vale is often described as a single character type, The Trent Vale Landscape Partnership (TVLP) is a River Trent, starting from however this is misleading and it is clear that Trent group of public and voluntary sector organisations fascinating a point close by Newark Vale offers four distinct character types: whose aim is to develop a long-term strategy for the where the floodplain first development of Trent Vale. The Partnership includes broadens, continuing up story of Type One - Vale Market Towns Nottinghamshire County Council, Lincolnshire to the wide shallow County Council, West Lindsey District Council, floodplain beyond development Historic market towns which have been focal points Newark & Sherwood District Council, Bassetlaw Gainsborough. for the vale for centuries and continue to expand as District Council, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, residential and service centres. They are largely Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, The Trent Vale offers a mix of urban areas whose presence has significantly altered Environment Agency, British Waterways, English landscapes: the river corridor locally and influenced the Heritage and the OnTrent Initiative. 1. Introduction This study is designed to form the foundation of the development strategy for the Trent Vale Landscape “Landscape means an area, as Partnership and it is anticipated that it will be perceived by people, whose character is referred to by all those who are responsible for, or Trent Vale interested in, the development of Trent Vale. This the result of the action and interaction document was produced by the members of the Trent offers a of natural and/or human factors. The Vale Management Group, with input and direction landscape from various individuals and organisations that live landscape is a key element of and operate within the area, as such it is hoped that rich in individual and social well-being and it provides and accessible and accurate history representation of the Trent Vale landscape that its protection, management and character. planning entail rights and Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) provides a responsibilities for everyone” basis for assessing the particular features and elements within landscapes which makes one landscape type and area different from another. (European Landscape Convention, Within this document TVLP consider various factors lTopography - influenced by the underlying 2000) to help us explore the development and impact of geology, climate and soil type, and in Trent Vale Trent Vale, including: by human activity e.g. managing the river by deepening and building flood banks to contain the course of the river and the practice of warping (process of deliberately flooding land in order to deposit layers of 'warp'). lLand cover - types of agriculture, woodland, waterways, wetlands and urban cover "The Trent Vale is an lLand use - settlements (farms, villages and example of a distinctive towns), industry, transportation routes and landscape whose character leisure has been, and continues to lAttitudes and perceptions - people's feelings and be, shaped by both opinions on the natural and built features of the landscape in which they live and work natural and human factors” It is all of these factors that combine to make up the "feel or character" of the Trent Vale landscape. In undertaking this piece of work TVLP aims to highlight Ruth Needham, the essence of Trent Vale and what makes it and area of distinctive historical, natural and industrial OnTrent Initiative character. Project Manager 2. Methodology 3. Defining the Trent Vale Landscape Area Desk based study was conducted utilising available datasets to map different elements of, and The Trent Vale Area influences on, the landscape. In addition, all current and recent landscape studies, assessments A vale is defined as a wide river valley and can often and guidance for the region were reviewed. be used to describe a valley with a particularly wide Following an interrogation and understanding of flood plain or flat valley bottom. The "Trent Vale" this desk-based research, field study and covers an area of the Trent Valley from Newark to consultation was carried out to augment and test just north of Gainsborough. This is an area where the the data. valley broadens and the slopes rising from its edge decrease in height and steepness to become almost A key aspect of this LCA is an assessment of the indiscernible from the adjacent lowland areas, at views and attitudes of the people who live the northern most point of Trent Vale the valley and work within the landscape and various opens into a broad plain which stretches northwards methods were utilised to ensure that this to the Humber estuary. input was obtained and appropriately influenced the LCA and the classification The Trent Vale Landscape Partnership area (see and description of character types and Appendix 1) was developed using various relief areas. mapping techniques and through consultations which established views on the characteristics of Trent Vale. The boundary was based on a 20m contour line; this provides an area which contains the current and ancient settlements which follow the course of the river, together with the areas that would have constituted the old floodplain of the river. This area also contains the key features which The people associate with the Trent Vale region. The total area is 296 sqkm. A Landscape Defined by Human Influence landscape The area includes two major historic settlements, Newark to the South and Gainsborough to the North, Trent Vale is an area which has had significant impact is a key with a number of other settlements ranging from from a combination of agriculture, mineral small hamlets to larger commuter villages. The extraction, industrial growth and decline, power element of population within the area is approximately 68,000 production and flood management. Within the (see Appendix 2 Population Density by Parish). Countryside Agency's "Character Area 48 - Trent and individual Belvoir Vales", Trent Vale is described as: Trent Vale area includes land within the boundaries of: "The open, undeveloped and rural character is and social strongly influenced by power stations, pylons and lNottinghamshire and Lincolnshire County sand and gravel extraction on the Trent floodplain. well-being Councils The pattern of enclosure of the fields, bounded almost invariably with hawthorn hedging, plays an lWest Lindsey, Bassetlaw and Newark and important part in creating the character of the Vale. Sherwood District Councils Arable crops predominate and hedges, which are often gappy, are generally kept tightly or excessively l55 Parish Councils trimmed. There are few hedgerow trees. The Trent passes through attractive stretches of lAppendix 4 - A permanent pasture and flood meadow but, in its 4.