tratford-on-Avon District lies in Midland the more wooded north -west give way to the open areas regions. The terms Arden and Feldon were current by places unique. The boundaries identify areas in which England in the county of Warwickshire. It is of grazing and larger scale fields of the Avon and Stour medieval times, Arden derived from the British ardu there is a degree of similarity in terms of landscape and a rural district corresponding to the southern valleys with their closely built villages. From there, meaning ‘high, steep’, Feldon from the Old English feld settlement pattern. The summary therefore describes both third of historic Warwic kshire and encompasse s south, the ground rolls gently to the steep scarp slope of meaning ‘open land’. Further, early settlements and similarities as well as differences that make each area S agricultural activity tended to centre on river valleys, identifiable. Examples of some of the shared features the towns of Stratfo rd-upon-Avon, Henle y-in-Arden , Edgehill and the downland of the Cotswold fringe with Alcester, Shipston -on-Stour and Southam. The its medium scale fields of arable and pasture, dotted principally the Avon, Arrow, Alne and Stour. It is also are illustrated on the companion sheet Character & Character Map general character of Stratford-on-Avon Dist rict is with compact stone villages. These differences form the notable that while the District is an administrative entity Design in Stratford-upon-Avon District . More detailed one of rolling lowl and countryside, much of it arabl e basis for identifying distinct regions within the District. with ‘artificial’ boundaries, many of those boundaries descriptions and views of particular settlements are set A COUNT RYSIDE farmland. That chara cter is all the more ob vious whe n The features taken into account include the underlying correspond to ‘natural’ boundaries such as river basin out in Conservation Area documents and Village Design compared with such ar eas as the flat fenland of th e geology, the shape of the land or topography, the variety divides. The District lies almost entirely within the Statements. DESIGN SUMMA RY east Midlands, the mountains of the Peak District or and number of trees and other plants, the shape and size drainage basin of the River Avon, the northern and The charac ter map and descriptions have been dr awn of Stratford-on- Avon District the estuaries of Ess ex. A closer look reve als, however , of fields and the way they are managed, the pattern of southern boundaries of the District falling approximately up on the ba sis of the Warwicksh ire Landsc apes Guideli nes . that the character of Stratford-on-Avon District is fa r roads and settlements and the building materials out of on the divides with the greater basins of the Rivers Trent The areas cor res pond in broad outline to the thos e from uniform. The geo logical features and climate of which the towns and villages are made. and Thames. identified in the Guidelin es and the Character Map of the area and the impa ct of several thousand years of There are five main character areas within Stratford- Each of the character areas is further divided into England produced by the Countrysi de Commission an d Birmingham plateau fringe A Avon ridgelands M people living and working on the land have create d on-Avon District as shown in the map below: the Arden, sub-areas to account for more local differences. The English Natu re. Diffe rences are due to the intended use of • Gently rolling land form, the upper end of the River Bly the basin, draining north • Ste eper side of the Avon basin incl uding the ridg e a landscape of subtle but real variation. Tra vellin g the Avon and Stour Valleys, the Cotswold Fringe, the areas and sub-areas are intended to provide a general this document as design guidance focusing on sett lemen t to the Trent with no clearly defined valley; div iding the Rivers Avon and Alne with a large from north to south, for example, the diff erences ar e Feldon and the Ironstone Uplands. The Feldon and record of the character of the district as a whole but is location, structu re and predominant building material s. sca le ro lling land for m; clear. The hamlets, winding lanes and small fields of Arden correspond in large part to historically recognized not intended to account fully for the details that make • Belts of mature trees associated with estates; many ancient woodlands, small in size and often with irregular outlines; areas with a well defined pattern of small • A large scale often poorly defined field pattern; fields and paddocks; thick roadside hedgerows, often with bracken; some large orchards on hilltops and south facing A slop es; pr omin ent hi lltop woodla nds; stee p Upper Avon N Mudstone vale E • A network of minor lanes with scattered hamlets and ribbon development; wooded scarps and associated semi-improved • Flatter side of the upper reach of the Avon basi n; • Small flat valley with occasional small rounded hills, draining to the Avon at right grassland; • Main building materials are timber frame and brick; narrow riv er corridors defined by flat flood plain s angles to the line of the valley; a further area forms the foot of the River Itchen; with steep ly sloping, often wooded blu ffs to th e • Va ried se ttlement pa tte rn of s mall com pact • A medium to large scale geometric field pattern; small areas of permanent pasture ARDEN villages, mostly on hilltops and ridges, and loose north west si de extending to br oad flat grave l often with well preserved ridge and furrow; wide roadside verges typically bounded clusters of roadside dwellings; terraces on the south ea st side; by a thick hedge and ditch; numerous hedgerow elm stumps; Ancient Arden B • Gr azi ng meadows often wi th meander s, isla nds, • Varied undulating land form with occasional steep scarp slopes, principally • Ma in bu ilding mate ria ls are Blue Li as Li mes tone and br ick; st eep ban ks a nd m uch marg inal ve get ati on; • Scattered farmsteads and dwellings and the village of Long Itchington; draining to the River Alne without a clearly defined basin; fr ing ing alders and scrub; winding hedg erows • Main building materials are Blue Lias Limestone and brick; • Hedgerow and roadside oaks; an ancient irregular pattern of small to medium sized B and di tch es al ong the bo undary of the floo dpl ain ; fields; field ponds associated with permanent pasture; a large sc ale geome tric field pattern on the te rra ces with well woo ded st rea mlines and some • A ne twork of winding lanes and trackways often confined by tall hedgebanks; sm all arable plots gr owi ng a wide vari ety of Lias uplands ve get able crop s; F many scattered hamlets and farmsteads, mostly on slope sides with larger villages • A varied rolling land form often associated with steep wooded scarp slopes, mostly or towns on hilltops or valley bottoms; • Small compact villages generally on or next draining to the Rivers Dene and Itchen without clearly defined basins; • Main building materials are timber frame and brick with some Arden Sandstone to to a river; scattered greenhouses and other horticultural buildings; • Many hedgerows and roadside trees; well defined geometric pattern of small to and Blue Lias Limestone; medium sized fields; disused quarries with semi-natural grassland and scrub • Main building materials are timber frame, Blue FELDON Lias Limestone and brick; • Compact villages sited on hill and ridgetops, hill sides and along narrow valley Alne and Arrow valley floors C bottoms; • Middle reaches of the Alne and Arrow rivers in fairly distinct basins, the edges • Main building materials are White Lias Limestone (now known as Langport defined by narrow floodplains extending to large scale rolling land form; C Member Limestone), Blue Lias Limestone and brick; • Winding hedgerows along the edge of the floodplain; grazing meadows, often with patches of wet grassland; a semi-regular pattern of medium to large sized fields; E mature hedgerow and roadside oaks; B Clay vale G C • Broad flat valley with oc casional sm all rounded hills, the valley running at righ t • A varied settlement pattern of small villages and scattered farmsteads, generally angles to the lines of the Rivers Stou r, Dene and Itchen; lying near a river or stream; • A medium to large scale geometric field pattern; small areas of permanent pasture • Main building materials are timber frame, brick and Blue Lias Limestone; often with well preserved ridge and furrow; wide roadside verges typically bounded by a thick hedge and ditch; numerous hedgerow elm stumps; H • Relatively few, straight roads with few, small compact villages sited by streams Arrow ridgeway slope D F along with scattered farmsteads and dwellings; • Higher side of the River Arrow basin, including dividing ridge and ridgeway; large scale rolling land form with occasional steep scarp slopes; • Main building materials are Blue Lias Limestone, ‘Hornton Stone’ (Marlstone M Rock Bed) and brick; • Large woodlands, often associated with rising ground; mature hedgerow and roadside oaks; a semi-regular pattern of medium to large sized fields; • Very few small villages and scattered farmsteads; Main building materials are D G timber frame, Blue Lias Limestone and brick; N IRON STONE UPLAN DS H • Large scale rolling upland with occasional prominent ironstone hills, includes the divide between the Rivers Leam and Cherwell; it is the western edge of the Northamptonshire Uplands yet at the same time a continuation of the Avon and Arrow terraces