Contextual map of LCT 6 - View map full screen

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Component Landscape Character Areas

• LCA 6A: Wessex Downs Chalk Escarpment Footslopes
• LCA 6B: Chiltern Chalk Escarpment Footslopes

LCA 6A Open fields with occasional woodlands

LCA 6B Undulating fields with low hedgerows

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Assessment of landscape sensitivity to renewable energy development

Landscape sensitivity assessment

Landform and scale (including sense of openness/ enclosure)

• A large-scale rolling shelf of land that falls from the foot of the scarp to the south and the east, and towards the lower-lying vale landscapes to the north and to the river valleys landscapes to the west and south. Small watercourses flow from chalk springs, creating a rolling topography.
• Heights range from around 160 metres AOD where it meets the scarp, to approximately 90 metres AOD where it meets the vale.
• Field boundaries are generally absent or defined by gappy hedgerows, creating an open character. Vegetation is concentrated along watercourses, and in small estates and parklands, (such as Arnhill Park, Ardington House and Shirburn Castle) providing some enclosure. LCA 6B has small linear belts, clumps and blocks of deciduous woodland, including some ancient woodland at Britwell Salome, Oakley Court and Woodhouse Farm.
• Human scale features include minor valley features, chalk spring-fed watercourses edged by riparian woodland and vegetation, tree planting associated with parklands, rural settlements, and farm buildings.

Landcover (including field and settlement patterns)

• Fields are often open, as a result of the amalgamation of older enclosures. Hedgerows are limited; with some reinforcement with post and wire. Where hedgerows survive they provide some enclosure. The landscape is generally used for intensive arable farming, with several areas of pig farming. Smaller parcels of land are found on the edge of settlements and include orchards and paddocks.
• Small woodland blocks and linear belts are scattered across the landscape, and provide some localised enclosure. Woodland blocks are also found in the areas of parkland.
• Semi-natural land cover is limited to small woodland blocks, substantial tree belts and chalk spring-fed watercourses, which are edged by riparian woodland and vegetation. Lowland calcareous grassland is found on the edge of Watlington Hill.
• Historic settlements lie on the ‘spring-line’ where chalk springs flow towards the vale. Farmsteads are found across the area, and often contain listed buildings.
• Urban influences on the edge of the LCT include the southern edge of Wantage and Harwell Campus. A former chalk quarry at Chinnor is now being regenerated, with vegetation re-establishing.

Historic landscape character

• The small ‘spring-line’ villages date from the Medieval era with their cores often designated Conservation Areas and containing numerous Listed Buildings.
• Estates and parklands are a key feature of the landscape, with small manor houses and parklands on the edge of most of the small villages. Parkland features including tree roundels and parkland trees are common. The majority of the parklands are not nationally recognised, except for Shirburn Castle Registered Park and Garden (Grade II).
• A restored heritage railway runs east of Chinnor towards Princes Risborough. It follows part of the original route between Princes Risborough to Pyrton outside Watlington.
• Scheduled Monuments, providing time-depth to the landscape, are scattered across the LCT, including a Bronze Age Bowl Barrow at Churn Farm and Grim’s Ditch.
• The historic field pattern has largely been removed by amalgamation of older enclosures. In LCA 6B evidence of strip parishes, long, linear land holdings leading up to the Chiltern Hills follow the line of earlier routeways.

 

Visual character (including skylines)

• The open, undulating topography results in panoramic, long-distance views. Views are available north across the lower-lying vale and south to the scarp which forms a strong backdrop. There are also open views across the footslopes themselves. The footslopes and scarp lie within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (in LCA 6A) and Chilterns National Landscape (in LCA 6B).
• The open slopes provide a setting to towns and villages to the north, and visible from the scarp to the south. Pylon routes in the east of LCA 6A and north of Chinnor in LCA 6B and modern buildings at Harwell Campus reduce the tranquillity and form visual detractors.
• Tree cover and the undulating topography creates some small areas of enclosure.

Perceptual and scenic qualities

• A generally rural and unspoilt landscape, with a settlement relatively well assimilated into the landscape by tree cover. Signs of modern human activity include pylon routes, major roads, including the M40 and modern buildings at Harwell Campus. The modern settlement edges of Chinnor and Wantage are also a detractor.
• Almost the entirety of the LCT is nationally designated – the whole of LCA 6A as part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, and most of LCA 6B as part of the Chilterns National Landscape. Special qualities of the North Wessex Downs represented in this landscape include chalk streams, arable habitats, medieval settlements with historic buildings, country houses and landscape gardens and extensive public rights of way. Special qualities of the Chilterns represented in this landscape include the panoramic views, ancient routeways, historic attractive villages and extensive public rights of way.
• The LCT features an extensive network of PRoW, including the Vale Way, Ridgeway, Oxfordshire Way and Chiltern Way and National Cycling Route 544.
• The north-south axis of roads connecting the scarp in the south to the vale in the north results in a distinctive grain to the landscape, with field boundaries and other features arranged parallel or perpendicular to this.

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Overall assessment of landscape sensitivity to solar PV developments

Summary of overall landscape sensitivity of Chalk Escarpment Footslopes LCT 6

The landform shelf with distinctive rolling topography caused by small valleys has a largely open character as field boundaries are often absent, increasing sensitivity to solar PV development. Riparian vegetation and woodlands in small estates and parklands provide some areas of enclosure and reduce sensitivity as they would provide screening. A largely rural landscape with a mixture of large-scale arable fields, and some smaller orchards and paddocks on the edges of settlements. Limited semi-natural habitats and urban influences from adjacent settlements reduce sensitivity. Although the historic field pattern has largely been removed by modern amalgamation, the Medieval pattern of ‘spring-line’ villages, prehistoric Scheduled Monuments and small estates and parklands remain part of the character of the landscape. These provide a variety of time-depths, and increase sensitivity to solar PV development. The open and elevated character of the landscape provides prominent skylines and forms a strong backdrop to the surrounding vale landscapes and a distinctive setting to settlements, increasing sensitivity. Electricity pylon routes and major roads locally decrease tranquillity, which slightly reduces sensitivity. However, this is a rural and unspoilt landscape, with network of public rights of way including promoted routes the Vale Way, Ridgeway, Oxfordshire Way and Chiltern Way, which are all sensitive receptors.

The location of the LCT within the nationally designated landscapes of North Wessex Downs National Landscape and Chilterns National Landscape increases landscape sensitivity to all scales of solar PV development. Representative features of the North Wessex Downs including chalk streams, arable habitats, medieval settlements with historic buildings, country houses and landscape gardens may be adversely impacted by the installation of solar PV development. Representative features of the Chilterns including rare chalk grassland, panoramic views, ancient routeways, and historic attractive villages may be adversely impacted by the installation of solar PV development.

This LCT has ‘high’ landscape sensitivity to solar energy development greater than the ‘small-scale’ development scenario. There may be some opportunities to accommodate carefully sited ‘very small’ to ‘small’ scale solar PV development in areas close to existing larger urban development, and where enclosure can be provided by hedgerows. Any solar PV development should be avoided on the steep slopes which are often highly visible from the surrounding landscape.

Sensitivity of Landscape Character Areas

LCA 6A: Features which increase sensitivity are the limited field boundary vegetation and very open character, resulting in limited opportunities to screen development with existing features. The landscape provides an important setting to historic villages and parklands such as East Hendred. Although vegetation along the small watercourses creates areas of enclosure, these are located on relatively steep topography. The location of the whole LCA within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape also increases sensitivity to all scales of solar PV development. Proximity to the urban edges of Wantage and Harwell Campus slightly reduces sensitivity.

LCA 6B: Features which increase sensitivity include semi-natural habitats, including ancient woodland and a SSSI at Knightsbridge Lane, which create variety in the landscape. Shirburn Castle is the only nationally designated Registered Park and Garden in the LCT. Combined with evidence of ancient strip parish field patterns, this increases the sense of time-depth and therefore sensitivity. The majority of this LCA lies within the Chilterns National Landscape, which increases sensitivity to all scales of solar PV development. Although the north-west of the LCA is not nationally designated, it has strong intervisibility with the National Landscape and provides a setting to it. Major roads including the M40 are local detractors from tranquillity, which slightly decreases sensitivity. The woodlands and robust hedgerow network, could allow for screening of ‘very small’ solar PV development.

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Overall assessment of landscape sensitivity to wind energy developments

Summary of overall landscape sensitivity of Chalk Escarpment Footslopes LCT 6

A shelving landform, incised by small watercourses creating a rolling landscape, which increases sensitivity to wind energy development. The many human-scale features within the landscape including watercourses with riparian vegetation, parklands and rural settlements also increase sensitivity. The landscape has a mix of modern and historic enclosure patterns, and variety in landcover is provided by small woodland blocks in parklands and chalk spring-fed watercourses. The limited areas of semi-natural habitat and recent introduction of large-scale pig farming slightly decrease sensitivity. The landscape has a strong Medieval settlement pattern of ‘spring-line’ villages, and many small estates and parklands which are visible historic features of importance to the character, and create a variety of time-depths, increasing sensitivity. The open, undulating topography results in panoramic, long-distance views with high levels of intervisibility with surrounding landscapes, increasing sensitivity. Skylines are undeveloped, and provide a setting to towns and villages to the north. The rural landscape with limited modern human influence and an attractive combination of farmland, woodland blocks and parkland also increases sensitivity.

The landscape lies within the nationally designated landscapes of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and Chilterns National Landscape, which increases sensitivity to all scales of wind energy development. Representative features of the North Wessex Downs including chalk streams, arable habitats, medieval settlements with historic buildings, country houses and landscape gardens and of the Chilterns including rare chalk grassland, panoramic views, ancient routeways, and historic attractive villages may be adversely impacted by wind energy development.

This LCT has ‘high’ landscape sensitivity to wind energy development greater than the ‘very small-scale’ development scenario.

Sensitivity of Chalk Escarpment Footslopes Landscape Character Areas

LCA 6A: Features which increase sensitivity include the designation of the whole LCA as part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, as well as the open skylines, elevated topography, historic settlement pattern, varied landcover, and many human scale features. Features which slightly reduce sensitivity are proximity to the urban/commercial development on the edge of Wantage and at Harwell campus.

LCA 6B: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include the undulating landform, semi-natural habitats including ancient woodlands and calcareous grassland, historic settlement and field pattern and parklands including Shirburn Castle Registered Park and Garden, and expansive views. Much of the area is within the Chilterns National Landscape, which increases sensitivity to all scales of wind energy development. Although the north of the LCA is not nationally designated, it has strong intervisibility with the National Landscape and provides a setting to it. The M40 is a local detractor which slightly reduces sensitivity.