Contextual map of LCT 9 - View map full screen

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Component Landscape Character Areas

• LCA 9A: Western Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9B: Wantage to Didcot Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9C: Milton Hill to Didcot Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9D: East of Didcot Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9E: Ewelme to South Stoke Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9F: Eastern Vale Edge Slopes
• LCA 9G: Northern Vale Edge Slopes

LCA 9F: Grazing cattle, backdropped by the Chiltern Hills

LCA 9C: Large-scale arable farmland near West Hagbourne

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Assessment of landscape sensitivity to renewable energy development

Landscape sensitivity assessment

Landform and scale (including sense of openness/ enclosure)

• Transitional, gently sloping or rolling land between the clay vales and higher chalk escarpment, ranging generally between 60 metres AOD and 100 metres AOD. Local hills feature throughout the LCT such as Lollington Hill (96 metres AOD), Blewburton Hill (110 metres AOD) and Adwell Cop (148 metres AOD).
• The LCT occurs along the foot of the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns, typically approximating to areas where Upper Greensand forms the bedrock geology, and along the northern edge of the Corallian limestone ridge that runs between Faringdon and Oxford.
• Numerous spring-fed streams (such as East Hendred Brook and Mill Brook) vein the slopes on their way to larger watercourses such as the River Ock, River Thame, and River Thames.
• Woodland cover varies across the LCT, sometimes taking the form of small, dispersed blocks amongst large-scale arable farmland, amounting to fragmented tree cover, and in other places is widespread, knitting together with riparian vegetation, traditional orchards, parklands (Milton Hill House and Compton Beauchamp), and tall treebelts to form a well-wooded landscape with a greater sense of enclosure.
• There is a greater sense of enclosure in and around settlements where there are more small tree groups, hedgerow trees which line the smaller-scale, pastoral fields, and more riparian vegetation. Open farmland often provides the wider landscape setting to the settlements, forming gaps between each. This is reducing in areas of recent development such as between East Challow and Wantage.

Landcover (including field and settlement patterns)

• Settlement pattern of small, often nucleated villages and hamlets regularly spaced throughout the LCT, frequently located near the source of spring-fed streams (such as the historic spring-line village at Ewelme); the majority of these have medieval cores, many are covered by Conservation Area designations and contain clusters of Listed Buildings, which abut directly onto the surrounding countryside. Settlements are often associated with parkland such as Compton Beauchamp, Hinton Manor, and Brightwell Baldwin. Scattered farmsteads also feature.
• Land use is generally medium-large scale, intensive, arable cultivation, bounded by a variably intact structure of hedges with hedgerow trees – some field boundaries are linear belts of planted woodland, or species-rich with mature hedgerow trees, others are gappy or have been replaced entirely by post and wire fencing. Smaller-scale fields often feature in proximity to smaller settlements and watercourses.
• Other land uses include smaller areas of permanent pasture or grassland found close to the small villages, orchards, sheep and cattle grazing, as well as significant commercial and residential development (e.g. Rowstock, Milton Hill and Milton Heights) within LCAs 9A, 9B and 9C which border Didcot and Wantage.
• Parkland and estates are frequent – such as Grade II Compton Beauchamp Registered Park and Garden (RPG), Milton Hill House, and Adwell – with characteristic tree avenues, estate fencing, grazing and mature individual trees standing in pasture.
• Priority habitats include deciduous woodland, lowland calcareous grassland and small areas of traditional orchard (such as at Quab Hill). Watercress beds at Ewelme are designated LWS and Appleton Lower Common is nationally designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its broadleaved wet ash-wych elm woodland. These natural features provide ecological value and landscape diversity.

Historic landscape character

• A mixture of post-medieval, pre-18th century, and modern fieldscapes.
• The majority of the settlements have historic cores dating back to the medieval period and are covered by Conservation Area designations and contain clusters of Listed Buildings, such as at Ewelme, which has been occupied since at least the Bronze Age. Their open, rural setting and location on spring-fed streams also contributes to their historic character.
• Outside of the settlements there are Grade II listed buildings at Ardington Wick Farm and Lains Barn. While there are no Listed Buildings or Scheduled Monuments within LCA 9C, Conservation Areas cover large parts of Harwell, West Hagbourne, and Steventon, with which the LCA has a visual connection. Some former villages were deserted in medieval times, such as Clare where a single farm now occupies the site of 37 former households.
• Time depth is signalled by a variety of historic features including the site of a medieval manor house and Tudor royal manor in the south of Ewelme, a Roman Villa near East Challow, the ancient Grim’s Ditch stretching east towards Nuffield (Scheduled Monuments) and a prehistoric hillfort at Blewburton Hill.
• Remnant traditional fruit orchards, such as on the edges of Aston Upthorpe and Aston Tirrold, provide a link to historic land uses, contribute to historic landscape character. Cress beds at Ewelme ceased commercial production in 1989 and are now managed as a heritage asset and nature reserve.
• Parkland estates within the LCT contain significant areas of grassland, plantations, tree lines, groups of trees and lakes. Compton Beauchamp (Grade II RPG) contains formal gardens and terraces and lawns enclosed by mature trees and shrubs, Hinton Manor was a royal residence in the 14th and 15th centuries, while Buckland has a mid-18th century country house, all are Grade II listed buildings within the RPGs.

Visual character (including skylines)

• The open landscape results in high intervisibility between the chalk escarpment in the south and the vales in the north. Gaps in tree cover allow panoramic views north across the slopes towards the lower-lying vale, and beyond that to wooded Corallian Limestone Ridge, particularly from more elevated positions. Enclosed locations, such as within the vicinity of villages or woodland, have more restricted views, as do views from lower elevations.
• Strong visual relationship with the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes to the south where the chalk escarpments of the Chilterns in the east and North Wessex Downs in the west form wooded skylines. The LCT often forms part of the National Landscapes or serves as their wider landscape and visual setting. Intervisibility is sometimes obscured by tree cover (often along roads) and the topography of the rising vale edge slope.
• The large, arable fields across the rolling slopes of the LCT often serve as an undeveloped backdrop in views from the lower-lying vale (or Thames valley) in the north and contribute to its rural context.
• Red Kites (Milvus milvus) are often seen in the skies.
• Tree cover around settlements has a screening function which limits the urbanising influence of villages and the surrounding larger towns (such as recent developments on the eastern edge of Wantage and East Hendred), which would otherwise be prominent in views both from the vale and the higher downs.
• Topographical highpoints (such as Blewburton Hill, Lollingdon Hill and Steventon Hill) provide visual landmarks, particularly where cloaked in woodland. The low rounded profile of Harrowdown Hill forms a locally distinctive landmark rising from the low-lying floodplain of the Thames.
• Larger transport corridors (such as the A417 and the M40) are generally well-integrated into the landscape through the mature vegetation which borders them, but can be visually and aurally detractive where not well-screened.

Perceptual and scenic qualities

• A clear sense of place is fostered in the transition between the escarpment landscapes and vale landscapes which provide part of the immediate and wider setting to the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, the Chilterns National Landscape and Corallian Ridge, as well as by open farmland forming gaps between villages and hamlets, helping to retain their individual identities and the regular spacing of settlements.
• Countryside patterned by a latticework of public rights of way providing good recreational access to the landscape, including the Ridgeway, the Thames National Path, and a section of the National Cycle Network 544 between Upton and Didcot; public rights of way connect the settlements and provide access between the chalk escarpment and vale.
• Road access is largely via small rural lanes and farm tracks. Larger roads often run along the top of the slopes, or cross the LCT, causing localised visual and aural intrusion where not effectively screened. Where trees including beech, sycamore, poplar and ash, line sections of the roads they are better integrated into the landscape.
• Other localised detractors include energy technology such as a solar farm at Crab Hill, and large electricity pylons running through the landscape, as well as views through to expanding residential development (such as at Wantage and Milton Heights), and noise from low flying aircraft at RAF Benson.
• Areas with a stronger parkland character, smaller scale fields, more riparian vegetation, and with larger and more frequent areas of woodland (some of ancient origin), are more tranquil than those more strongly associated with larger towns and their peripheral development which have more detracting features (such as at Wantage), and are characterised by larger-scale arable farmland.
• Existing renewable energy development within the LCT includes a solar PV development at Crab Hill.

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Overall assessment of landscape sensitivity to solar PV developments

Summary of overall statement on landscape sensitivity of Vale Edge Slopes LCT 9

A gently sloping landform, with local hills providing topographic variety. The field pattern is generally medium-scale, with open arable fields and hedgerows around smaller pasture fields. There is also greater enclosure around settlements, which locally reduces sensitivity to solar PV development. The mixture of large-scale arable fields and smaller-scale pasture fields provides variety within the landscape. The historic settlement pattern of ‘spring-line’ villages has largely been retained, increasing sensitivity. Proximity to the urban edges of larger settlements, including Wantage and Didcot, locally reduces sensitivity. The historic settlement pattern, small parklands and estates, and prehistoric earthworks provide a variety of time-depths and are important to the character of the landscape, increasing sensitivity. High levels of intervisibility between the LCT and adjacent landscapes, including the North Wessex Downs and Chilterns National Landscapes, increases sensitivity. The landscape forms part of the setting to the National Landscapes, as well as to villages and towns. The LCT is visible in views from a variety of long-distance public rights of way including the Thames Path National Trail and the Ridgeway, which are all sensitive receptors. Skylines are generally undeveloped, with the local hills forming distinctive visual landmarks. This is a rural landscape with a pleasing combination of parkland, arable fields and areas of woodland, increasing sensitivity. Some modern development, particularly on the edges of Wantage and Didcot, locally reduces sensitivity.

This LCT generally has ‘high’ landscape sensitivity to solar energy development greater than the ‘medium-scale’ development scenario. There may be opportunities to accommodate carefully sited ‘very small’ and ‘small’ scale solar PV development in areas where existing hedgerows, hedgerow trees and woodland blocks could be used to screen development to reduce landscape and visual impact. Solar PV development should be avoided on the steep slopes and local hills, which are often highly visible from the lower lying vales.

Landscape sensitivity of Vale Edge Slopes Landscape Character Areas

LCA 9A: Features which increase sensitivity to solar PV development include its visual relationship with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and the frequency of smaller scale field patterns in proximity to the regularly distributed, historic settlements and small estates including Kingston Lisle and Woolstone. Features which slightly decrease sensitivity include the frequency of deciduous woodland, which provides some visual enclosure.

LCA 9B: Features which increase sensitivity to solar PV development include the comparative lack of woodland cover, resulting in less opportunity for screening, close proximity to and intervisibility with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and backdrop the LCA provides to the vale to the north. Features which reduce sensitivity include the existing solar farm development at Crab Hill and proximity to expanding residential and commercial development at Wantage, which reduce tranquillity and rural land cover.

LCA 9C: Features which increase sensitivity to solar PV development include proximity to and intervisibility with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape to the south, and the LCA’s role as a backdrop to views from the lower-lying vales. Features which reduce sensitivity include its proximity to expanding residential and commercial development at Didcot and Milton Hill and Milton Heights, which reduce the rural land cover and tranquillity, and the intrusion of the busy A34 and A4130, which reduces the tranquillity.

LCA 9D: The majority of the LCA is within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and displays several of its special qualities including open arable landscape, medieval settlements, light road network, and good network of public rights of way. This increases the sensitivity of the LCA to all scales of solar PV development. Sensitivity is also increased by the openness of the landscape, due to less woodland and fewer field boundaries around the large-scale arable fields, resulting in fewer opportunities for screening.

LCA 9E: The majority of this LCA lies within the Chilterns National Landscape and has a strong visual relationship with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, which increases sensitivity to all scales of solar PV development. Proximity to RAF Benson locally reduces tranquillity, as the barbed wire fences, lighting columns, institutional buildings and aircraft noise negatively impact on the rural character and tranquillity.

LCA 9F: Features which increase sensitivity to solar PV development include proximity to and intervisibility with the Chilterns National Landscape. Features which reduce sensitivity include proximity to RAF Benson and views to existing solar PV development (in LCA 12C), which reduce the rural land cover and tranquillity.

LCA 9G: Features which increase sensitivity to solar PV development include the large parkland estates at Hinton Manor and Buckland House (RPGs), which provide a sense of time-depth and the invisibility with the low-lying River Thames floodplain. Features which reduce sensitivity include the strong pattern of woodland blocks and hedgerows, which would provide opportunities for screening.

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Overall assessment of landscape sensitivity to wind energy developments

Summary of overall landscape sensitivity of Vale Edge Slopes LCT 9

A gently sloping landform, with frequent human-scale features including small woodland blocks, spring-fed streams, villages and hedgerows, increasing sensitivity to wind energy development. The field pattern is a mix of modern and historic enclosure, with woodlands and parkland providing variations in land cover. This is a rural landscape with some localised urban influences on the edges of Wantage and Didcot. The medieval settlement pattern, parklands and prehistoric features are visible historic features of importance to character, and provide a variety of time-depths within the LCT. Skylines are generally undeveloped or marked by woodland, which increases sensitivity. The LCT provides a backdrop to lower-lying vale and floodplain landscapes and settlements, due to the elevated landform. It also has strong intervisibility with the North Wessex Downs and Chilterns National Landscapes, which increases sensitivity. A rural character with an attractive combination of features from the woodland blocks, historic villages and parklands, with limited modern influences. Local detractors to tranquillity and rural land cover include the commercial and residential edges of Wantage and Didcot, and large road corridors, which lowers sensitivity to wind energy development.

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

Sensitivity of Vale Edge Slopes Landscape Character Areas

LCA 9A: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include its frequent human-scale features such as woodland and the small-scale field pattern in proximity to the regularly spaced historic villages and hamlets, its sloping landform, and its intervisibility to the low-lying vales to the north and the North Wessex Downs National Landscape to the south.

LCA 9B: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include the backdrop it provides to the surrounding vale landscape, and the LCA’s role as part of the northern setting to the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Features which reduce sensitivity to wind energy development include the larger-scale field pattern, limited human-scale features such as woodland, and proximity to existing renewable energy (solar PV) development at Crab Hill and in the neighbouring LCA (12B).

LCA 9C: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include its role as part of the northern setting to the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, historic landscape character provided by parkland at Milton Hill, and distinctive backdrop to the wider rural context of the vale below. Features which decrease sensitivity include the considerable residential, commercial and infrastructural development across much of the LCA, reducing the rural character and land cover, and limited tranquillity due to proximity to busy roads.

LCA 9D: The majority of the LCA is within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and displays several of its special qualities, including open arable landscape, medieval settlements, light road network, and good network of public rights of way. This increases sensitivity to all scales of wind energy development. Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include the local highpoint and visual landmark of Blewburton Hill.

LCA 9E: The majority of the LCA is within the Chilterns National Landscape and has a strong visual relationship with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. This increases its sensitivity to all scales of wind energy development. Features which locally reduce sensitivity include the busy road network and RAF Benson, where barbed wire fences, lighting columns, institutional buildings and aircraft noise negatively impact on tranquillity and rural land cover.

LCA 9F: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include its intervisibility with the Chilterns National Landscape, and the backdrop it provides to the rural setting of settlements. The landscape also has a strong historic character due to a number of parklands and estates. Features which locally reduce sensitivity include the influence of the M40 in the east which reduces tranquillity.

LCA 9G: Features which increase sensitivity to wind energy development include frequent human-scale features including woodland blocks, historic parkland and villages, as well as intervisibility with the Thames valley and North Wessex Downs National Landscape. There are limited human influences on the landscape and good recreational access, provided in part by the Oxford Greenbelt Way and the Thames Path National Trail. The tranquil, undeveloped character of the LCA, increases sensitivity.