East Dorset Landscape Character Assessment - Dorsetforyou.com
East Dorset Landscape Character Assessment - Dorsetforyou.com East Dorset Landscape Character Assessment - Dorsetforyou.com
the views across the valley, but emphasise the long-distance views alongit; as far as the Rushmore woods in the north and beyond Badbury Ringsto the tower in Charborough Park to the south beyond the DistrictBoundary. Views from the Cranborne Road are improved by its gentlymeandering alignment, and by the often falling land on its western side.As noted, the Cranborne Road meanders through this downland area,merging with the landscape. There are very few roadside trees but thosethat do feature along the road are related to buildings, such as High Lea,Didlington Lodge and the lodge to Witchampton Paper Mill. These formpinchpoints along the road that, by temporarily blocking the long-distanceviews, increase interest, emphasising the contrast between enclosureand open views.This area has a less empty character than the downland areas to thenorth and south west due to the various buildings that are scatteredalong the road and the farmhouses on the hills to the east and the villageat Hinton Martell. The most prominent building in this area was theHorton Inn which is now partly screened by a recently planted copse tothe south.The historic village of Witchampton lies on the boundary of the chalk andthe Allen Valley. The village setting is characterised by extensive treecoverthat conceals parts of the settlement, but the Church tower and thegables of Abbey House stand out amongst the treescape and provide aclear focal point.The beech and conifer plantations on the ridge behind the village areimportant in the wider landscape. They extend northwards and mergewith the woods of the Crichel EstateIn contrast, immediately to the west and south of the ridge, the landscapeis open, relatively treeless, arable downland.View southwestwards along the Cranborne Road from Wimborne LodgeThis part of the chalkland area is extensively farmed, with large regularfields and closely-cropped hedges. Tree cover within the fields is sparse.However, this is compensated by the woods and plantations that exist onboth sides of the valley and along the valley bottom. The field patterngives the landscape a regular ‘grain’, accentuated at different times ofthe year by plough furrow-lines within the fields themselves. The coloursseen within the chalkland landscape form an important aspect of itscharacter; they reflect the manner in which the landscape is managed asmuch as the seasonal differences.Newtown is a hamlet to the north-east of the village, centred onWitchampton Mill. The approach is marked by the castellated gateway toCrichel House, which forms a feature and focal point to the road.In the north east of the chalk downland area lies a relatively shallow dryvalley that extends from Cranborne to Handley Down. Its landform is notas strong as those of the valleys serving the River Allen to the southeast, as noted below, but is more closely linked to the surroundingdownland by the large fields that encroach from the west onto the valleyfloor.East Dorset District Council District Landscape Character Assessment 200813
To the north east of this valley the downland rises towards the boundarywith Hampshire. In parts the character may be perceived as one ofgreater contrast than the more open downland to the south west,however, within East Dorset the chalk downs influence remains strong asthe downland field pattern also encroaches beyond Toby’s Bottom intothis area.narrow, winding and flanked by hedges; the roads to the north areparticularly narrow and are characterised by high hedgebanks. To thesouth, lying on a north western extension of the clay ridge anddominating the village setting, is Castle Hill. On the hillside immediatelyto the north of the village set on a remnant of the London Clay is animportant wood, named Burwood. These chalk hills continue northwards,culminating in a ridge that coincides with the District boundary.Burwood north of CranborneView from Pound Hill above Witchampton to the north east, Newtown in the middle groundClose to the north eastern boundary of the chalk and the adjacent ridgeof London Clay and Reading Beds lies the important Chase village ofCranborne. The village is nestled amongst surrounding tree-claddownland, so that its influence upon the wider landscape is limited. Asmall chalk stream flows eastwards through the centre of the village as awinterbourne from the chalk downland to the west and marks theheadwaters of the River Crane. Lanes, tracks and bridleways that radiatefrom the village and permeate the surrounding countryside. All areBlagdon Hill Wood, in the north-west set on a ridge of isolated ReadingBeds that coincides with the District boundary, to Bratch Copse in thesouth east form a continuous belt of woods that provides an importantbackdrop to this corner of the chalk downs. Many of the woods in thisarea comprise semi-natural Ancient Woodlands. Between this woodlandbelt and Burwood lies Boveridge House, a substantial listed mansiondating from 1825. It overlooks gardens that were laid out by ThomasMawson, and beyond to an undulating patchwork of woods, copses andopen fields.East Dorset District Council District Landscape Character Assessment 200814
- Page 1: East Dorset Landscape Character Ass
- Page 7 and 8: Regional guidanceThe draft Regional
- Page 9 and 10: Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) p
- Page 11 and 12: 1) Chase WoodsContextLandscape Type
- Page 13 and 14: 2) East Dorset Downs/South Blandfor
- Page 15: distinctive profile of Badbury Ring
- Page 19 and 20: Handley Road. The strong contrast b
- Page 21 and 22: 3) Allen Valley Flat water meadows
- Page 23 and 24: 4) Monkton Up Wimborne ValleyContex
- Page 25 and 26: 5) Gussage ValleyContextLandscape C
- Page 27 and 28: 6) Crichel ValleyContextLandscape C
- Page 29 and 30: 7) Lower Winterborne ValleyContextL
- Page 31 and 32: • A31 Trunk road - has an adverse
- Page 33 and 34: Horton Tower, a Grade II* listed bu
- Page 35 and 36: • O/h powerline at Pamphill (adve
- Page 37 and 38: View of Henbury Plantation from Bla
- Page 39 and 40: that mark the former floodplain. Ho
- Page 41 and 42: The Stour looking north eastwards f
- Page 43 and 44: that lies within Poole is set on a
- Page 45 and 46: 13) Hampreston River TerraceContext
- Page 47 and 48: golf course suggest this character
- Page 49 and 50: • Urban influencesKey Features16)
- Page 51 and 52: Key CharacteristicsKey Features•
- Page 53 and 54: 18) Ringwood-Hurn Forest/Heath Mosa
- Page 55 and 56: Forest which reaches back into the
- Page 57 and 58: appearance, it has more in common w
- Page 59 and 60: 21) Horton Common-Three Legged Cros
- Page 61 and 62: a National Nature Reserve the heath
- Page 63 and 64: Stour Valley northwards to Alderhol
- Page 65 and 66: Historically the River was an impor
To the north east of this valley the downland rises towards the boundarywith Hampshire. In parts the character may be perceived as one ofgreater contrast than the more open downland to the south west,however, within <strong>East</strong> <strong>Dorset</strong> the chalk downs influence remains strong asthe downland field pattern also encroaches beyond Toby’s Bottom intothis area.narrow, winding and flanked by hedges; the roads to the north areparticularly narrow and are characterised by high hedgebanks. To thesouth, lying on a north western extension of the clay ridge anddominating the village setting, is Castle Hill. On the hillside immediatelyto the north of the village set on a remnant of the London Clay is animportant wood, named Burwood. These chalk hills continue northwards,culminating in a ridge that coincides with the District boundary.Burwood north of CranborneView from Pound Hill above Witchampton to the north east, Newtown in the middle groundClose to the north eastern boundary of the chalk and the adjacent ridgeof London Clay and Reading Beds lies the important Chase village ofCranborne. The village is nestled amongst surrounding tree-claddownland, so that its influence upon the wider landscape is limited. Asmall chalk stream flows eastwards through the centre of the village as awinterbourne from the chalk downland to the west and marks theheadwaters of the River Crane. Lanes, tracks and bridleways that radiatefrom the village and permeate the surrounding countryside. All areBlagdon Hill Wood, in the north-west set on a ridge of isolated ReadingBeds that coincides with the District boundary, to Bratch Copse in thesouth east form a continuous belt of woods that provides an importantbackdrop to this corner of the chalk downs. Many of the woods in thisarea <strong>com</strong>prise semi-natural Ancient Woodlands. Between this woodlandbelt and Burwood lies Boveridge House, a substantial listed mansiondating from 1825. It overlooks gardens that were laid out by ThomasMawson, and beyond to an undulating patchwork of woods, copses andopen fields.<strong>East</strong> <strong>Dorset</strong> District Council District <strong>Landscape</strong> <strong>Character</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> 200814
Change language