East Dorset Landscape Character Assessment - Dorsetforyou.com

thparticular, near the distinctive historic 13 C church, there is a panoramaof the surrounding landscape extending as far as the coast. This forms atransitional area between the Chalk of the Cranborne Chase and theacidic lowland sands of the forests and heaths to the east, having soilsderived from the underlying clays of the bands of Reading Beds andLondon Clay that bisect the District from Ashford Water in the north eastto Henbury in the south west (see character area below). The RiversStour and Allen have cut through the gravel and clay to leave an isolatedarea around Hillbutts.The north western part of the Woodlands-Colehill area shares similarlandscape characteristics to Cranborne Chase: long views, especially tothe east and west, with wooded horizons. However one of the mostdistinctive qualities is the variety of scenic landscapes that occur withinsuch a relatively narrow band. The area is one of contrast, between theenclosure afforded by the undulating landscape and substantial areas ofwoodland cover and the often long-distance views from its hilltops. Theland use is characterised by a mosaic of regular, medium-sized fields forstock grazing and arable. Fields are bounded by continuous, thickhawthorn hedgerows and hedgerow oaks. There are often substantialindividual oaks in the larger fields. Throughout the area oak ispredominant and forms woods, copses, hedgerow and roadside treesand individual specimens in abundance.View to Boys Wood at WoodlandsThe centre of this landscape area is strongly influenced by WoodlandsPark that flanks the area to the east. An Ancient Replanted Woodland,this area was also Medieval Deer Park. The woods have been thesubject of considerable recent replanting and comprise several largeconifer plantations. Around the perimeter, a belt of deciduous treescontrast in colour and form to the plantations and provide a soft edge tothe woods. In amenity terms these are of crucial importance to the widerlandscape character.East Dorset District Council District Landscape Character Assessment 200829