Devon Character Areas

Pastoral farmland sloping towards the wooded valley of the River Carey, with distant views of Bodmin Moor.

Contextual description

This roughly V-shaped Devon Character Area (DCA) comprises the upper valleys of the rivers Tamar and Thrushel and their tributaries - the Carey, Deer, Lyd, Lew and Wolf, extending from just east of Launceston in Cornwall, northwards to Holsworthy and eastwards towards Okehampton. The western boundary of the area corresponds to the county boundary with Cornwall. To the north there are gradual transitions to the Western Culm Plateau and the High Torridge Culm Plateau DCAs. To the east is the Broadbury Ridges DCA and to the south the Middle Tamar Valley, Tamar Upland Fringe and Tavistock Dartmoor Fringes DCAs. The boundaries with the latter two areas are marked by the transition to higher ground with a stronger moorland influence. The valley landscape spans Torridge District (north) and West Devon District (south and east).

Link to National Character Areas and Constituent Landscape Character Types

Constituent Landscape Character Types (LCTs) include 1F Farmed Lowland Moorland and Culm Grassland, 2D Moorland Edge Slopes (within West Devon Borough), 3C Sparsely Settled Farmed Valley Floors, 3B Lower rolling farmed and settled valley slopes (Ibid), 3D Upland River Valleys (Ibid), 3H Secluded Valleys, 3F Settled valley floors (Ibid), 3G River Valley Slopes and Combes and 5A Inland Elevated Undulating Land.

This DCA falls within The Culm National Character Area (NCA 149).

Summary character description

A gentle, agricultural landscape of high scenic quality characterised by ribbon-like rivers. Slow-flowing, meandering streams fringed by trees glide through quiet, inaccessible floodplains. A semi-regular pattern of fields, edged with hedges and earth banks, covers the undulating landform and adds pattern and texture to the landscape. The area feels remote and peaceful, and away from Okehampton has seen very little modern development; the scattered stone-built farms and villages have a timeless quality. Narrow, earth-banked lanes thread across the valleys, contrasting with the A30 trunk road which cuts across the landscape.

Lee Wood conifer plantation marking a tributary valley and viewed from the south across pastural farmland containing many mature trees.

Distinctive characteristics

• Underlying geology of Carboniferous Culm rocks comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
• Gently undulating topography, with occasional steeper-sided river valleys.
• Larger rivers meandering through narrow floodplains, fed by smaller, steeper tributary streams.
• Occasional plantations and woodland blocks, particularly on south-facing valley sides.
• Lines of riparian trees following the meandering courses of the rivers and contrasting with the straighter lines of field boundaries.
• Parkland estates and few small, scattered traditional orchards (e.g. south of Lifton) give parts of the area a more wooded character.
• Brown loam soils supporting mainly pasture (particularly in the south), but with some arable on flatter, better-drained land.
• Variable field pattern, with unenclosed floodplains, small-medium sized irregular fields in the narrower valleys and larger, more regular fields (reflecting later enclosure) on higher ground.
• Fields separated by hedgerows and locally distinctive, tall earth banks which are sometimes stone-faced. Some curvilinear medieval strip fields survive, including around Cookworthy shrunken village.
• Watermeadows and wet pasture alongside rivers, and very occasional patches of rough ground known locally as 'moors'.
• Natural and artificial lakes (including the border with Roadford Lake Reservoir which lies just outside the DCA) and associated semi-natural habitats.
• Prehistoric features including barrow cemeteries along straight ridge-top roads, hilltop enclosures at Hele and east of Lifton, and coaxial fields at Meldon.
• Numerous archaeological sites at Sourton, including a Civil War redoubt, battlefield and remnants of a Roman road.
• Built heritage associated with rivers (e.g. bridges, mills and weirs). Stone bridges across the Tamar mark the county boundary.
• Remnants of industrial activities, including stone extraction and mining visible in the landscape.
• Sparse settlement consisting of scattered farmsteads and occasional clustered villages often at crossroads. Dwellings are built of local stone with warm grey and red tones, with slate or thatched roofs.
• Stone or cob linhays (animal shelters) are locally distinctive features of the agricultural landscape.
• Communication routes traditionally traverse the gentle topography, including the A30, stretches of the old main road to Cornwall, and disused railway lines following the Carey and Lyd valleys.
• Away from the A30 is a network of quiet, winding lanes often enclosed by high hedgebanks, with junctions marked by white fingerposts. Valley bottoms are less accessible.
• A quiet, uncluttered landscape, with open, expansive views from higher land (including to Dartmoor National Park), where gaps in hedgerows permit.

Cattle grazing floodplain pastures with mature, in-field trees.

Special qualities and features

Widespread sense of timelessness, resulting from the absence of modern (20th century) built development.

Dark night skies and a sense of tranquillity away from the influence of Launceston, large villages (e.g. Lewdown, Lifton and St Giles on the Heath) and the A30.

High levels of tranquillity around the edges of the area, locally reduced by main roads (e.g. A30, A388 and A386).

Impressive views to and from the northern part of Dartmoor National Park, contributing to its setting.

Occasional blocks of ancient woodland, often associated with parkland estates, including Sydenham House (Grade I registered) and Hayne Manor (Grade II*).

Scattering of traditional orchards, especially north and east of Launceston, and around Wrixhill Bridge.

County Wildlife Sites including wet woodland and valley-side woodland sites. Dartmoor Special Area of Conservation borders the east of the area.

Strong sense of time depth provided by prehistoric features, including bowl barrows (e.g. at Sandymoor Cross, St James's Church, Galford Down and Upcott Moor), and hilltop enclosures (e.g. at Hele and Lifton) - all Scheduled Monuments.

Several defensive sites (also Scheduled Monuments), including Sourton Civil War redoubt, and medieval motte and bailey castles in commanding positions (e.g. Burley Wood and Okehampton Castle).

Many historic structures associated with rivers, particularly the Lew, such as bridges, weirs, ponds and mills (e.g. Bidlake Mill and Leat Scheduled Monuments).

Conservation Areas covering the historic cores of Lifton, Stowford and Bridestowe, where there are clusters of listed buildings. Numerous listed buildings scattered elsewhere, including historic villages with Grade I listed churches.

Strong network of quiet lanes and public rights of way, including the Two Castles Trail long distance route connecting Okehampton with Launceston, and the largely traffic-free Granite Way cycle route (part of National Cycle Network route 27).

The nearby Roadford Lake Reservoir (just on the border in DCA 11) popular for recreation, with walks, fishing, sailing and camping.

An uninterrupted skyline above the dense, mixed wooded valley of the River Carey.

Forces for change and their landscape implications

Past and current

• The A30 main road which cuts across the grain of the landscape, bringing visual intrusion and reducing tranquillity.
• Agricultural intensification including conversion of pasture to arable, resulting in amalgamation of fields and loss of traditional hedgebanks and semi-natural habitats, such as wet pasture and rough grassland.
• Loss of traditional orchards, particularly on valley slopes (e.g. a large area to the east of St Giles on the Heath).
• Past replanting of ancient woodland with coniferous plantation.
• Invasive water-borne weeds such as Himalayan Balsam and knotweed colonising riverbanks to the detriment of native riparian vegetation.
• Farm diversification, including farm shops, equine activities, fishing lakes and game bird shoots which introduce new elements into the landscape.
• Linear spread of housing on the edges of settlements (e.g. near Bridstowe), some of which visually prominent on ridgelines (e.g. St Giles on the Heath).
• Renewable energy schemes introducing new elements into the landscape, including farm-based wind turbines (e.g. Nethercott and Rexton Cross Farms) as well as small solar arrays (e.g. south of Roadford Lake).
• Effects of climate change resulting in wetter and warmer winters, and more frequent hot and dry periods (increasing the risk of drought in summer), plus more frequent extreme weather events such as storms with more intense rainfall causing flooding in valleys.
• Increase in large scale agricultural buildings that are not obviously associated with existing farmsteads appear incongruous with the surrounding landscape.

Future

• Increased demand for both commercial and community-scale renewable energy schemes, as well as bio-energy crops, impacting on landscape character and views.
• Forthcoming changes to agricultural subsidies, including the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) which will pay landowners for the delivery of public goods and services, including for the restoration of nature. This may impact on traditional grazing management on wetlands and 'moors', and the management of landscape features such as Devon hedges.
• Longer growing season and enhanced vegetation growth rates as a result of climate change, including secondary woodland, resulting in a spread of such vegetation in the understorey of the area's semi-natural and estate woodlands.
• Increased flood risk and drought impacting on the river, tributaries and associated wetland/meadow habitats due climate change impacts. This could also lead to demand for engineered flood defenses.
• Increased levels of diffuse pollution from agriculture resulting in a detrimental effect on water quality and riparian biodiversity.
• Increase in UK-based tourism with associated requirements for new facilities and infrastructure, as well as an increase in traffic levels on the local road network (including characteristically quiet Devon green lanes).
• Pressure/demand for residential development around existing villages, hamlets and farmsteads, as well as farm conversions and new agricultural buildings on farms.
• Continued expansion of Launceston causing visual intrusion into the valley landscapes, and associated reductions in tranquillity and dark night skies.

Three wind turbines east of Tetcott visible in the skyline, partially interrupting the distant view of Dartmoor.

Landscape guidelines

Protect

• Protect locally distinctive built features such as linhays, sandstone bridges and white fingerposts.
• Protect the sparsely settled character of the landscape and the historic character setting of Conservation Areas at Lifton, Stowford and Bridestowe.
• Protect (and appropriately manage and interpret) the prehistoric archaeology of the area.
• Protect valuable Culm grassland habitats, resisting any further loss to agriculture or forestry.
• Protect traditional orchards which contribute to landscape structure and diversity.
• Protect the area's rural character and sense of openness, avoiding poorly sited development. Where appropriate, screen existing incongruous development with characteristic hedge/tree planting.
• Protect the network of quiet rural lanes, avoiding unsympathetic highways improvements, lighting or signage. Maintain hedgebanks which provide a sense of enclosure along the lanes.

Manage

• Manage Culm grassland and wetland habitats (with locally appropriate levels of grazing) to maximise their biodiversity value and strengthen their resilience to climate change.
• Manage areas of broadleaved woodland (including ancient woodland) using traditional techniques such as coppicing. Promote age and species diversity of woodlands for the benefit of biodiversity and to increase resilience to climate change.
• Manage forestry plantations for sustainable timber production and to enhance their wildlife interest. Explore the potential for community use of woodfuel as a sustainable resource, and the use of plantations as recreational sites, reducing visitor pressure on more sensitive Culm grassland habitats.
• Manage the area's varied hedgerows and hedgebanks, retaining local diversity in species, management styles and bank construction.
• Manage archaeological features in the landscape, ensuring appropriate levels of grazing and management of visitor pressure; provide interpretation where appropriate. Conserve the landscape setting of heritage features.

Plan

• Identify opportunities for enhancing agriculture as a result of market changes (including Brexit and increased demand for domestic food production) and the new Environmental Land Management Schemes. New crops may become viable as a result of climate change and the potential landscape impacts of these should be considered.
• Understand likely hydrological changes in watercourses resulting from climate change and the impact of these changes on flood risk. This could also lead to demand for flood defenses to protect existing structures. Natural flood defenses and allowing space for flooding on floodplains should be enhanced where appropriate.
• Link fragmented areas of semi-natural habitat including Culm grassland, wetlands and woodland to improve habitat connectivity and contribute to nature recovery networks. Strengthen ecological connections with the Dartmoor SAC to the east.
• Restore hedgerows where possible to reinforce historic field patterns and increase habitat linkages.
• Respond to the UK-wide policy drive for woodland planting in line with the Devon Local Nature Partnership 'Right Place, Right Tree' guidance. Ensure the distinctive characteristics of the landscape are retained and enhanced, including using new tree planting to help screen and soften visual impact of new built elements that detract from rural character.
• Extending woodland along and up the valley sides could make an important contribution to reducing flood risk, strengthening biodiversity corridors and improving water quality. Link up discrete areas of woodland, following the principles in Devon Local Nature Partnership's 'Right Place, Right Tree' guidance.
• Plan for the long-term restructuring of prominent conifer plantations to mixed, yet still productive woodlands. Soften and integrate the visual impact of coniferous plantations into the landscape with a mosaic of restored open habitats including Culm grassland. Explore opportunities for increased access and recreation provision where appropriate.
• Restore and manage areas of relict traditional orchards and explore opportunities for the creation of new ones (including community orchards) to increase local food production and access to nature.
• Increase countryside access through the enhancement of the public rights of way network and connectivity to and from larger settlements and green spaces.
• Ensure plans for new renewable energy developments consider landscape and visual effects (including cumulative effects) especially on south facing slopes and areas of high ground which are favorable for solar and wind development.
• Ensure future residential development is well planned, respecting the existing sparsely settled character and the local stone vernacular. Integrate new development into the landscape framework through the provision of a surrounding network of green spaces, wildlife habitats and recreational routes.

DCA 64 Upper Tamar Tributary Valleys (PDF, 1 MB)