Devon Character Areas

A distant view of Dartmoor from south of Shebbear, across farmland with a dense hedgerow network and extensive areas of woodland.

Contextual description

This Devon Character Area (DCA) comprises elevated farmland to the west of the Torridge Valley, and includes the upper western reaches of the river. The boundary with the Torridge Valley DCA is defined by changes in landform and vegetation. To the south (beyond the upper reaches of the River Torridge) is the High Torridge Culm Plateau DCA, and to the west and north there is a gradual transition to the more extensive forests and unimproved grassland of the Western Culm Plateau DCA. The majority of the DCA is within Torridge District, with the south-eastern corner extending into West Devon.

Link to National Character Areas and Constituent Landscape Character Types

Constituent Landscape Character Types (LCTs) include 3A Upper Farmed and Wooded Valley Slopes, 3C Sparsely Settled Farmed Valley Floors, 3G River Valley Slopes and Combes (within West Devon Borough), 5A Inland Elevated Undulating Land and 5D Estate Wooded Farmland.

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

Summary character description

An undulating, agricultural landscape with a strong sense of history and long-term management. The extensive woodlands, hedgerows and parklands give the area a pastoral character and a verdant, settled quality. Its historic character is enhanced by the stone bridges, linhays, medieval castles, square church towers and prehistoric barrows which are distinctive features of the landscape. Winding lanes are enclosed by colourful flower-rich hedgebanks, and gaps through hedges on higher ground afford long, open views stretching to Dartmoor.

Historic parkland at Heanton Satchville viewed from the A386.

Distinctive characteristics

• Underlying Culm measures geology of siltstones, sandstones and mudstones creating a strongly undulating landform; and extensive ball clay deposits around Merton.
• Numerous small streams (often spring-fed) including the upper reaches of the River Torridge, which have incised shallow valleys.
• A generally pastoral landscape on medium-quality soils, but with areas of intensive arable production on better quality soils.
• Strong field patterns of medieval and post-medieval origin, generally older and more sinuous around villages and on valley sides. Fields often enclosed by species-rich Devon hedges with flower- and fern-rich banks.
• Well-treed, particularly in the south where estate planting is an influence. Cover comprises frequent copses, small woodlands, occasional in-field veteran parkland trees, and occasional small plantation blocks.
• Variety of semi-natural habitats, including species-rich Culm grassland, valley mire, wet woodland and damp meadows associated with tributary valleys and springs.
• Prehistoric and medieval features, as well as traditional linhays and landmark church towers (e.g. Sheepwash) contributing to sense of place and time-depth.
• Historic parkland estates influence landscape character, particularly in the south of the area.
• Dispersed historic villages and hamlets clustered on hilltops; scattered farmsteads linked by a network of winding rural roads; and steep sunken lanes crossing watercourses on stone bridges.
• Occasional straighter roads and green lanes across higher ground (often associated with prehistoric barrows) indicating ancient routes. White fingerposts are distinctive at crossing points.
• Strong local vernacular of whitewash and white/cream rendered cottages with painted window and door frames and slate or thatch roofs; some buildings of exposed local stone with red brick detailing.
• Mostly a managed, working landscape, but with patches of gorse on higher slopes giving some areas an upland feel (e.g. around Abbots Bickington).
• Ball clay works at Marland Moor and Meeth create a localised industrial character.
• Much of the area is not accessible by main road, and therefore feels remote and tranquil.
• An open landscape with important vantage points and uninterrupted vistas from higher ground. Views stretch to Dartmoor National Park from the southern part of the landscape.

A distant view of Merton with its square church tower from north of Petrockstowe near Marland Moor, over a recently cut hay field surrounded by dense woodland.

Sheep grazing historic parkland at Heanton Sanchville.

Special qualities and features

Regionally Important Geological Site displaying isolated tertiary quartzite boulders near Shebbear.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) at Langtree Common Moor (unimproved Culm grassland) and Dunsland Park (outstanding variety of lichens). Numerous County Wildlife Sites covering grassland, woodland and wetland habitats. Stapleton Mire is managed as a Nature Reserve.

Extensive ancient semi-natural woodlands, particularly on valley sides in the upper reaches of the River Torridge, where they assume a linear form.

Medieval strip field system and associated hedgebanks around Sheepwash.

Historic parkland estates, including Heanton Satchville and Buckland Filleigh, with parkland trees providing a rich habitat for lichen, invertebrates and uncommon species of bats.

Several Scheduled Monuments, including prehistoric barrows, medieval castles at Durpley and Woodford Wood, the medieval ruins of Frithelstock Priory, a moated site at Grange Farm (Merton) and an Iron Age hillfort at Hembury Castle.

Conservation Areas covering the historic village cores of Merton and Sheepwash. Listed buildings scattered throughout the area, with small clusters at Petrockstowe and Meeth.

Recreational value provided by the popular Tarka Trail walking and cycling route, National Cycle Network route 3 across the south of the area, as well as green lanes and small commons.

Panoramic views across and into the Torridge Valley and distant views to Dartmoor to the south. The DCA also forms a key backdrop to views from a wide area.

Generally high levels of tranquillity (locally reduced by the presence of main roads) and very low levels of light pollution, resulting in starlit skies.

Narrow rural lane near Thornbury with views over trimmed flower-rich hedges across pastoral farmland and a wooded tributary valley of the River Torridge.

Tributary valley of the River Torridge near Thornbury; wooded along its course with pastoral farmland on the valley slopes.

Forces for change and their landscape implications

Past and current

• Lack of management (particularly coppicing) of small, privately-owned woodlands and spread of invasive exotic species.
• 20th century planting of coniferous woodlands creating prominent geometric shapes within the agricultural landscape.
• Lack of recent planting in parklands to replace over-mature specimen trees.
• Loss of trees resulting from spread of ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) disease.
• Farm amalgamation and modernisation, with large agricultural buildings often occupying prominent positions (e.g. large dairy enterprises around Sheepwash).
• Past agricultural intensification leading to hedgerow loss and changing the pastoral character, with the introduction of intensive cropping including maize.
• Hedgerow removal and widening of farm gateways in arable areas, poor management of hedgerows resulting in reduced wildlife value, loss of stockproofing, and reduced scenic quality.
• Farm diversification (e.g. equine businesses and alpaca farming) changing landscape character.
• New buildings that are not always sensitively sited or designed.
• Ball clay working and landfill on Marland Moor is locally visually intrusive and introduces an industrial character to this part of the area.
• Electricity transmission lines and pylons running across the centre and north-west of the area.
• Domestic wind turbines (e.g. three turbines near Bulkworthy) locally impacting on views and perceptions of undeveloped, rural character.
• Small-scale residential development on the outskirts of villages (e.g. Stibbs Cross).
• Noise and visual intrusion from main roads (e.g. A388 and A386), locally eroding tranquillity.
• 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 particularly on lower ground.

Future

• 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..
• Actions arising from the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Nature Recovery Plan, 2021-25 which aim to make space for nature, restore ecosystems and increase landscape dynamism by integrating nature recovery into the management of land within the Biosphere.
• Potential change in ownership of parkland estates, affecting their character and management.
• On-going climate change affecting growing seasons, weather patterns and storm frequency, potentially affecting farming practices, parkland trees and woodlands.
• New pests, diseases and pathogens (e.g. Ash dieback and Phytophthora) affecting tree species composition and distribution (including hedgerow trees and other trees outside of woodlands), affecting landscape character.
• Potential changes in hydrology resulting from climate change. Increased levels of flooding and drought impacting on the Torridge catchment and associated wetland habitats due to changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme weather events. This could also lead to demand for engineered flood defenses.
• Increased levels of diffuse pollution from agriculture, affecting water quality and riparian wildlife.
• Continued demand for renewable energy, including wind farms on higher ground, solar arrays, bio-energy crops and domestic-scale renewables, with potential cumulative effects on the landscape.
• Future increase in recreation facilities such as camping and 'glamping' sites, often as part of farm diversification enterprises.

Part-cleared plantation north of Langtree.

Landscape guidelines

Protect

• Protect (and restore where appropriate) historic features such as church towers, linhays, fingerposts and bridges.
• Protect historic field patterns, particularly the preserved strip fields around Sheepwash.
• Protect local vernacular styles and avoid settlement spread along ridgelines; any new development should respect traditional styles and forms, whilst incorporating sustainable design.
• Protect the historic character and setting of the Conservation Areas at Merton and Sheepwash.
• Protect important local views and vistas including panoramic views across the Torridge Valley,(avoiding new woodland planting or development which could obscure these). Protect the local winding road network and its associated fern- and flower-rich banks, resisting unsympathetic highways improvements, lighting or signage.
• Protect the role of the area as a rural backdrop in views from adjacent landscapes, including Dartmoor National Park in the south.
• Protect the area's dark night skies through (for example) resistance to street lighting schemes in deeply rural and intrinsically dark countryside.

Manage

• Manage semi-natural habitats such as Culm grassland and wet meadows, including through appropriate grazing; encourage farms to manage these 'marginal' areas as integral parts of their farming systems.
• Manage ancient and estate woodlands through traditional techniques such as coppicing, and control grazing levels by deer and livestock to encourage longevity and ground flora.
• Manage the distinctive character of veteran trees and parkland estates, including the retention of veteran and dead/dying trees as key wildlife habitats, pollarding where appropriate and planting the next generation of (climate resilient) specimen trees.
• Promote careful management of park grasslands to prevent damage to tree root systems through nutrient enrichment and compaction associated with agricultural activities.
• Manage existing plantations, seeking to enhance their biodiversity value, and explore opportunities for reversion to a mixed structure with open grassland habitats upon maturity and felling.
• Manage archaeological sites and their settings, ensuring appropriate levels of grazing and management of visitor pressure. Provide interpretation where appropriate.
• Manage hedgebanks and hedgerows to be more productive and resilient to climate change whilst enhancing biodiversity and local distinctiveness, encouraging locally distinctive species and cutting regimes (encouraging longer cycles between cutting to enhance biodiversity value).
• Sustainably manage popular visitor destinations and promoted routes including the Tarka Trail to reduce impacts of visitor pressure (such as increased litter and footpath erosion).

Plan

• Identify opportunities for enhancing agriculture (e.g. through the new Environmental Land Management scheme) that would reinforce local distinctiveness and beauty of the countryside whilst also delivering other objectives, for example restoring ponds, hedgerows, orchards and copses as part of the farming landscape.
• Restore lost or degraded lengths of hedgerow to strengthen ecological connectivity and natural flood management whilst respecting the characteristic local field patterns. Follow guidelines published by Devon Hedge Group.
• Create, extend and link woodland and wetland habitats to improve connectivity, enhance the water storage capacity of the landscape (reducing incidences of downstream flooding) and improve water quality through reducing soil erosion and agricultural run-off. Extending woodland along and up the valley sides (through both natural regeneration and planting) could help reduce flood risk, improve water quality and contribute to nature recovery.
• Respond to the UK-wide policy drive for woodland planting in line with the Devon Local Nature Partnership 'Right Place, Right Tree' guidance to 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.
• Soften and integrate the visual impact of productive woodland into the landscape with broadleaf woodland edges and dynamic scrub habitat.
• Plant replacement parkland trees as many existing specimens are reaching maturity; encourage open-grown trees within the wider countryside.
• Plan for changes to the watercourses resulting from climate change. This could also lead to demand for flood defences to protect existing structures. Natural flood defences and making space for flooding should be encouraged where appropriate within the landscape (e.g. using areas of floodplain grazing marsh along the River Torridge).
• 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 favourable for solar and wind development.
• Ensure new facilities and infrastructure to meet increased tourism demand are sensitively sited and designed to conserve and enhance the distinctive characteristics, valued attributes and special qualities of the landscape that make it attractive to visitors. Improve the screening and integration of ball clay works and other intrusive developments into the landscape.
• Ensure future residential development respects and complements the existing settlement character of dispersed hilltop villages and hamlets and sparsely settled valley floors, and the traditional vernacular of whitewash and white/cream rendered cottages.
• Integrate new development (residential and commercial) into the landscape framework through the provision of a surrounding network of green spaces, wildlife habitats and recreational routes.
• Ensure that where artificial lighting is required it is sensitively designed to limit light pollution and to retain the starlit skies, a highly valued characteristic of the area.

DCA 65 West Torridge Upland Farmland (PDF, 1 MB)