Landscape Character Types

View across rolling pastoral farmland towards Cornborough Cliffs.

Summary description

This Landscape Character Type (LCT) covers the rolling farmland backing the coast between Windbury Point and the western fringes of Bideford and Westward Ho!. It extends beyond the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) boundary into Torridge District. Land closest to the coast is also within the Hartland Heritage Coast. A small area around Cornborough is within the buffer zone of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.

Link to Devon Character Areas

DCA 3: Bideford Bay Coast

Key characteristics

• Strongly rolling landscape with prominent ridges and hilltops, influenced by the close proximity of the sea.
• Underlying geology of mudstones and siltstones with bands of more resistant sandstone creating the undulating landform.
• Pervading maritime influence with long coastal views, including to development at coastal settlements and to the north-west peninsula of the North Devon coastline.
• Strong pattern of regular medium-large fields of post-medieval and modern origin, interspersed with significant areas of smaller curving or medieval strip fields.
• Fields bound by Devon hedges of mixed species with flower-rich banks and some stone facing. Hawthorn, hazel, elm and/or beech are locally characteristic. Patches of gorse reinforce a sense of exposure.
• Predominantly pastoral land use, with occasional arable fields and patches of rough grazing land.
• Linear bands of broadleaved woodland, occasional small mixed woods, ornamental parklands and blocks of conifer plantation combined with a strong network of hedges resulting in a well-treed appearance.
• Nature conservation interest provided by the area's network of woodlands and hedges, with isolated sites of Culm grassland, unimproved species-rich grassland and scrub interspersed within the farmland. Coastal locations include patches of maritime grassland, wet flushes and bracken scrub.
• Part of Marsland to Clovelly Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest and Tintagel-Marsland-Clovelly Coast Special Area of Conservation extend into the coastal landscape. A number of County Wildlife Sites also highlight important areas of nature conservation interest.
• Historic features include prehistoric defensive sites as well as medieval defenses and an 18th century castle (all Scheduled Monuments). Many of the churches are listed.
• Traditional built vernacular of whitewashed and cream cob/render cottages, with some buildings of exposed local stone with red brick detailing. Recently built housing, including cream/white bungalows, is a feature of some villages.
• Dispersed settlement pattern of scattered farmsteads and nucleated villages/hamlets at road crossing points.
• Settlement and farms linked by a network of rural roads enclosed by high hedgebanks. The main A39 cuts through the area.
• Away from settlements, high levels of tranquillity are experienced with dark night skies.
• Urban land-uses (including equestrian paddocks and a heliport) exert a significant influence on the landscape character, notably in the east around larger settlements.
• Holiday parks and caravan sites feature in the landscape, though these are largely well screened by woodland and topography.

Large-scale rectilinear fields south-east of Clovelly Cross.

Valued landscape attributes

• Wide, uninterrupted sea views evoke a strong sense of openness.
• Strong field patterns (including medieval fields) with frequent crooked hedgerow trees provide a sense of time depth in the landscape.
• A working agricultural landscape of productive rolling farmland, with a strong rural character.
• Important coastal habitats valued for their nature conservation interest.
• The peaceful and tranquil qualities, with low levels of development.

A typical view of medium-sized fields sloping towards a small wooded stream valley (a tributary of the River Yeo).

Management guidelines

Protect

Protect and manage semi-natural habitats such as Culm, species-rich grassland, wet flushes and scrub. Retain a mosaic of vegetation types, and create buffer zones between cliff communities and improved agricultural land behind.

Conserve the distinctive field boundaries of mixed-species Devon hedges with flower-rich banks.

Manage

Manage the landscape's valued woodlands (including woodlands designated as SAC/SSSI), controlling invasive species and moving towards a predominance of broadleaves over conifers to enhance their wildlife interest. New planting should consider species of greater resilience to a changing climate.

Manage and protect the landscape's network of hedgebanks and hedgerow trees, replanting ageing or diseased specimens (with climate hardy species of local provenance) to ensure the future survival of these characteristic features.

Manage parkland and ornamental grounds through (for example) the planting of a new generation of specimen trees and extensive grassland management.

Plan

Replace gappy sections of the hedge network and lengths of fencing to reinforce important field patterns. Where possible, restore historic field patterns. New hedgebank construction should reflect local variations (e.g. choice of species, height/width of bank and patterns of stone-facing).

Plan for future restructuring of conifer plantations to mixed woodlands and areas of open habitat, retaining timber production to assure long-term sustainability.

Plan to re-link fragmented patches of semi-natural habitat within the farmed landscape, such as Culm grassland, unimproved species-rich grassland and scrub. Patches of species-rich grassland, wet flushes and bracken along the coast should also be managed as part of a wider nature recovery network.

The natural regeneration of woodland should be encouraged and new planting (using climate-hardy species and in line with Right Place, Right Tree principles) undertaken to link fragmented sites, including within the adjacent combes and on steep coastal slopes. Avoid new planting which could obscure important coastal views.

Plan for habitat roll-back as coastal cliffs retreat, including through managing cliff-top land extensively to reduce nutrient levels.

LCT 5B Coastal Undulating Farmland (PDF, 855 KB)