Devon Character Areas

DCA 59: Taw Valley

View across rolling farmland towards the densely wooded Taw Valley, including Burrowcleave Wood on the left.

Contextual description

This Devon Character Area (DCA) comprises the main valley of the River Taw, plus its tributary valleys, including the River Bray, River Mole, Crooked Oak Stream, and Mully Brook. The area forms a rough 'Y' shape, surrounded by areas of higher land. The South Molton Farmland DCA and Codden Hill and Wooded Estates DCA lie to the north, Witheridge and Rackenford Moor to the east and the High Culm Ridges to the west. To the south is the High Taw Farmland. The valley straddles North Devon and Torridge Districts, extending into Mid Devon to the south.

Link to National Character Areas and Constituent Landscape Character Types

Constituent Landscape Character Types (LCTs) include 1F Farmed Lowland Moorland and Culm Grassland, 3A Upper Farmed Wooded Valley Slopes, 3C Sparsely Settled Farmed Valley Floors, 3G River Valley Slopes and Combes, 3H Secluded Valleys and 5A Inland Elevated Undulating Land.

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

Summary character description

This is an intricate, complex and varied valley landscape, contrasting with the surrounding open, elevated farmland. Woodland cover and the sloping topography combine with bends and spurs in the valley to hide views and create constant surprises. Tightly wooded sections unexpectedly open out to display wide vistas across the valley. Around Eggesford, the steep valley sides and mixture of broadleaved and coniferous woodland are evocative of continental Europe. Elsewhere, tranquil parkland gives the valley a soothing atmosphere.

Extensive coniferous woodland within the main Taw Valley with a mix of pasture and arable on rural valley sides, viewed from the south of the DCA.

Distinctive characteristics

Underlying Culm Measures geology of Carboniferous mudstones, siltstones and sandstone which have been incised by the rivers.
Dramatic steep-sided valleys with flat valley floors cut through the surrounding landform.
Fast-flowing, clear rivers meander through valleys. The lower course of the Taw near Barnstaple is tidal.
Fields on valley floodplains and valley sides generally pastoral, with some arable land use on downstream, shallower valley slopes downstream, where there is higher-quality agricultural land.
Fields are typically regular in shape, but with pockets of older enclosures which are smaller and irregular. The valley floor has a generally open character.
Field boundaries comprise hedgerows or hedgebanks, with some fences, particularly in arable areas.
Extensive areas of dense woodland on valley sides, with broadleaved and coniferous woodland merging quite naturally, and riparian and parkland trees adding to the pastoral character of valley bottoms.
Semi-natural habitats associated with the river, including wetlands, water meadows and tidal salt marsh towards Barnstaple.
Historic features including stone bridges, weirs and mills add to the time-depth of the valley landscape.
Three medieval motte and bailey castles on the valley sides overlooking the river.
Strong parkland influence with historic wood pasture, typically associated with estates including Tawstock Park and King's Nympton Park.
Small orchards throughout the area adding to the diversity of tree cover, particularly in the main valley.
Settlement generally clustered around railway stations (e.g. Umberleigh and Chapelton) or industrial sites (Colleton Mills), with villages higher up the valley sides or in tributary valleys.
Historic farmsteads on valley sides overlooking the rivers, linked by steep, narrow, tunnel-like lanes bounded by high fern hedges.
Transport routes, including the 'Tarka Line' railway between Exeter and Barnstaple, and the A377, erode levels of tranquillity within the valley.
Long views north to the uplands of Exmoor and south to Dartmoor.
A quiet, peaceful, visually attractive landscape, often with a strong sense of remoteness.

The River Taw passing under a stone bridge west of King's Nympton with dense deciduous woodland (Head Wood and Park Wood) on the valley sides.

Special qualities and features

High scenic quality and strong sense of enclosure, contrasting with the surrounding open farmland.

Eastern part of the area intervisible with Exmoor National Park, contributing to the setting of the nationally designated landscape; views also to Dartmoor National Park from elevated land.

Locally high levels of tranquillity, particularly in the tributary valleys to the east, and dark night skies away from main settlements within/adjacent to the DCA.

Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Park Gate Quarry, designated for its carboniferous fossil exposures.

Extensive areas of ancient woodland (both semi-natural and replanted) with County Wildlife Sites including valley-floor and woodland habitats.

King's Nympton Park (listed Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens) - an 18th century landscape developed from a 15th century deer park.

Eggesford Castle, Heywood Castle and Millsome Castle (all medieval motte and bailey castles) together with an early Iron Age hillfort (Brightley Barton Camp) and a medieval standing cross (Speke's Cross) - are all Scheduled Monuments.

Strong local vernacular of cream/whitewash thatched cottages; some exposed stone and slate roofs.

Many Conservation Areas including the historic village cores of High Burrington, Ashreigney, King's Nympton and Chulmleigh.

Wealth of historic buildings throughout the area, including houses, bridges and industrial features. Concentrations of listed buildings (some Grade I listed) in Atherington, Burrington, Chulmleigh and King's Nympton,

Cultural associations with Henry Williamson's Tarka the Otter.

The scenic Tarka Line local railway running between Barnstaple and Exeter provides access to the landscape via the villages of the Taw and Yeo Valleys.

Valued recreational assets, including accessible forests, particularly around Eggesford (popular for mountain biking) plus the Ridge and Valley Walk and Tarka Trail crossing through the east of the area.

Forces for change and their landscape implications

Past and current

Coniferous plantations on former ancient woodland, changing the character of the landscape.
Parkland planting reaching maturity and/ or poorly managed, potentially leading to the loss of this important element of the landscape.
Water-borne invasive weeds such as Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed affecting river-bank habitats.
Loss of orchards, reducing landscape diversity and wildlife value.
Agricultural intensification, resulting in changes in grazing patterns, loss of pasture and rough grasslands on valley slopes to intensive arable production and loss of landscape features such as hedgerows.
Removal of species-rich Devon banks to support agricultural intensification, with lengths of fencing replacing traditional boundaries in some locations.
Increased levels of farm, recreational and other traffic on narrow rural roads, reducing the area's tranquility and damaging roadside banks and vegetation; unsympathetic highways measures.
Main roads and railway line locally reduce levels of tranquillity, although traffic levels on the A377 have been reduced by preferential use of the more northerly A361 'North Devon Link Road'.
Residential development near existing villages, hamlets and farmsteads, built largely in keeping with local vernacular styles and materials.
Visual intrusion and light spill from urban development in and around Barnstaple, lying just outside the area in the Taw-Torridge Estuary DCA.
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.

Future

Potential planting of new woodlands to reduce flooding and improve water storage and carbon sequestration.
Loss of parkland trees and woodland as a result of poor management, as well as storm damage and drought due to climate change, and new pests, diseases and pathogens (e.g. Phytophthora).
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 lead changes in traditional grazing management and the management of landscape features such as Devon hedges and traditional linhays.
Longer growing season and enhanced growth rates of vegetation as a result of climate change, including secondary woodland, resulting in a spread of such vegetation in the understories of the area's semi-natural and estate woodlands.
Increased flood risk and drought due to climate change, impacting on the river, tributaries and associated wetland/meadow habitats. This could also lead to demand for engineered flood defenses.
Increased levels of diffuse pollution from agriculture, reducing fish stocks and affecting riparian wildlife.
Renewable energy schemes, including potential hydro-electric power schemes on rivers, solar farms and bio-energy crops which would change the pattern of the agricultural landscape, and wind turbines affecting the skylines on higher land.
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 Barnstaple causing visual intrusion into the valley landscapes, and associated reductions in tranquillity and dark night skies.
Incremental changes such as intrusive signage eroding the character of the landscape.
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).

A sensitively restored traditional agricultural building near Meethe.

Landscape guidelines

Protect

Protect the lightly settled and tranquil character of the landscape, with dark night skies.
Protect traditional building styles and materials, particularly cream/whitewashed thatched cottages, as well as exposed stone and slate.
Protect and restore/ repair historic features within the landscape such as bridges, medieval motte and bailey castles and the Iron Age hillfort of Brightley Barton Camp (including through grazing at appropriate levels and recreation management).
Protect the network of quiet sunken lanes enclosed by woodland and species-rich hedgebanks rural lanes, resisting unsympathetic signage and highways measures.
Protect and manage remaining traditional orchards.
Protect open skylines on adjacent high ground which form the backdrop to the valleys.
Protect tidal habitats and the associated birds and other species which they support.

Manage

Manage parkland estates, resisting conversion from pastoral to arable use. Manage wood pasture and grassland habitats extensively to prevent damage to tree root systems.
Retain veteran/dying trees for their wildlife habitats, seeking to plant the next generation of parkland trees using locally prevalent, climate-resilient species.
Manage areas of semi-natural woodland, including through traditional techniques such as coppicing and extensive grazing to maximise age and species diversity and a rich ground flora (also building resilience to climate change).
Manage the area's existing plantations for sustainable timber production and wildlife interest, creating new green links to surrounding semi-natural habitats as part of local nature recovery networks.
Manage wet woodland and floodplains through traditional grazing and land management regimes to enhance their wildlife value and roles in flood prevention.
Manage species-rich Devon hedgebanks through the regular coppicing of hedgerow trees, planting new (climate-resilient) specimens and re-laying gappy sections, strengthening irregular medieval field patterns.
Manage important areas of rough grassland on upper slopes through a continuation of livestock grazing at appropriate levels. Support farmers to continue to farm these 'marginal' areas as an integral part of their farming system, including through the future Environmental Land Management Schemes.
Manage agricultural run-off into the rivers from adjacent areas to reduce water pollution and impacts on ecological networks.
Manage and control/ eradicate where possible invasive water-borne weeds.

Plan

Restore lengths of lost Devon hedges, respecting traditional bank styles and species composition, to contribute to landscape structure and provide important linkages between semi-natural habitats.
Plan for future need for residential development, respecting the existing sparsely settled character and the traditional vernacular.
Restore and manage areas of relict traditional orchards and explore opportunities for the creation of new ones, including community orchards.
Create, extend and link woodland and wetland habitats to 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.
Respond to the national policy drive for woodland planting, following the principles set out in Devon Local Nature Partnership's Right Place, Right Tree guidance. Extending woodland along and up the valley sides could make an important contribution to local nature recovery networks, reducing flood risk and improving water quality.
Encourage natural regeneration of woodland and undertake new planting (using climate-hardy species) to link fragmented sites.
Plan for changes to agriculture as a result of market pressures (including Brexit and increased demand for domestic food production) and the new Environmental Land Management Schemes. New crops may also become viable as a result of climate change and the potential landscape impacts of these should be considered.
Develop long-term restructuring of conifer plantations to a more mixed structure, while retaining their role in sustainable timber production. Re-create and restore open habitats as part of a varied mosaic, and explore opportunities to embed improved access and recreation where possible.
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 management and allowing space for flooding should be enhanced where appropriate within the landscape (e.g. along the River Taw and tributary floodplains).
Encourage opportunities for floodplain restoration/re-connection/enhancements in order to better manage flooding for downstream communities
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.
Enhance opportunities to access the valley floor on foot and by cycle, linking to the existing public rights of way network (including the Tarka Trail).
Ensure plans for future renewable energy developments and telecommunications infrastructure consider landscape and visual effects (including cumulative effects) so that these can be sited in appropriate locations and their impacts mitigated through careful design. Guide development to the least sensitive parts of the landscape and utilise screening from topography and vegetation.
Ensure new development, conversions or extensions utilise local vernacular materials and styles wherever possible (whilst seeking to incorporate sustainable design).
In adjacent towns, ensure development is well-integrated into the landscape (including through sensitive planting and lighting schemes) to minimise negative impacts on this tranquil area, and ensure there is provision of a surrounding network of green spaces, wildlife habitats and recreational routes.