67 - Cannock Chase and Cank Wood : Analysis: Landscape Attributes & Opportunities

Analysis supporting Statements of Environmental Opportunity

The following analysis section focuses on the landscape attributes and opportunities for this NCA.

Further analysis on ecosytem services for this NCA is contained in the Analysis: Ecosytem Services section.

Landscape attributes

A very varied landscape that forms part of the larger midlands plateau and including distinctive areas of higher ground that provide extensive views.

Justification for selection:

• The landscape ranges from the wild and open Cannock Chase, to productive agricultural land, through freestanding towns and an extensive urban fringe to dense urban areas.
• The underlying character appears throughout the urban fringe and the Black Country as heathland, small woods and fragments of farmland.
• There are extensive views from parts of Cannock Chase and viewpoints within the urban area include Turners Hill, Castle Hill, Wren’s Nest Hill, Sedgeley Beacon and Barr Beacon.

Outstanding geodiversity interest.

Justification for selection:

• The Wren’ Nest NNR contains limestone rocks with an exceptionally well preserved fossil fauna. The exploration of this site played a significant role in the development of the science of geology.
• There are 8 geological SSSI with a range of different features; and a significant number of local geodiversity sites.
• There is a legacy of past mining and quarrying related to the area’ industrial development, such as the limestone caverns in Dudley.

The Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a varied landscape of open heathland and woodland that provides a sense of wildness and tranquillity.

Justification for selection:

• An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1958, subject to an AONB Management Plan implemented by a local partnership.
• It is a largely unenclosed landscape with little settlement or habitation, but used extensively for recreation; a 2000 survey estimated the number of visitors at 5 m per annum.
• It contains a variety of important habitats including lowland heathland and commercial forestry plantations, with a significant proportion designated as a SAC.
• Historic features include Castle Ring Fort, upstanding evidence for ancient hollow ways and historic land management principally in the form of banks and ditches, and military sites associated with training during the two world wars.
• The sense of wildness and tranquillity is reinforced by the wildlife which includes deer, birds such as nightjar, bats and a range of amphibians and reptiles.

Distinct field boundary patterns with regular enclosure to the west of Cannock Chase, areas of small- to medium-sized fields of irregular pattern between the Chase and Lichfield, and the straight field boundaries of 19th century enclosure around the mining settlements south of the Chase.

Justification for selection:

• The different patterns reflect the different periods of enclosure and illustrate the varied history of the area.
• There is also a strong contrast with the largely unenclosed landscape of Cannock Remnant countryside and farmland within the Black Country also shows similar variation.
• The hedgerows are characteristic of the midlands consisting mainly of hawthorn with hedgerow trees, and are important as landscape features and for biodiversity value; but condition and management vary with many in poor condition.

The distinctive settlement pattern of the Black Country and parts of Birmingham with dense urban areas interspersed with remnant countryside, farmland, woods and reclaimed land that forms a network of habitats and open spaces that spreads into the surrounding urban fringe.

Justification for selection:

• The settlement pattern reflects the industrial and mining history with towns specialising in particular trades and surrounding land exploited for minerals and then re-used for other purposes.
• There are significant ‘green wedges’ and large open areas such as Sandwell Valley, the area around Barr Beacon and Sutton Park that provide a real feeling of countryside.
• Small woods, pools and sites that have been reclaimed or have regenerated naturally form a mosaic of valuable habitats. There are a number of SSSI and the Cannock Extension Canal and Fens Pool are SAC; and the wider canal network is an important habitat for water floating plantain and freshwater crayfish.
• Much of the urban fringe is Green Belt, and is home to a range of agricultural, recreational and quarrying activities.

Diverse woodlands and plantations that vary in size and type including commercial coniferous plantations, ancient woodland, wet woodland and many small woods and young plantations.

Justification for selection:

• Overall woodland cover of 12 per cent which is probably an underestimate given the number of small woods under 2 ha in size and many new plantations.
• Coniferous plantations on Cannock Chase and nearby provide commercial woodland and recreation. Management and different height/age structures contribute to biodiversity, for example, value for ground-nesting birds.
• Small broadleaved woods are a feature of the urban and urban fringe areas, providing valuable habitats and opportunities for public access.
• Ancient woodlands have wider historic value and are likely to incorporate upstanding evidence of historic management, principally in the form of banks and ditches.
• The Forest of Mercia and Black Country Urban Forest initiatives have provided a legacy of young plantations between five and twenty years old that have considerable potential if managed properly.

Extensive areas of lowland heathland with associated acid grassland and woodland that provide a mosaic of habitats; that are found particularly in the arc between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park.

Justification for selection:

• 2,368 ha of lowland heathland, some 3 per cent of the national resource of a priority habitat; of a type that represents a transition between lowland and upland heath.
• The flora reflects the transitional nature, including the largest UK population of hybrid bilberry which is found on Cannock Chase.
• The habitat is important for many of the native species of amphibians and reptiles, various birds notably the nightjar, and insects.
• The major areas of heathland are found at Cannock Chase, around Chasewater and at Sutton Park, and there are smaller areas around the fringes of the Chase and on the northern edge of the conurbation.
• The SAC designation of much of Cannock Chase is due to the heathland.

Extensive industrial archaeology, including significant sections of canal network, that reflects the area’ industrial history and its central place in the industrial revolution.

Justification for selection:

• Complex range of industrial archaeology features in the Black Country which reflects the association of the different towns with different trades and gave rise to distinctive buildings such as lock works in Willenhall and leather works in Walsall.
• The legacy of mining and quarrying such as the limestone caverns in Dudley; and evidence for of coal mining and the remnants of small mining settlements south of the Chase.
• There is an extensive canal network that was constructed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; and the Trent and Mersey and Staffordshire and Worcestershire canals were vital links between the four major rivers of England.

Historic parks that often incorporate former deer parks, designed landscapes and urban parks from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Justification for selection:

• A number of historic parks incorporate former deer parks, including Beaudesert, Teddesley, Wolseley, and notably, Sutton Park, which is a Registered Park and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
• Parks include archaeological features such as boundary earthworks.
• Shugborough Park is a designed landscape with House and a range of smaller buildings and monuments, from the 18th and 19th centuries.
• There are urban parks throughout the Black Country, such as Walsall Arboretum; and in towns such as Lichfield with its Cathedral Close and associated park.
• As well as being of historic value theses parks are popular for recreation and contain valuable habitats such as the heathland and woodland at Sutton Park.

An extensive rights of way network and areas of access land.

Justification for selection:

• Nearly 800 km of public rights of way including parts of several long-distance routes Staffordshire Way, Heart of England Way, Beacon Way.
• The canal network provides additional routes and there are a number of dedicated cycle routes. There are good links between the urban areas and major recreational sites such as; Sandwell Valley, Barr Beacon, Sutton Park and Chasewater plus the wider countryside outside of these sites.
• Over 2,000 ha of open access land, much of which is on Cannock Chase, where there is also unrestricted access to the majority of the woodlands, which are currently in public ownership.

Landscape opportunities

• Protect and manage the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so as to retain the sense of wildness and tranquillity and balance the needs of habitat management for biodiversity and protection of the Cannock Chase SAC, conservation of the historic environment, commercial forestry and public access and recreation.
• Plan for significant new green infrastructure provision within in association with areas of new urban development to expand the existing ecological networks.
• Plan for the significant expansion and sustainable management of lowland heathland and associated habitats through management, restoration and creation (particularly in the area between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park as identified in the Staffordshire and the Birmingham and Black Country Local Biodiversity Action Plans), to maintain priority habitats and species, protect designated sites, improve habitat connectivity, and maintain the open landscape character.
• Protect and manage the distinctive geodiversity and industrial archaeology of the NCA, including geological exposures (particularly in the Black Country), buildings and sites associated with the iron, manufacturing and mining industries, and the canal network, so as to conserve the geological record and the industrial legacy.
• Protect and manage historic parks and urban parks so as to maintain significant historic landscapes and to conserve important archaeological features and habitats such as veteran trees, wood pasture and urban trees and the associated invertebrate populations.
• Protect and manage the existing network of farmland, woods, open space and water bodies within the Black Country and adjoining urban fringe to protect the underlying landscape character, maintain the mosaic of valuable habitats and associated priority species, and provide accessible local green space.
• Protect the landscape setting of historic towns, villages and farmsteads, manage heritage assets which contribute to the landscape character of the area and plan new development, and the change of use of historic buildings, that respects local character and distinctiveness.
• Manage the distinctive field boundary patterns across the NCA to maintain the historic record of regular enclosure to the west, irregular small- to medium-sized fields between the Chase and Lichfield, and 19th century enclosure around the mining settlements; manage and re-plant hedgerows in traditional style to restore landscape character and improve biodiversity value.
• Manage the small woods throughout the NCA to maintain and enhance biodiversity value and plan continued new broadleaved planting in appropriate locations particularly where opportunities exist to expand or link existing woodland areas.
• Manage the existing access network of rights of ways, cycle routes, towpaths and plan new links, particularly within urban areas and between the urban areas and the wider countryside.