87 - East Anglian Chalk : Summary and Headline Statements of Environmental Opportunity

Summary

The East Anglian Chalk National Character Area (NCA) is characterised by the narrow continuation of the chalk ridge that runs south-west-north-east across southern England. The underlying geology is Upper Cretaceous Chalk, which is covered in a surface deposit of ice and river-deposited material laid down during the last ice age. This creates a visually simple and uninterrupted landscape of smooth, rolling chalkland hills with large regular fields enclosed by low hawthorn hedges, with few trees, straight roads and expansive views to the north.

The vast majority of its landscape is open countryside, under cereal production. Sustainable farming practices are required to help to manage the thin chalk soils and support wildlife in the wider countryside. It is an open landscape but trees on hill tops are visually distinct and characteristic. The smooth, rolling chalkland hills are dissected by the two gentle valleys of the rivers Granta and Rhee, which converge to form the River Cam just south of Cambridge.

The porosity of the area’s Chalk geology is one of its most noticeable assets. Rain is largely absorbed through tiny, connected pores and natural fractures, instead of lying on the surface and forming rivers, lakes and ponds. Rainwater moves through the thin chalk soils and slowly replenishes the strategically important chalk aquifer below.

Historically, sheep rearing and corn production have shaped the area, leading to the creation of botanically rich grasslands, which are now often small and fragmented. Large-scale cereal production dominates the predominantly agricultural landscape, and care must be taken to ensure that the soil quality is maintained to support a viable and sustainable future for farming.

Settlement was limited, but over the last 50 years towns – including the university city of Cambridge – and commuter villages have grown rapidly. There is pressure for more development, which is adding to the demand for water and is likely to further reduce the tranquillity of the NCA.

A significant influence around Newmarket has historically been horse-racing and stud farms, which have brought a manicured appearance to the landscape. There is great opportunity to work with the horse-racing industry to improve the quality of the grassland and shelterbelts for the benefit of biodiversity.

The chalklands are traversed by several ancient trackways, including the major ancient trackway, the Icknield Way, which extended along the length of the south-west-north-east chalk outcrop to The Ridgeway in Oxfordshire. The importance of strategic road and railway transport links across this landscape continues today.

Headline Statements of Environmental Opportunity (SEO)

See the Statements of Environmental Opportunity section for more details on the headlines listed below.

SEO 1

Maintain sustainable but productive agricultural land use, while expanding and connecting the chalkland assemblage of semi-natural grasslands, for example by sensitive management of road verges and extending buffer strips along field margins, to benefit soil and water quality, reduce soil erosion, strengthen landscape character and enhance biodiversity and pollinator networks.

SEO 2

Conserve the regionally important East Anglian chalk groundwater resource, by working in partnership to ensure that an integrated catchment scale approach is secured for its enhanced long-term management, including the chalk streams, for the benefit of biodiversity, landscape character and recreational experience.

SEO 3

Conserve and promote the landscape character, geodiversity, historic environment and historical assets of the chalklands, including the open views of undulating chalkland, large rectilinear field pattern and linear ditches, strong equine association and the Icknield Way prehistoric route. Improve opportunities to enhance people’s enjoyment of the area while protecting levels of tranquillity.

SEO 4

Conserve the settlement character and create or enhance sustainable urban drainage systems and green infrastructure within existing and new developments, particularly in relation to the urban fringe and growth areas such as south-east Cambridge, to provide recreation opportunities, increase soil and water quality and enhance landscape character.