71 - Leicestershire and South Derbyshire Coalfield : 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

Gently undulating landform of shallow valleys and ridges.

Justification for selection:

• Beds of sandstone, mudstone and coal underlie an undulating landform with gentle ridges and shallow valleys.
• Heavy, poorly draining soils over Coal Measures and Triassic mudstones with free draining soils on the sandstone ridges. The ridges become less pronounced towards the south where there are locally thick deep deposits of glacial till.

The rivers Mease, Sence, streams, ponds, old quarries and subsidence flashes and Thornton Reservoir.

Justification for selection:

• The NCA is drained by the fast flowing rivers Mease, Sence and their tributaries that have a diverse range of channel features, including riffles, pools and slacks. Due to the fast-flowing nature of the rivers, aquatic vegetation is sparse.
• The River Mease and its tributary, Gilwiskaw Brook is relatively unmodified and is designated as both a SSSI and Special Area of Conservation for its diverse freshwater fish community including nationally significant population of spined loach.
• Old quarries and subsidence flashes are providing opportunities for habitat creation and a number have been designated Local Wildlife Sites that provide opportunities for recreation close to settlements.
• Thornton Reservoir; a semi-redundant water supply reservoir, is now important for biodiversity and provides recreational activities, such as, angling, sailing and walking. A flat, surfaced, circular path
  encircles the reservoir providing access for all abilities.

Predominantly a mixed agricultural, unenclosed landscape, except in the north-east around Coleorton and Newbold, with a developing woodland character.

Justification for selection:

• The National Forest is strengthening the woodland character and there are locally dense areas of riparian woodland, prominent amenity trees around settlements and natural regeneration on abandoned mineral workings.
• The open character is emphasised by low hedgerows with few hedgerow trees.
• In the north east, around Coleorton and Newbold there are small pasture fields, overgrown hedges, frequent hedgerow trees and small copses. Coleorton Hall hosts the large ancient woodland site of Rough Park.
• The farmland is in mixed arable and pasture use and where arable predominates fields have been enlarged in some instances, resulting in a loss of hedgerows.
• There is a wide variation in field pattern, from small to medium sized fields, reflecting a diverse history of enclosure. Early enclosures of medieval open fields tend to show an irregular field pattern.

Mosaic of semi-natural habitats that include ancient woodland, lowland meadow, lowland heathland and wetland habitat.

Justification for selection:

• Locally dense trees along streamlines include, crack willow, alder and ash that are a source for coarse woody debris entering watercourses, providing important habitat for fish and invertebrates.
• Ancient woodland is sparse with the exception of some large blocks in old parklands, for example, at Rough Park and those that straddle the border of Melbourne Parklands NCA, Calke Park and Staunton Harold.
• Most of the grassland is agriculturally improved, although there are patches of neutral and acid grassland and patches of heathland have developed on acidic freely draining soils and spoil tips.
• Flooded old quarries and subsidence flashes provide valuable aquatic and wetland habitat.

Legacy of a long history of mineral exploitation characterised by tile and brick works, prominent deep mine relics, tips, clay pits and dense pattern of mining settlements contrast locally with a fine example of historic parkland landscape.

Justification for selection:

• A rural landscape contrasting with visible relics of the industrial heritage: the tips of deep mines, abandoned colliery sites, tramways and open cast sites.
• In the north around Swadlincote and Moira, there are the pits of the past fireclay industry while in the south around Ibstock, some of the extensive brick pits are still active and there are substantial buildings.
• Open cast coal mining is still ongoing; pits in the South Derbyshire Coalfield continue to work fireclay deposits where they are encountered.
• Many redundant mining features of industrial archaeological interest, for example, Moira Furnace.
• Buried artefacts near Ravenstone indicate Roman occupation and early industry – pottery/tile kilns.
• A dense settlement pattern with large, former mining villages characterised by 19th-century terraced housing following the main road lines and roadside clusters of cottages.
• A fine example of ornamental parkland surrounding Coleorton Hall; a grade II* registered Historic Parks and Garden.
• Around Coleorton, a dispersed pattern of settlement arose in connection with small scale bell pit mining and their associated spoil heaps which, together with small fields and a dense network of footpaths contribute to the distinctiveness of this part of the Coalfield landscape.

Distinctive red-brick terrace houses of mining settlements.

Justification for selection:

• 19th- and 20th-century buildings are predominately red brick, locally manufactured, with tile or slate roofs. Brick production is still active at Ibstock exploiting the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group which provides the distinctive red colouration.
• Some older buildings are of stone.
• A characteristic of the NCA is the double-sized brick of the late 18th century used in the Measham area and known as the ‘Measham gob’.

Extensive rights-of-way network, roads and new out of town developments.

Justification for selection:

• The NCA has good road connections, with the A50, M42/A42 that are visible features in the landscape and have provided opportunities for roadside planting of trees and shrubs.
• The Ivanhoe Way and The Leicestershire Round, a 100 mile circular walk around the county of Leicestershire, and the multi use recreational routes associated with The National Forest offers a wide network of trails and footpaths.
• The Ashby Canal provides 35 km of lock-free cruising which exemplifies the relatively flat topography of the landscape.
• In an open landscape, the settlements are prominent and urban-fringe expansion and developments of warehousing, light industrial units and large out of town retail outlets are making an increasing visual impact on the landscape but are providing opportunities for screen planting and buffering.

Landscape opportunities

• Protect, manage and enhance core sites, for example, SAC, SSSI, LNRs and the network of Local Sites to improve their condition and buffer to maintain their integrity and improve their connectivity.
• Manage, protect and where appropriate expand the mosaic of riparian pasture and wood that provide a buffer to rivers and streams; thus protecting watercourses from diffuse pollution and maintaining a supply of woody debris in to the watercourses, where it does not cause flooding.
• Conserve and enhance the canal network that provides a valuable wildlife corridor, links urban with rural areas and provides opportunities for recreation and volunteering.
• Buffer core sites and semi-natural woodland by creating and managing transitional scrub communities between woodland and adjoining habitats; linking them together to create a coherent habitat network. Maintain and buffer blocks of ancient woodland and manage veteran trees to maintain a continued supply of over-mature trees; encourage successional planting of native mixed species to maintain the structural diversity and landscape character
• Maintain and protect from further fragmentation and degradation areas of heathland and where appropriate expand as part of the restoration of former colliery sites and where appropriate ecological conditions and opportunities exist; provide for areas of successional colonisation by flora to deliver a high quality and diverse environment.
• Maintain and restore where necessary, the pattern of small pastures and hedgerows with hedgerow trees associated with relic parkland, particularly around Coleorton and Newbold – enhancing the setting of visible archaeological sites, historic buildings and conservation areas through new planting.
• Protect and reinstate hedgerows throughout, by gapping-up with typical species and planting their accompanying hedgerow trees ‘ adopting appropriate cutting regimes and tagging to extend the age range, species diversity and structural integrity thus providing wildlife corridors; resource protection to soils; maintaining historic field patterns and strengthening the landscape character.
• Ensure that the design of new developments respect the juxtaposition, scale and materials of traditional local buildings and settlement characteristics and mitigate the visual, noise and light impacts. Create new or extend public rights of way and cycle routes through new developments to improve the connectivity between residential areas, places of work, out into the surrounding countryside to encourage physical activity and sense of wellbeing.