42 - Lincolnshire Coast and Marshes : 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 dynamic landscape of a mosaic of intertidal areas and terrestrial habitats and a coast of sediments with some designated sites of geological interest and biodiversity.

Justification for selection:

• Gibraltar Point is an important and changing area with geomorphological interest and is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA).
• The designations of SPA and Special Area for Conservation (SAC) covering the Humber Estuary reach into this NCA – the estuary is also a Ramsar site.
• A coastline with its narrow sandy beaches and also larger mudflats and intertidal habitats.
• Rare saline lagoons exist on this coast.
• Donna Nook National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR are both located in the area.

Medium-scale arable farming and some livestock production with fields bounded by drainage ditches and some hedgerows on higher ground and pasture land.

Justification for selection:

• Past management has responded to the underlying soil and drainage conditions, resulting in subtle variations in landscape character.
• This is a predominantly open, medium-scale agricultural landscape. Mixed arable farmland is predominant in the Middle Marsh to the west of the area, where glacial tills give rise to slow permeable, seasonally-waterlogged fine, loamy soils supporting cereals. Smaller farm units with traditional drained pastures and some vegetable crops are common in the Outmarsh.
• Pastoral land use close to settlement centres and often associated with ancient enclosures, such as in the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes Project (Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes Project (Conservation Action Plan).
• The network of ditches makes a significant contribution to the landscape character, as well as providing important wetland habitats for potential improved connectivity.
• Arable farmland supports a number of birds whose numbers have been on the decline.

Strong sense of undeveloped and sparsely settled rural areas with villages and the inland historic market towns such as Louth. An area featuring greater development on the coastal strip with larger settlements of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Skegness.

Justification for selection:

• The settlements are dispersed and linear and local vernacular is generally characterised by red brick and pantile.
• Modern infill development on the coastal strip.
• Coastal character in many prominent resorts of Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe and Skegness, edged by large-scale caravan parks.
• The popular medieval market town of Louth has historic character.
• Expansion of road, retail and housing development outside larger settlements of Grimsby.
• Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal and pipelines extending offshore may impede coastal processes and impact on views.
• Offshore wind farms visible from the coast.
• Onshore wind farms/wind turbines along the coastal strip.

An open landscape – predominantly flat towards the North Sea. Steeper slopes to the west in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Open rural views over the area from the Wolds with sea views along the eastern side.

Justification for selection:

• Distant views inland and out to the east coast.
• An open landscape with open skies – particularly along the coast.
• There is generally sparse tree and cover which increases to the west in the Wolds Foothills where the landscape includes numerous hills and dry valleys and sinuous narrow woodland.
• The Lincolnshire Wolds dominate and overlook the NCA.
• Churches are prominent in the open landscape and a few are distinctive.

The area has a wealth of ancient routes and settlements.

Justification for selection:

• Use of the area began with seasonal grazing, salt making and transportation. The linear character of settlement reflects the early medieval driveways used as routes to move livestock.
• A number of settlements are mentioned in Domesday Book. There are extensive surviving settlement earthworks surrounding shrunken settlements.
• Scheduled Ancient Monuments exist.
• A number of priories and historic remains of ecclesiastical structures exist.
• There is good survival of ridge and furrow earthworks which generally respect the alignment of old enclosure. Surviving planned enclosure indicates planned marshland reclamation in the 18th-19th centuries.
• Many fields have been consolidated since the Second World War.

The network of public rights of way is limited and there is very little open access land so that access for recreation from urban areas to the countryside and coast is poor. Access to the coast by road provides hot spots for recreation.

Justification for selection:

• Early medieval droveways used as routes to move livestock now form many of the modern routes and these often have grass verges.
• Although there is a relatively limited network of footpaths, those routes that do exist provide some good views and experiences of remote and rural countryside.
• The NNRs and country parks provide some good quality public access, education and enjoyment. Coastal access is limited in places.
• There are promoted routes, green infrastructure strategies and development of coastal access and new links to existing rights of way.
• The public access around the Fish Docks in Grimsby is poor while the People’s Park in Grimsby is a registered park.
• High levels of multiple deprivation on parts of the coast, with associated health issues in the community, such as in the Grimsby area.
• Rural lanes in the NCA are quiet routes, popular for cycling and walking.
• Horse riding is popular in the NCA and on the open beaches, as appropriate.

Sparse woodland is restricted mainly to a number of woodlands, particularly on estates and high ground and linked to ancient forests. Small pockets of deciduous woodland and shelter belts.

Justification for selection:

• Copses and woodland spread throughout the farmland of the AONB in the Lincolnshire Wolds -Brocklesby/Claythorpe.
• Ancient woodland forms a relatively high proportion of the woodland cover.
• Sparse woodland cover has been typical of the general area but wooded character is enhancing.

Widespread evidence of reclamation and drainage history with extensive network of ditches, dykes, canals and rivers with flood banks and pumping stations. Chalk streams drain into the NCA and watercourses.

Justification for selection:

• The watercourses play a key role in draining the low-lying surrounding farmland.
• Watercourses such as the River Lud feed into the Louth Canal.
• Covenham Reservoir provides an important supply of domestic water and also recreation/visual amenity.
• Clay pits, such as along the coast at Wolla Bank, form a series of manmade open water features with associated marginal habitats valuable for wildlife as well as recreation opportunities.
• Several water features such as chalk streams are designated SSSI and support important species. ‘Blow wells’ are also found associated with the Chalk, for example Tetney Blow Well.

A rich historic rural time depth including a maritime past, traditional coastal seaside towns and grazing marshes contribute strongly to sense of place providing associated recreation and tourism opportunities.

Justification for selection:

• Many settlements were established during the medieval period and traces of ancient enclosure can be found. Traditionally, there was seasonal salt production and marsh grazing occurred on reclaimed marsh revealing the connection of farmed land and its reclamation.
• Sites of medieval interest include several deserted medieval villages.
• Fishing heritage associated with the area, for example Grimsby Docks.
• Market town of Louth located at the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds with its historic environment and access opportunities to the AONB. Burgh-le-Marsh and Alford retain a distinctive historic settlement core with traditional windmills and occasional traditional thatched buildings showing their importance as market towns.
• Various country house properties are found including Gunby Hall with its well-preserved parkland and important visitor attraction.
• Coastline with visible evidence of military sea defences dating from the Second World War.
• Popular seaside resorts and caravan parks include Cleethorpes, Humberston, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells and Skegness.
• Developments including offshore wind farms impact on sea views and may affect coastal processes. There is significant opportunity for renewable energy such as wind, tidal and biomass.
• Visitors are attracted to the area’s nature reserves and the sea life such as the seal population at Donna Nook and Gibraltar Point.
• Dog walking is very popular – especially on the promenades and shore.
• Seaside art and events, for example Anderby Creek.

The habitats of the area and its nature reserves support birds and mammals, which also depend on adjacent areas.

Justification for selection:

• Seabirds from adjoining NCAs with SPA designations (for example The Wash and The Humber) forage in the area, particularly on the sediments.
• Mammals including the grey seal breed within the NCA. The common seal breeds here and in adjacent NCAs (and in The Wash).

Landscape opportunities

• Retain the open character of the landscape with its expansive views and big skies. Protect areas with a strong sense of remoteness, wildness and tranquillity and dark skies at night, for example NNRs and AONB.
• Protect the nationally and internationally significant coastal habitats in the area including the areas of salt marsh, mudflats, sand dunes and arable pasture land which support large numbers of protected species and provide opportunities for people to enjoy access to nature.
• Conserve, manage and expand semi-natural habitats that reveal the influence of underlying soils and hydrological conditions.
• Protect the flat, open, low-lying Outmarsh for its remote and tranquil character which is enjoyed by walkers, its archaeological assets which provide a link to the past, and its drained pasture fields which support bird species such as the golden plover and pink-footed goose.
• Manage the water table levels so that existing wetland habitats are retained. Manage and expand the wetland habitats, including wet pasture, fens, reedbeds and where appropriate wet woodland.
• Ensure that managed realignment sites and new flood storage areas are managed to create wetland habitats that contribute to landscape character and biodiversity, ideally with some public access.
• Protect the areas of existing woodland, hedgerows and hedgerow trees in the Middle Marsh which are characteristic of the landscape contrast between inland and coastal marshlands.
• Plan for new woodland planting at appropriate locations, especially where this would be beneficial to creating new green infrastructure routes or integrating new development into the landscape.
• Plan to allow for the predicted impact of climate change, including sea level rise, coastal erosion and flooding, by using appropriate mitigation and adaptation principles.
• Plan to allow natural coastal processes to continue in appropriate areas along the coastline to allow essential sediment transportation, to create other intertidal habitats and natural sea defence and to enhance the landscape character of the coast.
• Conserve the productive soils for continued agricultural production while ensuring that the agricultural landscapes make a greater contribution to wildlife, especially to farmland birds, by avoiding or reducing cultivation on the steepest slopes (in the Lincolnshire Wolds foothills) and where there are archaeological features.
• Plan opportunities to provide links between the larger settlements to the surrounding countryside so that people can enjoy the tranquillity of rural areas, its history and the coast and include the development of more green spaces in towns such as Grimsby.