54 - Manchester Pennine Fringe : 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

Transitional zone between wild open moorlands and densely populated urban areas.

Justification for selection:

• Much of the countryside is influenced by heavy recreational use from adjacent urban areas and the diversification of farmland into uses such as haulage and riding schools.
• The marginal farmland, neglect of some of the landscape features and proximity of urban development all contribute to the areas distinct urban fringe character.
• 46 per cent of the NCA is urban.

Landform is a transition from upland to lowland, with smooth shoulders of land divided by steep- sided valleys with fast flowing rivers.

Justification for selection:

• The Manchester Pennine Fringe has pronounced smooth shoulders of land deeply incised by valley with steep sides.
• The elevation of the area generally lies between 100 m and 300 m, between the lower plains and higher Pennine moors.
• The higher moorland provides extensive views across to the adjacent Manchester Conurbation NCA and Lancashire Coal Measures NCA in the south and west.
• The wooded valleys are an important habitat and there are notable networks of woodlands along
  river corridors.

Elevated vantage points providing extensive views across adjacent Manchester Conurbation NCA.

Justification for selection:

• Senses of inspiration and escapism are constrained by urban development and industrialisation, however, in places there are extensive long distance views from elevated vantage points across urban development in the valleys to the Pennine Moors.
• Several rivers flow through the area from the Pennine uplands linking with adjacent lowland areas.
• The rivers of the Manchester Pennine Fringe form part of the rich, industrial heritage, providing early water power and water to process the textiles.
• Six major rivers run through the NCA, as well as a number of adjoining tributaries, providing water for both domestic and industrial use in Manchester and the many other large settlements.

Woodland cover is characterised by a range of woodland types concentrated along river valleys, as well as some newer community woodlands in urban areas.

Justification for selection:

• There is 9 per cent woodland cover, largely confined to the steep sides of the valleys, making this a distinctive feature of this NCA. The wooded cloughs are important habitats in this area. In recent years new community woodland has been created in the urban areas.
• About 455 ha of the woodland cover in this NCA is ancient woodland.
• Gale Clough and Shooterslee Wood SSSI is the best example of an ancient semi-natural clough woodland on acid soils in Greater Manchester.
• Compstall Nature Reserve SSSI also has one of the best examples of clough woodland in Greater Manchester and an important site for breeding birds.
• The Red Rose Community Forest, one of twelve Community Forests established to demonstrate the contribution of environmental improvement to economic and social regeneration, covers 14,192 ha of this NCA (36 per cent).
• The Pennine Edge Forest is a woodland and environmental initiative for the east of Greater
  Manchester conurbation.

Field boundaries include dry ‘gritstone’ walls at higher elevations and hedgerows at lower elevations.

Justification for selection:

• The strong field pattern and boundary types contribute to the cultural history formed as a result of historic land uses.
• The local gritstone used in this area is a distinctive feature of the Pennine fringe and creates a clear link with the underlying geology.
• Field boundaries comprise hedges at lower elevations towards the urban conurbations.

Limited semi-natural habitats include broadleaved mixed and yew woodland, lowland dry acid grassland, lowland meadows, lowland heathland, and purple moor-grass and rush pasture, often fragmented.

Justification for selection:

• In the river corridors pockets of clough woodland remain in the narrow steep sided valley, whilst the higher and more exposed slopes to the north and west of the area form the transition to the open Pennine Moorland.
• In the upland fringes where improvement has been less worthwhile, a few meadows are still managed traditionally.
• Past industrial activities in the Manchester Pennine Fringe have left a variety of sites that are now valued for their biodiversity such as quarries, mill lodges, reservoirs, canals and spoil heaps.
• There are 192 local sites covering 2,033 ha, which is approximately 5 per cent of the NCA.

Extensive evidence of 18th and 19th century stone and brick-built industrial buildings, including mill lodges and reservoirs originating from the woollen and cotton industry.

Justification for selection:

• Manchester and the surrounding towns owe their size and importance largely to the development of the cotton trade in the Pennine Fringe, but also to coal mining and engineering and to the communications which radiate from it.
• There is strong visual unity with the use of local sandstones and gritstone for building material in the town centres, villages and farmsteads.

Historic trans-Pennine communication routes, especially railways and canals.

Justification for selection:

• Well-used routes act as important travel trajectories across the Pennines and between urban conurbations.
• A large number of busy A-roads and motorways cut through this NCA, connecting the towns of Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Dukinfield and bypassing the city of Manchester.
• Canals form part of the rich, industrial heritage of the Manchester Pennine Fringe. 5 canals run through the area, covering 47 km.
• The canals and railways are historically important, enabling the passage of goods to and from the port of Liverpool, and thus facilitating the rapid period of industrialisation, especially the textile industry.

Much of the countryside is influenced by recreational use from adjacent urban areas and the diversification of farmland, giving the area a distinct urban fringe character.

Justification for selection:

• The demand for recreation within the Manchester Pennine Fringe is high, relating to the closeness of the Manchester Conurbation.
• Much of the area has high recreational use and there is evidence of the diversification of farming into a range of urban related uses.
• There are many Local Nature Reserves and country parks.

Rich industrial heritage and historic parks.

Justification for selection:

• There are 15 registered parks and gardens in the area including Heaton Park (Manchester), Smithills Hall (Bolton), Alexandra Park (Oldham), Stamford Park (Stalybridge), Queen’s Park (Bolton) and Queen’s Park (Rochdale).
• There are 12 scheduled monuments and 1,314 listed buildings.
• These provide access to the history, architecture and habitats for the nearby urban populations, as well as recreation.

Landscape opportunities

• Protect and manage the network of woodland habitats and associated species to maintain and enhance biodiversity value. The concentrated pockets of clough woodlands are important habitats which should be conserved and enhanced.
• Plan to extend woodland planting in appropriate locations particularly where opportunities exist to expand or link existing woodland areas.
• Ensure that new woodlands are located to enhance the local landscape character in terms of scale, type and location. There is scope for woodland creation on some slopes, but this needs to avoid impacting on other sites of biodiversity value or features of historic interest.
• Protect, manage and connect the existing network of local wildlife sites, farmland, woods, open space and water bodies within the Manchester Pennine Fringe to protect the underlying landscape character, maintain the mosaic of biodiversity habitats, and provide accessible local green space.
• Manage and restore areas of lowland dry acid grassland, lowland meadows and purple moor-grass and rush pasture. Provide a mosaic of pasture types to provide a range of feeding, roosting and nesting opportunities for birds, as well as variety in species richness.
• Manage the river valleys and the canal network to conserve and enhance their riparian habitats. These habitats form an important component of the landscape character which is of high wildlife and recreational value. The rivers are important links between the uplands and lowlands in terms of ecological connectivity and water management
• Manage the field boundary patterns across the NCA. There are opportunities to restore patterns of dry stone walls and strengthen the network of hedgerows to enhance the landscape and ecological networks. Manage and restore the urban fringe farmland structure including stone walls, hedges and hedgerow trees.
• Maintain the vernacular architecture of farmsteads and field barns whilst ensuring that development respects local settlement patterns. Use appropriate local building materials and styles in restoring traditional buildings and structures.
• Manage development within the built environment and encourage the sensitive restoration of existing buildings to maintain historic features.
• Conserve and promote the area’s industrial heritage and cultural history, and provide opportunities to interpret this legacy for the understanding and enjoyment for all, whilst also restoring the landscape associated with it.
• Plan for significant new green infrastructure provision within, and in association with, areas of new urban development to expand and connect the existing ecological networks.
• Manage the geological heritage of the area, including geological exposures and sites. Enhance their value for interpretation, education and visual amenity.
• Protect and manage historic parks and urban parks, including Heaton Park (Manchester), Smithills Hall (Bolton), Alexandra Park (Oldham), Stamford Park (Stalybridge), Queen’s Park (Bolton) and Queen’s Park (Rochdale), so as to maintain significant historic landscapes and to conserve important archaeological features and habitats.
• The close proximity to urban areas creates opportunities for recreation, environmental education and access.
• Manage the 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. There are many opportunities to use the network of paths to gain access to, reveal and interpret the area’s history, especially historic features such as boundary stones, tracks, farms, canals, mills and reservoirs.
• Improve access by ensuring that paths are maintained and well signposted, and that some surfaced paths are provided for use by all levels of ability and interest at key locations, including the Pennine Bridleway. This will encourage greater public access, an enhanced visitor experience, an understanding of the local environment and improvements to visitors’ health and wellbeing.