22 - Pennine Dales 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

Side slopes of Pennine uplands, predominantly sloping eastwards, but with locally varied topography formed by several significant river valleys running from west to east, including the Washburn, Nidd, Ure, Swale and the broad vale of the Tees.

Justification for selection:

• Elevation in the NCA ranges from 21 m to 383 m.
• The rivers are important landscape features, flowing through broad, glacially widened valleys. Smaller rivers flow through steep-sided valleys following courses cut by glacial meltwaters.
• There is considerable variation in the landscape especially between the open, exposed plateaux and shoulders of the hills, the small and enclosed valleys and the broad river valleys.
• Valleys of the smaller tributaries have steeper sides and are distinguished by small hedged or walled grasslands and pastures as well as belts of trees following streams. Some valleys are more densely wooded while the Washburn is more dramatic with steep valley sides, a string of reservoirs and extensive mixed and coniferous plantations.

A transitional landscape between the Pennine uplands to the west and the low-lying fertile landscape of the Vale of York to the east; mainly pastoral in the west, with rough grazing on the moorland edge, merging into mixed farming, with arable on the lighter soils in the east.

Justification for selection:

• 77 per cent of agricultural land in the NCA is grassland or other uncropped land.
• 55 per cent of the NCA’s soils are Grade 3, 31 per cent Grade 4, with soils increasing in productivity from the poorer upland soils of the west to the richer lowland soils of the east.
• Habitats of international significance include internationally designated moorland on the North Pennine Moors SPA/SAC and the North Pennine Dales Meadows SAC around Richmond, designated for its rare upland hay meadows.
• Other semi-natural habitats include upland heathland, grazing marsh, calcareous and grasslands.
• 23 per cent of the area falls within the Nidderdale AONB and 1 per cent in the North Pennines AONB.

A well-wooded landscape, with woodland along valley slopes, and copses and plantations in the lower agricultural landscape. Individual trees, often mature or veteran, are found in hedgerows and the area’s numerous historic parklands. Some of the lower lying, arable areas in the north east of the area have lower levels of tree cover.

Justification for selection:

• Nearly 10 per cent woodland cover (8,390 ha) with 4,550 ha of broadleaved woodland and 2,811 ha of conifer plantations.
• 662 ha of ancient semi-natural woodland, and 1,199 ha of ancient woodland which has been planted up.
• Broadleaved woodland largely found along steep sides of narrow valleys.
• Many small woodlands and plantations in particular associated with parklands.

Field boundaries of drystone walls on higher ground and hedges in lower areas. Fields are often small around villages, reflecting their medieval origins and larger and more regular on higher ground, dating from parliamentary enclosure.

Justification for selection:

• Hedges are found more frequently on lower-lying areas where they grow well and form strong stock- proof boundaries. On higher more exposed ground drystone walls have historically been created in preference to hedges as hedge plants struggle and stone is in plentiful supply.
• Both hedges and walls are in some areas suffering from neglect and being slowly lost from the landscape, often replaced by post and wire fences once they are no longer stock-proof.

A generally tranquil and rural area, with a distinctly ancient character in some parts and several small, historic market towns including Kirkby Malzeard, Middleham, Masham, Richmond and Barnard Castle, linked by a network of minor roads. Development pressure greater in the south and east, around the spa town of Harrogate and the northern fringes of Leeds.

Justification for selection:

• Market towns, mostly dating as foundations from the 12th and 13th centuries developed on this lowland/upland fringe.
• Minor gentry houses date from early 17th century. Some country houses and associated parks – such as Constable Burton on the site of medieval deer park. The spa town of Harrogate developed around dispersed common from 18th century, with major expansion in early 19th century and after arrival of railway in 1848.

Millstone Grit predominantly used for buildings and walling, giving strong visual unity to villages, mixing with Magnesian Limestone as a building material to the east. Roofs of stone flag (sand-stone), Welsh slate and pantile.

Justification for selection:

• Millstone Grit is the primary underlying geology of the area and historically provided a plentiful supply of hard-wearing building material.
• Limestone from the Southern Magnesian Limestone ridge adjacent to the east is also used for building.

Many rivers, including the Tees, Ure, Nidd and Wharfe, forming important landscape features along with their broad, glacially widened valleys. Smaller rivers, such as the Burn, Laver, Kex Beck and the Skell flow through steep-sided valleys following courses cut by glacial meltwaters. The River Washburn, a tributary of the Wharf, has been dammed to create a series of reservoirs.

Justification for selection:

• Seven major rivers pass through the NCA, the: Greta (14 km), Tees (17 km), Swale (11 km), Ure (30 km), Nidd (18 km), Washburn (10 km) and Wharfe (14 km).
• Four large reservoirs are located on the River Washburn: the Thruscross, Fewston, Swinsty, and Lindley Wood reservoirs.
• The Washburn Valley is particularly rich in bird life with nightjar and nesting red kite in the mature woodlands near Otley, and large areas of grassland used as winter feeding grounds by wading birds such as curlew and lapwing. It is also particularly well used for recreation, particularly by local people and visitors from nearby conurbations.
• The rivers are a very important resource in the area for recreation, particularly wildlife watching, walking, fishing and kayaking.

Historically rich area with numerous parklands, abbeys and historic buildings as well as medieval and roman earthworks.

Justification for selection:

• The world heritage site of Fountains Abbey, part of the Studley Royal Estate near Ripon, dating back to the 12th century, includes the largest abbey remains in the UK. This is also the site of the 12th-century abbey corn mill – the only one remaining in the UK and one of very few remaining in Europe.
• 15 Registered Parks and Gardens covering 1,770 ha, one of which (Fountains Abbey) is a World Heritage Site.
• Fountains Abbey is also notable as a SSSI designated for the eight species of bat that make their home in the abbey’s cellarium.
• Jervaulx Abbey, built in 1156 was the first monastic house built in the Ure Valley.
• 18th-century Harewood House, in the south of the NCA, sits in 40 ha of grounds and is home to one of the UK’s red kite release programmes.
• Many of the parklands are well-used visitor attractions providing a diverse range of access and recreation opportunities.
• Extensive and well-preserved evidence for Romano-British and prehistoric settlement including farmsteads and field systems, and extending to the 9th and 10th centuries.

Landscape opportunities

• Encourage sympathetic management of hedgerows with less frequent cutting, establishment of hedgerow trees and restoration through measures such as gapping up, coppicing and laying.
• Restore hedgerows with hedgerow trees along old boundary lines.
• Plant new broadleaved woodland, particularly where it will connect existing isolated woodlands, buffer ancient woodlands and offer reduced flood or pollution risk, and where it will strengthen landscape character, but not impact upon archaeological features or existing priority species/habitats especially upland heathland and species-rich grasslands.
• Ensure sympathetic management of veteran trees on agricultural land which avoids cultivation, application of chemicals/nutrients or compaction around the base of trees.
• Plant new in-field and hedgerow trees close to existing veteran trees to provide the veteran trees of the future.
• Protect and sympathetically manage historic parklands, retaining and restoring key historic features, protecting their veteran trees and ensuring that they provide access and recreation where possible by allowing adaptive management to adapt to changing needs of society while maintaining historic and ecological integrity.
• Encourage continued management of grassland by extensive grazing, low or nil applications of artificial fertiliser, and hay-cutting where feasible; look for opportunities to expand areas of species-rich grasslands and hay meadows.
• Protect and sympathetically manage semi-natural habitats such as hay meadows, neutral and acid grasslands and wetlands.
• Protect and sympathetically manage geological sites which act as key landscape features (such as Almscliff Crag).
• Encourage use of traditional building materials (particularly local Millstone Grit and limestone) and local building techniques in maintenance and repair of vernacular and historic buildings and structures.
• Maintain and restore drystone walls using local materials and styles.
• Protect and sympathetically manage the area’s archaeology, particularly its important prehistoric, Roman and medieval sites and artefacts, and historic structures associated with the area’s many rivers (bridges, mill buildings, water control structures).
• Protect the tranquil and rural nature of the NCA by minimising intrusion from traffic and development.