National Character Area 106

Severn and Avon Vales - Key Facts & Data

Landscape and nature conservation designations section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The Severn and Avon Vale includes 11,980 ha of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and 2,199 ha of the Malvern Hills AONB. In total AONBs cover 7 per cent of the total area of the NCA (Natural England, 2011).

Relationship with the coast

The adjacent coastline is covered by the following Shoreline Management Plans:

  • Anchor Head to Lavernock Point

The adjacent coastline includes the following Marine Plan – Marine Character Areas (MCAs):

  • Severn Estuary (England)


Designated nature conservation sites

The NCA includes the following statutory nature conservation designations (Natural England, Special Protection Areas; Special Area of Conservation; Ramsars; National Nature Reserves; Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves, 2021):

Please note: (i) Designated areas may overlap (ii) all figures are cut to Mean High Water Line, designations that span coastal/marine areas below this line will not be included.

Condition of designated sites
All designated sites within England are covered by Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) units. The condition to these SSSI units within the NCA are as follows (Natural England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Units, 2021; 2023):



Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA106

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Landform, geology and soils section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Elevation

The NCA is on average 41m above sea level with a maximum elevation of 295m (Natural England, 2010).

Landform and process

The Severn and Avon Vales NCA has a diverse range of flat and gently undulating landscapes largely consisting of silty clays thought to be deposited in an arid environment in ephemeral lakes, inland seas or saline lakes, punctuated in places by Cotswold outliers. The area is now drained by the rivers Severn and Avon, both of which have important ‘staircases’ of river terraces formed in response to changes in global climate and sea and land levels (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area description).

Bedrock geology

The Severn and Avon Vales are underlain by Triassic and Jurassic soft rocks, mostly consisting of Mercia Mudstones (formerly known as Keuper Marls) and Liassic Clays, which form heavy loam or clay soils. Several outliers of Cotswold Jurassic Limestone occur at Bredon Hill and near Gloucester, for example, Churchdown and Robinswood Hills. They are the source of many important fossil faunas including fish, reptiles and insects. Along the lower reaches of the Severn are a series of cliffs where bands of hard Rhaetic Limestone are interspersed with layers of softer rocks. Thin bands of Rhaetic Limestone also underlie some of the low hills north of Gloucester through to the Natural Area boundary just south of Bromsgrove (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character area description, Severn & Avon Vales Natural Area profile, British Geological Survey maps).

Superficial deposits

Thick deposits of Quaternary sediments were deposited across the NCA during the ‘ice ages’ by rivers and ice sheets. The Severn and Avon Rivers both have important ‘staircases’ of river terraces formed in response to changes in global climate and sea and land levels. Many of these river gravels are fossil bearing and contain vertebrate remains. Some deposits of sands and gravels here are worked commercially. Flooded former gravel workings form significant wildlife sites in several parts of the National Character Area. An unusual feature is the localised salt deposit around Droitwich, which has been worked since Roman times and gives rise to inland salt marsh (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character area description, Severn & Avon Vales Natural Area profile, British Geological Survey maps).

Designated geological sites

The NCA includes the following geological sites (Natural England, Geological and Mixed Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 2021):

wdt_ID NCA_ID NAME NCAAreaHa Interest type Area (ha) 2021 Percent of NCA (2021) Count
2361NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Geological6.80.01
2371NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Mixed1,029.52.75
2382NORTHUMBERLAND SANDSTONE HILLS72,694.6Geological45.40.14
2393CHEVIOT FRINGE51,591.3Geological17.10.02
2404CHEVIOTS36,487.9Geological165.00.52
2414CHEVIOTS36,487.9Mixed3,488.99.61
2425BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Geological85.70.18
2435BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Mixed35.80.01
2446SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Geological7.20.02
2456SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Mixed5,569.25.74

Soils and Agriculture Classification

The 8 main soilscapes in the NCA are: Slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage, covering 29 per cent of the NCA; Lime-rich loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (25 per cent); Slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils (16 per cent); Freely draining slightly acid loamy soils (9 per cent); Loamy and clayey floodplain soils with naturally high groundwater (7 per cent); Loamy and clayey soils of coastal flats with naturally high groundwater (6 per cent); Freely draining lime-rich loamy soils (5 per cent); and Freely draining floodplain soils (1 per cent). Maps showing locations of Statutory sites can be found at: http://magic.defra.gov.uk – select ‘Landscape’ (shows ALC and 27 types of soils) (National Soil Research Institute).

The main grades of agricultural land in the NCA are broken down as follows (as a proportion of total land area) (Natural England, Provisional Agricultural Land Classification, 2019):


Landform, geology and soils map for NCA106

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Key waterbodies and catchments section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Major rivers/canals

The following major rivers/canals (by length) have been identified in this NCA (Natural England, data informing the 2014 National Character Area Profiles, 2010):

wdt_ID REF_CODE NAME_1 Name Length (km) SumOfShape_Length
11NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Aln7.67,587.2
21NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Coquet5.55,516.0
31NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINWhiteadder Water2.92,904.9
410NORTH PENNINESBlack Burn11.911,853.4
510NORTH PENNINESCroglin Water10.010,042.3
610NORTH PENNINESCrowdundle Beck4.34,337.4
710NORTH PENNINESDevil's Water20.520,464.6
810NORTH PENNINESHarwood Beck9.79,740.2
910NORTH PENNINESRiver Allen4.94,889.0
1010NORTH PENNINESRiver Derwent15.315,268.4

Please note: other significant rivers (by volume) may also occur. Tidal stretches of rivers are not included, which may include some major rivers.

Water quality

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. These can impact surface water (waterbodies and waterways located above ground) and groundwater (water bodies and waterways located below ground).

Waterbodies such as lakes can also be designated as “eutrophic waters” if the enrichment of the waterbody by nitrate pollution causes accelerated growth of algae, impacting the quality of the water and the balance of organisms within it.

The following NVZs are located within the NCA (Environment Agency, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Designations, 2021):

Water framework directive

River basin management plans cover river basin districts and describe the challenges that threaten the water environment and how these challenges can be managed and funded. The plans include the classification of water quality of surface waters and ground waters.



Click on the Water Framework Directive layers on the below map to view the corresponding river names.

Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA106

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Trees and woodlands section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Total woodland cover

Ancient woodland is any area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland includes all forests and woodlands (0.5 hectares and over). The total woodland cover within the NCA is as follows (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023; Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024; this does not consider Natural England’s ‘Ancient Woodland – Revised (England) – Completed Counties’ data as this is being updated in tranches and no full dataset is yet available):

Distribution and size of woodland and trees in the landscape

Tree cover is limited and the landscape is strongly affected by the presence or absence of hedgerows trees and the survival of older orchards many of which have been replaced by cultivated bush forms surrounded by poplar shelterbelts. Ash and oak dominate ancient woodlands and the remains of parks on higher ground. Little tree cover is evident alongside the rivers (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area Description).

Woodland types

A statistical breakdown of the area and type of woodland found across the NCA is detailed below (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023):

Area and proportion of ancient woodland and planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) within the NCA (Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024):


Trees and woodlands map for NCA106

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Boundary features and patterns

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Boundary features

Small pasture fields and commons are prevalent in the west. In the east agriculture is more intensive, with a regular pattern of parliamentary enclosure characterised by small to medium, straight-sided, narrow fields bounded by hawthorn and mixed species hedges. Fields on the floodplains are divided by ditches fringed by willow pollards and alders. Hedgerow trees are frequent across much of the area which is what gives it it”s wooded feel even though there is little woodland (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Field patterns

Earthwork remains of medieval settlements and associated field systems as at Billesley Trussell, Ullington or the former village of Polen, in Honeybourne parish. To the west of the Severn the present enclosure patterns, generally small to medium scale and irregular, derive from the piecemeal enclosure of medieval common field cores, and a complex intermingling of assarted fields, common land and common arable. Predominant pattern to east of Severn is piecemeal enclosure of the formerly extensive common arable fields, generally subject to enclosure from 14th century and complete by 18th century (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area descrip

Agriculture section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The following tables provide the most recently available statistics from Defra on agriculture within the NCA.

Farm type

The following farm types are located within this NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm size

The following table outlines the sizes of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm ownership

The following table outlines the ownership of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Land use

The following table outlines the types of agricultural land use within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Livestock numbers

The following livestock are farmed within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm labour

The following table outlines the types of farm labour within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Please note: (i) Some of the Census data are estimated by Defra so may not present a precise assessment of agriculture within this area (ii) Data refers to commercial holdings only (iii) Data includes land outside of the NCA where it belongs to holdings whose centre point is recorded as being within the NCA.



Note that the below map only shows agri-environment scheme coverage, and not other schemes.

Agriculture map for NCA106

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Key habitats and species section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Habitat distribution/coverage

Important concentrations of unimproved neutral grassland (lowland meadow) resource survives around Feckenham Forest and Malvern Chase and along the main rivers. Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh is also prevalent, with fragments of calcareous grassland on higher ground, particularly on Bredon Hill. Below the Malvern Hills at Castlemorton and Hollybed commons there are localised areas of unimproved, acidic grasslands. Below Frampton, Gloucester, there are areas of regularly inundated saltmarsh.

Past industrial activity has created areas of open water habitat at places like Upton Warren Pools, Grimley Brick Pits (Worcestershire) and Frampton Pools (Gloucestershire).

Woodland is sparsely distributed across this landscape but a well wooded impression provided by frequent hedgerow trees and surviving traditional orchards which are particularly common around Evesham and Westbury on Severn.

The Gloucestershire Nature Map (a localisation of the South West Nature Map), and South West Nature Map identify Strategic Nature Areas which provide the highest priority opportunity for restoration of priority habitat in the Gloucestershire and West of England part of the NCA. In the Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire portion of the NCA, County level biodiversity opportunity mapping has been carried out providing similar information opportunity for restoration.

In addition the NCA contains important arable habitats. These support nationally important assemblages of arable birds (Severn & Avon Vales Natural Area Profile, Natural England 2011).

Key Habitats

The NCA contains the following areas of key main habitats, as mapped by the national Priority Habitat Inventory (Natural England, Priority Habitats Inventory, 2021; 2024; Natural England, Wood Pasture and Parkland, 2020). Note: lakes and ponds were not included in 2021 data:






Key habitats and species map for NCA106

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Settlement and development patterns section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Settlement patterns

Although the area is mainly one of towns and nucleated villages, towards the west and particularly on the poorer land there are hamlets and common-edge settlements in a rather dispersed pattern (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Main settlements

The main towns/cities within the NCA: are Cheltenham, Gloucester and Worcester; smaller settlements include Droitwich Spa, Great Malvern and Evesham. The total estimated population for this NCA (derived from ONS 2001 census data) is: 699,655 (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003, Natural England, 2012).

Local vernacular and building materials

The vernacular here is an abundance of red brick, timber framing and pantile roofs. At the edge of the Cotswolds, the availability of high quality building stone has produced some grander houses (Severn & Avon Vales Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Settlement and development patterns map for NCA106

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Key historic sites and features section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Origin of historic features

There is extensive evidence for Palaeolithic and Mesolithic activity on gravel terraces. There Now major woodland clearance in 1st millennium BC. Early Christian centre at Worcester becomes bishopric in 679, and other evidence of early Christian activity at Gloucester, Pershore, Evesham and in minster churches founded by local Hwiccan aristocracy: 9th-century Deerhurst survives as internationally significant example of early Christian architecture. Major abbeys built after Norman Conquest at Tewskesbury (1087) and Gloucester (1089), and Berkeley Castle became important in south of area as administrative centre of the Berkeley estates that continue to present.

To the west of the Severn, the predominant settlement pattern of high to very high levels of dispersal Now clearly evident by the late 11th century, nucleated villages and being rare. Moated sites are common.

To the east, the predominant settlement pattern is of strong nucleation. Very low to extremely low levels of dispersed settlement, with some moated sites occur. Settlements deserted in 14th to 16th centuries, some contracting into individual farmsteads. The Great majority of isolated farmsteads formed as part of enclosure of open fields, between 16th and early 19th centuries (Draft Historic Profile, Countryside Character Area description).

Designated historic assets

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Listed buildings

The NCA includes the following listed buildings (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Heritage at Risk Register

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets listed within the Heritage at Risk Register (Historic England, Heritage at Risk Register, 2021; 2023):



Key historic sites and features map for NCA106

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Recreation and access section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Public access

The following areas of public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; National Trust, 2021):


Please note: Public access areas may overlap.
The following linear routes or public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; Sustrans; 2021):

Recreation and access map for NCA106

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Experiential qualities

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Tranquillity

Based on the CPRE map of tranquillity (2006) the most tranquil areas are at the mouth of the River Severn and in the north of the NCA.

A breakdown of tranquillity values for this NCA are detailed in the table below (CPRE, Tranquillity Map, 2006):

Dark skies

Light pollution is a generic term referring to artificial light that shines where it is neither wanted nor needed, and can impact on people’s experience of the countryside within the NCAs. CPRE host an interactive map, depicting the light pollution and dark skies within the NCA.

Intrusion

A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA are detailed in the table below.

A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA is detailed in the table below (CPRE, Intrusion Map, 2007):

Notable trends from the 1960s to 2007 are the 33 per cent decrease in
undisturbed area and the corresponding increase in disturbed area.