136 - South Purbeck : Analysis: Ecosystem Services

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Livestock production
• Arable production
• Horticulture

State – Agricultural Land Classification: the NCA has no grade 1 or 2 land. 7,114 ha of grade 3 (60per cent of NCA), 1,555 ha grade 4 (13 per cent) and 1,141 ha grade 5 (1 per cent).

Locally significant producer of lamb and milk. Small beef herd.

Very much a general farming area with no known specialisms, stock types or products associated with the area.

Drier plateau and chalk downland around the Chaldon Downs appear to provide productive arable cropping.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Livestock rearing appears to be in decline in this area with sheep numbers halved between 2000 and 2010 and pig numbers down 60 per cent. Whilst the dairy herd has declined by 5 per cent it is not clear from the figures what this means for actual milk production.

It is not clear if this reduction in numbers equates to farmers moving out of livestock all together, or moving towards mixed farms with an element of arable.

Opportunities – Provide livestock farmers with encouragement and advice on how to diversify into extensive beef production, utilising both the semi-natural grasslands within the NCA, and the extensive tracts of heathland and acid grassland in the adjoining Dorset Heaths NCA.

Assist land managers with the taking up of agri-environment schemes to support extensive systems of grazing suited to much of this NCA’s grassland types.

Develop links between local food producers and local demand such as tourism, hotels, pubs and schools. Highlight links between the way in which food is produced and the landscape it produces.

Investigation of how food output can be increased and/or diversified without damaging the ecosystems or landscape – ideally identify how to enhance farmland biodiversity and output.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Food provision
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Biodiversity Sense of place

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Existing conifer plantation and broadleaved woodlands

State – Some 8 per cent (891 ha) of the NCA is wooded. Only 1 per cent is of conifer, while 6 per cent is of broadleaved and less than 1 per cent mixed.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Generally woodland cover is quite dispersed with much of the broadleaved on steep slopes which would make harvesting difficult. Conifer is concentrated into four distinct woodlands which may provide useful timber or pulpwood.

There are 146 ha of plantation on ancient woodland sites (PAWs) within the NCA, equating to over half of the conifer/mixed woodland in the NCA.

Most likely timber to come out of NCA may be specimen trees for specific projects. Given the nature of this NCA, it is not likely that it has any great potential for timber production apart from small, possibly artisanal cropping for local projects/usage.

Opportunities – Managed coppice can produce material suitable for traditional products (for example hurdles, tent pegs, charcoal).

Restoration of PAW sites to broadleaf could secure continued supply of standard and coppice trees for local use and enhance the connectivity of the existing woodland network. The extracted material would provide a fixed-term supply of timber.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Timber provision
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating water flow
• Climate regulation
• Regulating soil erosion
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Aquifer recharge
• River/streams

State – This NCA contains the River Corfe and tributaries of the Frome. The Ulwell Stream and Swan Brook flow to the sea through Swanage. The area is underlain by chalk, limestone, shale and clay rocks, with a chalk aquifer in the west of the NCA, forming part of the aquifer that underlies the Dorset Downs.

The groundwater resources in this NCA have ‘no water available’ for additional abstraction.

The Corfe river has ‘water available’ for further abstraction as do the tributaries of the Frome.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Most of the licensed abstractions are from the ground waters of the chalk aquifer, surface waters are taken from the River Corfe and Swan Brook and at least one spring-fed source (for bottled spring water).

Main usage is for general domestic and agriculture, spray irrigation and, on the chalk of the Chaldon downs and Purbeck Ridge several potable water supplies are found.

Since the key abstraction on the river (Wessex Water Public Water Supply at Corfe) has been revoked, the status of the river has moved to ‘water available’.

There will be a presumption against issuing new unconstrained licences in the Corfe catchment during low flow periods. This river supports water voles, a large trout population and otters that are all affected by irregular flows of water.

There are likely to be issues around supply versus demand if any increased requirement for spray irrigation (under a scenario of drier summer conditions) arises in this area.

Future water supplies for Swanage are set out in the water resources management plan of Wessex Water. Climate change effects have been taken into account.

Opportunities – Maintenance and restoration of semi-natural habitats, particularly grasslands and woodland present a ‘rougher’ surface and are better at slowing and capturing surface water down into the ground water reservoir.

Creation of wetland areas along the Corfe river may help to store water into drier periods.

Water efficiency and water harvesting technology in new builds will reduce demand for increased supplies into the area or from boreholes.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Water availability
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Suite of rare arable ‘weeds’

State – The area around St. Aldhelm’s Head is host to an important concentration of plants associated with low intensity arable production.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – This area is still a national stronghold for a suite of species associated with low intensity arable production including pheasant’s eye, shepherd’s needle, corn marigold and corn parsley.

Opportunities – Area of low intensity arable could be increased to promote expansion of the area utilised by arable plants, increasing both resilience of the community to perturbation and providing opportunities for local food production.

Expansion should be via extensification of existing arable or conversion of low diversity leys.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Genetic diversity
• Biodiversity
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Existing woodland and hedgerows

State – 891 ha of woodland are found within the NCA. There are also many kilometres of hedgerow. Most of this appears to be under-managed and probably under-utilised as a source of local wood fuel. There is likely to be a ready market for logs within the NCA itself.

Potential miscanthus yield is generally low or medium throughout the area, with an area of high potential in the east around Swanage (additionally, no facilities for the processing or use of this material are known to exist in the area). Potential yield of short rotation coppice is predominantly low. For information on the potential landscape impacts of biomass plantings within the NCA, refer to the tables on the Natural England website.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The existing woodland cover is 8 per cent offering the potential production of biomass by bringing existing woodland under management and as a by product of commercial timber production.

There are limited suitable locations for new biomass plantings.

Opportunities – Existing ancient woodland can be brought back into traditional management regimes to provide biomass (wood fuel).

Possibility that ‘under managed’ hedges and hedgerow trees could be managed for the local supply of firewood.

These should have significant benefits to woodland/hedgerow biodiversity.

Planting of suitable native broadleaved species for biomass could be accommodated in the Corfe Valley and around Chaldon Down, extending and linking existing woodlands and repairing gaps (especially strategic) in the hedgerow network. The chalk ridge and plateau are unsuitable both in terms of landscape character and hostility of the environment for tree growth.

Some short rotation coppice could be introduced on the edge of Swanage, though such a scheme would only really benefit a very local end user (schools, public buildings, small district heating schemes for example.)

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Biomass energy
• Biodiversity
• Climate regulation
• Sense of place

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Woodland
• Small area of fen on Corfe Common

State – Carbon content of the soil is 0 to 5 per cent apart from one small area to the west of the centre of the NCA that contains 20 to 50 per cent possibly associated with the thick soils of areas of fen. The woodland cover of the NCA (8 per cent of the area) will also make a contribution to the sequestration and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The NCA does not appear to offer a great deal of contribution to carbon capture. Woodland, trees and hedges will all play a small part but even these are sparse.

The management that promotes the continued formation of peaty fen derived soils on Corfe Common needs to be maintained, thereby continuing the sequestration of carbon into the soil.

The NCA’s extensive areas of semi-natural grassland and smaller areas of wetland will hold locally significant carbon in their soils, improved leys and arable will hold significantly less.

Opportunities – Small scale woodland planting and management will have a small added impact upon carbon capture.

Protecting old grassland and semi-natural habitats will store soil carbon. Introducing reduced till, no till or cover crops will increase soil carbon at Chaldon Down, re-creating wetlands will increase soil carbon but may increase methane. Ploughing up grassland at St Aldhelm’s will result in emission of CO2 from soil. Agriculturally intensive practices are likely to result in N2O emissions; careful soil and nutrient management may help reduce this.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Climate regulation
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place
• Regulating soil quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Sequence of hard and soft cliffs
• Series of bays with protective beaches

State – The coast is dominated by sea cliffs of chalk, limestone, shale and clay of varying resistance that has resulted in differential erosion between the resistant chalk and limestone and the softer clay.

This has been the dominant control for the formation and evolution of the present shoreline, with its many headlands separated by bays, occupied by small beaches whose sole source of sediment is the erosion of the backing cliffs.

Erosion occurs with irregular cliff falls characteristic of the chalk and slumping of the clays. At Lulworth a combination of marine and fluvial erosion and the differing hardness of layers of rock have created the famous cove.

Main beneficiary – Local/regional

Analysis – The coast of the NCA is of international importance forming the eastern end of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast). Active geomorphological processes are one of the elements of the World Heritage Site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

There has been very little in the way of coastal defence or management intervention activity on this section of largely sea cliff-dominated coast.

The exceptions are at Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge Bay, where small-scale localised defence works have been constructed.

There are also more significant flood defences along the coast at Swanage (groynes plus sea wall backing beach), however these can be overtopped by extreme water levels which is likely to be exacerbated with sea level rise.

Within the Shoreline Management Plan, a ‘hold the line’ defence has been suggested for Swanage; while for the rest of the coast, a ‘no active intervention’ policy approach has been put forward.

Opportunities – Intervene as little as possible in the natural coastal processes which dominate the coast of this NCA.

Avoid construction of new structures/infrastructure that would, in time, require coastal defences.

Investigate novel approaches to securing coastal assets such as with the Clavell Tower which was moved inland, rather than attempt to defend the receding cliff.

The range of coastal habitats, both on and offshore depend upon naturalistic patterns of erosion and deposition as fundamental factors in determining community composition, succession and climax. The maintenance of the limited interventions along this coast, in turn, allows a representative suite of marine and maritime communities to develop.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Sense of history Recreation

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• River Corfe
• Tributaries of the Frome

State – Groundwater quality is classed as poor throughout the area.

Ecological quality of the Corfe River is moderate while that of the tributaries of the Frome is good, although the Frome (including some of its tributaries) is a Priority Catchment identified by Defra, where there are high levels of sediment and phosphates in surface waters as a result of diffuse pollution from agriculture in the catchment.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Apart from the south-east part of the NCA, where the Swan Brook and a couple of coastal streams flow towards the sea, the entire NCA is within a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ). Almost all of this is classified for both ground and surface waters.

The most addressable water quality issue may be that of the eutrophic Corfe River which discharges into Poole Harbour. Certain actions to reduce nutrient input into this river could have landscape and biodiversity benefits as well.

The Chaldon area of the NCA feeds into the River Frome and is already part of a priority catchment for the Water Framework Directive. The area of this catchment within the NCA is however minor.

Opportunities – Buffering the Corfe River with semi- natural habitats including grasslands, wetlands and woodland will protect the watercourse from high nutrient flows, help slow flood flows and increase biodiversity. Wet woodland could also be managed for wood fuel.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Regulating water quality
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place
• Water availability

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

Series of small rivers/streams

State – There is little or no risk of flooding across the area, with Swanage’s historical tendency to flood rectified for the time being by the construction of the Swan Brook relief channel in 1996.

The upper reaches of the River Frome in this NCA are over chalk which can readily absorb water upstream, decreasing flooding downstream within the adjacent Dorset Heaths NCA.

The rural character of the rest of the area means there is currently no or very little flood defence or maintenance necessary.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Climate change poses a scenario in which hotter, drier summers may well be interspersed with frequent extreme weather events when water flows will rapidly increase across a catchment. Therefore any measures aimed at ameliorating these effects must be able to absorb water flows in extreme conditions and release this in drier conditions.

The chalk and limestone strata are able to absorb and later release via springs and groundwater sources large volumes of water, however, in extreme events even these are saturated and surface water becomes an issue (events in June and July 2012 has shown this in other parts of Dorset, though not in this NCA).

Opportunities – Requirements for flood management works on smaller ‘flash prone’ streams and winterbournes could present opportunities for wetland creation and ‘soft engineering’ that would benefit the functional structure and biodiversity of these waterbodies.

Soft engineering could also be used to create areas where scour is desirable (spawning grounds) and specifically designed sediment dropping zones where lower energy flows will release sediment load.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Regulating water flow
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Shallow clay over limestone or silt over chalk
• Seasonally wet loam to clayey over shale
• Loam over sandstone and deep loam to clay over chalk
• Free-draining base- rich soils with wetter clays and alluvium in floodplain of the River Corfe and smaller streams.
• Poorly drained acidic peaty, fen derived, soils on Corfe Common.
• Arable fields, permanent pasture and semi-natural habitats.

State – The limestone plateau is typified by well-drained clayey soils and chalk areas are typified by free- draining silty to locally clayey soils.

On Corfe Common the acidic peaty soils with impeded drainage have led to build ups of peat under fen vegetation.

Much of the NCA (more than 60 per cent) is of grade 3 Agricultural Land Classification, areas of grades 4 and 5 (13 per cent and 10 per cent respectively) are a function of slope in most cases with thinner soils developed. The waterlogged soils of Corfe Common are also grade 5.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Low soil fertility is an important factor in the distribution of the best semi-natural habitats in this NCA. Low-nutrient levels and extended periods of drought due to very free drainage create conditions suited to a range of native plant communities. Excessive nutrient input and inclusion of high levels of organic matter would be detrimental to all semi-natural habitats.

Within the arable and agriculturally improved land, soil quality could be adversely affected by inappropriate cropping patterns; leaving soils unvegetated for extended periods can diminish soil structure and quality.

It is also possible that use of large machinery could lead to localised compaction of loams and clays and subsequent impediment to drainage.

Poaching due to inappropriate stocking rates, particularly on clayey and peaty soils.

Opportunities – Maintaining the low-nutrient status of those soils supporting semi- natural habitats protects them from degradation and community shift towards less biodiverse stands.

Increasing area of low-nutrient input arable land will both introduce a more sustainable nutrient cycle for this productive land and enhance the suitability for the rare arable plant population.

In the west of the NCA, measures to introduce cropping which leaves permanent cover and relies less on heavy machinery will reduce compaction and increase naturally occurring organic content, lessening the need for artificial inputs.

Stocking rates that maintain nutrient and organic matter without poaching particularly adjacent to watercourses.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Regulating soil quality
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating water flow
• Regulating soil erosion

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Highly permeable clay and silty soils over chalk and limestone.
• Less permeable and more fertile clay, loam and alluvium over limestone and clays.
• Permanent pasture and a range of semi- natural habitats.

State -The fringes of the Frome catchment in the north-west of the NCA form part of a Defra priority catchment with high levels of sediment in the river as a result of soil erosion caused by inappropriate agricultural practices. (for example, maize production on moderate to high risk soils on steeper slopes in an area of high rainfall and with cross land flows following preferential pathways including roads and tracks that provide ideal routes for run- off to enter the watercourses.)

Within the eastern part of the NCA erosion is less likely to be an issue with arable confined to the ‘flat’ and steeper areas under permanent pasture or semi-natural habitats and appropriately (though occasionally under) grazed.

Along the coast path and some of the inland paths, visitor use has created extensive areas of ‘linear’ erosion.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Various soils display differing levels of vulnerability.

The clay cap is easily compacted and sheds water. Calcareous soils absorb even extreme rainfall. These soils have excellent structure, do not cap and are difficult to compact. The shallow soils are prone to tillage creep, leaving the chalk bedrock exposed. Wet soils in the alluvial areas are prone to compaction and degradation. The non-calcareous silty soils easily cap and are prone to soil erosion.

The presence of permanent pasture and large tracts of semi-natural grasslands, woodlands, hedgerows and stone walls do help check some of the potential issues above.

Given the topography of this NCA, grazing at too high a density and/or at times of water logging can lead to poaching, compaction and overgrazing, all of which can trigger excessive surface water movement and erosion.

In some areas the erosion of footpaths (especially the South West Coast Path) has led to a need for remedial works, but the highly absorbent nature of the chalk geology generally prevents serious secondary erosion.

Opportunities – Enhancing the quality and vegetation structure of both improved and semi-natural grasslands through optimised grazing regimes will both prevent poaching and soil compaction and enhance ability of the surface to ‘capture’ and slow overland water flow.

Maintenance of areas of active soil erosion leading to exposed mineral and skeletal soils is necessary

to provide niches for plants and invertebrate species reliant on such early successional habitats.

Hedges and stone walls should be maintained and new ones created for, amongst other services, their ability to intercept and prevent water/soil movement.

Footpaths, particularly the South West Coast Path, can be managed to provide areas of bare substrate which are utilised by various species to colonise.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating water flow
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil quality
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Flower-rich maritime cliffs and species- rich calcareous grassland

State – In the region of 2,000 ha of flower-rich maritime cliffs and species-rich calcareous grassland.

Quite permeable landscape in terms of pollinator movement due to density and distribution of semi-natural habitats.

The current extent of pollinator friendly habitats in the NCA is high. However, the condition of these habitats is such that they may be supporting fewer pollinators than they could.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – There is no doubt that this NCA provides a significant and well distributed source of nectar for pollinating insects.

However, some of the coastal grassland, whilst floristically quite diverse and still displaying many flowering plants, appears under- grazed and may be somewhat sub-optimal.

The same can be said for much of the inland grassland which, whilst under extensive grazing management, appears sub- optimal in terms of scrub (mainly gorse) encroachment.

Management regimes that should be in place to achieve a favourable habitat condition would, in turn, promote greater densities of pollinating species.

The value of the pollinating service is greater here for biodiversity (pollination of semi- natural habitats) than for food production.

Opportunities – Bring areas of semi-natural grassland into suitable grazing management, including areas of coastal grassland which appear to fall outside grazing units.

Manage scrub to prevent / reduce invasion of open grassland habitats.

Manage woodland to open up floor and encourage floristic diversity.

Ensure management of soft rock exposures does not destroy mining bee/ invertebrate opportunities.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Pollination
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Well distributed semi-natural habitats
• Intimate field pattern and mixed farming systems

State – The robust semi-natural habitat network within the NCA will support quite high levels of natural predators.

However, understanding of the contribution made by native predator species in controlling such pest species is low.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – While the impact and interactions of the majority of pest-reducing predator species is not well understood, the status of farmland birds in this NCA is still apparently either stable at very low levels or still declining.

Reasons are not clearly understood, though it is likely to be due to perturbations in the predator/prey populations lower down the food chain.

Opportunities – Opportunities to enhance existing and create new semi-natural habitats should increase numbers of natural predators.

Attempt to realise the full potential of the NCA’s farmed landscape for the suite of farmland birds that should be flourishing there.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Pest regulation
• Pollination
• Biodiversity
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Long views over dramatic coastline of cliffs, headlands and bays
• Strong link between vernacular and local materials
• Great time depth visible in a range of heritage assets
• Contrasts between exposed ridges and plateau and sheltered valley and downland

State – The rugged exposed coast, sheltered Corfe Valley and Purbeck Ridge contrasting in juxtaposition but unified by the encompassing ridge to the north and sea to the south. Chaldon Down whilst distinct is held in the NCA by the coast and the chalk topography.

Small villages and hamlets of local stone linked by lanes and bordered by hedges or stone walls strengthen cohesion of the NCA as a single entity.

This area has been and continues to be an inspiration to visitors. The drama of the coast and ridge, the grand approach through Hardy’s ‘blasted heaths’ entrance between the ramparts of the chalk ridge, guarded by the brooding mass of the now shattered Corfe Castle. Thomas Hardy and Enid Blyton both found inspiration in South Purbeck.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – This NCA’s strong identity is recognised in its inclusion within the Dorset AONB and Purbeck Heritage Coast.

It is relatively unspoilt and presents an area considerably untouched by post-war development and still rural in character.

The large tracts of unimproved grassland along the coast and Purbeck Ridge with their invertebrate ‘hum’, skylark song and other bird calls are key components of the sense of place, especially during the summer months.

The strength of place appears uncompromised, except possibly around Swanage where typical peri-urban land use has given the area an ‘unkempt’ feel, though the sphere of influence is quite small.

Opportunities – The elements which make this landscape distinctive need to be protected and, where degraded, enhanced.

The sense of openness and rugged wildness needs to be protected as this is a cornerstone element of the NCA’s sense of place.

Much development in the villages and hamlets is of high quality and actively re-enforces the distinctive vernaculars found in the NCA – this approach needs to be maintained.

Land management practices should be sympathetic and enhancing of the biodiversity and rich cultural heritage found here.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Sense of history
• Recreation
• Tranquillity
• Geodiversity
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• A suite of earthworks, field patterns and historic buildings
• 95 Scheduled Monuments
• 57 Listed Buildings
• 4 registered Parks & Gardens (737ha)

State – A rich and varied range of heritage assets mark a landscape with a long history of human occupation spanning pre-history to Second World War and beyond.

The long history of extractive industries from shale jewellery to shale oil, not to mention the great traditions of stone extraction and masonry.

The area is not as touched by Second World War structures as many coastal areas of Southern England, though the abandoned village of Tyneham is a poignant memorial to that period.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The wide range of heritage assets present in this NCA have survived due, in some regards, to a lack of intensification in the post-war period. They remain susceptible to damage from direct, inappropriate management and care must be taken that they continue to receive a high level of protection.

New threats possibly posed by climate change induced severe weather events may have an impact, for example, accelerated cliff erosion speeding loss of the hill fort at Rings Hill.

Opportunities – Protection of both heritage assets and their setting must be maintained, and where possible, enhanced in the face of any intensification of management or changes in land use.

Seek to enhance interpretation and understanding of the area’s rich heritage.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Sense of history
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Recreation
• Tranquillity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Over 70 per cent of the NCA still classified as ‘undisturbed’
• Remoter stretches of coastline away from Swanage
• Quiet rural lanes, hamlets, and footpaths

State – Away from Swanage, and the at times busy A351, in the east, the NCA remains almost entirely ‘undisturbed’.
Despite periods of high summer activity at Lulworth Cove and intermittent military training around Tyneham, a sense of tranquillity is associated with much of the area.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Tranquillity is a key feature of the area and whilst 70 per cent is still a high figure this is down from 89 per cent in the 1960s.

The ‘large scale’ landscape, coupled with well distributed small settlements and narrow winding lanes provide the visitor with at times a sense of enclosure and protection and at others with wildness and exposure both creating forms of tranquillity.

Opportunities -The small scale, uncluttered nature of the NCA should be maintained, large buildings or structures should be avoided or carefully designed to minimise impact.

The sense of wildness and uncluttered open vistas should be maintained.

Where possible, existing obtrusive features (such as power lines, masts, disused structures) should be removed or more sensitively incorporated into the landscape.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Tranquillity
• Sense of place / inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• South West Coast Path National Trail following the coastline (42 km)
• Public rights of way network as a whole totals 250 km at a density of 2.10 km per km²
• 1,313 ha of publically accessible land (covering just under 10 per cent of the NCA)
• 1 NNR (109 ha)
• Rock climbing, diving and sea kayaking

State – South Purbeck is an important location for recreation of all kinds.

The coast path is very popular, both with day trippers and those undertaking longer distance walks.

The network of small lanes and paths that cross the NCA also provide a myriad of walks for all ability of walker.

Corfe Castle and the small villages (and particularly their churches) are popular heritage attractions.

Swanage provides for a more traditional, beach oriented visitor experience and provides services for those not necessarily staying there.

The coast itself provides the setting for a variety of activity-oriented recreation, diving, rock climbing and sea kayaking being amongst the most popular.

Both the Dorset AONB and Jurassic Coast management plans highlight the great recreational potential of this NCA, particularly the coast, with its excellent access infrastructure.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – The NCA is, on the whole, a popular destination fulfilling a broad spectrum of visitor requirements from the visceral pleasures of Swanage to the more contemplative experience of coastal walking.

Some areas are heavily used for recreation, particularly in the summer. However, the dense network of paths, tracks and lanes allows visitor pressure to disperse somewhat across the landscape.

The seaside resort of Swanage, the heritage destination of Corfe Castle and the village of West Lulworth in the west, dominated by its coastal caravan park and very large car park close to Lulworth Cove, are the most popular destinations.

The A351, Swanage Road is often congested, particularly around Corfe Castle. Plans to re- connect the Swanage Railway with the main line network at Wareham will help reduce pressure on the road.

Opportunities – South Purbeck’s existing network of public rights of way and permissive paths should be maintained and, where possible and appropriate, enhanced.

Extend awareness of both the South West Coast Path and its linkages with the inland footpath network.

Opportunities should be sought to enhance the interpretation of the landscape, geology, soils, biodiversity and heritage ‘assets’ of the NCA, ideally bringing a ‘holistic’ view.

Development of new or expansion of existing recreational facilities should be sympathetic with and enhance their setting.

Provision of sustainable transport options into and within the NCA will help to manage visitor pressure and avoid potentially damaging changes to tranquillity and sense of place.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Recreation
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Sense of history
• Tranquillity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Approximately 3,251 ha of priority BAP habitat (27.5 per cent of NCA)
• 1,884 ha of SSSI (16 per cent of NCA) of which approx 1,415 ha (12 per cent of NCA) are SAC
• 613 ha of SNCI (5 per cent of NCA)
• Most of the coast has been selected as an Important Plant Area by Plantlife
• Diverse range of habitats and species due to geology, topography and coast.
• Offshore, areas of multiple reef features. Rich and varied habitats consisting of bedrock reef as well as boulder and cobble reef.
• A diverse assemblage of epifaunal species.

State – This NCA forms part of the most botanically diverse 10 km square in England.

The high geodiversity and proximity of the coast have combined to create an area of high biodiversity.

Most designated sites are in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition though scrub encroachment and under grazing are still issues to be fully resolved.

Below low tide the diversity continues with extensive areas of high quality and diverse reef. The quality is such that these are being proposed as a marine SAC.

Amongst terrestrial habitats, maritime and calcareous grasslands and ancient woodland stand out as very important.

Significant assemblage of arable plants and farmland birds around St Aldhelma’s Head.

Main beneficiary – International/national

Analysis – Despite unfavourable recovering status, many of the grasslands may still be sub-optimally managed in terms of their grazing regimes.

Scrub is still an issue on the inland ridge and some sections of coastal grassland are outside of grazing units due to difficulty of the terrain. Many of these areas are in agri- environment schemes and so revisiting prescriptions may prove useful.

Farmland birds do not appear to do as well as expected in this landscape and this has been partly linked to a reduction in the invertebrate food supply, and a sub-optimal ‘matrix’ of supporting habitats. However, far more detail is required to clearly define the causes.

Topography and extensive blocks of habitat mitigate against climate change impacts, though connectivity/permeability may need to be strengthened to facilitate migration/adaptation.

Offshore habitats appear to be in good condition and are not threatened by excessive discharges from this NCA’s coast. Threats such as acidification and temperature rise are too global in nature to address here.

Opportunities – Designated sites need to be brought into favourable condition via sustainable grazing extensive regimes.

Enhanced buffering, extension and linking of the core of designated sites should be undertaken, in line Biodiversity 2020 principles.

Landscape permeability, whilst quite good here, needs to be strengthened and extended in the face of anticipated climate change stresses on habitats and species.

Sub-tidal habitats, though under less direct pressure than terrestrial, require better protection and study/interpretation.

Whilst a habitat led conservation approach suites many species, special attention may need to be paid to species with unusual requirements.

The influence upon biodiversity, geodiversity, human history and climate should be highly profiled in any interpretation.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Tranquillity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service

• Entire coastline is part of Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast) – Outstanding Universal Value
• Type localities for Kimmeridge Clay, Portland and Purbeck Beds
• Important locality for the study of hydrocarbon geology and structures
• Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Old Harry Rocks are classic geological structures
• Local Portland and Purbeck Stones
• Long history of extractive industry embedded in the landscape
• Offshore, the geology plays a vital role in the formation of reefs. St Albans Ledge extends 10km from coast

State – The varied geodiversity of South Purbeck has produced a coastline world famous as a place to study coastal processes and landforms.

The coastline is typically functioning in a natural state with most stretches exposed to normal, unconstrained geomorphological processes.

Small scale local defences are found at Lulworth Cove, Kimmeridge and, on a slightly larger scale, at Swanage. None of these have any significant impact upon the processes for which this coast is so highly regarded. The geological SSSIs running the length of this coast are all in favourable condition.

Offshore geodiversity is a key factor in the development of a significant array of reef communities the importance of which are due to recognised at a European level with their designation as Marine SACs.

Inland, the existence of a couple of working quarries ensures new exposures, though some exposures at worked out or abandoned sites may be lost.

The reflection of the local building materials in the local vernaculars is well presented and continues to result in high quality, sensitive building in the small villages.

Main beneficiary – International/national

Analysis – This NCA’s 42 km of coast forms part of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site.

Selected for a near continuous exposure of 195 million years of geological history, for important Mesozoic fossil localities and a series of classic geomorphological structures and processes.

School visits from primary through to A-level as well as university and adult learning groups.

Centres offering formal education such as Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre, Durlston Country Park and Leeson House Field Studies Centre operate throughout the year.

The type section of the Kimmeridge Clay and other features relating to oil in South Purbeck are also important study sites for university students studying petroleum geology.

Several geological type sections and single interest locations (SILs) exist in this area and continue to be actively researched.

The World Heritage Site is managed by a small team, hosted within Dorset County Council. They have, over the last ten years, ensured that the educational, scientific and cultural aspects of the coastal geology and geomorphology have been given a high profile and quality interpretation.

The cultural significance of the coast is high, having evidenced and influenced theories which had profound impacts on the study of geology, palaeontology and evolution itself.

Opportunities – Ensure the importance of this coast’s geology and geomorphology are presented to both visitors and local people using interpretation of the highest quality.

Maintain and, where appropriate, enhance levels of access to the geodiversity assets of the coast.

Take the opportunity to provide a soils trail of Local Geological Sites, looking at how geology interacts with soils, land use, management, biodiversity and landscape.

Strive to maintain the current levels of unmodified geomorphological processes.

Maintain the current policy of requiring new developments in the area to reflect the vernacular in high quality builds using local stone (and other materials where appropriate) and styles.

Investigate the ways in which marine geodiversity could be illustrated and interpreted, particularly in relation to the abundant marine biodiversity.

Principal services offered by opportunities

• Geodiversity Biodiversity
• Sense of place/ inspiration
• Regulating coastal flooding and erosion