National Character Area 86 - South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland : Key Facts & Data

National Character Area 86

South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland - 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 Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers 7,708 ha (2 per cent) of the NCA (Natural England, 2011).

National Landscape (AONB) Management Plans

National Landscapes (legally known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – AONBs) are nationally important landscapes, designated under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. Their primary purpose is to ‘conserve and enhance natural beauty’. Clicking on the relevant National Landscape in the below map will also take you to that specific National Landscape website.
 
The following National Landscapes can be found within this NCA:

 

People walking a path over the coastal headlands

Relationship with the coast

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

  • Essex and South Suffolk

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

  • Essex and South Suffolk Estuaries and Coastal Waters

Essex and South Suffolk (Landguard Point to Two Tree Island) Shoreline Management Plan

Shoreline Management Plans are developed by Coastal Groups with members mainly from local authorities and the Environment Agency. They identify the most sustainable approach to managing the flood and coastal erosion risks to the coastline in the short, medium and long term. This could inform actions within the NCA.

Fields running alongside the sea

Description for the Essex/South Suffolk Estuaries and Coastal Waters Marine Character Area

Seascape Character Assessments have been produced for all marine plan areas in England, extending along the coast to the High Water Mark. Information in the Seascape Character Assessments could inform actions along the coastline of the NCA.
 

A cove

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):

MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool

Maps showing locations of statutory sites can be found on Defra’s MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool by referring selecting Designations/Land-Based Designations/Statutory.

Map

Natural England Designated Sites View

Details of individual designated sites and their condition can be found on the Natural England website. To view the condition of a site, selects a site, then select the SSSI that legally underpins this, then select “View summary unit condition”.

A group of bushes in a field

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to nature conservation designations, such as biodiversity. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

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Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA86

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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

Elevation in the NCA ranges from <1m below sea level to a maximum of 161m above sea level. The average elevation of the landscape is 74m (Natural England, 2010).

Landform and process

This NCA is made up of undulating countryside, incised by small river valleys flowing east to the North Sea, with sporadic but narrow interfluve plateaux. This is an area of chalky boulder clay (glacial till) but with more topographical variation than the area to the north (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description).

Bedrock geology

The solid geology of the East Anglian plain, of which this NCA forms a part, mainly comprises Upper Cretaceous Chalk. Overlying much of the chalk is a complex sequence of Quaternary sediments (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description, Natural England, 2010).

Superficial deposits

During the Anglian glaciation ice sheets moving across the area deposited a layer of boulder clay in places tens of metres thick over the Chalk. Pre-glacial river gravels under the clay are an important feature, with evidence of old river channels which were interrupted by the last ice age. As the climate warmed and the ice melted, fast-flowing streams carried sands and gravels and deposited them in valleys where they can be found today (East Anglian Plain Natural Area profile).

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

Natural England Designated Geological Sites View

Details of individual designated geological sites and their condition can be found on the Natural England website. To view the condition of a site, selects a site, then select the SSSI that legally underpins this, then select “View summary unit condition”.

A close up of layers of limestone on exposed rock face

Soils and Agriculture Classification

The area is bounded to the north-west by the lighter soils of Breckland and to the east by the clays and sands of the Northern Thames Basin, particularly the Essex Heaths of the Colchester area (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description).

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):

MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool

Maps showing locations of statutory sites, soils and ALC can be found on Defra’s MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool by selecting Designations/Land-Based Designations/Statutory and Landscape.

Map

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to landform, geology and soils, such as geodiversity services and erosion control. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

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Building Stones of England Database

The Building Stones of England Database was created by Historic England in conjunction with the British Geological Survey. It is a interactive map that allows users to explore building stones and their sources throughout England, as well as the bedrock and superficial geology. You can browse the geological map, as well as search for a building stone, stone source or structure, or search by postcode, address or place name.

Old brick buildings with straw roofs

Landform, geology and soils map for NCA86

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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.

The Stour rises in Cambridgeshire, north-east of Haverhill at West Wratting and flows in a south-easterly direction through Wixoe, Clare, Sudbury, Flatford and Dedham (in the Dedham Vale AONB), before it finally reaches the North Sea at Harwich. For much of its length it forms the border between Suffolk and Essex. There are numerous pumping stations and bore holes along the river extracting water for local use. The Stour Navigation Now established in the early 18th century and there are restored locks at Dedham, Flatford and Great Cornard.

Since 1971 the Ely-Ouse to Essex Transfer scheme has been used to augment the rivers Stour and Blackwater by up to 1,545 million litres of water per day. A vast amount of this water is then pumped to the reservoirs at Abberton and Hanningfield to supply South Essex and London. Winter rain is stored in these two large reservoirs, which are drawn down in the summer months when river flows are low.

The River Chelmer flows through the county of Essex. It rises close to the source of the River Can near Debden Green, Thaxted. It generally flows south-southeast and is joined by the River Can in Chelmsford. From there it flows east through the neighbouring Northern Thames Basin NCA and into the Greater Thames Estuary NCA where it meets the River Blackwater near Maldon and discharges into the North Sea via the Blackwater Estuary.

The River Brett is a picturesque and peaceful northern tributary of the River Stour, which winds its way through the heart of the Suffolk “Wool Towns” region. The River Stort is a tributary of the Lea or Lee which it joins at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. It is a gentle rural river with a winding course that has remained unaltered. The Stort Navigation runs for 22 km from Bishops Stortford through a drop of 27m with 15 narrow locks.

The River Pant which rises in the north-west of the NCA becomes the River Blackwater near Braintree in the east. At Little Sampford the river increases in volume courtesy of an outlet of water piped from the Ely – part of the Ouse to Essex water transfer scheme.

The River Gipping in the very north of the NCA flows in a south-easterly direction. It is the source river for the River Orwell that flows to the North Sea from the port of Ipswich through the neighbouring Suffolk Coasts and Heaths NCA. The route of the river Now altered for navigation with the addition of 15 locks between Ipswich and Stowmarket in the late 18th century. Parts of the navigation have undergone restoration in recent years, for example at Baylham Lock.

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.

Draft River Basin Management Plan

The current state of water quality within the NCA can be viewed via the Draft River Basin Management Plan map.

A bridge over a body of water surrounded by trees

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to waterbodies and catchments, such as water provision and water quality regulation. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

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Green Infrastructure Interactive Map

Defra and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) interactive map can be used to understand access to existing green infrastructure within each NCA.
 

Graphical user interface, application, map

Catchment Based Approach Data Hub

The Catchment Based Approach Data Hub is a webmap displaying a variety of data layers suitable for supporting integrated  catchment management planning. These data layers cover an array of themes including opportunities, issues, characteristics, causes, actions and monitoring. These data layers can be use to help understand the state of waterbodies and associated habitats within the NCAs and the identified issues and opportunities within these.

A sunset over a body of water

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

Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA86

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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

A shallow wooded ridge sweeps round in a curve from Tiptree to Epping Forest. This area has an open yet wooded character, demonstrating aspects of medieval enclosure, the impact of 20th century field rationalization and Dutch elm disease. Although the north-western part of Essex Now historically not as forested as the ridge, it is sufficiently well-endowed with copses and woods to have wooded horizons which give a distinctly enclosed character to the landscape. This pattern varies slightly in the northern part of the NCA, where hedgerow trees are mostly oak and there are a number of larger woods. Within the Stour valley, the main impression is of modern blocks of cricket-bat willows and poplars planted on the valley floor and sides. The crack willow pollards along the river are also a notable landscape feature, partly reflecting the early 20th century willow industry producing poles and hurdles.

Ancient woodland is strongly represented in the area, though mainly in small parcels. Woods containing small-leafed lime are particularly significant.

Wood pasture and the ancient woodland of Hatfield Forest (formerly a royal hunting preserve) is an important historical and ecological resource (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands 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):

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to trees and woodland, such as timber and plant-based energy provision, air pollution and climate regulation. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

Background pattern

Green Infrastructure Interactive Map

Defra and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) interactive map can be used to understand access to existing woodland access within each NCA.
 

Graphical user interface, application, map

Catchment Based Approach Data Hub

The Catchment Based Approach Data Hub is a webmap displaying a variety of data layers suitable for supporting integrated  catchment management planning. These data layers cover an array of themes including opportunities, issues, characteristics, causes, actions and monitoring. These can be use to help understand the state of waterbodies and associated habitats within the NCAs and the identified issues and opportunities within these, including woodland planting.

A sunset over a body of water

Trees and woodlands map for NCA86

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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

The dominant hedgerow tree in Essex Now elm, but Dutch elm disease has had a profound effect on hedgerows and field boundaries which are now lost, gappy or decrepit. In the Suffolk part of the area hedgerow oaks and dense hedgerows continue to give a more treed and hedged character (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description Countryside Character Area description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Field patterns

This is largely an area of ‘ancient countryside’ where the field boundaries are predominantly substantial hedgerows of medieval or earlier date. Fields are frequently irregular in shape and without strong patterning; a character which is still evident despite some 20th century hedgerow removals to increase field sizes. There is a change in character on the western side of the area, roughly on a line running south-westward from Bury St Edmunds to Haverhill, Saffron Walden, Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow. To the west of this line there is substantial evidence of 18th and 19th century parliamentary enclosure of former common arable fields. To the east there is very little evidence of former common fields, except in pockets along the Stour valley, notably around Sudbury and Dedham (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description Countryside Character Area description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

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.

NCA86 Farmsteads Character Statement

The Historic England Farmstead & Landscape Statement summarises evidence on farmsteads and buildings in their landscape and settlement context, as well as the historic character, significance and foresight issues for the NCA.

A lush green field with an old farm building

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to agriculture, such as livestock, cultivated crops and plant-based energy provision. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

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NCA86 Countryside Stewardship statement of priorities

Defra have produced Countryside Stewardship statements of priorities and associated maps for each NCA. These are designed for applicants for Countryside Stewardship funding to identify the priority features and issues being targeted in their NCA and help choose which options to include as part of an application.
 
Further information about Countryside Stewardship is provided by the Rural Payments Agency, Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

A herd of cattle grazing on a lush green field

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

Agriculture map for NCA86

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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

Wood pasture, parkland and veteran trees – pollarded willows line some of the rivers, especially the River Stour on the Suffolk/Essex border. Many other veteran trees can be found in hedgerows, on field boundaries, in churchyards, on the boundaries of ancient coppice woods, and in parkland.

Lowland mixed and broadleaved woodland – compared to other eastern areas South Suffolk and North Essex is fortunate to have a high density of woodland. This primarily is a wooded arable landscape, except on the river valley floors where arable land, grassland and willow pollards dominate (for example the River Chelmer valley). Hedgerows, copses and blocks of woodland are numerous with many examples of ancient woodland still surviving. The Dedham Vale for example has an open wooded character.

Ancient and species-rich hedgerows – a higher than average density of hedgerows can be found in this area giving a well-wooded feel to the landscape. Remnant hedgerows are also common and hedgerow trees persist in many areas. The dominant hedgerow tree in South Suffolk is oak and in Essex it is elm, however elms have been severely affected by Dutch elm disease resulting in the loss of the species from many hedgerows and field boundaries. Largely associated with arable land, hedgerows provide valuable linkages and buffers for a variety of wildlife within the landscape especially when found in conjunction with field margins and ditches.

Wetland habitats – numerous small rivers flow east towards the North Sea supporting a range of species and habitats including reedbed and fen. The Stour valley contains blocks of cricket-bat willows and poplars planted on the valley floor and sides, with pollarded crack willows being a notable feature of the riversides.

Lowland meadow – only very small fragments of lowland meadow remain. The existing resource is very fragmented and declining in quality and quantity. The survival of some species now relies on the protected road verge systems that run in both Suffolk and Essex.

Lowland heathland and acid grassland – The area is bounded to the northwest by the lighter soils of Breckland and to the east by the transition to former heathland on lighter soils. Some small areas of heath are recorded in Great Cornard, Leavenheath and East Bergholt (East Anglia Plain Natural Area Profile).

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:

MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool

Maps showing locations of priority habitats and some key species can be found on Defra’s MAGiC Interactive Mapping Tool by selecting Habitats and Species/Habitats and Habitats and Species/Species, including priority species for Countryside Stewardship targeting.

Map

National Biodiversity Network Atlas

The National Biodiversity Network Atlas is an online tool that provides a platform to engage, educate and inform people about the natural world. This includes maps showing locations of S41 species.

A butterfly sitting on a flower.

Natural Capital Atlas Profiles

The Natural Capital Atlas Profiles provide an “off the shelf” natural capital evidence base for each county or city region. This includes ecosystem services relating to key habitats and species, such as biodiversity and pollination. Clicking on the relevant County in the below map will also take you to that specific Natural Capital Atlas Profile.
 
The following Natural Capital Atlas Profiles cover counties within this NCA:

  • 4: Cambridgeshire
  • 13: Essex
  • 19: Hertfordshire
  • 36: Suffolk

 

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Defining Favourable Conservation Status Reports

Favourable Conservation Status definitions describe an England scale ambition for habitats and species. They provide context for decision making and actions to achieve and sustain thriving wildlife for each habitat type. This can inform actions for each of the relevant habitats within the NCA.

Broadleaf woodland in autumn

Carbon Storage by Habitat Reports

Terrestrial and marine managers can mitigate climate change by adopting practices which promote carbon storage and reduce emissions while enhancing the biodiversity value of ecosystems. The Carbon Storage by Habitat report examines how different management options may impact on sequestration or loss of carbon by habitat, and can inform actions for each of the relevant habitats within the NCA.

Body of water on marsh landscape

National Biodiversity Climate Change Vulnerability Model Report

Natural England has developed a GIS model that provides an assessment of the vulnerability of priority habitats to climate change based on principles of adaptation for biodiversity. It identifies why areas are vulnerable and which possible interventions can have the biggest impact in increasing resilience to the changing climate. This will inform prioritisation of adaptation action and assist in the development of adaptation strategies for biodiversity within the NCA.

Houses on a white coastal cliff edge

Catchment Based Approach Data Hub

The Catchment Based Approach Data Hub is a webmap displaying a variety of data layers suitable for supporting integrated  catchment management planning. These data layers cover an array of themes including opportunities, issues, characteristics, causes, actions and monitoring. These data layers can be use to help understand the state of waterbodies and associated habitats within the NCAs and the identified issues and opportunities within these.

A sunset over a body of water

Key habitats and species map for NCA86

View Key habitats and species map for NCA86 full screen in a new tab
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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

The existing pattern of towns and villages Now laid down by the time of Domesday survey of 1086, when the area Now already densely settled. This pattern intensified with the development of the medieval woollen trade, which Now mainly home-based, backed up by a collection of interdependent trade’s people within the towns and major villages with markets. The latter tend to be larger than villages in the South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands due to this industrial growth. Otherwise there is a similarity of a dispersed settlement pattern of small hamlets and dispersed farmsteads. Manorial halls, often with a medieval church nearby, form primary settlement clusters of likely late-Saxon origin in the river valleys, with secondary settlements clustering around the edges of greens on the adjacent interfluve plateaux. Because of the narrowness of the interfluves the greens in this NCA are significantly smaller and narrower than those in the South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands. The use of the term ‘tye’ for a green (as in Barking Tye and Bulmer Tye) is locally distinctive and does not occur to the north of Stowmarket. Most of the dispersed farmsteads are medieval in origin and many display their status by being encircled by water filled moats (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003)

Main settlements

The main settlements within the NCA are; Bishops Stortford, Braintree, Bury St Edmunds, Chelmsford (northern half), Harlow, Haverhill, Ipswich (western half), Stevenage, Stowmarket, and Sudbury. Both Harlow and Haverhill were developed after the Second World War as overspills for London. Chelmsford Now awarded city status in 2012 (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

Local vernacular and building materials

Timber is the main building material of this area, with late medieval timberframed buildings being most numerous in the districts to the south and west of the rivers Lark and Gipping, especially in the old textile areas along the Stour and its tributaries, particularly in towns like Lavenham, Hadleigh, and Sudbury, or in formerly industrialised villages like Kersey. Traditional timber construction used an infill of ‘loam and laths’ between vertical timber studs, which Now then lime washed to protect it from the elements and to enhance its appearance. Coloured Nowhes became more popular after 1900, as did the practice of exposing the timber frame. Pargeting, a form of raised plaster decoration on external walls, Now popular in the 17th century, but is now undergoing a revival. Good examples can be seen in Clare, Hadleigh, Ipswich and Saffron Walden.

Brick is also widely used, formerly supplied by numerous local brickworks; those at Bulmer being a rare survival. Little Wenham Hall (Wenham Castle) in the east of the area dates from the 1270s and is the oldest substantially brick building in England. The Deanery Tower in Hadleigh, Melford Hall and Horham Hall are notable examples of Tudor brick buildings. Many of the ‘brick’ buildings are however just a Georgian or later brick facing to an older timber-framed structure. ‘Clay lump’ (large unfired clay bricks) Now also used as a building material in the 19th century, mainly for farm buildings and cottages. Other forms of clay construction, such as cob or rammed earth, are also found. There is a concentration of clay buildings in Buxhall, the home of the Reverend Copinger Hill, a strong advocate of clay building in the 1840s.

Pegtiles rather than pantiles are mainly seen in this area and there is a significant amount of wheat straw thatch.

Ipswich contains examples of Victorian neo-Italianate Gothic buildings (Norman Scarfe) (South Suffolk & North Essex Claylands Countryside Character Area description, Countryside Quality Counts, 2003).

NCA86 Farmsteads Character Statement

The Historic England Farmstead & Landscape Statement summarises evidence on farmsteads and buildings in their landscape and settlement context, as well as the historic character, significance and foresight issues for the NCA.

A lush green field with an old farm building

Building Stones of England Database

The Building Stones of England Database was created by Historic England in conjunction with the British Geological Survey. It is a interactive map that allows users to explore building stones and their sources throughout England, as well as the bedrock and superficial geology. You can browse the geological map, as well as search for a building stone, stone source or structure, or search by postcode, address or place name.

Old brick buildings with straw roofs

Settlement and development patterns map for NCA86

View Settlement and development patterns map for NCA86 full screen in a new tab
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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

This is mainly an anciently-enclosed landscape of mixed farming practises, with a pattern of small isolated farms and farming hamlets around greens and commons which retain a rich legacy of historic barns and other farm buildings. Confirmation of the age of the dispersed settlement pattern is provided by the numerous halls and farmsteads that are surrounded by medieval and Tudor moats.

The area also has some of the finest medieval churches in East Anglia, many of them funded by the lucrative wool trade, as at Lavenham and Long Melford.

Medieval parks and the later ‘landscape’ parks surrounding substantial country houses have left numerous traces in the landscape, as at Ickworth, Kentwell in Long Melford, and Chadacre.

Audley End became the royal palace of Charles II in the 17th century. Towns such as Long Melford, Lavenham, Sudbury, Thaxted, Halstead and Coggeshall, and Bury St Edmunds maintain their medieval street patterns and contain a wealth of remarkable buildings that demonstrate the wealth founded in the medieval wool trade.

Hatfield Forest, formerly a royal hunting preserve, is an important historical and ecological resource.

Bury St Edmunds on the northern edge of the area contains the remains of one of the five richest and most powerful abbeys in England during the Middle Ages.

Flatford Mill in East Bergholt is strongly represented in the paintings of John Constable, as are other scenes in the locality (Dedham, Stoke-by-Nayland) giving this part of the Stour Valley an identity as ‘Constable Country’ and a claim to be the iconic landscape of lowland England. The Sudbury area features in the paintings of Thomas Gainsborough and other artists such as Sir Alfred Munnings, Sir Cedric Morris and John Nash also worked in the area.

A long string of Second World War pillboxes is a legacy of a 1940 defensive ‘stopline’ called the Eastern Command Line that ran from the River Colne northwards to Bures, along the River Stour to Long Melford and then across the country to Bury St Edmunds and the River Lark. There are also remnants of wartime airfields at Chedburgh, Lavenham, Rattlesden, Stradishall, Sudbury and Raydon, with the one at Wattisham still being in active service.

The Norman Foster designed Willis building in Ipswich, constructed between 1970 and 1975 is seen as a landmark in the development of the ‘high tech’ architectural style. It Now listed as a Grade 1 building by English Heritage in 1991 (Countryside Quality Counts 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):


NCA86 Farmsteads Character Statement

The Historic England Farmstead & Landscape Statement summarises evidence on farmsteads and buildings in their landscape and settlement context, as well as the historic character, significance and foresight issues for the NCA.

A lush green field with an old farm building

Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer

The Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer is a tool that displays archaeology that has been identified, mapped and recorded using aerial photographs and other aerial sources across England, including within the NCA over time.

Archaeologists excavating a site near the coast.

Key historic sites and features map for NCA86

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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):

Green Infrastructure Interactive Map

Defra and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) interactive map can be used to understand access to existing public rights of way within each NCA.
 

Graphical user interface, application, map

Recreation and access map for NCA86

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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) it appears that the lowest scores for tranquillity are associated with the urban centres of Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Sudbury, Braintree, Chelmsford, Bishops Stortford, Harlow and Stevenage. Other areas of disturbance can be seen to be associated with the main transport routes linking these centres, the M11, A120, A131, A14 and A12. The highest scores for tranquillity are within the upper clay plateau north of the NCA within south Suffolk and north Essex on the agricultural land between the settlements.

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.

Dark Skies Interactive Map

CPRE commissioned LUC to create maps of Great Britain’s light pollution and dark skies. Using satellite data, the map shows the amount of light spilling up into the night sky. By turning on the National Character Areas layer on the map, the light pollution and dark skies within England’s NCAs can be viewed. By clicking on the individual NCA and selecting PDF Map/More information, more detailed mapping and information for this NCA can be viewed.

Intrusion

The 2007 Intrusion Map (CPRE) shows the extent to which rural landscapes are ‘intruded on’ from urban development, noise (primarily traffic noise), and other sources of visual and auditory intrusion. This shows that disturbance is associated with the busy ‘A’ roads that run through and around the boundaries of the area including the A120, A131, A14 and A12, together with the M11 and the major settlements of Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Sudbury, Braintree, Chelmsford, Bishops Stortford, Harlow and Stevenage.

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 a notable increase of disturbed or intruded land by 26 per cent which is matched by a reduction of undisturbed or un-intruded land by 28 per cent.

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