5. FARMLAND HILLS
Regional Character Areas
Cotswolds, Upper Thames Vale, Corallian Ridge, Vale of White Horse.
This landscape type covers the isolated farmland hills around Little Faringdon, Asthall, Woodeaton, Chiselhampton, Little Wittenham and to the north of Cholsey.
Prominent hills and ridges, dominated by arable farming and interspersed with small to medium-sized woodlands and plantations.
• Large, regularly-shaped arable fields enclosed by fragmented hawthorn hedges.
• Tree clumps and blocks of semi-natural and plantation woodland.
• Sparsely settled landscape.
Geology and landform
The landscape type is characterised by smoothly rounded hills raised prominently above the adjoining flat vale. The underlying rocks that give rise to these hills vary throughout the landscape type. To the south, isolated chalk outcrops form the hills at Wittenham Clumps and Cholsey Hill. Further north, Chiselhampton Hill is a mix of Kimmeridge Clay and Ampthill Sands. The hills at Woodeaton and Asthall are formed by the thick limestone of the Great Oolite, while an outcrop of Corallian limestone gives rise to the hill at Little Faringdon.
Land use and vegetation
This is an intensively farmed landscape, where arable farming predominates. There are occasional patches of semi-natural grassland interspersed with scrub, particularly on the slopes of Wittenham Clumps and Castle Hill. Apart from a few species-rich verges, there are very few notable features around Cholsey Hill. Occasionally, small plantations and medium-sized, semi-natural woodlands punctuate the steeper sides and hilltops. Ash, oak and sycamore are the dominant tree species. Small tree clumps around farmhouses and at field corners are characteristic features and may be the only wooded features on some hills.
The fields are large, regular and bounded by a weak or almost absent pattern of hawthorn hedgerows resulting in an open and unenclosed landscape. In particular, at Cholsey Hill, Chiselhampton and around Wittenham Clumps, field boundaries are practically non-existent. The almost total absence of tree cover helps to emphasise the exposed character of this landscape type. Hedgerow trees are generally sparse except at Woodeaton Hill where ash, elm and dead elm are densely scattered within roadside hedges.
This is a very sparsely settled landscape consisting of Woodeaton village and a few farmsteads. Traditional building materials include bricks with slate tiles. At Woodeaton and Asthall, the village and farmsteads are mainly built out of limestone with stone tiles. The Iron Age hill fort at the top of Wittenham Clumps is a notable landscape feature in the area.
The landscape type is dominated by arable farming with some woodlands and plantations. The only notable habitat is some ancient semi-natural woodland.
• Predominantly low bioscores.
• Supports a limited range of locally important habitats with some ancient semi-natural woodland.
This is a very small landscape type, occupying around 0.3% of the rural county. It has a limited range of locally important habitats, including deciduous woodlands and plantations, semi-improved grassland and scrub, and species-poor hedges with trees. The only notable habitat is some ancient semi-natural woodland close to Woodeaton.
LOCAL CHARACTER AREAS
The landscape is characterized by medium-sized arable fields enclosed by intact, tightly maintained thorn hedges. Small mixed plantations at the top of the hill are a visually prominent feature.
This area has a only a few locally important habitats including deciduous woodlands, plantations and species-poor hedges.
This is a large-scale arable landscape with occasional patches of grassland. However, the hedgerow pattern, including hedgerow trees, is much stronger in this area. A large block of ancient woodland, with oak, ash and hazel coppice, is located on the slopes to the east of Woodeaton.
Apart from the usual locally important habitats such as semi-improved grassland and species-poor hedges, this area also supports some semi-natural ancient woodland and a limestone quarry with some biological interest, but it is mainly of interest as a geological S.S.S.I.
The landscape is characterized by medium to large-sized arable fields enclosed by intact, tightly maintained thorn hedges with occasional oak trees. There is generally a more wooded character created by the small deciduous plantations and a larger block of semi-natural woodland. Small tree clumps at field corners are also characteristic.
Locally important habitats include deciduous woodlands and plantations and species-poor hedges. There are no recorded priority habitats.
A predominantly arable landscape with very a fragmented pattern of hawthorn hedges. Tree clumps around farmhouses are characteristic of this area. Prominent, semi-natural woodlands are found on some of the steep hillsides and there is a small deciduous plantation at the top of Richmond Hill.
Locally important habitats include deciduous woodlands, plantations and species-poor hedges. There are no recorded priority habitats.
The ridge is characterized by large-scale arable fields with thorn hedges restricted to the margins of grassy tracks. The western part of the ridge is more diverse with semi-improved grassland interspersed with scrub on the steep slopes of Wittenham Clumps and Castle Hill. Semi-natural and plantation woodland is also a prominent feature on both of these hills.
There are only a few locally important habitats including deciduous woodland, plantations, semi-improved grassland and species-poor hawthorn hedges.
This is a very exposed and open arable landscape with few hedges or woodland. The only notable features are small tree clumps in fields and surrounding farm houses.
There are very few locally important habitats and these include deciduous plantations, species-poor hedges, some scrub and some species-rich verges. There are no recorded priority habitats.
FORCES FOR CHANGE
• Overall, the field pattern is very fragmented and almost absent from the three hilly local character areas to the south. Elsewhere, hedges are generally gappy and intensively maintained except around Woodeaton Hill where the roadside hedges are taller, and at Little Faringdon hill where the hedges are in good condition but still low.
• There is minimal impact from residential or other forms of development. There is some modern housing at places like Woodeaton but this generally blends well with the existing settlement. A few large modern barns adjacent to roads are visually intrusive.
• The limestone quarry to the north of Woodeaton is well screened.
Safeguard, maintain and enhance the pattern of small woods and hedgerows.
• Strengthen the field pattern by planting up gappy hedges using locally characteristic species such as hawthorn.
• Promote environmentally-sensitive maintenance of hedgerows, including coppicing and layering when necessary, to maintain a height and width appropriate to the landscape type.
• Conserve all remaining areas of semi-improved grassland, and encourage conversion of arable land to pasture in the proximity of existing grasslands to maximize their wildlife and landscape value.
• Promote small-scale planting of deciduous woodland blocks using locally characteristic species such as oak and ash.
• Avoid inappropriate development within the open and exposed hills where it would be highly intrusive.
• The siting, scale and materials used for the construction of new barns should be chosen to minimise visual intrusion. Where appropriate, they should be screened with the judicious planting of tree and shrub species characteristic to the area.
Safeguard, maintain and enhance all locally important habitats in a way which is appropriate to the landscape character of the area. Promote agri-environment schemes which will benefit biodiversity in general and protected species and farmland birds in particular.
• There is a block of ancient semi-natural woodland near Woodeaton and the priority should be to ensure that it is in favourable condition and management.
• Opportunities for the establishment of other locally important habitats, such as semi-improved grassland and small deciduous woodlands, should be promoted in a way to strengthen wildlife corridors and enhance the local landscape character.
• Promote the use of agri-environment schemes such as conservation headlands, overwintered stubbles and winter-sown crops to benefit farmland birds such as skylarks and yellowhammers.
• Safeguard, maintain and enhance the pattern of small woods and hedgerows.
• Safeguard, maintain and enhance all locally important habitats in a way which is appropriate to the landscape character of the area.