LCA8A Tangley and Doles Wood

General Description

Tangley and Doles Wood is situated on a predominantly Clay and Flint plateau, which slopes in a south easterly direction from a height of around 220m down to 100m, dissected by a number of minor dry valleys with softer ridges of Clay and Flint.

This is a complex landscape including large woodlands i.e. Doles Wood to the east, with small woodland copses which are linked across the landscape by a mix of hedgerows and shelter belts. Large arable fields can be found on the areas of higher ground and soft ridges. These fields are often devoid of hedgerows, which further increase their size creating large open exposed areas, as seen towards the northern boundary of this LCA.

Smaller fields of arable and pasture are located adjacent settlements creating an intricate patchwork of colour and texture, as seen in the vicinity of Enham Alamein.

A number of parklands with grassland and scattered trees provide areas of contrast and interest to the wider open arable landscape, eg Tangley Park and Hatherden Park.

Location

Tangley and Doles Wood is located north of Hatherden and Enham Alamein and extends up to Rushmore Down. The area is bounded to the east and west by the Borough boundary.

Local Physical Influences

Geology and Soils: Upper chalk, extensively overlain with Clay with Flints.

Landform: Undulating landform, gently rising to a ridge of higher ground at 200m in the north west (some of the highest ground in the Borough).

Drainage: As LCT8.

Local Biodiversity and Vegetation Pattern

This area is principally arable farmland and improved grassland, divided by hedgerows. There are important patches of ancient semi-natural woodland and the hedgerow structure provides some linkages between areas of woodland. The woodlands range from small copses, shelter belts and larger woodlands. Most of the ancient semi-natural woodland is dominated by Ash with some Oak where the presence of Oak indicates more acidic pockets of soil. Ash is the most common tree species with Field Maple and Yew. Other trees found in low frequencies include Lime, Hornbeam and Elm. The shrub layers are generally composed of Hazel, Elder, Blackthorn, Dogwood, Spindle and Privet. Typically Hazel was planted as a coppice crop. Ground flora includes Dogs Mercury, with Bluebells, Enchanters Nightshade, Arum Lily, Early Dog Violet, Yellow Archangel, Sanicle, Moschatel, and Pignut. Wetter areas often have dense covers of Ransoms/Wild Garlic. Typical orchids include Early Purple Orchid, Twayblade, Birds-Nest Orchid.

Local Historical Influences

This character area is dominated by a large expanse of regular fields with wavy boundaries indicating a process of informal enclosure across much of the area. This form of enclosure probably took place between the later medieval period and the 17th/18th century and dates to a period before the careful surveying of field boundaries and road alignments. All of these fields respect the line of Hungerford Lane which fossilizes the course of an earlier Roman Road which extends north west – south east across the character area.

Limited 19th century parliamentary enclosure is visible to the west of the Roman Road associated with the post-1810 Tangley Park which probably had a considerable influence over the development of the landscape in this area. Also associated with the parliamentary enclosures and Tangley Park are two areas of regular ladder fields which usually indicate the formal enclosure of downland.

Hatherden House, another 19th century parkland is located in the southeast of the area. The Roman Road forms the eastern boundary of the park this parkland is separated from the other by a rectangular feature of pre 1810 plantation.

Settlement Pattern

Several formal settlements are present within this area. The historic core of Tangley village is located at the north eastern corner of Tangley Park. Minimal 19th and 20th century settlement development has occurred within this village and what late post-medieval/modern development has occurred has been located generally at a distance the historic core.

The other villages of Hatherden and Wildhern are generally later post-medieval linear developments associated with the large house and Plough Farm respectively.

Farmsteads within this character area are found predominantly to the north of the line of the Roman Road within a large area of regular fields with wavy boundaries (a form of late medieval to 17th/18th century informal enclosure). These farms are fairly evenly spaced within the landscape with only one out of four farms (Plough Farm) closely associated with a formal settlement.

The settlement pattern consists of villages predominantly located towards the southern edge of this LCA. The majority of these settlements are located within valley locations, i.e. Enham Alamein, Little London and Hatherden, which have become linear in form as they have spread along the valley bottoms. Other settlements include Tangley which is located on a ridge and also has a strong historic relationship with the former Tangley House.

There is also a scattering of farmsteads and large country houses throughout the area and small domestic houses linked to redundant chalk quarries, for example Eastend Cottages east of Tangley.

The main road network aligns in a north south direction, with smaller minor rural roads criss-crossing the landscape linking settlements and farmsteads.

Local Settlements and Features of Built Form

• Hatherden: Clay Upland and Plateau Settlement Type

• Tangley: Clay Upland and Plateau Settlement Type

• Wildhern: Clay Upland and Plateau Settlement Type

• Enheim Alamein Clay Upland and Plateau Settlement Type

• Smannell Clay Upland and Plateau Settlement Type

Local vernacular buildings are typically brick and flint with tile, but also include timber framing and chalk cob and thatch.

Community Perceptions

Blagdon Woods and Dole Woods are identified as particularly important. Generally the woodland is perceived as well managed, with active coppicing. Hedgerows are also perceived to be in a good condition. Shooting interests in the area wee considered particularly important.

Remoteness and Tranquillity

Within this landscape away from the main north south route alignments, there are large tracts of secluded and remote areas of countryside, which have high levels of tranquillity.

Key Characteristics

• Soft ridges of clay and flints overlaying the chalk

• Intricate patchwork of smaller arable and pasture fields with linking hedgerows and shelterbelts in the west

• Open arable landscape with poor hedgerow cover in places

• Extensive blocks of woodland in the east

• Open exposed areas of high ground, with long uninterrupted views

• Complex network of narrow and winding rural lanes

• Large tracts of secluded countryside

• Regular fields with wavy boundaries dominate the area to the east of the Roman Road and south of Hatherden House

• A Roman road crosses this area in a north west - south east direction clearly influencing the pattern of the local landscape

• Farmsteads lie predominantly north of the Roman road

• Village settlements are concentrated in the south of the area

• Parkland landscape of Tangley Park and Hatherden Park

• 19th century parliamentary fields and regular ladder fields appear to be associated with Tangley Park.

Local Natural and Cultural Landscape Issues

• Potential of any development within the villages of Wildhern and Hatherden impacting upon the surrounding early most-medieval agricultural landscape

• Visual impact of Enheim Alamein.

Designations

Landscape

• North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Historic

• Hatherden House Grade II listed building

Nature Conservation

SSSI

• Rushmore & Conholt Downs (<10% of SSSI) - Broadleaved woodland and unimproved calcareous grassland

SINC

• 16 SINCs, mostly ancient semi-natural woodland, some agriculturally unimproved grassland and a heathland remnant

• Volume 2: LCA8A Strategies and Guidelines