LC6A Norman Court Wooded Downs

General Description

Norman Court Wooded Downs lie on a southerly extremity of the upper chalk with patches of clay with flints but has a good covering of woodland, whereby it differs from the neighbouring Broughton Downs LCA 7B to the east. It is a quiet remote area, influenced by the Norman Court estate, largely unaffected by modern development.

Location

Norman Court Wooded Downs is a small character area, which lies to the north and west of West Tytherley up to the western boundary of the Borough.

Local Physical Influences

Geology and Soils: Upper Chalk overlain with Clay with Flints on higher ground at Norman Court.

Landform: The area is characterised by a broad ridgeline which runs north-south. Slopes are steeper in the north part of the area.

Drainage: The area lies within the River Test Catchment area and is well drained with no streams or waterbodies, with the exception of a chain of man made ponds at West Tytherley.

Local Biodiversity and Vegetation Pattern

This area has some open arable areas but has a large incidence of woodland and hedgerows. The hedgerow structure is relatively intact and links with areas of ancient semi-natural woodland. The woodlands vary from small copses and game spinneys to shelter belts and larger woodlands i.e. Parnholt Wood. 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

Other notable habitats include small pockets of unimproved calcareous grassland, that are typically a rich mixture of grasses and herbs and are characteristic of a vegetation with a long history of grazing. The grasslands are dominated by fine-leaved grasses such as Sheep’s Fescue and Red Fescue with Velvet Bent, and there is a variety of flowering plants that comprise a substantial proportion of the herbage, these include Salad Burnett, Selfheal, Birds-Foot Trefoil, Harebells, Lady’s Bedstraw, Devils-Bit Scabious. Less frequent plants include Fairy flax, Gentian, Eyebright, Kidney Vetch and Stemless Thistle. Typical orchids include Bee Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Early Purple Orchid, Fragrant Orchid, Green-winged Orchid, Burnt Orchid, Frog Orchid. Chalk grasslands are noted for their rich floristic diversity and also for their invertebrate populations.

Local Historical Influences

The majority of this area is taken up by a pre-1810 estate landscape centred around Norman Court. The northern boundary of the estate is bounded by an area of large, regular assarting and assarted pre-1810 woodland while to the south lies Tytherley Common and the parliamentary field systems of LCA 3C. The presence of a pre-1810 estate landscape within this area of the district has clearly had an effect upon the subsequent development of the area and its historic environment. Home Farm at the southern end of the LCA was the farming centre for this estate landscape.

Settlement Pattern

The linear settlement of West Tytherley is the only significant village settlement within this LCA. West Tytherley has a well developed historic core which survives as a nucleus focused upon a junction of roads with some 19th century settlement extending along these roads away from the core.Local Settlements and Features of Built Form

West Tytherley Chalk-Clay Spring Line Settlement. The traditional building style is brick walls with clay tile roofs.

Community Perceptions

Few comments were made for this area. Together with land to the south at Tytherley Common, this area was noted for its quiet seclusion.

Remoteness and Tranquillity

A secluded undisturbed area which extends westwards out of the Borough into Wiltshire.

Key Characteristics

Remains of post 1810 estate parkland cover most of this area

Stands of nineteenth century woodland and wooded copses present within the north of the area, presumably associated with the estate landscape

Quiet seclusion.

Local Issues

The parkland landscape and particularly that around Home Farm survives in good order and is relatively untouched by later development.

Designations

Historic

Norman Court Grade II* Listed Building – now a school.

Nature Conservation

SSSI

Bentley Wood (<1% of SSSI) - Broadleaved semi-natural woodland

SINC

6 SINCs, mostly ancient semi-natural woodland

Volume 2: LCA6A Strategies and Guidelines