LCA11A Quarley Hill Downs

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

Quarley Hill Downs has some important unimproved downland habitats, historic landscapes and a strong landform that is presently accentuated by the vegetation pattern. The overall strategy is to conserve these characteristics and the open unsettled character of Quarley Hill Downs and to seek new opportunities for habitat restoration on farm and MOD land.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Conserve the sense of remoteness and tranquillity

Maintain wide open vistas free of intrusive development

Agriculture

Encourage retention of remaining pasture lands

Hedgerows

Seek opportunities to enhance and extend hedgerow structure

Woodland and Trees

Maintain existing pattern of woodland cover

Promote good management of woodlands

Biodiversity

Conserve, enhance and expand unimproved calcareous grassland

Create buffer strips and uncultivated margins around arable farmland

Historic Landscapes

Ensure that the surviving earthworks upon Quarley Down are protected from further damage by farming and scrub encroachment

Maintain the existing pattern of field systems with the associated parliamentary and regular ladder fields extending up onto the downland

Ensure the survival of the ornamental 19th century plantations associated with Cholderton Park

Land Use and Development

Infrastructure

Avoid intrusive development of tall and large structures except where they can be successfully integrated into the landscape

Seek to minimise the visual intrusion and sub-urbanising effect arising from highway infrastructure

Volume 1: LCA11A Landscape Character Types and Areas