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