Devon Character Areas

Uninterrupted view towards Rackenford from the south-east, across pastoral farmland bounded by hedgerows with scattered mature trees.

Contextual description

This Devon Character Area (DCA) comprises elevated land lying between the Taw Valley to the west (in Torridge District) and the Exe Valley and Cruwys Morchard Wooded and Farmed Valleys DCAs to the east (in Mid Devon district). To the north/north-west is a gradual transition into the South Molton Farmland DCA, and to the south a gradual transition to the lower and more intensively farmed Crediton Rolling Farmlands DCA (in Mid Devon district).

Link to National Character Areas and Constituent Landscape Character Types

Constituent Landscape Character Types (LCTs) include 1F Farmed Lowland Moorland and Culm Grassland, 3A Upper Farmed and Wooded Valley Slopes, 3H Secluded Valleys, 5D Estate Wooded Farmland and 3C Sparsely Settled Farmed Valley Floors (partially within Mid Devon district).

This DCA falls within The Culm National Character Area (NCA 149) and the northernmost tip is within Exmoor National Character Area (NCA 145).

Summary character description

An elevated, open landscape with long views to Dartmoor and Exmoor. Within the patchwork of pastoral fields are extensive areas of rough Culm grassland and heathland. These Culm 'moors' have a strong sense of remoteness, which is accentuated by the relative lack of settlement and the wind-sculpted trees and hedgerows. These areas give an impression of how many parts of Devon might have looked before agricultural improvements such as drainage, ploughing and fertiliser application. The presence in the landscape of numerous clusters of prehistoric barrows adds to this sense of history and timelessness. The strong textures of plantations, beech hedgerows, heathland and grasslands contrast with the smooth improved agricultural fields which surround them. Patches of colour in the landscape change with the seasons; golden, brown and green grasses, purple heather and bright yellow gorse.

Part of the Culm grasslands Special Area of Conservation (Knowstone Inner Moor) viewed from the north east, bisected in the centre by the A361.

Distinctive characteristics

• Underlying Culm Measures geology of mudstones and siltstones with bands of sandstone, supporting poorly-drained soils.
• A gently rolling topography comprising a series of east-west ridges cut by tributary valleys (e.g. Crooked Oak, Sturcombe and Little Dart), some of which are included within neighbouring DCAs.
• Numerous streams, fed by springs and bogs, flowing through shallow valleys into the wider tributary valleys of the Taw and Exe.
• Pastoral fields of sheep/cattle grazing on medium to poor quality soils; rough grazing manages the unimproved Culm grassland and heath. Red deer are often spotted within the landscape.
• Complex field patterns, including areas of small, irregularly shaped medieval fields (e.g. around Creacombe and Rackenford) and other areas of post-medieval and modern fields, often on higher land.
• Fields and rural lanes bound by hedgerows and banks, usually topped by beech on higher land, but more species-rich at lower elevations. Wind-sculpted beech hedges form characteristic skyline features at the upland edge.
• A relatively well-treed landscape, with linear broadleaved woodland in valleys; patches of plantation on higher ground; pockets of scrub on unimproved grasslands, and strong patterns of hedgerow trees.
• The wooded estate of Rackenford Manor locally influences the character of the landscape.
• Extensive Culm grassland habitats of wet heath, rich flushes, valley mires, fen and marshy grasslands.
• Numerous clusters of prehistoric barrows and earthworks in prominent hilltop locations.
• Many historic features within the fabric of the landscape including farmhouses, traditional orchards, manor houses, lanes, tracks, field boundaries, bridges and churches.
• Scattered farms on valley sides (often set back along access tracks) with occasional clustered villages or hamlets in ridge-top positions. The square tower of Witheridge church is a local landmark.
• Variety of vernacular building styles, including white/ cream rendered cob or stone with slate or thatched roofs.
• Network of steep, narrow lanes, with valleys; straight roads across high ground indicating ancient routes. White fingerposts at crossroads form characteristic features of the lanes.
• The A361 North Devon Link Road cuts through the landscape, bisecting areas of Culm grassland and diluting local levels of tranquillity.
• Long views north to Exmoor and south to Dartmoor particularly from the east of the area.
• Wind turbines at Batsworthy Cross interrupt views to Dartmoor and across the north of the area.

Cattle (including Ruby Red North Devon, a native breed) grazing internationally important Culm grasslands, with distant views north towards Exmoor National Park.

Special qualities and features

Northern part of the area visible in the panoramic views southwards from Exmoor National Park, making an important contribution to the setting of the nationally designated landscape.

High scenic quality, particularly in the north and on the Culm grasslands, which have a similar character to parts of Exmoor.

Internationally and nationally designated (Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)) Culm grassland and heathland habitats, supporting a range of plants, invertebrates (including the rare Marsh Fritillary) and breeding birds.

Largest remaining area of Culm grassland habitats in Devon at Knowstone Inner and Outer Moors, Hares Down and Rackenford Moor.

Pockets of ancient woodland (semi-natural and replanted), particularly extensive around Templeton in the southern part of the area.

Numerous County Wildlife Sites, including woodland, unimproved grassland and wetland sites.

Numerous prehistoric features designated as Scheduled Monuments, including individual barrows, barrow cemeteries, hillforts at Burridge Camp and Berry Castle, and an enclosure at East Kidland Wood Camp Other heritage assets include a medieval ringwork castle near Stone Barton and the churchyard cross at Romansleigh.

Conservation Areas covering the historic village cores of Witheridge, Lapford, Chawleigh and Knowstone, where there are clusters of listed buildings and characteristic square stone churches.

Valuable for recreation with two long-distance walking routes crossing the area (Two Moors Way and Ridge and Valley Walk) and areas of common land providing public access (including the largest Culm grassland sites).

Away from the A361, a landscape with a strong sense of remoteness and a timeless quality - one of the most extensive tranquil areas in Devon, with exceptionally dark night skies.

Forces for change and their landscape implications

Past and current

• The A361 which crosses Culm grassland at Hare's Down and Knowstone Moors and the picnic and service area nearby at Beaples Moor, bringing localised visual intrusion, loss of tranquility and light pollution.
• Localised visual impacts from ridge-top settlement expansion at Witheridge and telecommunications masts (e.g. Stoodleigh Beacon).
• The nine 100m wind turbines at Batsworthy Cross form a prominent feature in the landscape (also visible from surrounding areas), combined with isolated single farm turbines associated with farms.
• Past loss and fragmentation of Culm grassland habitats as a result of drainage and improvement of land for agriculture.
• Past planting of coniferous plantations on former areas of Culm grassland.
• Tensions between the requirements of nature conservation (SAC/SSSIs) and traditional farming and commoning practices.
• Agricultural intensification leading to loss of landscape features such as hedgerows (particularly in the southern part of the area).
• The development of occasional large farm buildings such as barns and chicken sheds reflecting some industrial-scale farming impacting on character.
• Farm diversification resulting in the introduction of new elements into the landscape (e.g. pony paddocks, fisheries and caravan sites).
• The localised appearance of neglect in some farmland due to ongoing decline in the agricultural economy, including overgrown hedges, derelict farm buildings, and inappropriate farm building repairs.
• Effects of climate change resulting in wetter and warmer winters, and more frequent hot and dry periods (increasing the risk of drought in summer), plus more frequent extreme weather events impacting agriculture and important habitats (e.g. Culm grasslands).

Future

• Forthcoming changes to agricultural subsidies, including the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) which will pay landowners for the delivery of public goods and services, including for the restoration of nature. This may affect the viability of 'marginal' farming on the Culm grasslands and moors and management of Culm grassland by commoners.
• Potential future demand for tourism and recreation development leading to increased farm diversification, change in the working agricultural landscape and potential increase in traffic levels.
• Population growth and settlement expansion, along with the need for supporting infrastructure and services.
• Continued demand for commercial wind farms (particularly on the elevated plateau with high wind resource) as well as domestic turbines, introducing further large scale structures into the open landscape.
• Potential future demand for other renewable energy schemes developments as solar arrays and bio-energy crops, along with community renewables projects, which could have a cumulative effect on the built fabric of the area.
• The impacts of climate change on weather patterns and growing seasons, potentially affecting Culm grassland and other open habitats (e.g. through increased summer droughts and more rapid scrub growth) and traditional agricultural practices.
• Increased frequency of storms, and new pests, diseases and pathogens (e.g. Phytophthora) due to climate change, potentially affecting hedgerow trees and linear woodland.
• UK-wide drive for increased woodland planting to deliver a range of ecosystem services and public benefits.
• Demand for residential development on villages' outskirts and rural locations, including farm/barn conversions.

103m-tall wind turbines at Batsworthy Cross visible on the skyline viewed from the west (along the Two Moors Way).

Sheep grazing pasture above a large farm and farm buildings with two wind turbines (from the Two Moors Way looking east towards Rackenford).

Landscape guidelines

Protect

• Protect the setting of Exmoor National Park, avoiding the introduction of prominent features into the expansive and unspoilt views from the southern edge of the National Park.
• Protect remaining areas of Culm grassland habitat, resisting any further development which would be detrimental to their appearance or biodiversity value.
• Protect the farming and land management traditions of the area, continuing to support local farmers to graze the Culm grasslands and lowland moors as integral parts of their farming system.
• Protect the area's high levels of tranquillity, dark night skies and sense of remoteness, avoiding insensitively-sited or visually intrusive development, particularly on prominent, open ridgelines,
• Protect the landscape's sparse settlement pattern. Resist the further spread of new development outside the limits of the landscape's villages and hamlets, including along roads.
• Protect and appropriately manage archaeological and historical features within the landscape, including prehistoric hilltop monuments and traditional farm buildings.
• Protect the landscape's rural character, repairing or restoring distinctive structures such as white fingerposts that contribute to distinctiveness.
• Protect and manage surviving traditional orchards.
• Protect wind-sculpted beech trees and hedgerows on high land, replacing if necessary to ensure their continued presence in the landscape.
• Protect beaver populations on the Little Dart River and explore the potential for their reintroduction into other systems.

Manage

• Manage farmland and associated features such as hedgerows, retaining the area's character of a working, agricultural landscape.
• Manage Culm grassland and unimproved grassland areas, including through managed burning and locally appropriate levels of grazing; encourage farmers and commoners to manage 'marginal' land as an integral part of the wider farming regime.
• Manage archaeological sites (e.g. through clearance/ suitable levels of grazing), providing sensitive interpretation features where appropriate.
• Manage the area's existing plantations for sustainable timber production and wildlife interest, creating new green links to surrounding semi-natural habitats and moving towards mixed species composition wherever possible. Explore their use as recreational spaces away from the more sensitive habitats surrounding them.
• Manage woodland using traditional techniques (e.g. coppicing) for age and species diversity.

Plan

• Utilise the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) and other initiatives such as Local Nature Recovery Strategies (as they emerge) to manage and enhance the wildlife interest of the farmed landscape.
• Expand and link fragmented Culm grassland habitats to increase biodiversity value, resilience to climate change and to contribute to wider nature recovery networks.
• Diversify and enhance future sustainability of the area's conifer plantations, exploring opportunities for mixed stocking, the restoration of open habitats such as Culm Grasslands, and improved access and recreation.
• Ensure new facilities and infrastructure to meet increased tourism demand are sensitively sited and designed to conserve and enhance the distinctive characteristics, valued attributes and special qualities of the landscape that make it attractive to visitors.
• Seek opportunities to expand the public rights of way network including creation of new public access routes to better connect rural settlements to the land surrounding them.
• Ensure plans for new renewable energy developments consider landscape and visual effects (including cumulative effects) so that these can be sited in appropriate locations and their impacts mitigated through careful design, siting development away from where it will impact upon open views (including to Dartmoor and Exmoor).
• Sensitively incorporate future residential development to accommodate population growth and the popularity of the area as a place to live. Development should include a network of green infrastructure links to contribute to biodiversity and improved recreational access, linking to existing long-distance routes where possible.
• Restore lost or degraded lengths of hedgerow to strengthen ecological connectivity and natural flood management whilst respecting the characteristic local field patterns. Follow guidelines published by Devon Hedge Group.
• Respond to the UK-wide policy drive for increased tree and woodland planting, implementing Devon Local Nature Partnership's 'Right Place, Right Tree' principles to create a balance of climate-resilient native species appropriate to the local landscape. Avoid siting new woodland where there would be an adverse impact on the expansive views from higher ground.
• Ensure any new development is carefully located to respect traditional settlement forms, and is screened with existing or new native and climate-resilient planting where appropriate. Local vernacular styles/materials (cream cob/render, slate and local stone) should be incorporated into new buildings where possible, while incorporating sustainable design principles.

DCA 67 Witheridge and Rackenford Moor (PDF) [1MB]