Landscape conservation
Wiltshire has an extremely rich and valued landscape. From rolling downland and chalk river valleys to low lying vales and ancient forest and parkland, the landscape of Wiltshire has provided pleasure and inspiration to generations of people.
Landscape, of course, represents much more than just the scenic beauty of our open countryside, it encapsulates Wiltshire's attractive towns and villages, abundant wildlife and habitats, numerous important archaeological features and the long historical record of human activity.
In recognition of the value of the Wiltshire landscape, almost half of Wiltshire Council's administrative area is considered of national importance and is designated as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Much of the remainder of the County is designated as locally important Special Landscape Area (SLA).
Landscape Character Assessment is an objective method for describing landscape, based on the identification of generic landscape types (e.g. Open Downland) and more specific landscape character areas (e.g. Marlborough Downs). The approach identifies the unique character of different areas of the countryside without making judgements about their relative worth. Landscape character areas are classified based on sense of place, local distinctiveness, characteristic wildlife, natural features and nature of change. Landscape Character Assessment has been undertaken for all of Wiltshire's land area at 1:50,000 scale and for most of Wiltshire at 1:25,000 scale covering the individual Districts and AONBs.
Wiltshire is a county of contrasting and attractive countryside with downland, woodlands, river valleys and clay vales. The chalklands of the North Wessex Downs, Salisbury Plain, Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs, form undulating open scenery characterised by large fields and isolated tree clumps. In contrast, the valleys appear well wooded due to the enclosure of smaller fields by hedgerows and the presence of riverside trees and copses. Extensive deposits of clay-with-flints on top of the chalk support major woodlands such as Savernake Forest and the Great Ridge, Grovely and Tollard Royal woods.
Escarpments form the most dramatic features of the Wiltshire landscape and are the locations of a number of chalk carvings such as the white horses and regimental badges. Earthworks and ancient trackways give the chalklands a distinct archaeological feel, particularly in the Stonehenge and Avebury areas. Settlements are concentrated in the river valleys or below the 'spring line' beneath the escarpments. The traditional building materials of brick, stone, flint and thatch add to the picturesque qualities of these villages.
The oolitic limestone of the Cotswolds forms a gently undulating plateau with deeply incised, heavily wooded valleys. Much of the plateau is under arable cultivation with large fields separated by dry stone walls. The use of 'traditional' local stone has ensured that villages blend well with the landscape.
The clay vales are areas of gently undulating topography and varied landscape with permanent pasture on the flood plain and arable cultivation on the better drained soils. Throughout the vales there are numerous villages and many of the major towns of Wiltshire. The Thames and Bristol Avon Vales are separated by a line of low wooded hills, remnants of the ancient Braydon Forest, which occur on the outcrop of Corallian limestone stretching from near Westbury to Highworth. In places this forms an important escarpment, especially around Lyneham. The Thames Vale is broad and relatively flat with more extensive floodplains and meadows than those in the Vales of Pewsey or Bristol Avon. In the Upper Thames Valley the extraction of gravel deposits has created numerous lakes, which form the core of the Cotswolds Water Park.
On the edge of the chalklands in the south-west is a series of wooded ridges and valleys on the greensand there are many large estates, such as Fonthill in the Vale of Wardour, Longleat and Stourhead. In the south-east of the county, on the sands and gravels, there is a heavily wooded landscape more typical of the New Forest.
Special Landscape Areas (SLA) are landscapes of County Importance. SLA is a non-statutory designation protected through County Structure Plan and Local Plan policy. Much of Wiltshire's countryside outside the AONBs is designated as SLA.
Wiltshire's landscape
Landscape Character Assessment is an objective method for describing landscape, based on the identification of generic landscape types (e.g. Open Downland) and more specific landscape character areas (e.g. Marlborough Downs). The approach identifies the unique character of different areas of the countryside without making judgements about their relative worth. Landscape character areas are classified based on sense of place, local distinctiveness, characteristic wildlife, natural features and nature of change.
The main Wiltshire Landscape Character Assessment covers the whole of the county at 1:50,000 scale (see the link below). Beneath this assessment nest more detailed 1:25,000 Landscape Character Assessments.
The North Wessex Downs document is a large file and therefore may take some time to download.
- North Wessex Downs AONB (PDF, 24 MB)(opens new window)
(1:25,000) - Cotswolds AONB (opens new window)
(1:50,000) - Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs AONB (opens new window)
(1:25,000) - New Forest National Park (opens new window)
(1:25,000) - Salisbury Plain Training Area (opens new window)
(Please contact Defence Estate Environmental Support Team at Weston Camp; tel: 01980 674778) - Cotswold Water Park (opens new window)
(1:25,000)
Some of these files are large and therefore may take some time to download.
- LCA Cover and Contents December 2005 208kb (PDF, 203 KB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 1 - Introduction December 2005 2.3mb (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 2 - Character Context December 2005 12.7mb (PDF, 12 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 3 - Physical Influences December 2005 13.4mb (PDF, 12 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 4 - Ecology December 2005 8.9mb (PDF, 8 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 5 - Human Influences December 2005 1.9mb (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 6 - Built Character December 2005 72kb (PDF, 70 KB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 7 - Agricultural Land Use December 2005 201kb (PDF, 172 KB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 8 - Perceptions December 2005 98kb (PDF, 95 KB)
- Chapter 9 - Recreational Influences December 2005 2.0mb (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 10 - Landscape Character December 2005 2.0mb (PDF, 1 MB)
- Landscape Type 1 December 2005 615kb (PDF, 600 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 2 December 2005 654kb (PDF, 638 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 3 December 2005 509kb (PDF, 497 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 4 December 2005 554kb (PDF, 541 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 5 December 2005 700kb (PDF, 683 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 6 December 2005 561kb (PDF, 547 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 7 December 2005 645kb (PDF, 629 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 8 December 2005 649kb (PDF, 633 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 9 December 2005 603kb (PDF, 588 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 10 December 2005 1019kb (PDF, 995 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 11 December 2005 526kb (PDF, 513 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 12 December 2005 636kb (PDF, 621 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 13 December 2005 648kb (PDF, 632 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 14 December 2005 782kb (PDF, 763 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 15 December 2005 539kb (PDF, 526 KB)(opens new window)
- Landscape Type 16 December 2005 570kb (PDF, 556 KB)(opens new window)
- Chapter 11 - Conclusions December 2005 6.1mb (PDF, 5 MB)(opens new window)
- Appendix 1 Methodology 161kb (PDF, 157 KB)(opens new window)
- Appendix 2 Relationship to Existing Assessments 179kb (PDF, 174 KB)(opens new window)
- Appendix 3 References 69kb (PDF, 67 KB)(opens new window)
Cotswold water park
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Cover Cover 287kb (PDF, 280 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Introduction 1.0 Introduction 167kb (PDF, 162 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Review of Existing LCA 2.0 Review of the Existing landscape character assessments 435kb (PDF, 425 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 3.0 The Cotswold Water Park - An Introduction 3.0 The Cotswold Water Park - An Introduction 173kb (PDF, 169 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 4.0 The Landscape Character Assessment Approach 4.0 The Landscape Character Assessment Approach 211kb (PDF, 169 KB)(opens new window)
- Wootton Rivers Neighbourhood Plan: Final Decision Statement (PDF, 133 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 5.2 Cornbrash Limestone Lowlands 5.2 Cornbrash Limestone Lowlands 612kb (PDF, 597 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 5.3 River Basin Clay Vale 5.3 River Basin Clay Vale 816kb (PDF, 796 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 5.4 Rolling Clay Lowland Farmland 5.4 Rolling Clay Lowland Farmland 248kb (PDF, 241 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 5.5 Settled Limestone Ridge 5.5 Settled Limestone Ridge 256kb (PDF, 250 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 6.0 Glossary 6.0 Glossary 126kb (PDF, 122 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 7.0 Core References 7.0 Core References 156kb (PDF, 152 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Chapter 8.0 Acknowledgements 8.0 Acknowledgements 115kb (PDF, 112 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Contents Contents 114kb (PDF, 111 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Figure 1 Study Boundaries Figure 1 Study Boundaries 561kb (PDF, 547 KB)(opens new window)
- Cotswold Water Park LCA Figure 2 Landscape Character Types and Areas Figure 2 Landscape Character Types and Areas 561kb (PDF, 547 KB)(opens new window)