Section 1: Physical and human influences
Section 2: Visual character of the landscape
Section 3: Landscape evolution and change
Section 4: Landscape strategies and key recommendations
Section 5: Landscape guidelines

Section 1: Physical and human influences

Introduction

The Trent Washlands are principally formed from the broad valleys of the Rivers Trent and Soar. The region is defined by alluvial and river terrace drift deposits and occupies around 10 % of the County. The Trent flows in a great arc through a number of counties including Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire before eventually discharging into the North Sea, via the Humber. Stoke-on-Trent, Burton on Trent, Nottingham, Newark and Gainsborough are the main population centres located along its course. A section of the River Soar has also been included within the region. This river marks the south-western boundary of the County before converging with the Trent close to the village of Thrumpton. The Soar has a broad valley floor that shares many of the characteristics of the Trent.

The shape of the land

In Nottinghamshire the valley of the Trent strikes through the County from end to end over a distance of 80 kilometres. Throughout its length this valley, which has an average width of 2-3 kilometres, is floored by a succession of river-borne materials, each reflecting a stage in the development of the river system. The materials consist primarily of older flood gravels of varying age, covered in places by more recently deposited alluvium. While the gravels are predominantly coarse and composed mainly of Bunter Pebble Bed debris, the alluvium is of much firmer texture, varying from silty loam to light clay.

The gravels include both outwash material derived from the retreating pleistocene ice fronts, and more recent riverine deposits. Together these form a series of low terraces which occur mainly along the edge of the valley, but also as “islands” in the midst of the river floodplain. Most of these terraces are raised by a metre or more, providing areas of naturally dry land surrounded by river alluvium. In places the alluvial floodplain forms extensive areas of flat, low-lying land that would have  been subject to periodic flooding prior to the advent of arterial drainage schemes. Alluvial deposits also flank the many smaller tributary streams which flow into the valley, mainly from the low mudstone hills to the west.

The Trent Valley in Nottinghamshire has been cut almost entirely in Mercia Mudstone, and for part of its length the region is flanked on either side by steep slopes to form a shallow trench. These slopes are particularly well developed between Long Eaton and Newark, where for long stretches they represent an old line of degraded river bluffs. In places, especially on the east bank, steep, often wooded river cliffs are a prominent feature rising above the flat alluvial floodplain. They are best developed at Clifton and Radcliffe, and again between Gunthorpe and East Stoke.

Downstream from Newark, the region broadens out, while the slopes rising from its edge gradually decrease in height and steepness until the valley becomes almost indiscernible from the adjacent lowland areas. In its lowest section beyond Gainsborough the valley opens out onto a broad plain which stretches away northwards to the Humber estuary. This almost level area of former washland, lying at, or in places just below, sea level, is floored by a variable thickness of silty marine alluvium.

A small part of the Soar Valley, between Loughborough and its confluence with the Trent, is also included within the region. Like the Trent, the River Soar meanders across a broad, well-defined alluvial floodplain, flanked in places by narrow river terraces. Beyond these terraces the valley is contained by rising ground to the east and on the west. Below Kegworth the River Soar passes into the Trent Valley proper, which at this point forms an extensive low-lying vale almost 6 kilometres in width.

Soils

Soils developed on glaciofluvial deposits and river terraces within the main river corridor have predominately coarse loamy textures, often with sandy sub-soils overlying gravel. The larger and more extensive terraces that flank the river corridor downstream from Newark are dominated by deep permeable sandy and coarse sandy soils in glaciofluvial drift. The alluvial soils of the Trent and Soar consist of mottled clayey and clay loam soils, developed in greyish and brownish alluvium. On the broad floodplain to the south west of Nottingham deep well-drained, fine loamy brown alluvial soils dominate. Downstream of Gainsborough deposits of shallow coarse silty material overlie the marine alluvium.

Landscape history

This is the region with the most dynamic and complex environment in Nottinghamshire, where both human and natural activities have interacted not just to create successions of landscapes, but to change the actual form of the land. The region contains a rich resource of archaeological remains, many of which are visible on the surface as differential crop growth over buried ditches, pits and other infilled disturbances of the subsoil. The geology and soils of the region are particularly favourable to the development of these cropmarks, which have been recorded through aerial reconnaissance and photography. We now know that invisible archaeological remains also exist, buried in or beneath alluvium deposited by the Trent, and that organic remains which would normally decay may be preserved in the wet conditions of this burial. Such preservation is also a feature of ancient river channels which are to be found buried in many locations on the flood plain of the Trent. It is possible to deduce a great deal about past ecological circumstances and human land use from the tree trunks, brushwood, leaves, pollen, beetles, spiders, molluscs and other remains of flora and fauna found in the deposits filling these palaeochannels, or within flood deposits and archaeological remains. Much new evidence about the palaeoenvironments of the region has been gathered in recent years, giving new insight into the development of the river valley landscape. Research into the environmental and human history of the Trent Washlands continues. This brief overview of that history can not do justice to the detail of new evidence being revealed or to the studies involved, which are already considerable. But however much we know now, we have only made a beginning.

In the 6th millennium BC the Trent was a braided river, consisting of many channels with an unstable course, flowing between terraces of gravel laid down during the last phase of the Ice Ages through which it had subsequently cut. Towards the latter end of the millennium sea levels began to rise, altering the flow of the river and causing sediment to be deposited on the valley floor. This was the beginning of the process by which the modern Trent Washlands landscape was created, with the flood plain being filled with aggraded deposits of sands, gravels and alluvium as the river itself gradually changed into the essentially single channel, meandering Trent which we know today. This is a gross oversimplification of a complex process in which a powerful, active and unpredictable river repeatedly flooded, deposited alluvium, cut and changed course, eroded its banks and landsurfaces and built others anew, increasingly in reaction to human actions and their consequences. It is also a grossly simplified description of the modern river, which varies in character and detail throughout its length. Nevertheless, it must suffice for now.

The valley of this early river was well wooded with oak, elm, pine, willow and hazel. Around 5000 BC lime became a major component of the woods of the Trent Washlands and surrounding regions. About the same time, as pollen from Bole Ings indicates, alder swamps developed in many locations in the Trent flood plain. This river and woodland environment offered rich resources for early hunter-gathering groups of people, but their only witness is occasional finds of stone tools. Their impact on the environment will have been light overall, involving seasonal occupation of limited areas by groups from a very thin and scattered total population.

The earliest evidence of human impact on the environment of the Trent Washlands appears after 5000 BC, when the first agriculturalists had established themselves. These people made significant clearances in the woodland by the grazing of domesticated stock and the use of fire, creating fields for cultivation and semi open areas of pasture. Their impact was probably more widespread than their clearances, for they will have hunted and gathered in their surrounding woodland going regularly over the same ground from their settled base, with lasting effect on the local flora and fauna. It is to their activities nationally that a decline in elm after 4000 BC is attributed. Locally what may be this phenomenon has been identified in the pollen record from a site in Collingham. This site also provides the first example of the appearance of agriculture in the Trent Washlands, for cereal pollen occurs in the record before the drop in the elm pollen.

By 2000 BC areas of clearance within the Trent Valley had become extensive. Some of these now contained ritual landscapes with funerary and religious monuments, particularly in the area of Holme Pierrepont and North and South Muskham. The ritual importance of the river and its corridor during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age can also be seen in the deposit of human remains, chiefly skulls, entrapped with animal remains, also mainly skulls, in a log jam within an ancient buried river channel at Langford Lowfields. These remains, discovered during quarrying in 1995, date to 2300-2000 BC and probably represent water burial in the river or funerary practices involving exposure of the dead on the river bank not far upstream. The occasional, but not infrequent, dredging up from the river of other skulls and prestigious metal objects shows that this association of the Trent with burial and offerings to the gods lasted into the Iron Age. Early settlement remains are rare, however, consisting of the occasional pit or buried soil encountered on sites of later date. A “Burnt Mound” on the bank of a major ancient river channel, discovered buried beneath alluvium at Girton, if not ritual in purpose may represent food processing in the Early Bronze Age. Most of the evidence for domestic or agricultural occupation in the Trent Washlands at this period, then, is the stone tools and much rarer pieces of pottery which have been picked up on the surfaces of ploughed fields and in older gravel workings or building sites.

The effect of expanding human land use both within and outside of this region, however, can be seen in a decline in lime and pine around 1600 BC and in deposits of colluvium in several sites on the valley side terraces and of alluvium within the flood plain. Some of this alluvium may be related to the clearance of woodland on the higher ground of the Trent catchment in the Peak District, which was very extensive by the later Bronze Age. The Middle and Late Bronze Age in the Trent Washlands appears to be marked by a number of floods, which were the product, in part at least, of the increasing opening-up of the landscape over a wide geographic area. This opening-up was less than total in the Trent, though.

Trunks of large forest oaks and other trees dating from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in palaeochannels and river deposits at Colwick, Langford and Besthorpe indicate the presence of closed canopy woodland. In the main, these trees were washed into the river as it eroded its banks, although marks of human felling appear on some timber at Langford Lowfields. At Bole Ings the flood plain woodland and alder swamp appear to have remained largely untouched well into the lst millennium BC, about which time also the Trent first became tidal.

It was during this last 1000 years BC that the landscape of the Trent Washlands can be seen to have been dramatically changed, either as the result of progressive woodland clearance by successions of earlier generations or because of widespread social change and population increase which intensified the density of settlement and land use in the Trent Valley and elsewhere. Whatever the reason, by the time of the Roman Conquest the region was one of farms and fields with negligible woodland. This basic landscape characteristic has endured through to the present day.

The late prehistoric and Roman settlement pattern was one of dispersed farms in what appears to have been an enclosed landscape. In the down stream sector, north of Fledborough, regularly laid out rectangular fields with trackways running through them are to be seen in the cropmarks. These are identical in character to those of the Roman landscape recorded from the air on the Sherwood Sandstones of North West Nottinghamshire. Upstream from this area, the valley side and flood plain terraces are more dissected and the pattern of the cropmarks seems less coherent. However, the same elements of linear and rectangular land divisions can be seen in a number of locations in the more southerly sectors of the Trent Valley and have been noted in excavations. Another observable pattern in the cropmarks of this period in the Trent Washlands is a tendency for settlements to be positioned on or towards the edges of valley side and flood plain terraces. This suggests that their sites were selected in relation to the qualities and uses of the land in the river valley. We may anticipate that the free draining soils of the gravel terraces were put down to arable on one side of settlements, while the heavier, wetter alluvium was used as meadow and pasture on the other side of settlements. This pattern can be seen also in the siting of the later mediaeval and modern nucleated villages of the region.

To add to this pattern, in several locations Roman settlements have been recorded which were sufficiently large and nucleated to be described as hamlets or even villages, while high status villas are known from Cromwell and Holme Pierrepont. In truth, these latter did not stand alone. The villa at Barton in Fabis, although falling into the South Nottinghamshire Farmlands, really belongs to the Trent Valley, and no doubt the lands of its estate extended into the Trent Washlands, as will those of other villas in adjacent regions. Three, probably four, Roman “small towns” also had a role in this landscape. At Littleborough the town of Segelocum lay across Tillbridge Lane, the Roman road from Lincoln to Doncaster, and commanded the point where this crossed the Trent. At Ad Pontem, just north of East Stoke, the town lay across the Fosse Way (and the mapped boundary between the Trent Washlands and the South Nottinghamshire Farmlands at this point), and again commanded a principal river crossing. Margidunum, on the Fosse Way outside Bingham, lies on the Mercia Mudstones of the South Nottinghamshire Farmlands well above the Trent Valley floor, but nevertheless must have been involved with the settlements and land use of the flood plain and with the river crossing at Gunthorpe. Similarly, it is almost inconceivable that Crococolana, at Brough, again on the Fosse Way where it crosses into Lincolnshire, will not have had interests in the adjacent area of the Trent Washlands, not least because the Cromwell Villa appears to be one of a group focused on the town. There was also a substantial settlement at Newark, but its status remains unclear.

By the Roman Conquest, the Trent had developed the meandering single channel character with which we are familiar. It remained highly active, however, continuing to reshape its course and given to flood, sometimes violently. The late prehistoric final, complete clearance of woodland in the Trent Washlands, and extensive clearances in other regions and further afield, exposed more land to be eroded into the river system. The consequence was the continued deposition of alluvium and other materials in the Trent flood plain during the Iron Age and Roman periods. All along the Trent Valley examples are accumulating of late prehistoric and Roman ditches, pits and other remains buried beneath or within alluvium. In the Roman town of Segelocum at Littlebrough, at least two phases of flooding and river deposition have been found, interleaved between phases of Roman building. Indeed the later Roman period appears to have been one of marked alluviation in the Trent Valley, probably reflecting the extent of woodland clearance in the Trent catchment and possibly the exhaustion of, and damage to, vulnerable soils like those in the Sherwood region, or perhaps the introduction of the heavy plough which was capable of more effectively breaking up the ground.

We are still uncertain about much that happened in the Trent Washlands at the end of the Roman period. The region experienced considerable social and economic change as the population dropped and Roman administrative structures degenerated or were transformed. The Roman towns withered away, the villas were abandoned, doubtless land holdings and land uses were reorganised. But there is no reason to believe in a wholesale change in the population and the landscape. On the contrary, such evidence as we have suggests that the region’s natural resources gave its economy an enduring strength and vitality to continue, along with much of Nottinghamshire south of the Trent, to be the most populous and extensively farmed area in what was to become the County.

This relative prosperity appears to have made the Trent Washlands and south Nottinghamshire attractive to incoming Anglo-Saxons seeking land, wealth and power. The distribution of known Anglo-Saxon cemeteries is almost wholly within this area, with four, Kingston on Soar, Millgate on the outskirts of Newark, Netherfield and Holme Pierrepont, lying on the edges of or within the Trent Washlands. Holme Pierrepont appears to have been a mixed rite cemetery containing both cremations and inhumations, while Kingston, Millgate and Netherfield were cremation cemeteries. Cremation is often considered to be an older Anglo-Saxon tradition than inhumation, and indeed the Millgate cemetery, which is the largest in the County, appears to have been established in the later 5th century AD. The objects found in most of Nottinghamshire’s Anglo-Saxon cemeteries indicate that the greater part of the new settlement began somewhat later, during the first half of the 6th century, and that it came from the south east, in the direction of Cambridgeshire and East Anglia. A second route of immigration, via the Humber, may be indicated by a group of early place names such as Beckingham and Walkeringham. This group at the downstream end of the Trent Valley, seems to relate to similar place names on the other side of the river in Lincolnshire. In general, however, the distribution of such early place names is similar to that of the cemeteries, suggesting that the opportunities offered by the Trent Washlands acted as a breakwater to early immigration.

Although the occasional domestic object has been found, no structural remains of Anglo-Saxon settlement have been identified. Current models of Early and Middle Saxon settlement are of dispersed farms and some larger settlements, a pattern not dissimilar to that of late prehistory and the Roman period. By the 9th century, and more particularly in the 10th century, this pattern was changing. Under the pressures of a rising population and the growing powers of local landlords, dispersed settlement began to be replaced by nucleated villages, with people grouping together around the farm of the local lord or at other geographically favoured sites. This was probably accompanied by reorganisation of land holdings to create early forms of open fields, farmed in common. Thus the typical village pattern of the English Midlands and Nottinghamshire began to be created. It was a gradual process which took many generations to complete, but in the Trent Washlands most, if not all, villages were nucleated by 1086, when Domesday Book was drawn up.

In this region, nucleation was probably helped by an existing sense of traditional communities. In a well populated area such as this, in which land use was extensive and well established, it is to be expected that boundaries and social groupings will have been formalised long before. Indeed, there are hints in the cropmark evidence that some land divisions have origins in the Roman period or even prehistory, which again might not be so remarkable in view of the unbroken history of settlement on the Trent Washlands. By contrast the boundaries between these valley communities and those on the Mercia Mudstones often bear the hall marks of being the product of a late partition of pressurised woodland resources. Indeed, it should not be forgotten in any discussion of the Trent Washlands that most of its communities will have had interests in the woodland and soils of the Mid-Nottinghamshire Farmlands behind them, that their use of the river valley was in part conditioned by access to the resources of these clays, and that their territories frequently ran up onto the clays to include those resources.

That land use and the behaviour of the river were factors in the choice of nucleated sites is manifest from a glance at the geology maps of the Trent Valley. On these, villages can be seen to occupy positions on the edges of the gravel flood plain and valley side terraces, adjacent to areas of alluvium and just above the usual annual overbank flood level. Access to water and a dry site were obviously important considerations; more important probably was ease of access to the arable on the gravels on one side and to the pastures on the alluvium on the other.

In 1086, Domesday Book shows the Trent Washlands to have been part of the most densely settled and highly cultivated areas of Nottinghamshire. Calculations of the areas of land use nominally represented in Domesday Book imply that in every community the land most suited to cultivation, and more, was ploughed. Many communities also possessed woodland. This may be surprising at first sight in view of the earlier history of the region, but this wood was almost certainly on the Mercia Mudstones into which the communities extended, as we have just seen above. Interestingly, some of these woods were recorded as underwood, that is coppiced woods. Underwood is a minority amongst the woodland recorded in Domesday Book, most of which is stated to be wood pasture, and some of those belonging to Trent Washlands communities were amongst the largest described. This may reflect the high degree of resource management necessary in this well populated region.

Another significant observation from Domesday Book is the amount of meadow recorded in the Trent Washlands. In 1086 the majority of the meadow in Nottinghamshire lay in this region and was more extensive than elsewhere. Clearly this reflects the low-lying nature of the flood plain and the annual overbank flooding by the river, which deposited nutrients in the form of silt and protected the ground from frost, thereby promoting early sweet grass growth. The quality of the Trent Valley grasslands is likely to have been a factor in the region’s economy from an early date and, as we shall see below, was to be very important in more recent times. English place names such as Cotes or Cottam may suggest lowland feeding grounds in the Trent Washlands during the Saxon period. When placed in contrast to a name such as Somercotes, on higher ground just over the border with Derbyshire, these may also indicate the possibility of a form of transhumance.

The pattern of the landscape in Domesday Book was essentially that for the rest of the Middle Ages in the Trent Washlands. Continued population increase will have resulted in the expansion of fields wherever possible, ultimately at the expense of pasture land. This must be the explanation for areas of ridge and furrow visible in long established river bank grassland today which is, alas!, increasingly visible on aerial photographs only. Field systems and cropping regimes were intensified, some reorganisations perhaps being linked to the regular planned layouts of a number of villages in the region.

The Black Death of 1349 ushered in a protracted period of social and economic change. To what degree the Trent Washlands suffered through visitations of the plague is not clear. Nationally, as much as a third of the population was carried off. In Nottinghamshire it appears that outbreaks of disease were not consistent from one place to another; while one community might be struck badly, another might escape almost completely. There can be no doubt that the region did suffer, but, contrary to common belief, there is no evidence that any community disappeared as a direct consequence of the plague. Indeed the Trent Washlands appear to have adapted well to the changed circumstances of the 15th century and later. Less emphasis was now placed on arable, and animal husbandry assumed a greater importance. Marginal ploughlands and pastures were restored to grassland, leaving the traces of cultivation fossilised in ridge and furrow, and open field rotations were reorganised to allow for longer fallows, temporary grass and the creation of closes of permanent grass. Vacant tenancies were engrossed into occupied farms, creating more differential between large and small farms, and their occupiers. With land exchange, the tendency grew for larger farms to be made up of consolidated blocks of land and for the boundaries of these to become fixed. Overall, the 15th and 16th centuries saw the establishment of convertible husbandry, with a more balanced mixed farming regime.

Through internal reorganisation most of the communities of the Trent Washlands were able to not only survive but generally prosper. Grassland increased and larger numbers of livestock were carried on it, hedgerows probably increased in number also with piecemeal enclosures, particularly close to the villages. At places like Holme Pierrepont, one of the earliest enclosures in the County, a landlord might see economic advantage in wholesale enclosure and conversion to sheep pasture or, as at Langford, large blocks of land might be let out for cattle grazing, but on the whole large scale enclosure in the Trent Washlands was limited. Despite being accounted as an area of early enclosure, this region remained largely unenclosed until the 18th century.

The present landscape detail of the Trent Washlands then, derives from this 18th century enclosure. This was not the only change, however; indeed it might be thought to have been only a beginning. The growing importance of Nottingham and Newark, and of industrial development in west Nottinghamshire, increased the demand for the products of the Trent Washlands, particularly meat and milk, and required the development of the natural communication corridor along the Trent Valley.

Between 1750 and 1820, the process of enclosure was completed. Much of what was enclosed was arable but open common grassland was also involved. The “Holmes” near Sutton on Trent are comparatively limited survivals from this process. In a number of places new farms were built at a distance from the old village centre, surrounded by newly enclosed blocks of land. By the end of the 18th century the agricultural economy of the Trent Washlands was described as being a mixture of arable and grass, “though more of the latter, especially continuous to the river”. Most of the grazing was put to fattening cattle, the island outside Newark being noted as “remarkably fine feeding land”. In the Soar Valley and south west of Nottingham, however, there were considerable dairies, mainly producing cheese. A number of farmers in the region at this time were breeding improved types of both sheep and cattle, particularly at Holme Pierrepont, Clifton and Hoveringham.

Many of the Parliamentary Enclosure Awards in the Trent Washlands provide for the digging of drainage ditches in the flood plain and the construction of flood defences. This was not the beginning of river management in the Trent Valley, however. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Trent continued to move in detail through bank erosion and flood under the influence of both nature and human interference. The river was a principal route of communication and commerce, and a source of food and power. It was also variable in its character from location to location and from season to season. There were numerous shallows, where the summer depth of water was less than 18 inches and where the river might easily be forded. At the North Muskham - Holme crossing, for example, it was recorded in 1536 that four score horseman might cross abreast. Equally there were areas of depth where strong currents would rapidly drag under and drown anyone who fell in. In winter, the river would be full and overbank flooding was frequent. At this season or any other time of heavy rainfall, the Trent can rise rapidly, with high energy water flows and volumes in spate floods. Such events could sweep away structures, erode banks and scour out new channels, to modify the river course. In 1315 one such flood destroyed all the bridges between Sawley and Gainsborough. Deposits of gravel laid down by the river during the Middle Ages, burying earlier landscape features, are known from a number of locations.

From the Middle Ages also we have clear evidence from physical features and documents of human management and exploitation of the Trent. Nottingham represented the effective upper limit of commercial navigation in the Middle Ages, with goods being brought up and down river to and from the Humber or inland trans-shipment points. In illustration of this, William Amyas, a principal merchant and civic dignitary in Nottingham, had warehouses at Adbolton in the 14th century, while in the 16th century coal from Wollaton was shipped down the Trent by barge. Bridges at Nottingham and Newark were the major crossing points, but these were supplemented by ferries and in the summer by numerous regular and occasional fords. By 1086 numbers of fisheries and mills were recorded in Trent Valley communities. These frequently involved the construction of weirs and structures in the river to funnel fish into collection baskets and to divert and control water flow into the mill lakes and ponds. Bank revetments and “training weirs” were also installed as defences against the erosion of river banks. Complaints about obstructions to navigation and the poaching of river water out of the navigation channels were frequent throughout the Middle Ages. In 1378 the problems had become sufficiently great for a Royal Commission to be set up to survey and remove impediments to the passage of boats.

Human interference with water flows and forces of nature together combined to change the detail of the landscape of the flood plain. While the former was puny by comparison with the latter, each had its effect on the other. The largest of these in landscape terms was probably the mediaeval management of the Trent and Devon waters to drive the mills of Newark and the competing actions of the lords of the manor of Averham and Kelham to secure water to drive their mills, particularly at Kelham. The upshot of this was so to accentuate and modify natural processes as to make the Island, between the two arms of the Trent in front of Newark, a virtually artificial construction. The original Newark arm, the “Old Trent Dyke”, was cut off and silted up as the waters were diverted into the River Devon along the edge of the flood plain by a long bank, while the Kelham arm was deepened and developed, so accelerating a natural tendency that the construction of a weir was required to ensure Newark’s share of the water. In consequence, lands on the island belonging to Averham, Kelham and South Muskham became separated from the rest by a major river channel. Such movements of the river as a result of natural development or a combination of both natural and human causes can be seen in numerous locations along the Trent Valley in pieces of parishes which now lie on the opposite bank to their parent communities, or in abandoned channels and ditches which may bear the name “Old Trent”.

This process of river channel modification has been continual and still continues, although it is now less marked as human water management has become technically stronger and integrated for day to day situations. The flood defences and drainage ditches of the Enclosures, which enhanced the development of the agricultural economy of the Trent Washlands, were piecemeal measures within individual localities, building upon, strengthening or replacing earlier initiatives. Together, these measures eventually provided a more or less continuous chain to defend vulnerable settlements and countryside. It was not until 1930, however, that they came under the unified control of the River Trent Catchment Board.

Development of the river as a transportation route was equally fragmented. This focused on the sectors upstream of Newark where river depths were inconsistent. In the downstream, tidal zone the principal problems were to maintain an adequate depth of water and to improve on the circuit of near circular meanders at West Burton and Bole, which frustrated boatmen in the hours of work required for little linear progress. These were cut through in 1793 and 1797. Upstream, particularly from Newark, the river was improved piecemeal during the late 18th and 19th centuries to take ever larger ships. In this way the Trent gradually took on the face which we know today.

Agricultural improvement and investment in building also contributed to the gradual, but nearly wholesale, rebuilding of farms and cottages in brick. Holme Pierrepont Hall had been one of the first brick buildings in the County in the early 16th century. By the end of the 18th century brick was the building material of all classes, and before long most of the old timber framed or mud and stud houses of the Trent Washlands had been replaced or had been clad in red brick and the thatched roofs replaced with pantiles. Many of these bricks and pantiles were made locally from sands and clays available in the river valley and the surrounding clay lands. Brick pits were already a notable feature on the Island between Kelham and Newark in the late 18th century. Kingston on Soar is a classic example of a purpose-built mid 19th century estate village and landscape.

In the period after 1700 many of the more important houses of the gentry and merchants were rebuilt or embellished, and others were built anew. These are to be found particularly around Nottingham and Newark and the sector of the Trent Valley between, drawn by the social and commercial magnetism which these two towns exercised from the 16th century onwards. Some had origins in the Middle Ages and were already set in parklands and gardens. These were now often redesigned or replanted, increasing the amount of woodland and the variety of species. Although far more modest in scale than the extensive estates of the Dukeries, these houses, parks and gardens made and still make significant contributions to the landscape of the Trent Washlands.

The Trent was the major means of transporting goods in and out of the County during the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. During the later 18th century it became integrated in the network of waterways with the building of canals linking into it. The earliest of these was the Chesterfield Canal in 1776, linking at West Stockwith and superseding the Idle as the inland carriage route towards Derbyshire. The commercial importance of this route enabled West Stockwith to be developed as an inland port with its own particular character. Gainsborough, on the Lincolnshire bank, also expanded as an inland port. Upstream, the Nottingham, Beeston and Grantham Canals all linked into the Trent, the two former running along the margin of the Trent Washlands and contributing their features to its landscape. The Soar too was modified to improve navigation, as was the Trent on the piecemeal basis already discussed. Beginning in 1772 with a weir and lock at Newark which enabled shipping to use the Newark arm of the Trent, triggering rapid industrial development in the town, these improvements principally affected the river upstream from Newark and introduced overtly artificial waterway features such as locks.

By the mid 19th century, waterways were rapidly being overtaken by railways. The Nottingham to Leicester line following the Soar Valley was built in 1840, and the Nottingham to Lincoln line, following the Trent Valley via Newark, was opened in 1846. Such railways were a considerable addition to the landscape, with embankments, stations often outside villages, and major engineering works where the river was crossed. And, as urban populations grew and the commercial and service side of the towns, particularly Nottingham, developed, the railways made suburban living possible. By the end of the century the commuter had appeared in the villages of the Trent Washlands  around Nottingham. These developments were concentrated in the Nottingham to Newark sector of the Trent Valley, leaving much of the region north of Newark as a relatively untouched agricultural area. Here, the most tangible signs of the Industrial Revolution were some rural warehouses, boat building and repair yards, the warehouse waterfront of Gainsborough on the Lincolnshire Bank and the passing of boats.

Despite the industrial and social developments of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the new additions they brought into the landscape, the basic influence on the countryside continued to be agriculture. The growth of Nottingham and the mining villages and the development of the railway network all combined to reinforce the already established emphasis on grass and livestock. The region was noted for its feeding grounds at the end of the 19th century. Apart from a temporary extension of arable during the 1st World War, this remained the case until the 1940s. Cattle were not the only livestock, however; there were substantial flocks of sheep in the Trent Valley in the 1870s. Post-war farming policies however, have placed emphasis on arable and by mechanisation have resulted in many Enclosure and earlier hedgerows and boundaries being knocked down. With drainage and flood control, the qualities of the land have been modified, enabling arable to be extended into areas not ploughed since the Middle Ages. The modern agricultural appearance of the Trent Washlands is thus quite different from that of even 100 years ago.

20th century development of the landscape in the Trent Washlands has been considerable in the Nottingham to Newark sectors. The advent of the motor car has made roads a dominant feature and brought an explosion of commuter development in many communities, transforming some villages, and vastly increasing the built-up areas. The mineral extraction industry has mechanised and dug up considerable areas to feed the demand for sand and gravel, often leaving large new bodies of water in the flood plain. Power stations have been built, contributing not just spectacular vertical masses to the landscape but often equally spectacular plumes of steam. To protect land, houses, animals, people and infrastructure from the power of the river, still frequently demonstrated and enhanced by runoff from the hard surfaces of modern buildings, pavements and roads, flood banks have been built and enhanced to often considerable dimensions. By contrast, the Trent Valley north of Newark has remained predominantly agricultural with a sense of isolated tranquillity which the high flood banks and power stations only seem to heighten.

The modern landscape of the Trent Washlands is the product of millennia of physical development and human activity. It is a very changed landscape, in which perhaps the most modern elements are the most obvious. Nevertheless, the whole of our history can be read in this region.

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Section 2: Visual character of the landscape

Introduction

The historical pattern of land use and settlement within the region is closely linked to the physical character of the valleys, with settlements along the Trent situated on the margins of the valley and the raised river terraces. Settlement within the Soar Valley has also developed on sites adjacent to the alluvium. The free-draining soils, water supplies and ease of communication have attracted people and settlement to the region at all dates.

The Trent flows through the large urban centres of Nottingham and Newark in Nottinghamshire, whilst Loughborough and Kegworth lie along the Soar, on the Leicestershire side of the valley. The urban edges of Nottingham and Newark have radically altered the character of the river corridors locally. A number of other pressures have greatly affected the traditional character of the region. These include the impact of power stations and pylon lines, mineral extraction, urban encroachment, road and rail developments and agricultural intensification. These changes have led to alterations in the traditional pattern of land use and a fragmentation of landscape structure in many areas. Away from the urban areas settlement is characterised by a nucleated pattern of villages and isolated farmsteads. These have retained their distinctive vernacular character, being of red brick and pantile roof construction. Modern houses have, however, been constructed in most settlements, introducing a suburban character to many villages, especially those situated close to the main cities and towns.

Arable cultivation now dominates large areas of the river corridors, whereas previously it was confined to the river terraces. Within the Trent corridor a narrow band of riverside grassland is all that remains of a once extensive tract of meadowland and pasture. In contrast the Soar Valley has retained much of its traditional pastoral character. The meandering river channels are dominant components of the river corridor landscapes; however, along the Trent, high floodbanks often shield the river from view. Within the Trent corridor the river is most visible where associated with the steep wooded bluffs of the Trent Trench, upstream of East Stoke. In this area, and many others, the traditional riverine character of the valleys has been retained. The strength and unity of this character is greatest where there are features such as flood meadows, grazing animals, wooded bluffs, willow holts, mixed hedgerows, historical settlements, permanent pastures and irregular field pattern. Many areas are also rich with archaeological and historical features including deserted medieval villages, Roman fort sites, ridge and furrow, and crop marks.

The Trent Washlands can be subdivided into five distinct landscape types. These have been classified generically which means that, theoretically, the landscape types could occur at any location within the country where there are similar physical resources and historical patterns of land use. In reality the landscape types possess a distinctively local character, because they share the broad characteristics of the regional character area, or represent a particular aspect of that character.

Terrace farmlands

A flat low-lying agricultural A flat low-lying agricultural landscape characterised by a traditional pattern of hedged fields and nucleated village settlements

Characteristic features Broad flat river terraces Regualr pattern of medium-to large-sized fields, breaking down and becoming open in many areas Hedgerow trees main component of tree cover, ash the principle species Willow pollards Predominantly arable with permanent pasture around settlements and roads Nucleated villages with traditional red brick and pantile roofed buildings Large power stations Sand and gravel quarries

Landscape description

These are flat, intensively farmed landscapes located on river terrace deposits within the Trent and Soar river corridors. Topographically, the low lying terraces are of variable prominence, with the better-pronounced terraces rising up to 2 metres above the level of the surrounding alluvium. In the Trent Valley the majority of the terraces are located along the western flank of the river, downstream from Nottingham as far north as Sturton le Steeple. In the Soar Valley river terrace deposits are found upstream of Sutton Bonnington. The river terraces provide dry sites for the nucleated pattern of village settlements, just above the level of the river floodplain. Other settlements within the river corridors are found at the valley margins along the fringe of the mudstone landscapes. Most of the smaller villages and farmsteads have retained their traditional character, being of red brick and pantile roof construction. However, modern housing styles have introduced a suburban character to certain of the larger villages. Narrow hedged lanes link many of the settlements. These run across the terraces to the river in a number of places. The river itself is often not a dominant feature. Flat terrain, floodbanks and hedgerows contrive to shield it from view.

There has been a strong tradition of cropping on the high quality terrace soils. This tradition has continued, with the terraces now dominated by intensive arable production, typically within a regular pattern of medium to large fields. This pattern is now highly variable due to field rationalisation. Where hedgerows are intact and well managed, summer views are rarely of any distance, the level landform and hedgerows helping to restrict longer distance views. More open views across the landscape are experienced in many areas, due to a break down in the field pattern, leading to a loss of continuity and character.

Where the field pattern is well defined the occurrence of hedgerow trees enhances the enclosed nature of the landscape and gives structure and form. Ash is the most numerous and widespread species, Oak is also found throughout. Willow is found along stream lines, ditches, and in many hedgerows. Willow pollards are a special feature found throughout the landscape and are particularly prevalent in the more intact enclosed areas. Mature horse chestnut trees are found in many parts of the landscape, especially in roadside hedges close to settlements. Hedgerows are mainly strong, trimmed, and hawthorn, becoming low and gappy on the margins of the more degraded areas. Although hedgerows are dominated by hawthorn, mixed species hedges are found locally throughout.

Although the terrace farmlands are dominated by arable farming, grassland landscapes are an important feature, usually being located adjacent to the red brick villages. These pastoral areas have a particularly strong character and are often associated with small irregular field patterns, mature hedgerow trees, strong and often mixed hedgerows, willow pollards, and small pockets of parkland. Some of the grassland contains ridge and furrow. These areas represent the most diverse and undisturbed parts of the landscape and are particularly worthy of protection. They are often associated with areas of historical and wildlife interest.

Small-scale broad-leaved woodlands are scattered throughout the landscape. These are generally small in size and do not constitute a major component of the landscape character. Hedgerow trees are the most important element of the landscape’s overall tree cover.

There are relatively large tracts of landscape where field patterns have become poorly defined, fragmented or lost. The loss of field pattern has led to the development of more open landscapes with field edges defined by roads, stream lines and ditches. Remnant field hedgerows and hedgerow trees are often out of scale with the landscape and swamped by growing crops in summer. Occasional ash trees provide reminders of the former landscape structure. Power stations, pylon lines and mineral workings are even more prominent and visible when viewed from these open areas.

The Terrace Farmlands landscapes have a distinctly urban fringe character adjacent to the western edge of Newark and built areas of south Nottingham. Residential edges, industrial parks, railway lines and sewage works are a feature of these areas, along with landscaped embankments and formal parks.

River Meadowlands

A flat low-lying riverine landscape characterised by alluvial meadows, grazing animals and remnant wetland vegetation

Characteristic features Meandering river channels, often defined by flood banks Sparsely populated with few buildings Permanent pasture and flood meadow Steep wooded bluffs Willow holts Long sinuous hedges Pollarded willows Regular pattern of medium to large size arable fields, breaking down and becoming open in many areas Hedgerow trees main component of tree cover

Landscape description

These landscapes are located on flat, low-lying alluvial floodplains within the Trent and Soar river valleys, and the lower reach of the Devon. Few buildings are found in these sparsely settled landscapes because of the risk of inundation by flood waters. The River Meadowlands are characterised by areas of alluvial meadow and riverside pasture, flood meadows, extensive common grasslands, meandering river channels and steep wooded bluffs. The character and unity of the river corridors have broken down in recent decades, largely as a result of flood protection works which have allowed the arable conversion of large tracts of alluvial meadowland.

The River Meadowlands are subdivided on the Landscape Types Plan to distinguish between areas that have retained their traditional pastoral character - River Meadowlands (a), and those areas most affected by recent landscape change - River Meadowlands (b).

Significant areas of intact river corridor have survived particularly along the Soar and various sections of the Trent. These areas possess a peaceful, undisturbed pastoral character with meandering river channels, permanent pastures, flood meadows, willow holts and grazing animals. This gives the landscape a strong sense of place and a feeling of naturalness. Along the Trent Trench steeply inclined wooded bluffs form a dramatic backdrop to the river and contain ash, oak, sycamore, poplar, alder and willow species. The bluffs are particularly pronounced on the east bank where they are undercut by the river. The flood meadows are sometimes associated with shingle beds. Old willows are locally important throughout the landscape. Remnant patches of marginal wetland vegetation fringe the river channels in some areas, enhancing the riparian character of the valleys. Willow holts are located at a number of points along the rivers; these increase diversity in the landscape and add to the strong sense of place.

The grasslands are often defined by long sinuous hedges which now mark the boundary with the arable landscapes. Much of the grassland runs in a strip parallel to the river protected by floodbanks; this is particularly so in the Trent Valley downstream from Cromwell where the river becomes tidal. The raised floodbanks confine views to the river channel and exclude the surrounding landscape and disrupt visual continuity. The pasture itself is featureless except for patches of fringing riparian scrub. Extensive areas of intact river meadowland are found near Sutton on Trent. These “Holme” grasslands are located on both sides of the river and have a spacious, open and treeless character.

The Soar Valley has a relatively intact riverine character despite the localised industrial and urban influences. The risk of flooding and the clay soils have restricted the area of cropped land with around half of the valley in Nottinghamshire being set to permanent grassland. The character of the landscape is strongest where it is associated with unimproved flood meadows, old willow pollards, mixed hedgerows and riparian trees and scrub.

Large areas of the River Meadowlands have now been converted to arable land. This encroaches to the river channel edges in many areas disrupting the unity of the river corridors, particularly along the Trent. Away from the river the landscape is defined by medium to large scale regular and semi-irregular field patterns. Field rationalisation has led to the loss of hedgerows in many areas, producing open landscapes with a very weak riverine character.

Despite only the occasional small deciduous woodland and willow holt, the overall impression is of a well treed landscape. Ash, oak and willow hedgerow trees are the most important components of the overall tree cover. These enhance the sense of enclosure and allow filtered views down the valleys. Numerous willow-lined streams flowing into the main river channels are also prominent landscape features, as are old willow pollards which occur widely.

Although there are a few buildings located within the River Meadowlands, numerous mineral extraction sites and large power stations are located close by. These developments have a large impact upon the character of the landscape, further increasing the sense of disunity.

Alluvial estateland

A well-wooded estate landscape on a level floodplain with a small number of low hills

Characteristic features Flat topography with a few low hills Numerous blocks of small-scale deciduous and mixed woodland Intensively managed arable farmlands Large historic hall in an ornamental setting Permanent pastures with mature parkland trees Estate cottages and lodge houses

Landscape description

This landscape consists of a small area of mature wooded parkland and estateland, centred around Kingston Hall. It lies along the western side of the lower reach of the River Soar close to its confluence with the Trent. This broad sweep of alluvial land forms part of the natural floodplain of the river. The level ground is interrupted by outcrops of Mercia Mudstone, which exist as low hills rising up to 10 metres above the floodplain.

The well-wooded character is further emphasised by the proximity to the heavily wooded Gotham and West Leake Hills, which lie immediately to the east. The wooded character helps mitigate the impact of Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station, which looms over the area to the north.

The main landscape components are the abundant blocks of small-scale deciduous and mixed woodland and the intensively managed arable farmlands, producing medium-distance views to numerous wooded edges. This gives the area a strong estateland character which is reinforced by the presence of lime avenues, estate cottages and lodge houses. A relatively large area of mature and historic parkland is centred around Kingston Hall. The main landscape features here are the permanent pastures and tall parkland trees which, in conjunction with the lake, provide an ornamental setting to the large hall. A wide variety of ornamental tree species is contained within the walled grounds of the hall, and many of the individual parkland trees are now mature and of great stature. These combine with the parkland pastures to provide a majestic and peaceful setting for the grazing livestock. Small blocks of woodland also form an integral element of the parkland landscape. These are established both internally and along the margins of the park. The woodlands restrict views out to surrounding areas and produce an intimate, well-wooded landscape of great character.

Alluvial washland

A flat, expansive and low-lying landscape of large arable fields bounded by a geometric pattern of drains, ditches and narrow lanes

characteristic features Flat, low-lying alluvial washlands Wide views and sense of spaciousness large arable fields Scattered bushes and groups of trees Geometric pattern of ditches, drains and narrow lanes High flood banks containing mature river channel Linear red brick settlements Sparse distribution of isolated farmsteads

Landscape description

These are flat low-lying landscapes located along the lower reaches of the Trent. The landscape has a remote rural character, similar to the Carrland landscapes of the Idle Lowlands to the west. The Alluvial Washlands form part of a much larger area of levels and former wetlands which extend northwards to the Humber estuary. Traditionally the productive capacity of the land was raised by flooding, a process known as “warping”. This has now ceased. Successive drainage schemes have allowed the highly fertile alluvial soils to be used intensively for the production of field vegetables and cereals. The large arable fields are drained by a geometric pattern of drains and ditches with the flood waters of the Trent held at bay by high flood banks. The former wetland character is strongly reflected in local place names (e.g. North Carr, Marsh Road).

The landscape has a broad and spacious character with a strong impression of sky and distance. There are few vertical features with the exception of scattered bushes, the occasional remnant hedgerow and small groups of trees. The flat terrain emphasises the significance of these features. The regular pattern of drains, ditches and roads creates a well-ordered and visually unified landscape. A few narrow lanes and tracks traverse the farmlands. These often run in straight lines for long distances, following main channels within the drainage system. The lanes are open and unhedged, adding to the expansive character of the landscape.

The Trent is confined by high flood banks which restrict views of the river from the wider landscape. The river channel is flanked by narrow strips of pasture, mature riparian trees and shrubs and marginal vegetation. Settlement is largely restricted to linear villages along the Trent and a handful of isolated farmsteads. The latter often form focal points in this rather uniform and featureless landscape.

River valley wetlands

A diverse range of highly modified landscapes created by sand and gravel extraction

Characteristic features Actively worked areas with disturbed ground and dr dry voids Flooded workings with large areas of open water Wetland habitats at different stages of maturity Recreational developments for water sports, country parks etc Areas of restored agricultural land, often poorly landscaped

Landscape description

Mineral extraction has profoundly altered the character of areas of the Trent Valley landscape. It has had a considerable impact on both the immediate river channel, and adjacent landscapes situated on the alluvial and river terrace deposits.

The degree to which extraction affects the quality of the landscape varies from area to area. This is due to factors such as screening, visibility of processing plant, type of after-use and standards of reclamation. Many of the individual sites exceed 150 ha in size with the largest in excess of 400 ha. Sites have been reclaimed to a range of different afteruses, which has produced landscapes of variable character with little overall unity.

Mineral extraction has the strongest influence on landscape character within two broad areas. Firstly the steep-sided wooded bluffs that flank much of the valley bottom between Thrumpton and East Stoke. Some of the largest extraction sites in the County are found in this area, quarrying activity on many dating back to the 1940s. The second broad area of extraction lies to the north of Newark between South Muskham and South Clifton, where the valley becomes very wide and flat.

From the 1940s onwards there has been a continuous process of extraction and restoration. This has resulted in the development of a wide range of River Valley Wetlands landscapes, at different stages of maturity. Policies and priorities for restoration have fluctuated over the years, which has increased the number and variety of landscapes found.

The following stages in the creation and development of new river valley landscapes can be identified within the Trent Valley

• Actively worked areas - dry voids and disturbed ground, processing plants, buildings, stockpiles, earth mounds, conveyor belts, immature tree screens.
• Flooded workings that are unrestored, partially restored or newly restored.
• Mature and semi-mature wetland areas around old flooded workings. Vegetation has often regenerated naturally. A range of habitats has developed including damp woodland and trees, scrub, reed beds, marshland and other grassland communities. The result has been a softening and “naturalisation” of the formally artificial appearance. The former workings at Attenborough (now enjoying SSSI status) are perhaps the best and most extensive example of this type of landscape.
• Areas that have been restored to recreational afteruses. This includes the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont with its marina, sailing and rowing lakes and other associated facilities. Provision has also been made for water sports at other sites. A country park has been developed on former workings at Colwick.
• Areas restored to agriculture - using pulverised fuel ash filling schemes. Restored areas are often poorly integrated with surrounding landscapes, with little attempt at hedgerow restoration and tree planting.

River Valley Wetlands landscapes are found along the urban fringe of Nottingham and Newark, as well as in the heart of the more rural areas of the Trent Valley. The character of the urban sites is strongly influenced by the presence of railway lines, roads, industrial development, pylon lines, sewage treatment works and encroaching residential edges. Isolated pockets of riverside pasture and farmland provide a reminder of the character of earlier landscapes.

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Section 3: Landscape evolution and change

Introduction

This section examines the main forces that have brought about change and evolution within the Trent Washlands over recent decades. It does this by discussing how the current structure and pattern of land use has developed, paying particular regard to agriculture, woodland, transport, industrial/residential development and mineral extraction. It also considers the trends and pressures that may produce landscape change in the future.

Agriculture

The traditional character of the Trent Valley between the border of Derbyshire and Newark has been one of mixed farming, serving the demands of the large population centres. Before the Second World War permanent pastures flanked the meandering river channel and carpeted the low-lying alluvial areas. These were the natural flood plains and washlands. Arable production was confined to the low terraces where the risk of inundation was less, occupying around 40% of the total area. Downstream of Newark the proportion of arable land was significantly less, with over 75% of the valley set to permanent pasture. An almost continuous ribbon of grassland therefore extended along the alluvial deposits of the Trent.

The character of the valley has changed radically in recent decades. Modifications involving floodbanks, the isolation of the Colwick loop, and the building of sluices have now allowed the encroachment of arable farming to the river bank. Agricultural intensification has led to a dramatic increase in the area of arable land and the loss of almost 70 % of permanent grassland within the region. Much of this was prime water meadow. Grassland now occupies 18.5 % of the total land area.

Through its agricultural land classification work, MAFF has identified most of the region as being of medium quality agricultural land. However, there are significant areas of high quality agricultural land, located on the river terraces between Stoke Bardolph and Low Marnham and to the north of the region in the vicinity of West Stockwith. The cropping potential of the arable land within the Trent Washlands is therefore generally good, particularly where free from flooding on the terraces. In the Soar Valley the risk of flooding and the clay soils restrict agriculture, with 47% of the total land set to grassland. Much of the existing grassland area adjacent to the Trent and Soar is classified as low quality, again due to flooding constraints.

There has also been an important change in the way grasslands are managed, with the making of silage rather than hay. Many grass fields have been agriculturally improved, though not necessarily by ploughing and reseeding. The use of fertilisers and herbicides is now widespread, which has led to a general decline in the floristic interest of the grassland. However, less improved permanent grassland still forms a significant, although decreased, component of the region.

Cereals are the principal crops grown, accounting for almost two thirds of production. Other significant crops include oil seed rape, sugar beet, potatoes, horticultural crops, peas, and crops for stock feed. Livestock operators are found within most of the parishes in the region. There is a wide range of farm sizes.

In the north of the region, downstream from Gainsborough, a series of drains was once used to carry out the traditional practice of “warping”. This involved raising the level of the land by tidal inundation with the silt or “warp” contained in the flood water being deposited layer by layer to build a topping of highly fertile soil. The practice died out towards the beginning of this century with the advent of more modern methods. The soils are now well-drained and easy to work, and grow most crops profitably.

Woodland/tree cover

Historically the Trent Washlands have been the least wooded part of the County. The total woodland cover now stands at 1.73 % (County: 7.27%). The character and pattern of woodland cover vary throughout the region. The largest areas of woodland in this region are located on the steep valley bluffs of the Trent Trench. Small willow holts are a feature of the River Meadowlands, wet woodlands are found within old sand and gravel workings, and a scattered distribution of small broad-leaved woodlands occurs elsewhere. The region has the lowest proportion of coniferous woodland in the County, at 1.5%. Mixed woodlands account for 5.5% of the total, new plantations 8.0% and broad-leaved woodlands 84.5%.

Dutch elm disease had a major impact upon the landscape during the period 1960-1980, leading to the loss of virtually all hedge and roadside elms. Despite this loss hedgerow trees still form the principal component of the region’s tree cover, with ash, oak and willow the dominant species.

Transportation

A number of major roads have an impact, including the A1 which runs in a north-south direction through part of the region. Future road improvement schemes include the A46 between Lincoln and Widmerpool, the A453 to the south of Nottingham, the possible upgrading of the A1 to motorway standard and the construction of bypass routes at Collingham and Kelham.

A number of railway lines dissect the area with the east coast main line running in a north-south direction through the region. The Nottingham to Lincoln line runs via Newark whilst two railway lines traverse the region in the vicinity of Gainsborough. The Nottingham to Loughborough line runs along the edge of the Soar Valley while feeder lines supply power station sites at Ratcliffe on Soar, Staythorpe, High Marnham, Cottam and West Burton.

The River Trent is a commercial waterway downstream from Nottingham providing a direct link to Gainsborough and the Humber Ports along with commercial waterways in Yorkshire. There are two leisure canals that join with the Trent, the Beeston Canal at Nottingham and the Chesterfield Canal at West Stockwith in the north of the County. The Grantham Canal is no longer navigable and is cut off from the Trent at West Bridgford.

Urban and industrial development

The main urban areas within the region are centred on Nottingham and Newark. Past industrial and residential expansion of these areas has led to the coalescence of outlying villages and the loss of historical settlement pattern and rural character.

There is a continuing demand for land to accommodate new housing within Nottinghamshire. It is estimated that nearly 70,000 new dwellings will be required by 2011 and part of that demand will be met by allocations within the Trent Washlands Washlands. The emphasis of the Structure Plan is to concentrate development in the urban areas, on the edge of urban areas and along transport corridors. However, limited provision will be made for residential development in selected villages as identified in Local Plans. Elsewhere, planning permission will not normally be given except for appropriate small-scale development requiring a rural location. Permission for low-cost housing in rural areas will be in addition to development plan allocations for general housing demand. Areas to the south of the region fall within the Green Belt, where there are greater restraints on development.

Structure Plan policy also seeks to confine economic activity to, and adjacent to, the urban areas of the County since they have the greater needs and greater potential in terms of available labour and services. Provision will also be made for a limited amount of employment development in villages as identified in Local Plans. There are a number of areas within the region with proposals for future economic development.

The rehabilitation and conversion of old farm buildings to high quality residential dwellings is now widespread. The occupiers of these buildings are largely from the affluent service classes and their arrival has caused shifts in the economic and social structure of the countryside. The impact of these changes is only just being felt. If the trend continues there may be further consequences for the future pattern and character of the rural landscape.

Although new developments are being confined to the existing urban areas where possible, it is clear that economic and social factors will continue to exert pressure on rural areas of the region.

Energy

The power generating industry warrants separate consideration due to its enormous impact on the landscape of the region. There are four coal-fired power stations located along the Trent Valley, at Ratcliffe on Soar, High Marnham, Cottam, and West Burton. Their combined output amounts to 20% of the UK’s generating capacity. The proximity of productive coalfields, a good water supply, adequate communications and favourable topography were the main factors in their siting.

The power stations and associated web of high voltage power lines constitute the most dominant and visually intrusive landscape features within the river valley corridors. In the Trent Valley the only areas where an observer can be out of sight of a power station are between West Bridgford and Fiskerton, and to the south and east of Besthorpe.

National Power have planning permission for the construction of a gas powered station on the redundant energy site at Staythorpe. This is in line with Structure Plan policies for the use and re-use of existing energy sites. The nature, location and scale of further developments will be dependent on future national and international economic factors. It is likely, however, that the development of gas powered plants will proceed, gradually replacing coal production capacity and reducing the life expectancy of existing power generation plant. The power generating industry will continue, therefore, to be a dominant feature of the region

Minerals: sand and gravel

Mineral extraction has had a considerable impact on the region. Nottinghamshire is the largest producer of sand and gravel in the East Midlands. Over 80% of the County’s resources are derived from the alluvial (river terrace) sand and gravels of the Trent Valley. The deposits have an average thickness of 5-8 metres producing yields of 60-80,000 tonnes per hectare. There are a large number of active quarries, including sites at Holme Pierrepont, Hoveringham, Langford Lowfields, Cromwell, Besthorpe, Girton and Rampton. Individual quarries commonly exceed 150 ha in size. The total area of quarries and permitted land in the region is approximately 17.5 km2.

The degree to which the workings and associated processing plant affect the quality of the landscape varies from site to site. Tree and earth bank screens have been successful on certain sites. However, there are still many which have a detrimental effect on landscape quality. Plant, buildings, workings and the transportation of materials are visually intrusive. Dust, noise, pollution and dereliction of land are often associated with mineral extraction.

Past mineral workings have been reclaimed to a variety of different afteruses. Attenborough is now a nature reserve with SSSI status; Langford Lowfields and parts of Besthorpe are also to be put to nature conservation purposes. Holme Pierrepont, Hoveringham, Crankly and Girton all have water-based afteruses. Restoration to agriculture using PFA has been, or will be, occurring on sites at Hoveringham, Cromwell, Besthorpe, Girton and Rampton.

Before the 1970s the majority of workings were reclaimed to water, usually to quite poor standards. Reclamation to agriculture did not occur until the first PFA schemes were established, and accounted for only 30% of the reclaimed land in the Trent Valley before the 1980s. The 1984 Nottinghamshire Sand and Gravel Local Plan, now incorporated into the Minerals Local Plan, sought to ensure that most allocations could be reclaimed to agriculture and encouraged the continued development of PFA infilling schemes. The proportion of land reclaimed to agriculture doubled to 60% during the 1980s. The main strategy of the Plan was to avoid the proliferation of further water areas.

Government guidance has now reduced the emphasis on agricultural restoration. This is a reflection of recent policies aimed at reducing overall levels of agricultural production. There is, however, still a strong presumption to protect the highest quality agricultural land and avoid water-based reclamation where there is already an abundance of water. The uncertain future for the power industry outlined in the previous section also has implications for reclamation to agriculture, with long-term supplies of PFA now less certain.

The allocations made in the Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan have had to take the above uncertainties into account. Water-based reclamation options are proposed for sites where PFA supply cannot be guaranteed. The Plan estimates that new allocations in excess of 60 million tonnes will be required by 2011. For the Trent Valley this means an allocation of nearly 1000 ha, to maintain a 10 year landbank for the industry. It is clear that sand and gravel operations will continue to have a major impact on the landscape of the Trent Valley with the level of land take destined to increase for the foreseeable future.

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Section 4: Landscape strategies and key recommendations

Introduction

When applied to the landscape, the notion of “character” is not a concept that merely concerns itself with aspects of scenic quality. The character of the landscape derives from a complex interaction of a wide range of physiological and historical phenomena. These include geology, topography, soils, ecology, archaeology, architecture, and local customs and culture, as well as the pattern of land use, settlement and fields. It is the varied interaction between these factors which produces the local and regional variations in character for which the English landscape is famous. The diversity of that character is a central part of our landscape heritage and vital to people’s appreciation and enjoyment of the countryside.

The landscape that we see today is a product of its historical evolution, reflecting the underlying physical resource and the changing nature of human exploitation of the land. The landscape will, of course, continue to change and evolve, reflecting the changing priorities and demands that society places on it. Over recent decades, however, these priorities and demands have often degraded rather than improved the fabric of the landscape. There is now a general consensus that positive action is needed to reverse this trend, and that this should place a high value on conserving and enhancing the inherent character and diversity of our landscapes.

A series of Landscape Strategies and Key Recommendations is set out in this section for each of the landscape types within the region. These should be read in conjunction with the Landscape Guidelines that appear in section 5. Collectively, these will provide the framework for conserving and strengthening the distinctive character and features of the Trent Washlands. They will help to ensure that landscape character is reflected in the many decisions and actions that affect its continuing evolution. The intention is not to fossilise change, but to provide a context that will enable policy making, planning and landscape management decisions to be made which respect and sustain the diversity and character of our countryside.

Landscape strategies
These recognise the forces acting upon the landscape and set the broad vision for its future management. The Strategies provide the framework for conserving and enhancing the character and distinctiveness of the landscape. The Landscape Strategies are given in the form of a short summary title, followed by a reasoned justification of why it has been chosen. The strategy options defined for each landscape type generally relate to one, or more than one, of the following four courses of action:
A: Conservation, where the traditional landscape character and “sense of place” are strong, or where many landscape features are notable for their landscape, ecological or historical value. The Landscape Strategy will encourage the good management of the key features which characterise the landscape and recommend the avoidance of out-of-character development.
B: Enhancement, where landscape character is still reasonably strong, but the overall structure and individual features are in decline. The Landscape Strategy will relate to areas where landscape character is perceived to be under threat, and where positive action is required to strengthen the overall character and structure of the landscape.
C: Restoration, where landscape character or individual features have suffered significant decline or damage, but the underlying character and patterns within the landscape are still evident. The Landscape Strategy will seek to replace characteristic features and rebuild the character of the landscape.
D: Creation, where little of the original landscape character or landscape features remain. The Landscape Strategy will set a vision for a new landscape. This will either relate to the characteristics of a former landscape through a process of reconstruction, or aim to create a new and different landscape.

Key Recommendations

The Landscape Strategies are supported by a series of Key Recommendations. These develop and focus the overall strategy further by identifying the main actions and priorities for each landscape type. The Key Recommendations are presented as a series of aims, each followed by a justification describing the recommended course of action. The Landscape Strategies and Key Recommendations are summarised at the beginning of the description of each landscape type.

Terrace farmlands
Landscape strategy

Conserve and strengthen the traditional agricultural character and continuity of the landscape

Key recommendations Conserve and restore the traditional pattern of hedged fields Promote measures for strengthening the existing level of tree cover Strengthen the continuity and ecological diversity of stream corridors Conserve the character and setting of village settlements

Landscape strategy

• Conserve and strengthen the traditional agricultural character and continuity of the landscape

The physical environment of the Trent Washlands has been the controlling factor in moulding the character of the Terrace Farmlands landscapes. The reduced risk of inundation and the productive soils on the raised terraces has determined the historical pattern of land use and settlement. The strong relationship between soils, landform and settlement has led to the development of agricultural landscapes with a simple but distinctive agricultural character that traditionally contrasted with the lower-lying areas of River Meadowlands. The overall structure of the landscape is formed by the regular pattern of hedgerows and hedgerow trees, and the smaller-scale pastoral areas that provide a setting for the nucleated red brick villages.

Many of the characteristic features of the landscape are now in decline. Agricultural intensification has led to the breakdown and loss of field pattern in many areas with a consequent reduction in hedgerow tree cover, whilst many villages have developed a suburban character, particularly the larger settlements in the vicinity of Nottingham and Newark. The approach advocated in the strategy is therefore to conserve and strengthen the traditional agricultural character and continuity of the landscape. The management priorities are to conserve the setting and character of rural settlement, strengthen the pattern of hedgerows and hedgerow tree cover and enhance ecological diversity.

Key recommendations

• Conserve and restore the traditional pattern of hedged fields

The key to achieving the Landscape Strategy for the Terrace Farmlands is to conserve and, where necessary, restore those features that form the essential fabric of the landscape. The regular medium- to large-scale enclosure pattern is an important and distinctive feature. The priority should therefore be to maintain and strengthen the traditional pattern of hedged fields. The field pattern is now variable. In some areas it has remained largely intact, in others it has become poorly defined, fragmented or lost. It is especially important to avoid the further removal of hedgerows, particularly primary hedgerows along roadsides, footpaths, bridleways and parish boundaries. Hedgerow reinstatement initiatives should initially focus on replacing primary hedgerows, and restoring the basic structure of the landscape in the more open areas. Many hedgerows are thin and gappy and would benefit from being allowed to grow thicker and taller.

• Promote measures for strengthening the existing level of tree cover

Measures to increase the existing level of tree cover are essential for strengthening the character and continuity of the Terrace Farmlands landscapes, particularly in areas where the traditional pattern of hedged fields is in decline. The existing level of woodland cover, at around 1%, is relatively low, with hedgerow trees constituting the main component of the landscape’s tree cover. Most of the woodlands are broad-leaved and small in scale. This allows open views across the terraces and river valleys, producing a sense of visual continuity with adjacent River Meadowlands landscapes. The pattern and scale of existing woodland also maintain the contrast with the more wooded landscapes along the margins of the valleys. In general, new woodland planting should be small in scale and limited in extent, thereby preserving open views along the river corridors. Woodland planting programmes should be combined with other initiatives to strengthen tree cover. These should focus on rural settlement, the urban fringe and individual farmsteads and rural dwellings. Hedgerow trees have traditionally been the most important element of the landscape’s overall tree cover. Hedgerow tree establishment should therefore form the most important aspect of the overall strategy to increase tree cover within the Terrace Farmlands. This will strengthen and emphasise the pattern of hedged fields and allow filtered views along the valleys.

There may be some scope for woodland planting of a more substantial scale on the larger terraces, where the field pattern has become fragmented or completely lost. This must be carefully designed and sited to avoid blocking off views through the landscape and to tie in with other measures to strengthen landscape structure. The aim should be to diversify and enhance the existing landscape pattern rather than create a new landscape.

• Strengthen the continuity and ecological diversity of stream corridors

Lines of willow and other riparian scrub running along streams and becks are a feature of the Terrace Farmlands. Many of these arise on the mudstone landscapes to the west and drain across the terraces through narrow bands of alluvium before discharging into the Trent. These irregularly shaped linear features add variety and interest to the landscape, often forming historic boundaries. This variety is especially important in landscapes where the pattern of hedged fields is in decline. An essential element of the riparian character of the streams is the presence of riparian trees and shrubs, notably willow, ash and hawthorn. The trees pick out the meandering course of the streams and offer valuable habitat to a range of wildlife to feed, breed, and overwinter. Along certain streams trees and shrubs have been removed, leading to a loss of visual significance and reduced wildlife value. The visual prominence and ecological diversity of these features should also therefore be conserved and strengthened by encouraging natural regeneration or by new planting. Willow pollards are a feature along a number of the streams and adjacent hedgerows, adding to the diversity of the landscape. The traditional practice of pollarding should be encouraged to maintain these attractive and historic features.

• Conserve the character and setting of village settlements

Settlement within the river valleys has historically been confined to the river terraces, which provided dry sites for the nucleated red brick villages. These settlements form one of the distinguishing features of the Terrace Farmlands, along with brick-built farmsteads. Most of the villages retain their traditional rural character that arises from the many older buildings with a distinctive vernacular style of red brick and pantile roof construction. However, recent infill developments have weakened the overall character and integrity of many villages. This has introduced buildings with a suburban character, as well as affecting the traditional relationship between buildings and areas of open space, and the historic bond with the small-scale pastoral landscapes that fringe the village edges. Local planning policies should seek to balance the scale and layout of new development with measures to conserve the integrity and distinctive character of rural settlement. It is also important that new development is directed, as far as possible, towards existing villages in order to conserve the nucleated settlement pattern.

River meadowlands
Landscape strategy

Conserve and restore the continuity and distinctive pastoral character of the landscape

Key recommendations Conserve pastoral character and promote measures for enhancing the ecological diversity of alluvial grassland Seek opportunities to convert arable land to permanent pastureland Retain and enhance river channel diversity and marginal riverside vegetation Enhance visual unity through appropriate small - woodland planting Conserve and enhance the pattern and special features of meadowland hedgerows Consere and strengthen the simple unity and sparsely settled character of the landscape

Landscape strategy

• Conserve and restore the continuity and distinctive pastoral character of the landscape

Located on low-lying alluvial floodplains, the characteristic features of the River Meadowlands are mature meandering river channels, alluvial meadows and riverside pastures, flood meadows, steep wooded bluffs, wet vegetation and riverside trees. Collectively these features create distinctive river corridor landscapes with a strong sense of visual and ecological continuity. The landscapes often have a peaceful and undisturbed character that is reinforced by the presence of moving water and grazing animals. The landscapes possess a special quality and a strong impression of naturalness. The encroachment of arable farming and other developments have led to a fragmentation of this character and a loss of continuity within the river corridors. The overall approach advocated in this Strategy is therefore one of conservation and restoration - to conserve areas where this traditional riverine character is still strong, and elsewhere to strengthen the continuity of the river corridors by restoring pastoral character and other landscape features and habitats. To aid this process, the Landscape Types distinguishes between :

• River Meadowlands (a )

Where the traditional character is still intact and the main management priority is conservation.

...and

• River Meadowlands (b )

Containing the areas most affected by recent landscape change, where restoration forms the principal focus for management and the main priority is to extend and consolidate the traditional character of the river corridor landscapes.

Key recommendations

• Conserve pastoral character and promote measures for enhancing the ecological diversity of alluvial grasslands

Prior to the 1940s a continuous ribbon of meadow and pasture extended along the valley floodplains. These grasslands helped to define the river corridors and distinguish them from surrounding farmland landscapes. Flood alleviation schemes, arable encroachment, mineral extraction and other developments have led to the disappearance of large areas of alluvial meadowland with a consequent fragmentation of the visual and ecological continuity of river corridors. This is particularly pronounced along the valley of the Trent. To prevent further erosion of pastoral character it is vital that the remaining areas of riverside pasture, flood meadow and common grassland are conserved.

The alluvial meadows were traditionally used for haymaking and summer grazing using low input forms of management. Traditional methods of grassland management ensured that the aesthetic and ecological value of the grasslands was high. This has now declined markedly with the introduction of more intensive forms of management. Floodplains are ideal locations for the return to traditional forms of grassland management, given the need to reduce agricultural surpluses and nitrate leaching into watercourses. Landowners are now eligible to enter a range of schemes that promote sensitive, unintensive grassland management and a long-term increase in the aesthetic and wildlife value of the new pastures.

Unimproved flood meadows are a feature along certain sections of river corridor. These are often grazed by livestock all year round and are rarely cut for hay. This has led to a reduction in the incidence of tall flowering plants, as species more suited to grazing become dominant. The adoption of more traditional management regimes in these areas would improve the visual and ecological interest of these important features.

• Seek opportunities to convert arable land to permanent pasture

The principal force for landscape change over recent decades has been the construction of flood defence works. These have allowed the encroachment of arable farming to the river edge over large tracts of the River Meadowlands. The key to restoring the traditional pastoral character now lies with finding a mechanism and financial incentive for taking land out of arable production and returning it to permanent pasture and meadowland. It is unlikely that such measures would affect whole farms. However there may be opportunities to encourage landowners to consider adopting mixed farming regimes. Such schemes might be linked to European and national initiatives to reduce agricultural production and promote environmentally sensitive farming. Payments could be made to farmers to convert arable land to permanent pasture within those parts of their holding that lie within the River Meadowlands. Farmers could also be encouraged to manage the grasslands in a more traditional, environmentally sensitive way. The priority areas for arable conversion are located within River Meadowlands ( b), especially where there is potential to extend the visual and ecological continuity of existing areas of strong pastoral and riparian character.

• Retain and enhance river channel diversity and marginal riverside vegetation

The River Meadowlands have traditionally contained a diverse range of wet habitats and riparian features including wet woodlands, reed beds, marshland, aquatic and marginal vegetation, fringing trees and shrubs, meanders, islands, shallows and cliffs. The ecological value of many of these has now declined with some habitats uncommon outside old sand and gravel workings. These features are instrumental in creating a strong sense of place and naturalness. All that remain should be conserved and managed to retain their visual and ecological interest. An essential element of the riparian character of the River Meadowlands is the presence of waterside trees and shrubs along river banks, tributary streams and drainage ditches. The trees help define the meandering course of the river through its flood plain and give it visual significance. Riparian trees are also important features along the streams and  ditches, highlighting the network of tributaries. These trees and shrubs offer valuable habitat to a range of wildlife using them to feed, breed, overwinter etc. In the stretches of the river and its tributaries where the trees and shrubs have been removed, visual continuity breaks down, the watercourses enjoy less landscape significance and the wildlife value decreases. In order to enhance these aspects it is vital that natural regeneration or the planting and maintenance of riparian trees is encouraged. The traditional practice of willow pollarding should also be promoted as a means of enhancing the diversity of the river channels.

• Enhance visual unity through appropriate small-scale tree and woodland planting

The River Meadowlands have historically had a low level of woodland cover, standing at about 2 % today. The principal woodland features are the steep wooded bluffs of the Trent Trench and the remains of old willow holts. The bluffs form a dramatic backdrop to the river, adding greatly to the character and integrity of the river corridor. The retention and maintenance of woodland cover is essential in these areas. There is a history of coppicing in some of the woodland and this should be continued. Willow holts are an important wildlife and landscape resource that once supplied a local basket and wicker furniture making industry. The holts are no longer used for commercial purposes, leading to a decline in their number and visual interest over the last century. As a traditional and characteristic feature of the river valleys, all remaining holts should be managed to retain their ecological and visual interest. The opportunities for establishing new holts in areas where conditions are favourable should also be investigated. There is particular scope for enhancing the landscape with woodland planting of this type in areas where the field pattern has become fragmented. In the absence of a market for the product, it might be possible to utilise grants and schemes that encourage environmentally sensitive forms of farming. Elsewhere tree planting should be small in scale and use native species of trees and shrubs. In the enclosed areas further from the river channel, hedgerow tree establishment should be the main priority for increasing tree cover, along with the creation of field corner spinneys and copses. Large-scale planting should be avoided, particularly where it will close off views down the river valleys or have the effect of filling in meanders.

• Conserve and enhance the patter and special features of meadowland hedgerows

Long curvilinear hedgerows often define the boundaries between the riverside pastures and the wider countryside. These hedgerows are visually and historically important features that marked the boundaries of the floodplain. In the places where hedgerows have been replaced by wire fences or become gappy and ill-defined, consideration should be given to replacement or replanting. In the low-lying floodplains away from the river channel, the River Meadowlands are defined by a medium- to large-scale regular and semi-irregular field pattern. As a result of intensive arable management this pattern has now become variable. In some areas it has remained largely intact, in others it has become poorly defined, fragmented or lost. It is especially important to avoid the further removal of these features, with hedgerow reinstatement schemes focusing on replacing primary hedgerows along roads, trackways, footpaths, bridleways and parish boundaries. As a result of intensive management many hedgerows are now thin and gappy. These should be allowed to grow thicker and taller to strengthen visual prominence and wildlife value.

• Conserve and strengthen the simple unity and sparsley settled character of the landscape

One of the special features of the alluvial floodplains is their sparsely settled character, with the village settlements and most of the farmsteads located on adjacent terraces and surrounding areas of higher ground. With the exception of a limited number of crossing points, roads tend to run parallel to, or around, the River Meadowlands, with only narrow tracks and green lanes running to the river in the more extensive low-lying areas. Although the mineral extraction and power generation industries have had a large impact, the River Meadowlands have retained a relatively remote and undeveloped character in many areas. In order to preserve the simple unity and sparsely settled character of the landscape, built development should be restricted, where possible, to the terraces and higher ground.

Alluvial washlands
Landscape strategy

Conserve and enhance the simple unity and remote wetland character of the landscape

Key recommendations Conserve and strengthen the simple unity and spacious character of the landscape Identify opportunities for enhancing the ecological diversity and overall wetland character of the landscape Retain and enhance river channel diversity and marginal riverside vegetation Conserve the character and setting of village settlements

Landscape strategy

• Conserve and enhance the simple unity and remote wetland character of the landscape

The Alluvial Washlands have a similar character to the carrland landscapes of the Idle Lowlands which lie immediately to the west, making it difficult, in practice, to distinguish between the two areas. However true “carrs” do not occur within the alluvial washlands due to the absence of peat. There are differences in character arising from the pattern of settlement and the proximity of a mature river channel. The alluvial washlands are an intensively managed, well-ordered landscape with little visual or biological diversity, save for a few scattered bushes and small groups of trees. This combines with the level landform to produce open landscapes with a uniform but nevertheless distinctive character, particularly when compared to the more traditional agricultural landscapes of adjacent regions. This distinctiveness is partly due to the remote, sparsely populated character of the landscape, which is still a feature in the areas more distant from the Trent. It also arises from the former wetland character of the landscape, as represented by the general lack of vertical features. The overall management strategy is therefore the same as for the Carrlands, involving a combination of conservation and enhancement  - to conserve the simple unity and remote undeveloped character of the landscape, while at the same time looking for opportunities to enhance ecological diversity and wetland character.

Key recommendations

• Conserve and strengthen the simple unity and spacious character of the landscape

The key to conserving the distinctive character of the Alluvial Washlands lies in maintaining the simple unity of the landscape. At present this unity is reflected in the simple pattern of large arable fields and drains. This pattern is emphasised by the absence of hedges and trees, creating a strong impression of spaciousness. Piecemeal changes in land use or the introduction of vertical features such as buildings or trees could potentially have a significant impact on the unity of this pattern. The effect of new woodland planting, for example, would be particularly significant in this flat landscape. It is important, therefore, that all planning and land management proposals are considered in relation to their potential impact on the overall unity of the landscape.

• Identify opportunities for enhancing the ecological diversity and overall wetland character of the landscape

The washlands are an intensively managed and well-ordered landscape that leaves little space for wild plants or animals outside the immediate river channel. Prior to drainage, when the traditional technique of controlled flooding or “warping” was introduced, the low-lying lands would have been naturally inundated and the area would therefore have had a distinct wetland character. This provides the key for enhancing ecological diversity. Schemes that attempt to reduce agricultural surpluses and promote environmentally friendly forms of farming should be investigated with a view to re-creating areas of wet pasture on the lowest-lying sites. On these, and in other areas, opportunities should also be sought for enhancing the diversity of aquatic and marginal vegetation along drainage channels. There is an extensive network of these channels, but at present they have a purely functional use. There is much potential for developing some of these into habitats for wildlife. Such measures would not only enhance ecological diversity, but would help to strengthen the overall wetland character of the landscape.

• Retain and enhance river channel diversity and marginal riverside vegetation

The River Trent is a feature along the eastern fringe of the Alluvial Washlands, where it forms the county boundary. The river flows between high flood banks that now act as a visual barrier to longer distance views. The river channel is characterised by narrow strips of permanent pasture, mature riparian trees and shrubs and marginal riverside vegetation. These features are instrumental in creating a strong sense of place and naturalness within the river channel. All remaining features should be conserved and managed to retain their visual and ecological interest. There are other stretches of the river channel where trees and shrubs have been removed leading to a decrease in wildlife value and a reduced sense of visual continuity. In these areas the character of the river channel should be enhanced by the planting or natural regeneration of riparian trees and shrubs. The traditional practice of willow pollarding should also be promoted as a means of enhancing landscape diversity.

• Conserve the character and setting of village settlement

West Stockwith is the only village within the washlands. The village has a linear form that snakes along the bank of the Trent, separated from its sister village of East Stockwith by the river. The village has retained its traditional character, with its many older buildings constructed in the vernacular style of red brick and pantiles. There has been some infill development that has weakened the character and integrity of the village, introducing buildings of suburban design. Local planning policies should seek to balance the scale and layout of new development with measures to conserve the integrity and distinctive character of the village. It is also important that new development is directed, as far as possible, towards existing settlement to conserve the remote undeveloped character of the surrounding landscape.

Alluvial estatelands
Landscape strategy

Conserve the well-wooded character of the landscape

Key Recommendations Conserve areas of historic parkland and seek opportunities for restoring pastoral character Conserve and strengthen the well-wooded character of the landscape Conserve the character and setting of estate settlement

Landscape strategy

• Conserve the historic, well-wooded character of the landscape

The scale and pattern of the Alluvial Estatelands landscape is defined by mature parkland and numerous small plantations which produce a strong sense of wooded enclosure. The landscape has an historic and well-developed estateland character reflected in the presence of a large country house, lime avenues, lodge houses, estate cottages and ornamental parkland. These features create a landscape with a strong and cohesive character. The overall strategy is therefore one of conservation - to conserve the historic, well-wooded character of the landscape.

Key recommedations

• Conserve areas of historic parkland and seek opportunities for restoring pastoral character

The parkland surrounding Kingston Hall has great visual appeal. Much of this arises from the permanent grasslands, ornamental plantings and specimen trees. It is important that individual parkland features are retained and managed to conserve the diversity and historic interest of the landscape. The historic integrity of the Kingston parkland has remained largely intact with only a small area subject to agricultural improvement and arable conversion. Grasslands are an important design component of parkland landscapes; therefore, where opportunities arise, consideration should be given to the restoration of former grassland areas. Conservation of the parkland plantings and specimen trees should also be a priority, with measures taken via appropriate management to enhance the interest of the parkland.

• Conserve and strengthen the well-wooded character of the landscape

Numerous small-scale, predominantly broad-leaved plantations are a feature of the Alluvial Estatelands. These create a sequence of linked wooded spaces and strong sense of wooded enclosure that is an integral part of the area’s character. The pattern of existing woodland should therefore be conserved. New tree and woodland planting could also be used to good effect to strengthen the structure and unity of the landscape. This should also be small in scale and sited to enhance the sense of wooded enclosure by replicating the pattern of open spaces framed by broad-leaved wooded edges.

• Conserve the character and setting of estate settlement

Although Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station looms over the area to the north, the Alluvial Estatelands have a relatively peaceful and undeveloped character. This is reflected in the small rural settlement at Kingston and the estate cottages and lodge houses. Planning decisions should seek to conserve the distinctive vernacular character and setting of the village and estate buildings, and ensure that new development is designed and sited sympathetically to complement and reinforce that character. Infill developments within the village that would significantly disrupt or destroy the setting or irregular pattern of the village outlines should be resisted. Local planning policies should therefore seek to balance the scale and layout of new development with measures to conserve the integrity and distinctive character of the rural settlement.

River valley wetlands
Landscape strategy

Restore the unity and character of the landscape, using landscape character as the rationale for landscape and habitat creation

Key recommendations Proposals for the agricultural restoration of land should seek to reinstate the structure and characteristic features of Trent Washlands The reclamation of sand and gravel sites to wetland habitats should take precedence over open water options

Landscape strategy

• Restore the unity and character of the landscape, using landscape character as the rationale for landscape and habitat creation

The River Valley Wetlands are highly modified landscapes created by a continuous process of sand and gravel extraction and restoration. No common landscape structure or sense of unity can be distinguished within these disturbed and often degraded landscapes. Restoration has been to a range of different after-uses including poorly restored areas of open water, mature wetland habitats, formalised recreation and agriculture. The overall management strategy advocated is therefore one of restoration and creation - by restoring the unity and character of the river corridor where restoration options allow a return to agricultural use and, elsewhere, to create new wetland landscapes through positive habitat creation and management.

Many opportunities exist for imaginative landscape and habitat creation schemes. These offer landscape, wildlife and recreational opportunities which would not otherwise exist. Restoration conditions for agricultural and water-based reclamation should be set within the landscape framework provided in this chapter. This will ensure the appropriate choice of scale and species for new landscape features and produce a more harmonious pattern which blends more easily with the surrounding landscape.

Key Recommendations

• Proposals for the agricultural restoration of land should seek to reinstate the structure and characteristic features of Trent Washlands landscapes

In landscape terms, the standard of agricultural restoration in the Trent Valley has been relatively poor with little attempt to reinstate the structure and characteristic features of traditional river valley landscapes. An example is the reclamation of land for arable purposes in areas of former river meadowland which has led to the creation of open and featureless landscapes that are at variance with the wider landscape pattern. It is important that future restoration proposals flow from an understanding of the inherent character of the river corridor landscapes. Proposals need to be firmly linked to an understanding of the structure and character of the appropriate landscape type, depending whether the site is located on alluvial or river terrace deposits. Within the alluvial areas the main focus should be to restore pastoral character through the creation of meadows and wet pastures whilst reinstating hedgerows, particularly those that once marked the historic extent of the floodplain. Other characteristic features would include willow holts, wet woodlands, small broad-leaved woodlands and hedgerow and riparian trees. On the terraces the priority should be to restore the traditional pattern of hedged fields and enhance tree cover through hedgerow tree and small-scale woodland planting. In addition to improving the standard of future restoration, opportunities for enhancing the character of previously restored areas should be investigated. In this way restoration schemes can be landscape led and linked to an appreciation of the traditional character of the area, enabling restored sites to blend more easily with the wider river corridor.

• The reclamation of sand and gravel sites to wetland habitats should take precedence over open water options

Wetland habitats such as wet meadows, reed beds and marshland have historically been associated with the river corridor. These ecologically rich habitats are now uncommon outside old sand and gravel workings due to flood protection works, river channel management and agricultural improvement. Sand and gravel operations will continue to have a major impact. If reclamation to agriculture is not feasible then the establishment of wetland habitats should be favoured over open water. Standing areas of open water are not a characteristic feature of river valley landscapes and there already exists a surplus of open water sites within the Trent Valley. Where competition arises from recreational interests, the development of combined after-use proposals should be explored, which include the establishment of wetland and open water habitats. On workings that directly adjoin water courses, the possibilities for creating low-lying meadows should be investigated, with ecological restoration focusing on restoring areas of wet meadow and marsh rather than aquatic habitat. Opportunities should also be sought to diversify the visual and ecological character of existing open water areas by increasing the number and variety of wetland landscapes.

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Section 5:  Landscape guidelines

Introduction

The Landscape Guidelines that follow act as the mechanism for implementing the aims of the Landscape Strategies and Key Recommendations by indicating how specific aspects of landscape character can be conserved, enhanced or restored. The Guidelines are design-based and relate to the management of all the individual features and components of the landscape, highlighting possible courses of action and mechanisms for implementation. The Guidelines provide the framework to place wider landscape considerations at the heart of the conception and design process for individual projects. They also recommend appropriate courses of action for integrating nature conservation measures into the process of change.

The Landscape Guidelines are presented in the form of a summary statement, followed by a justification for that course of action. The Guidelines are grouped under a number of topic headings, rather than by landscape type, as this better reflects the specific management issues and range of potential users of this manual. To aid clarity each topic area has been assigned a stylised symbol as follows.

	Rural villages		Parkland and ornamental grounds
	Farmsteads and rural dwellings		Historic features
	Urban development		Farmland
	Woodland		Recreational land
	Hedgerow trees		Highways and rural lanes
	Hedgerows		Utilities and industrial sites
	Meadowland and pasture		Development mitigation
	Rivers and stream lines

Conserve the nucleated settlement pattern of red brick villages by avoiding new development in open areas of countryside

The historic nucleated settlement pattern of red brick villages is an important component of the rural character of the Trent Washlands. This pattern has largely been determined by the physical environment of the river valleys with the villages and farmsteads located on the drier terrace sites. Leaving aside the urban areas of Nottingham, built development accounts for 5% of the total land area of the region. There is little built development within low-lying alluvial areas, which as a consequence have a sparsely settled and undeveloped character. To maintain these historic links with the physical environment, new development in open areas of countryside should be avoided, particularly within the River Meadowlands landscapes. Built development should be restricted to the terraces and higher ground and be located, as far as possible, within existing villages and settlements to conserve the nucleated settlement pattern. Where new housing is necessary in the wider countryside, it should reflect the dispersed pattern of isolated farmsteads and other buildings that lie outside the village envelopes. Single dwellings rather than groups of dwellings should be preferred. This will maintain the traditional pattern of settlement, as along as attention is given to the scale, siting and design of new buildings, which should incorporate features reflecting the local vernacular character.

Conserve and enhance the local vernacular character of village settlements

The traditional character of villages within the region is set by the vernacular style of redbrick and pantile roofed buildings. The bricks and tiles were made from local clay and sit naturally within the landscape. A range of other building styles is also found, including newer developments that do not harmonise with the vernacular style. These buildings can appear out of place, introducing a suburban influence that sometimes disrupts the overall sense of rural unity. The conservation of the distinctive vernacular style is a priority. All new developments should seek to complement and harmonise with the local vernacular style.

Protect and enhance the internal open space and irregular outline of village settlements

Many of the villages in the region contain areas of open green land. These are found internally within the village centres or as open green breaks running into the villages from the surrounding countryside. These open spaces typically comprise permanent pastures and horse paddocks, allotments, gardens, village greens, commons, small parks and play areas, and other areas of amenity land and open space. The many open breaks between buildings create village forms that are essentially irregular in outline. These village outlines harmonise well with adjacent farmed landscapes on the river terraces which are usually intimate pastoral landscapes with small-scale irregular field pattern. The village side landscapes provide much of the diversity and ‘sense of place’ within the Terrace Farmlands. Infill developments that would significantly disrupt or destroy the irregular pattern of village outlines should be resisted. New development should be designed and sited sympathetically to complement and reinforce the irregular nature of settlement edges, with adequate provision for internal open space and direct green linkages to surrounding farmlands.

Conserve the character of rural villages by retaining farmsteads within settlements

Farmsteads are an integral feature of many village settlements within the region, contributing greatly to the rural character of the immediate village landscape. The working farms are an important part of the agricultural economy and serve to reinforce the impression of a working agricultural landscape. They also emphasise the historic and economic bonds between the villages and the land. There has been a recent trend toward converting old farmhouses and associated buildings to residential use when farms are sold. The buildings are often sold separately from the rest of the agricultural holding. This weakens the historic ties between the village and the agricultural economy and leads to changes in the character of the village settlements. Planning policies should therefore seek to resist proposals for the residential development of farms and their associated buildings.

Conserve and enhance tree cover around farmsteads and rural settlements

The attractiveness of rural settlements within the Trent Washlands is often enhanced by the presence of trees. These introduce colour, shape, texture and height variations into the angular built environment. They provide wildlife habitat and cultural and historical links for the village dwellers and help tie the built landscape and wider farmed landscape together. Many of the villages are fringed by small-scale pastoral landscapes with mature hedgerow trees. In these areas the landscape of the village edge exhibits a particularly strong and unified character. The retention of existing trees and the replacement of lost trees is therefore essential to the maintenance of the distinctive rural character of these settlements. Garden trees play an important role in linking settlement edges into the wider landscape. Property owners should therefore be encouraged to plant appropriate longer-lived trees rather than quick-growing non-native species. New planting should also be undertaken to soften the hard edges of more recent development and consolidate the well-treed character of the villages.

Conserve the character of village side pastoral landscapes

The terraces of the Trent Washlands have traditionally been crop-growing areas, with a relatively small proportion of the farmland set to grass. This remains the case today with only 14% of the total land area supporting grassland land uses. The permanent pastures are, for the most part, linked with village edges. They are often relatively unimproved and associated with small-scale field pattern, old mixed hedgerows, and occasional areas of ridge. These peaceful, undisturbed and aesthetically pleasing landscapes provide an important contrast to the more uniform arable areas. Although limited in extent these areas provide much of the diversity within the Terrace Farmlands, introducing varieties of scale, colour and texture to the wider landscape pattern. It is vital that this diversity is maintained by conserving village side pastures.

Conserve and enhance tree cover around farmsteads and rural dwellings

Clumps of trees are an important feature around farmsteads and rural dwellings where they provide shelter and give a sense of proportion and balance to the built environment. Mature trees are particularly valuable as local landmarks where their presence often produces a strong sense of place. Trees can soften the hard edges of new buildings and help to link the new development into the wider farmed landscape. Tree planting, using locally occurring species, should be encouraged around farmsteads and rural dwellings. The intention is not to hide the buildings, but rather to integrate them into the landscape. Ornamental species planted as quick growing screens, particularly Leylandii, should be avoided.

Agricultural buildings should be sited, designed and landscaped to blend with the surrounding farmed landscape

Farmsteads have traditionally been constructed using materials that conform with the vernacular style. The red brick and pantile roofed buildings are an important feature of the landscape fabric, contributing greatly to local sense of place. The older farmsteads are often surrounded by small pasture fields, hedgerows and mature trees. These features ensure that the red brick buildings are well integrated with the wider farmed landscape. At many locations new farm buildings have been built which are large and constructed from materials that do not complement or fit in with the vernacular style. When considering the siting and design of new agricultural buildings, careful consideration should be given to positioning and choice of building materials. Existing features such as hedgerows, woodlands and trees can be used in conjunction with landform to reduce the visual impact of large buildings. Darker colours will be less obtrusive and will harmonise better with the vernacular style. New landscape features can be created using locally characteristic species, to help blend agricultural buildings into the landscape. These should form an important part of the design process and not be used as a means of simply screening unsightly buildings.

Enhance the appearance of urban fringes and settlement edges with new tree and woodland planting

The character of the river corridors is affected by urban development, particularly around south Nottingham, Newark and Gainsborough. The river corridors have a distinct urban fringe character along the edges of these population centres, with a mix of residential housing, industrial parks, derelict land, railway lines, new roads and sewage works. Urban edges often appear harsh and abrupt with little effort expended on integrating built development into the wider countryside. In some areas large-scale, intensively managed arable farmlands directly abut urban edges, increasing the harshness and visibility of the built environment. New tree and woodland planting around existing development provides the best method of softening the impact of hard built edges, this can be best achieved by allowing established trees to run into a built-up area and by designing new planting. This should aim to produce filtered views of the built edges, rather than attempt to mask the settlement altogether. It is important for local residents that views out from settlement are retained. Off-site woodland planting increases the opportunity to integrate modern developments with the surrounding countryside, and tie in with the wider landscape structure. Only locally native tree and shrub species should be used. New developments should be carefully designed to avoid straight and densely built edges, allowing open green breaks and areas of new tree planting to run into developments.

The design of new woodland planting should compliment the shape and scale of the surrounding landscape pattern

Woodland planting can be used to good effect to enhance the visual, amenity and ecological diversity of river corridor landscapes, as long as the location and scale of new woodland planting reflect the scale and character of the surrounding landscape. In the Trent Washlands planting should generally be small-scale and limited in extent, following the advice given in the Key Recommendations for each landscape type. New woodland planting should avoid closing down open views along the river corridors and go hand in hand with measures to increase hedgerow tree cover, where this is practicable. In the River Meadowlands the main focus should be on establishing features such as willow holts and wet woodlands, along with field corner spinneys and copses in the enclosed areas. The Terrace Farmlands can absorb a moderate amount of new planting as long as it is small in scale and broad-leaved in composition. In the Alluvial Estatelands planting should take the form of discrete woodlands up to field size or belts of trees linking existing woodlands, the aim being to achieve a balance between planted and open land.

Maintain the wooded character of riverside bluffs

Steeply inclined bluffs are a prominent feature along the Trent between Thrumpton and East Stoke. They flank the flat valley floor producing a distinct “trench”-like profile. The cliffs are more pronounced on the east bank of the river where they are often undercut by the river. The bluffs are, for the most part, covered by dense woodlands which help to define the margins of the valley and form an important feature of the river corridor landscape. The bluff woodlands contain a variety of species including ash, oak, willow and alder. The woodlands should be conserved and managed to retain their visual and ecological interest, particularly by encouraging the traditional practice of coppicing.

Enhance landscape character through the planting of new willow woodland and manage old willow holts to retain and enhance their visual and ecological interest

For optimum growth willows require fertile lowland sites with clay and silt textured soils. Providing that drainage is adequate they are able to tolerate considerable periods of inundation during dormancy and occasional late summer floods. Willow cultivation was practised widely throughout the region until the demise of the market for its product in the early part of this century. Existing holts are a traditional feature of the  Trent Washlands and should be managed to retain their visual and ecological interest. In the absence of a commercial market the opportunities for establishing new willow holts should be investigated. The management should be directed towards enhancing the visual and ecological aspects of the woodlands.

Consider options for restocking mixed and non-native broad-leaved woodlands to increase the proportion of native tree and shrub species

A small proportion (7%) of the woodland within the Trent Washlands consists of non-native broad-leaved and conifer species. The use of appropriate species in well-designed mixes is important in determining how well tree planting will fit into the landscape. Selection of species will need to reflect a wide range of considerations, including the balance to be struck between nature conservation, landscape enhancement and timber production. It is important however that broad-leaved species predominate if the traditional appearance of the landscape is to be enhanced. Restocking with appropriate native trees and shrubs should be the management priority.

Conserve and enhance tree cover through the replanting and regeneration of hedgerow trees

The enclosure pattern of hedged fields forms a dominant feature of the Trent Washlands landscapes, particularly within the agricultural landscape of the terraces and the lower-lying alluvial areas. The river valleys have historically had a low level of woodland with hedgerow trees forming the most important aspect of the landscape’s overall tree cover. Hedgerow trees help to define and emphasise the pattern of hedged fields, enabling filtered views along the river corridors. The establishment of more hedgerow trees should be the priority for increasing tree cover within the river valleys, along with appropriate small-scale woodland planting. Hedgerow tree cover should therefore be maintained and enhanced, either through selection and natural regeneration, or the planting of individual hedgerow trees in gaps. Ash, oak and willow are the principal species.

Conserve the traditional pattern of hedged fields

The pattern of hedged fields is an important and distinctive feature of many of the Trent Washlands landscapes. The retention of field pattern is crucial if the character of these landscapes is to be maintained. There are significant areas of river corridor where this pattern is in decline or completely lost. The removal of further hedgerows should therefore be avoided, particularly primary hedgerows along roadsides, footpaths, bridleways and parish boundaries. A special feature of the River Meadowlands landscapes is the long curvilinear hedgerows which often mark the historic boundary of the floodplains. These have been removed in certain areas and replaced by wire fences. It is vital that all remaining floodplain hedgerows are conserved.

Promote the positive management of hedgerows to maximise there visual and nature conservation value

The condition of hedgerows in the landscape is variable. In the pastoral areas they are often well-managed and stock-proof. There are, however, many hedgerows in the pastoral areas where under-management is a problem, leading to overgrown and gappy hedgerows with potential long-term health problems. In the arable areas hedgerows have been intensively managed to maximise the cropping potential of the land. These hedges are typically low, gappy and in a poor state of health. In order to enhance the overall field pattern, hedgerows should be managed positively as landscape features. This should involve laying, coppicing and trimming as appropriate. The aim should be to achieve “fuller” and thicker hedgerows. Excessively gappy hedgerows should be gapped up to maintain and enhance the field pattern.

New or replacement hedgerow planting should complement the existing structure and traditional pattern of hedged fields

New hedgerow planting should be encouraged in areas where the traditional pattern of hedged fields has become fragmented or lost. Priority should be given, where practicable, to the reinstatement of primary hedgerows such as those along parish boundaries, roads, public footpaths and floodplain margins. New or replacement planting should complement the existing pattern of hedged fields. Variations in the species composition of hedgerows occur throughout the landscape. Hedgerows are overwhelmingly dominated by hawthorn, particularly within the broad areas of arable farmland. Hedgerows are more mixed and species rich in the River Meadowlands areas and small-scale pastoral areas adjacent to settlement. The gapping up or reinstatement of hedgerows should seek to mimic the original species composition wherever possible. This will generally involve hawthorn and a mix of other locally characteristic species; however in the meadowlands and smaller-scale pastoral landscapes the proportion of hawthorn can be reduced.

Conserve the traditional pastoral character and diversity of river meadowland

The alluvial meadows, wet pastures and meandering river channels provide a valuable habitat for a wide range of plants and animals, as well as being the essential features of the river corridor landscapes. In recent decades a large number of alluvial meadows have been lost through agricultural improvement, urban expansion or minerals development. This has resulted in an erosion of the traditional character of the river meadowlands, along with a fragmentation in the overall structure and unity of the river corridors. In order to arrest this process and prevent further fragmentation it is vital to conserve all remaining areas of flood meadow and pasture.

Manage grassland in a traditional manner and consider options for converting arable land to pasture, particularly where it will extend the continuity of the river corridor

The pastures of the River Meadowlands were traditionally used for haymaking and summer grazing using low-input forms of management. These methods created floristically diverse habitats of high nature conservation interest, supporting a wide variety of invertebrates and other animal life. Many of the pastures are now managed intensively, leading to a decline in their aesthetic and ecological value. Where opportunities arise, a return to traditional forms of management should be advocated. This will help to maintain and enhance the conservation value of these grasslands and improve their visual appeal. This may be achieved by the application of European and Government schemes that seek to reduce agricultural surpluses and promote environmentally sensitive forms of farming. The same incentives could also be used as a mechanism to take land out of arable production and return it to permanent pasture and meadowland. This should initially be directed towards extending the continuity of existing areas of pastoral river meadowland.

Enhance the visual and ecological continuity of the river corridor through a programme of waterside tree and shrub establishment along river banks and streams

Waterside trees and shrubs are a characteristic feature of the region. They are found along the main river channels and the many tributary streams that feed into them and help provide a sense of unity within the river corridors, particularly where associated with permanent pastures and flood meadows. Willow and ash are the principle species, providing a valuable habitat for wildlife. They should be conserved and managed to retain their interest. Significant stretches of river have limited tree cover and would benefit from a programme of tree and shrub establishment along the river bank. This should include natural regeneration and planting. The visual prominence and irregular form of the stream lines could also be greatly enhanced by such a programme, which should generally be restricted to the immediate waterside environment using locally native species such as willow and ash. Tree establishment initiatives can form an effective way of defining river channels in areas where arable cultivation has encroached to the river bank.

Conserve and enhance the diversity of aquatic and marginal vegetation associated with river channels

Marginal and aquatic vegetation along river channels contributes significantly to the visual interest of the riverside environment as well providing habitats of high wildlife value, supporting a range of flora and fauna. Much of this diversity has been lost because of modern farming methods and river engineering techniques. These have created uniform steep-sided channel edges with little space for emergent vegetation and little opportunity for colonisation by riverside trees and shrubs. In such areas opportunities should be sought to diversify the riverside environment. This might include reprofiling to create a more natural bank profile, or cutting a notch into the base of the bank to allow for colonisation by emergent plants. Identification of riverside enhancement opportunities should be based on detailed survey of individual river corridors.

Encourage the continuing practice of pollarding to maintain the traditional riparian character of the landscape

Many of the willows which line main river channels and their tributaries have been pollarded in the past. Pollarded willows are historic and attractive riparian features that provide a link with the past. Although the original reasons for pollarding willows are no longer strictly relevant, it is important that the practice of pollarding is continued if these traditional, waterside trees are to be maintained. Neglecting to pollard and repollard willows can lead to top-heavy branches breaking off, sometimes splitting the main bole and threatening the life of the tree. Repollarding at the appropriate time prevents this from occurring. A proportion of the willows in the region are repollarded on a regular basis but many are neglected. To retain these attractive trees as part of the traditional waterside landscape, pollarding is crucial.

Conserve and renew ornamental parkland planting and individual parkland trees

A number of mature parkland landscapes are located within the region, including those at Kingston, Thrumpton, Holme Pierrepont and East Stoke. As ornamental settings to large country houses, the woodland plantings and specimen trees create localised areas of well-wooded landscape. The parklands add diversity, are visually appealing, offer historic interest and often provide homes to a variety of wildlife. The conservation of the parkland plantings and specimen trees should form a priority for these landscapes. Measures should be taken, via appropriate management, to enhance the interest of the parkland, taking full account of the original design intentions of individual parks.

Conserve the pastoral character of traditional parkland landscapes

Parkland landscapes have great visual appeal, much of this arising from the permanent grasslands which have traditionally been grazed by a range of parkland animals. Parkland grasslands often contain a diversity of wild flora and fauna due to their antiquity and because the grasslands have tended to be managed in a traditional manner. The grasslands, therefore, are of historic, landscape and nature conservation importance. They should be conserved and, where possible, managed in a traditional manner.

Consider opportunities to restore pastoral character to parkland areas

There are areas of parkland that have been agriculturally improved through the ploughing up of permanent grassland. Grasslands are an important design component of the parkland landscapes; therefore, where opportunities arise, consideration should be given to the restoration of former grassland areas. This is particularly important where scattered mature trees have been retained. Such measures will help restore the historic and landscape integrity of the parklands.

All areas of ridge and furrow should be managed to maintain their historic interest

Grasslands containing ridge and furrow landscapes are found in a small number of fields within the region. The ridge and furrow grasslands are remnants of mediaeval landscapes that were enclosed and set to pasture. Many ridge and furrow grasslands have been lost over recent decades with the ploughing up and arable conversion of land. This has increased the historic importance and rarity of the remaining features. Where ridge and furrow survives, its very antiquity is an indicator that the grassland sward has never been ploughed and reseeded and it is often floristically diverse. Ridge and furrow grasslands therefore have high historic, landscape and nature conservation interest. All surviving areas should be conserved.

Conserve the open pastoral character of "holme" grasslands

An extensive area of common land is a feature of the river corridor in the vicinity of Sutton on Trent. The common lands or “holmes” are broad areas of level ground next to the Trent which have traditionally been grazed by holders of “rights of common”. The grasslands are located on both sides of the river and have a distinctively open and spacious character with few vertical features. It is important to conserve their open pastoral character to preserve the historic integrity of these landscapes. Large areas of the grassland are now managed using intensive methods which have reduced their ecological value. The opportunities for returning to more traditional forms of management should be investigated, possibly using incentives that promote environmentally sensitive methods of farming.

Farmland should be managed positively to enhance its landscape and wildlife interest

A variety of options are now available to farmers within the current set-aside scheme. These range from short-term rotations through to longer-term schemes where the same piece of land can be set aside over several years. Land managed under habitat and forestry schemes can now count as part of the set-aside obligation under the Arable Area Payments Scheme. There is now considerable scope for land to be managed positively in order to enhance landscape and wildlife interest. Both wildlife and landscape features can be restored or created at the field scale, or as conservation headlands, wildlife margins and grass margins. Such areas are of greatest value where they provide linkages between existing features such as woodlands, hedgerows, streams and ponds. The longer-term options allow the restoration and creation of a range of features such as wildflower meadows and damp lowland grasslands. Woodland establishment schemes are now eligible to be counted as set-aside, offering significant opportunities to enhance landscape character.

Conserve rural character by retaining existing features in all development schemes

The suburbanising influences associated with new development are an increasing pressure on the rural character of the countryside. These influences are having a subtle, but cumulative impact, especially on all matters of design. Examples include: the external modernisation of buildings; the erection of corporate roadside signs; the replacement of roadside hedges with quick growing ornamental screens; the increased use of security fencing; and even standardised landscaping schemes. Much more discretion is needed when applying design standards in rural landscapes. In particular, original features such as walls, traditional gates and pillars, roadside hedges and mature trees should be retained if at all possible. Where this is not possible, consideration should be given to moving or replacing such features.

The design of recreational and sporting facilities, such as golf courses, should reflect the character of the local landscape

The Trent Washlands have a generally strong rural character, although suburban influences now affect the character of significant areas of landscape. The introduction of large numbers of ornamental or coniferous trees, the removal of hedgerow or stream line trees, or the erection of modern buildings using introduced materials would compound this growth of suburban character. In the more remote areas it would also lead to fracturing of the rural unity of the landscape. To minimise intrusion the design of recreational facilities should be done sensitively to retain and enhance the traditional character, features of interest and local sense of place. Any developments should make a positive contribution to the quality of the landscape, with a comprehensive assessment of the potential impact of any recreational or sporting development on the landscape character of the area.

Conserve and enhance the rural character and historic features associated with roads and lanes

Narrow hedged lanes and tracks are a feature throughout the Trent Washlands. They link the rural villages on the terraces and provide access to the river in the more sparsely populated alluvial areas. The lanes contain many special features including species-rich verges; thick roadside hedgerows; hedgebanks and mature roadside trees. These are important features in their own right and a central component of the region’s rural character. They should be conserved and managed to retain their historic, visual and ecological interest. Any improvements to the road network should respect local landscape diversity by avoiding uniformity and standardised treatments and by replacing any lost features.

Diversify roadside character through the management and creation of flower-rich grasslands on highway verges

Grass verges often flank the roads and narrow lanes of the Trent Washlands. Roadside verges serve a number of practical purposes, including acting as a buffer between the road and the ditch/ hedge, a safe place for walkers and riders and a convenient place to locate services. As well as these practical functions, roadside verges also perform an aesthetic and ecological function. Many of the road verges are species-rich, similar in species composition to remnant hay meadows that have never been ploughed, reseeded or agriculturally improved, They still contain a variety of wildflowers and grasses which in turn support a wealth of invertebrate life, birds and mammals. The conservation interest of the verges should be maintained, and where possible enhanced through appropriate management. The creation of flower-rich verges containing native, slow-growing grass species would add to the visual appeal and diversity of the landscape, offer greater habitat potential for wildlife and require less management than many of the existing verges. The creation of new verges and the reseeding of disturbed verges offer obvious opportunities for this.

All road improvement schemes should include a landscape impact assessment

The construction of new roads and the widening or realignment of existing roads can have a major impact on the character of the landscape. The visual impact of new roads can often be reduced by careful route selection. It is important therefore that landscape considerations are carefully assessed at the start of all such schemes, as no amount of landscaping will ameliorate the impact of a badly chosen route. Where improvements to existing roads are necessary, an early assessment should also be undertaken to identify locally important features that need to be retained or replaced.

Conserve rural character by limiting standardised treatments during highway improvement schemes

The improvement of rural roads and lanes to meet modern highway standards invariably results in the removal of existing features and the introduction of new suburban influences into the countryside. Traffic calming measures should therefore be considered as an alternative option in rural areas. Where improvements are necessary, standardised treatments such as concrete kerbing, galvanised crash barriers, new or replacement street lighting and the erection of modern road signs should be used only where absolutely necessary. Such features are not only visually intrusive but also look out of place in the countryside. As an alternative, consideration should be given to the use of more traditional materials and locally distinctive designs for such things as kerbing, street lighting and road signs.

Landscaping around utilities and other rural development should be better integrated into the wider countryside

Landscaping around utilities and other development in the countryside usually involves screen planting in geometric blocks, or on raised bunds, to hide new development. While these mitigation measures are better than nothing at all, the effect is often lost because the contrast between the landscaped area and surrounding farmland is just as obvious. In rural areas the success of landscaping around sites, such as sewage works, will depend to a large extent on how well they have been integrated into the wider landscape. Particular attention should be given to the treatment of the site perimeter to ensure that it is tied strongly into the adjoining field pattern. Similarly, tree planting within the site should be linked to new or existing trees beyond the perimeter of the site. Better siting and design of new buildings should also be considered in addition to landscaping works. It is better to soften a well-designed building with a few trees than hide an ugly building with screen planting.

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Species list
Trent washlands

Dominant Species
Other Species Present

The following list includes native tree and shrub species that are commonly found within the Trent Washlands and are suitable for inclusion in planting schemes. These are important for determining the area’s regional character. A range of other native species may also be appropriate to particular locations or sites. In these cases professional advice should be sought. A list of organisations able to provide such advice has been included in the section 'Further Information'.

TREES	Woodlands	Hedges	Hedgerow Trees	Wet Areas/Streamsides
Ash
Crab Apple
Elm (English)
Maple (Field)
Oak (English)
Willow (Crack)
Willow (White)

SHRUBS	Woodlands	Hedges	Hedgerow Trees	Wet Areas/Streamsides
Blackthorn
Bramble
Buckthorn (Purging)
Dogwood (Common)
Elder
Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Midland)
Hazel
Holly
Privet (Wild)
Rosa Spp.
Willow (Goat)
Willow (Grey)
Spindle