Landscape
Breadcrumbs
Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase
The key characteristics of the Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase are . . .
| •A rolling, chalk landscape with dramatic scarps and steep-sided, sheltered valleys. •Scarp slopes with species-rich grassland, complex combes and valleys, spectacular views, prominent hillforts and other prehistoric features. •Open, mainly arable, downland on the dip-slope with isolated farmsteads and few trees. •Very varied valleys with woodlands, hedged fields, flood meadows and villages in flint and thatch. •Distinctive woodlands and deer parks of Cranborne Chase. |
| Landscape Character |
| The steep scarp slopes of the Dorset Downs rise steeply above the Upper Greensand of the Blackmoor Vale and Vale of Wardour to the north and west. To the south and east, the broad, rolling dip slope, cut by intricate river valleys, falls to a landscape of low-lying valley bottoms. Beyond this lie the Dorset Heaths. The many attractive viewpoints at the top of the scarp slopes and its outliers, like Win Green, Fontmell Down and Hambledon, give fine views over this typical Chalk landscape. The highest points of the steep, sometimes wooded, scarp slopes abound with prehistoric features, especially round barrows and hillforts. The remaining unimproved calcareous grassland, typically associated with the thin, chalky soils of the scarp, is frequently rich in wild flowers and downland wildlife. Below, ancient villages cluster around the springs which emerge at the base of the scarp. To the south and east the chalk dip-slope provides long views across a rolling landscape of large regular fields dominated by arable. Although largely devoid of individual trees, there are occasional blocks of woodland. As the edges of the valleys are approached, fields tend to become smaller and pasture more common. Within the more sheltered secluded valleys, the recurrent elements of linear villages, streams and rivers, flood meadows, valley side woodlands and narrow lanes combine in different ways to impart local character to individual valleys. Indeed, within the simple overall structure of scarps, slopes and valleys, there is great variety. The area extends westwards with a deeply-indented scarp which is rather like a headland jutting out into Blackmoor Vale. Streams like the Cheselbourne have cut through the scarp to form very steep, intricate valleys but, outside the valleys, the landscape is bold and broad scale with woodland on the steepest slopes. To the west, the scarp breaks down into a slumped, uneven profile adjacent to the Greensand with extensive woodland, rough grassland and patches of scrub. Between the Stour Valley and Shaftesbury, the scarp runs near to the outlier forming Hod and Hambleton Hills with its two fine hillforts and then continues in a rather more uniform character to the prominent landmark of Melbury Hill. On the northern edge, there are scarps above the Nadder and Ebble valleys which, towards Salisbury, have been sculpted into a series of north-facing bowls. On the dip-slope, there are generally few trees but woodland becomes increasingly important to the east of the Stour valley where there are remnants of the ancient hunting ground of Cranborne Chase. Locally, natural regeneration and hill top planting has created distinct landmarks, while to the south the occurrence of yews just off the low ridges is evident from names like 'Great Yews' and 'Nine Yews Farm'. Cranborne Chase is characterised by woodlands, shelterbelts, clumps and copses containing ancient hazel coppice and by enclosed areas of arable pasture and parkland. In contrast to the thinly-scattered farmsteads of the dip-slopes, the Chase has quite common settlement comprising villages within the valleys and a scatter of hamlets linked by ancient lanes. Within the substantial parks there are large mansion houses. They are a contrast to the modest vernacular buildings elsewhere on the Downs and add to the Chase's unique character. The valleys of the Frome, Piddle and Stour are all different in character. The river Frome and its tributaries form a branching network of valleys. These probably have the most deeply eroded and enclosed landforms, especially in the Cerne and Sydling Water valleys, where the distinctive character is emphasised by the Cerne Abbas Giant carved out of the chalk high above the valley floor. In contrast, the valleys of the Piddle system typically have V-shaped upper valleys which wind through narrow gaps to open out dramatically. The Stour valley is the least remote, with a wide flood plain, large villages and the attractive town of Blandford Forum within its parkland setting. Perhaps the strongest characteristic of the Dorset Downs are the numerous focal points within the broad pattern of slopes and valleys. There are vast hillforts, like Maiden Castle and Hambledon Hill, particularly dramatic where their thick ramparts are emphasised by low winter or summer evening lights, there are barrows on hill and ridge tops and there are the grand houses of Cranborne Chase framed by ancient limes and chestnuts. |
| Physical Influences |
| The Chalk has been shaped to its present form of scarps, dip-slopes and valleys by water erosion. Much of the erosion probably took place by increased run-off from the melting of semi-permanent ice-caps on the Chalk crest, at the end of the penultimate glaciation. The bounding escarpments are erosional features. They are capped by partially dissected, south-easterly inclined dip-slopes. The highest parts of the Downs represent the remains of a once-extensive Chalk platform. They are locally capped with Clay-with-flints and this gives rise to the soils most likely to support woodland. Away from the Clay-with-flints, the soils are generally thin and strongly calcareous. Deeper soils have accumulated at the base of the scarp and in the valley bottoms. The major drainage pattern runs south-eastwards, forming the upper parts of the Piddle, Frome, Stour and Avon catchments but the Nadder and Ebble drain eastwards into the Avon. |
| Historical and Cultural Influences |
| There was certainly Mesolithic activity in the area of the Downs but the first major imprint on the landscape is that of the Neolithic and there is a notable concentration of Neolithic ritual/ceremonial monuments around Dorchester. The causewayed camps of Maiden Castle, Maumbury Rings and Hambledon Hill are examples of important monuments of this period. Other concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze-Age sites are found in Cranborne Chase, including the Dorset Cursus which seems to have been used for excarnation or exposure of the dead. It is likely that the clearance of woodland on the Downs and the steady downwashing of downland soils had begun early in prehistory although there may well have been early valley settlement obscured by later settlement and cultivation. During the Bronze Age, the Downs seem to have been quite densely settled and groups of round barrows are still common features. Large areas were divided up by early field systems which, together with boundary dykes like Grimm's Ditch and Bokerley Dyke, are evidence of highly-organised societies. Defended hilltop sites for which the Downs are rightly famous, were developed during the Iron Age although the most celebrated, Maiden Castle, has its origins in the Neolithic. The civitas capital (or regional administrative centre) of Dorchester was the main settlement of the Roman period. The roads radiating from it are still prominent features in the present day landscape but the main Roman influence was a long period of peace in which settlements multiplied and in which there was increasing exploitation of the valleys around the high downland. The gradual Saxon takeover of the area seems to have maintained a continuity of settlement. The numerous tons and bournes are evidence of Saxon farmsteads and waterside settlements and the Saxon charters show that much of the landscape was divided up into small estates which embraced valley bottoms, valley sides and access to the open downland. Domesday Book shows that much of the present pattern of settlement had been established and in the Middle Ages it was more common than it is today. The loose ribbons of farmsteads and cottages that make up many of the valley villages were originally laid out in potentially much denser planned form, and the landscape is littered with deserted settlements. Open field systems developed along the valleys sometimes lapping up to the edge of the open downland crests but, from the mid-14th century onwards, there was piecemeal enclosure and expansion of sheep grazing. In the east, Cranborne Chase was a royal hunting ground from at least the time of William the Conqueror until the 17th century. Its conservative landlords kept it substantially in its medieval character until it was disenfranchised in 1829. The medieval religious houses in and around the Chase formed the basis of the later parks and mansions like Tarrant Crawford and Iwerne. During the 17th century, an elaborate system of flood meadows was developed in the valleys and the economy of the Downs was dominated by sheep rearing. This continued in the succeeding centuries, with the downlands being enclosed within strongly rectilinear fields in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 20th century, there has been large-scale conversion of the downlands to arable. Today many perceptions of the Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase have been coloured by the writing of Thomas Hardy: Cranborne Chase was the 'venerable tract of forestland' in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Maiden Castle featured in Far from the Madding Crowd. |
| Buildings and Settlement |
| Apart from the attractive town of Blandford Forum in the Stour Valley and Dorchester at the southern edge, the main settlements within it are the villages strung out along the narrow valleys or in more compact form in the wider valleys. They are linked by narrow roads following the valley bottoms, with more sinuous tracks extending to the farmsteads on the valley sides. On the higher ground, there are only a few farmsteads and the road pattern is dominated by straight enclosure and turnpike roads. The farmsteads on this higher ground are mostly of modern construction but, in the valleys and in the villages that cluster at the foot of the scarps, a wide variety of building materials have been used. Timber framing, often disguised by more recent additions, is a particular feature. Flint with brick dressing and banding is common and clunch (chalk) is sometimes used with brick to give chequered patterns. Low, rendered buildings are common and there are many pre-18th and 19th century brick buildings. Although thatch is the traditional roofing material, there are many tiled roofs and some slate. This mixture of materials reflects the lack of a consistent supply of building stone and dressed stone is largely confined to the churches and manor houses. |
| Land Cover |
| The dip-slopes are dominated by large tracts of arable cultivation. Hedges are typically low and sparse. The few hedgerow trees and shelterbelts of beech, ash and sycamore are found mainly near the scattered farmsteads and there are small blocks of woodland, mainly plantations dominated by beech, oak and ash. In contrast, Cranborne Chase has extensive woodland cover, with a mixture of ancient woodlands, plantations, shelter belts, clumps and copses interspersed with arable, pasture and parkland. On the steep scarp slopes, unimproved chalk grassland survives and woodland cover varies from one section to another. Between Melbury and Blandford, for instance, it spills over from Cranborne Chase, crowning spurs and filling the steep combes. To the east and west, it is sparser, comprising many ridge-top copses and scarp-foot hedges. Within the valleys, the land cover is more mixed. Arable farming is widespread in the shallow slopes and hedges tend to be more frequent. The valley floors are occupied by former water meadows with common willows and poplars along the boundaries. There are woodlands on some of the steepest slopes and the knolls are often emphasised by tree clumps, mainly of beech. In some valleys, the land cover forms an attractive mosaic and setting for the many villages. |
| The Changing Countryside |
 | •The economics of modern farming are resulting in the establishment of non-farming uses, including golf courses, and other alternative enterprises. •The geometric shape and species composition of some game coverts depart from the overall character of this area. •New crops such as linseed and brassicas alter the appearance and are often highly visible in this very open landscape. •There has been an increase in outdoor pig-rearing in some locations. •Scrub encroachment on the scarp slopes is reducing floristic and landscape interest, as has past arable conversion. •Several major roads pass through the area. The associated earthworks, lighting and signs are likely to be particularly prominent in such an open landscape. •Lowering of the water table and low flows in the chalk streams such as the river Piddle may affect wildlife and landscape interest. •New housing around and within existing settlements is often 'suburban' in character and does not respect local styles and materials. •Scattered, isolated, archaeological features are prone to damage by arable cultivation. •There is a general lack of management of woodland, coppice, copses and parkland features. Continuing loss of ancient floated water meadow systems is occurring in the Chalk valleys. |
| Shaping the future |
| •The Chalk landscape has been strongly influenced by the drive for efficient arable farming. Subject to economic feasibility and grant regimes, there is potential for conversion of arable fields back to chalk grassland. This could re-create something of the character of pre 1940s downland. A range of agri-environmental schemes represent an important opportunity to restore the historic open, rolling grasslands for which the chalklands have traditionally been known. Ideally, the new downland landscapes should create unified and large-scale chalkland scenery, rather than small-scale patchworks. •There is scope to conserve the usually small and geometrically shaped woodlands to form new outlines, reflecting the flowing contours and composed on a grand scale. The existing woods tend to be on hillside slopes and there is potential to create new woods, and occasional carefully placed clumps on ridgetops and summits to enliven the horizon and create landmarks along ridgetop roads. These would need to be carefully planned to take account of local character, landform and existing features, including maintaining the integrity of planned landscapes. •Hedgerows and hedgerow trees are locally important. Replacement trees should not disrupt important open vistas and areas of distinctive sweeping landform. |
| Selected References |
| Landscape Design Associates (1993), Dorset County Landscape Assessment, Countryside Commission, Dorset County Council, Purbeck District Council. Taylor, C (1970), Dorset, Hodder & Stoughton. Countryside Commission (1993), The Dorset Downs, Heaths and Coast Landscape: a landscape assessment of the Dorset AONB, Countryside Commission, Cheltenham CCP 424. Countryside Commission (1994), The New Map of England: A Celebration of the South Western Landscape, Countryside Commission, Cheltenham CCP 444. |
