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127. Isle of Wight
• A small-scale island landscape with an often intimate feel and an overwhelming sense of discovery. There is a juxtaposition of varied and distinctive landforms, diverse land cover types and often sudden and dramatic views of the sea. The close relationship of the area to the sea is a vital ingredient of the island's cultural heritage from prehistoric times.
• The island exhibits, at a small-scale, the key characteristics of many southern English landscape character areas: from intensively farmed arable coastal plain to wooded dairy pasture; from steep Chalk downs to diverse estuarine seascapes and dramatic sea cliffs and stacks.
• The southern coastal plain constitutes an open, intensively managed, arable farmland with large open fields, few trees, and relict hedges. The open character and maritime influence give an exposed windblown feel.
• The Chalk downs are characterised by open rolling arable lands with remnant unimproved grassland on the steeper and usually higher areas. There are few hedgerows or trees here but beech and ash woodland and coppice are supported on the northern slopes of the open downs and some coniferous plantations on the southern slopes. Some remnant heathland/acidic pasture exists in a vale on a band of Greensand between the two ranges of Chalk downs.
• The character of the northern pastures is determined by dairy farming which has created the predominantly lush, green, irregular fields bounded by mature hedgerows. Woodland, much of it coppiced, is a common feature and the occasional orchard adds variety. On the north coast the numerous harbours, creeks, salt marshes and tidal mudflats are fringed by woodland. Formal estates, defined by exotic evergreen planting, dominate parts of the coast whilst Victorian urban seaside settlements are concentrated on others.
• Local limestone and sandstones are the main traditional building materials although differing geologies have determined variations. These stone buildings have dominated the older 'church and manor' settlements which are scattered across the landscape. Local brick buildings are common and indicate a strong Victorian influence within the towns.
• The Undercliff and the coastal chines are particularly unusual and distinctive landscape features.
For further details on this character area and for an introduction to the region, please see the PDF documents in the box at the top right hand side of this page.
