Breadcrumbs
New agricultural landscapes
Seven study areas have been revisited at 11-year intervals since the project was initiated by the Countryside Commission in 1972, most recently in 2005. The results of the latest work are the focus of the publication ‘Agricultural Landscapes: 33 years of change’, launched in July 2006.
The publication provides a unique visual record of change of the lowland landscape in the first decade of the 21st century, against which future changes can be compared. It suggests that the lowlands seem to be experiencing greater stability; for example, the quality and size of many hedgerows have improved and the widespread removal of this characteristic feature has all but ceased.
The book also looks back over the 33 years of the study series, and finds that the picture across lowland England is by no means consistent. Different farming systems, in different parts of the country, have had widely contrasting impacts on the landscape.
Huntingdonshire and the Cambridge Fens have seen most changes over the years, such as greater field sizes due to the removal of trees, hedges or dykes, whilst Herefordshire has experienced relatively little change.
Contact: Liz Bingham, tel: 01242 533230
e-mail liz.bingham@naturalengland.org.uk
