3.2 Sandy Arable Farmland

Key characteristic features

• Rolling relief; the West Sussex Rother flows in a wide, relatively shallow valley.
• Large arable fields with bold, geometric shapes.
• Deeply sunken narrow lanes between steep, bracken-covered banks.
• Individual, isolated over-mature hedgerow oak trees.
• Open, fairly large-scale landscape, although views are often constrained by high hedgebanks.
• Small clustered sandstone villages; scattered pattern of farms and farm cottages.
• Lanes are fairly straight and run north-south across the Rother Valley.

Landform and context

The sandy arable farmland landscape is confined to areas underlain by rocks of the aptly named Sandgate Beds. This is a highly erodible sandstone which outcrops to the north of the scarp footslopes and heathland mosaic landscapes in the north-west section of the AONB.

This landscape is drained by the West Sussex River Rother, which flows from west to east to join the River Arun near Pulborough. The rolling relief slopes gently towards the river and the area is bounded to both north and south by slightly higher land. To the north, the transition to the relatively elevated more resistant Lower Greensand rocks of the Hythe Beds is accentuated by the densely wooded character of this landscape and, similarly, to the south, where the wooded low ridges of the Folkestone Beds form a patchy boundary.

Land use and landscape pattern

This landscape is characterised by a fairly simple visual and land use structure. A relatively large-scale, regular patchwork of rectangular arable fields forms a broad grid across the rolling relief. The fields are generally enclosed by hedgerows, although there is considerable evidence of field enlargement and hedgerow removal. Small woodlands often link in with the hedgerow network and tend to provide shelter and a softer landscape setting near farms.

Narrow lanes, running in a strict north-south alignment across the farmland, give access to isolated groups of farm buildings. All routes tend to follow a straight alignment, but with definite kinks. They therefore respond to and accentuate the rather regimented, geometric pattern of the fields.

The farmland landscape has a fairly open character, although views from the narrow lanes are constrained by very steep, high, bracken-clad banks. The lanes have become deeply sunken as the soft sandstone has eroded away. The arable field patchwork can seem rather bland but this landscape forms a relatively narrow, open band between the more densely wooded, finely-grained landscapes of the heathland mosaic and north wooded ridges. Its open character provides a sense of scale in the wider landscape and allows some welcome longer views across the Rother Valley, particularly from the higher ground to the north.

In many areas there are relatively few hedgerow trees, but occasional, isolated ancient hedgerow oak trees are important distinctive local landscape features. Many are stag-headed and most are over-mature. They have often been left in areas where the surrounding hedgerow network has been removed.

The historic parkland of Cowdray Park has created a more wooded landscape to the north-east of Midhurst. The carefully-placed groups of specimen parkland trees are a striking contrast to the surrounding geometric farmland layout and those on the rising ground to the north of Benbow Pond are particularly prominent.

Settlement

Settlements are generally clustered at road junctions. There are numerous small hamlets and many fairly isolated scattered farms and cottages. The small towns of Petworth and Midhurst are on the edge of the area and it is traversed by an important east-west route, the A272, making it the most accessible part of the north-west AONB.

Many of the villages show the strong unifying influence of the estates of Petworth and Cowdray, with distinctive, well-detailed estate cottages and stone walls. The local sandstone is favoured as a building material and varies from a mottled grey or buff colour near Petworth to a much deeper reddish-yellow version in the Midhurst area. There are also many brick and rendered buildings, particularly near Midhurst.

Subjective response

Local views sometimes lack detail and interest but the rolling landform and warm sandstone buildings are attractive features. There are some important longer views across the river valley and the open character of the farmland is a welcome ‘breathing space’ between the neighbouring more disorientating landscapes.

By contrast, the deeply sunken lanes are secretive, hidden narrow corridors with an intimate scale.

Sensitivity to change

This farmland landscape is relatively open but hedgerows, small woodlands, and in particular the rolling landform, allow some scope for screening small-scale development, provided it is carefully sited in sheltered locations and that associated planting is designed to integrate closely with the surrounding landscape pattern.

The most vulnerable element in the sandy arable farmland landscape is the strong, geometric hedgerow network, which provides an overall visual structure. Pressures from intensive arable farming have already led to the removal of hedgerows in many areas and there is an urgent need to reverse the trend. The ancient hedgerow oak trees are another important visual element in decline. The remaining specimen oak trees are often subject to compaction and damage by large-scale agricultural machinery. The deeply sunken lanes are also particularly vulnerable to landscape change. The banks are easily eroded and insensitive local road improvements could result in their degradation.

Key issues for landscape management

Farmland mosaic

• Maintain the open simple visual structure of the landscape and distinctive local features. Identify important long views from a variety of accessible points and plan planting schemes to enhance composition of longer views across Rother valley and to frame local views to features of interest.

Hedgerows

• Conserve and manage all existing hedgerows. Replant hedgerows which have been removed along previous straight alignments.
• Encourage and train up naturally regenerating hedgerow trees. Replant hedgerow trees in strong linear belts where this will help to screen the harsh edges of development or where it will improve the quality of local farm landscapes. Elsewhere hedgerow trees should be planted where they will give visual emphasis to the rolling landform and frame or enhance longer views. It is particularly important not to overplant hedgerow trees so as to retain the open character of the landscape.
• Tree surgery is urgently required on some existing over-mature hedgerow oaks to ensure that these visually important local landscape features are retained safely for as long as possible.
• Replace over-mature hedgerow oak trees, planting so that these trees will grow up as specimens, with a fully-developed crown.

Trees and woodlands

• Conserve and manage all existing woodlands: coppicing, thinning and replanting as necessary.
• Where possible the edges of these woodlands should be protected from damage by farm machinery and impaction by maintaining broad marginal verges.
• Plant new strategically-located woodland belts which closely reflect landform and historic road/hedgerow patterns. New woodland planting should be broadleaved to retain the existing landscape character. These new woodlands should have bold, distinctive, predominantly linear shapes and should be carefully sited to create a series of visually permeable layers which frame or filter views across the wider landscape whilst retaining an overall sense of openness. • New planting in more irregularly-shaped copses should draw attention to the setting of groups of farm buildings. Individual trees may also be appropriate in such locations.

Roads

• Conserve the special character of the deeply cut lanes.
• Give priority to upgrading the quality and character of the landscape along the A272 and the sequence of longer views across the Rother Valley from this road.

Parkland

• Encourage the conversion of arable land to permanent pasture in areas with parkland trees.
• Conserve and manage the larger woodlands on the outer margins of Cowdray Park to preserve the setting of the English Heritage designated historic parkland landscape.

Priorities for action

• Conserve, and in many instances restore, hedgerows and hedgerow trees to enhance the structured character of the landscape.
• Upgrade the landscape of the A272, in particular focusing on hedgerow restoration and planting schemes which are designed to frame long views across the Rother valley.
• New woodlands should be predominantly linear to tie in with overall dominance of hedgerow network.

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