5.1 Using the Assessment
This study has produced a unique map of the Sussex Downs AONB, based on its various distinctive landscapes. These different landscape types are the product of the interaction between man’s activities and the inherent structure of the land itself. Their definition should help to build a wider understanding of the AONB’s landscape resource and to communicate the issues involved in its management.
The landscape assessment involves looking at the AONB landscape in terms of its component parts. Yet, taken as a whole, the landscape of the Sussex Downs AONB has a strong sense of unity.
The unified character of the chalklands stems from their consistent underlying geological structure. However, there is a strong visual relationship between the more wooded west chalk uplands and the landscape of the West Weald to the north. The steep summit of Black Down and the wooded greensand ridges act as a counterpoint to the chalk escarpment and both of these contrasting ridges form a strong backdrop to views throughout the area. Together they have an enclosing presence which reinforces the sense of regional identity, while providing a bold setting for the varied landscapes they shelter. Further east, the open chalk escarpment seems to stand alone as a dramatic wall buttressing the chalk landscapes to the south and dominating the Wealden plain for miles around.
The landscape assessment, and its resultant map, represent the first stage in the process of developing a landscape-led approach to the conservation and management of the AONB. The second stage is to closely relate key practical landscape management issues and investment to the defined landscape types so that policies for managing the AONB landscape directly reinforce scenic beauty, diversity and local distinctiveness, while also strengthening the elements of the landscape which are most vulnerable to change. The landscape guidelines drafted in this report should be considered as the starting point for this process, to be refined and expanded over time.
