2.1.1 Open East Chalk Uplands

Key characteristic features

Homogeneous elevated landscape with an open character; typical rounded chalk landforms very clearly revealed and landmarks visible over long distances.

Extensive arable cultivation, but also some areas of grassland; fields form sharply-defined rectangular mosaic.

• Isolated fragments of chalk grassland/scrub on abrupt steep slopes ‘leftover’ between arable fields, and on some steeper summits.
• Often strong contrasts between open upland landscape and that of the minor valley systems winding through it.
• Occasional small woodland blocks and shelterbelts with geometric shapes.
• Very few hedgerows and hedgerow trees; fields unenclosed or divided by wire fencing.
• Few villages; isolated farms and barns often provide a visual focus.
• Straight, chalky-white tracks.
• Windswept, exposed character.
• Extensive urban development along southern margins of the dip-slope is highly visible and forms a harsh urban edge.
• Proximity to urban areas leads to high degree of public access.

Landform and context

The open chalk upland landscape occurs on the south-facing dip-slope of the Sussex chalklands to the east of the Arun valley. The land slopes down towards the south but a sequence of individual steep, rounded summits, the eroded secondary escarpment, form prominent landmarks spaced at regular intervals along the southern edge of the dip slope. e.g.. Barpham Hill, Harrow Hill, Steep Down.

In geological terms, this upland landscape occurs on the Middle and Upper Chalk strata. Tertiary sediments, the Woolwich and Reading Beds, outcrop in places on the lower parts of the chalk dip-slope. Clay-with-Flints is found in relatively small areas, generally on ridgetops, throughout the chalk uplands; it becomes more widespread towards the south-eastern tip of the chalk, near the Cuckmere valley.

The uplands are truncated abruptly at the coast to the west of Eastbourne where the undulating chalk bedrock is strikingly revealed in profile at a line of precipitous white cliffs. Here, the sheer, exposed face of chalk has been dramatically eroded to form a deeply undulating skyline, sculpted by the famous sequence of hanging valleys known as the Seven Sisters and the cliffs at Beachy Head. The chalk uplands to the east of the Cuckmere valley are more incised by valleys than elsewhere in the AONB, producing particularly undulating and secluded chalk upland scenery.

The open character of this chalk upland landscape ensures that its typical smooth, rolling relief is clearly revealed. The broad rounded ridges have gently curving convex-concave slope profiles and the landform has been sculpted into sweeping forms by numerous dry valleys. In some areas the valleys are mere indentations, forming relatively homogeneous, rolling relief. Elsewhere they are steep, rounded coombes which subdivide the chalk uplands and produce strong contrasts in landscape character. (ref. east chalk valley systems). Generally the relief becomes more undulating towards the northern, more elevated part of the dip-slope.

Land use and landscape pattern

Predominantly very large-scale farmland, both arable and grassland. Fields are often extremely large and rectilinear in shape. They are either bounded by wire fencing or left unenclosed. The arable fields form an extensive, geometric mosaic which varies in colour and texture according to different crops and seasonal cycles. The straight lines of the field patterns contrast with the gentle, rolling chalk upland relief.

Small, steep angular slopes of rough grass, scrub and occasional patches of woodland are often `leftover' between arable fields. These isolated chalk grassland and woodland fragments are ecologically important for their rare flora. They are bordered by abrupt, sharp breaks in slope and often mark the shallow remnants of eroded coombes.

Hedgerows are rare. Where they occur, they tend to be sparse, narrow and sporadic, with occasional stunted trees. They sometimes provide a visual link between the valley landscapes and more elevated land; elsewhere they tend to be near isolated upland farmsteads or alongside ancient chalky tracks.

Isolated, small blocks of woodland, usually with strongly geometric shapes, occur sporadically on the upland chalk. Some are shelter belts associated with farms, but many seem unrelated to existing patterns of land use. Many, such as Newmarket Plantation, have suffered severely from storm damage and lack of management. Such small woodland blocks often have odd shapes which seem distracting, unrelated to landform and out of proportion in the wider landscape. Friston Forest, an extensive mixed plantation managed by the Forestry Commission, covers an area of the east open chalk uplands to the east of the Cuckmere valley. It seems incongruous and is an anomaly in the context of this characteristically open landscape.

Individual, small local features such as tracks, farm buildings, flint walls, isolated trees and patches of woodland or scrub are usually a visual focus but the relationship between the broad, rolling landform and the sky is always dominant and tends to dwarf all other landscape features.

Straight, open chalky-white tracks are prominent in a landscape of muted colours. They typically follow the alignment of ridges and valleys, often leading to isolated farms or barns.

Ancient earthworks and flint mines are a characteristic of this landscape and the remnants of Iron Age hill forts, such as Cissbury Ring, are sometimes found on the southern dip-slope summits.

Small, round dew ponds for watering sheep are a recurring feature. They were usually constructed on ridgetops where superficial clay deposits occur naturally, although occasionally clay was imported to provide an impermeable seal.

Settlement

There are relatively few villages and roads; only isolated farms and individual farm buildings reached by long, chalky tracks. Traditional farm buildings and walls are constructed of chalk flints, often combined with brick used for quoins and window details. They constitute a significant visual element in this open landscape and their preservation is important.

The South Downs is a relatively narrow spine of chalk, hemmed in to the south by the coastal urban conurbation. Urban characteristics, such as pylons, increased traffic and golf courses and recreation grounds are widespread; there are six separate golf courses on the chalklands adjacent to Brighton alone. The urban area itself is visually very intrusive along the southern edge of the chalk dip-slope, particularly where there are dense built-up areas on relatively elevated land. Most recently the Brighton bypass has, in places, extended the urban influence further into the open chalk upland landscape.

Subjective response

An expansive, open landscape of vast, panoramic views across relatively homogeneous scenery. The extensive, gently rolling terrain produces many rippling horizons and a strong sense of scale and distance. The chalk uplands feel spacious, bleak and very exposed to the elements; skyscapes and weather conditions are a dominant influence, creating a dynamic, moody landscape which can be exhilarating and which feels close to nature, even though it is subdivided by the razor hard edges of an intensive agricultural mosaic. This is a landscape that can feel remote and wild despite the relative proximity of extensive urban areas and the intensity of agricultural production.

Sensitivity to change

These rolling chalk uplands have a denuded, exposed character and a vast, sweeping scale. Even relatively small elements in the landscape, such as hedgerows or isolated barns, are visible over long distances.

Traditionally the eastern chalk uplands were renowned for their open chalk grasslands, which enhanced their open, unified character while also preserving an important ecological habitat. Over the past 60 years, most of the chalk grassland has been ploughed up and large arable fields now predominate. Changing patterns of crops may have a sudden impact; oil seed rape adds an abrupt splash of yellow to a landscape of otherwise fairly muted tones. Recent changes in agricultural policy, in particular the designation of the Sussex Downs ESA, have encouraged the conversion of arable land back to pasture and are making a very positive contribution to the visual unity, ecological value and cultural heritage of the Sussex Downs, although they do not replace the ecological variety of the traditional chalk downland plant communities.

The characteristic open, expansive qualities of this landscape make it extremely sensitive to development. Woodlands and hedgerows are not typical, and where they do occur, they tend to be a visual focus and therefore have only very limited screening potential. The typical rolling chalk upland relief, and the relative narrowness of the open east chalk uplands, ensure that this landscape has few concealed corners and areas which appear relatively well hidden from one viewpoint are likely to be fully exposed from another.

It follows that most forms of development will be highly visible, particularly on more elevated ridge tops, although it may be possible to integrate very small-scale development, such as car parks; if it is carefully sited and designed. The existing extensive urban development along the southern margins of the dip slope is highly visible and there is a very abrupt interface between the open countryside of the AONB to the north and the dense, extensive urban development along the coastal plain to the south. In addition, there are many examples of visually intrusive elements scattered across the area; transmission masts, steel-framed farm buildings and golf courses, with their associated clubhouses and car parks, all tend to distract the eye from the smooth, rolling landform. They are highly visible and there is very little scope to accommodate more development without further threat to the intrinsic qualities of this landscape and, in particular, its valuable sense of remoteness and isolation.

Thorough, detailed visual analysis is therefore essential before any form of development takes place and opportunities should be sought for reducing the visual impact of existing visually intrusive elements in the landscape.

Key issues for landscape management

Farmland mosaic

• Protect existing remnants of semi-natural chalk grassland from damaging agricultural operations and scrub invasion. Scrub clearance and control as necessary.
• Encourage an overall increase in grazed chalk grassland as a long-term objective, particularly on south-facing slopes and ridges. Ideally such grazed grasslands should be concentrated within viewsheds to create unified and large-scale chalkland scenery, rather than dissipated into small-scale patchworks.
• Conserve historic hedgerows, banks and broad verges associated with existing tracks and byways to retain and enhance their importance as visual features within the wider landscape. There may also be some opportunities to expand field margins alongside tracks to increase areas of grazed grassland.
• Archaeological sites should be top priority for grassland restoration schemes with associated scrub clearance and appropriate grazing regimes.
• Scrub should be managed in all situations. Established scrub should be managed by a combination of coppicing and removal to provide scrub of mixed age structure and species where and as appropriate for visual and wildlife purposes. Scrub clearance or thinning should be carried out in irregularly shaped patches to avoid hard edges and to maintain the visual character of the random patchy scrub/grassland mosaic on prominent slopes. Areas of relatively stable, uninvasive scrub, such as gorse, should be retained and managed for its visual and nature conservation value. Dense areas of scrub should be cleared gradually, in phases, to avoid erosion due to weathering.
• Identify individual prominent landscape elements such as farm buildings, distinctive landforms, trees, etc. which are of particular visual significance in the open landscape. The quality of such elements, in visual terms, is important. Attractive features should be conserved and those with a negative visual influence, such as some golf clubhouses and water reservoirs, should be targeted for upgrading or screening.

Farm buildings

• Wherever possible conserve the characteristic isolated traditional farm buildings. Sensitive conversion of redundant farm buildings to other agricultural- related uses may be appropriate, as long as all traditional architectural features and the rural setting of the building, are retained. Particular types of building may not be suited to alteration without a loss of character.

Hedgerows

• Retain and gap up existing historic or visually important hedgerows. Traditionally hedgerows are not a characteristic feature of the east open chalk uplands and new hedgerow planting should not usually be encouraged. However, there may be important exceptions such as the historic hedgerows: alongside some ancient tracks or at the transition to the more sheltered landscape of the minor dry valleys. Any individual hedgerow trees should be irregularly spaced.
• Remove ‘scrubby’ hedgerow encroachments along field boundaries where they conflict with the open, rolling character of the local landscape.

Trees and woodland

• Existing small blocks of deciduous woodland should be conserved and managed to ensure their continuity where they are visually important landscape features. Many are showing signs of decay as a result of storm damage, maturity or neglect. Occasionally small woodlands detract from the sweeping open scale of the chalk uplands. Careful visual assessment is required to establish whether such woodlands should be conserved, upgraded or felled.
• Planting of native woodland species should be encouraged as part of the conservation and restoration of existing small woodland blocks. In many instances there is scope to improve the visual impact of such woodlands by peripheral planting or felling to produce more coherent shapes and softer edges to follow the landform and enhance the visual composition of the landscape.
• There may occasionally be opportunities to create new deciduous woodlands and plant clumps of trees in areas where these are already features of the landscape and, in particular, where they might help to screen visually intrusive development. Such new planting should be very carefully composed to enhance existing landforms and features and should not disrupt the open character of the landscape and areas of sweeping landform.
• There are opportunities to influence the evolving character of Friston Forest. Peripheral planting or felling on the edges of the forest should be designed to follow contour lines, with irregular indentations in proportion to the scale of the surrounding landscape; areas of clear fell should be carefully planned in a similar way. The forest tends to mask landform and so diminish the scale of the surrounding landscape. The character of the chalk relief would be enhanced if the floor of the valley between West Dean and Friston Place were kept relatively open to emphasise its curving form and the vertical scale of the valley slopes.

Urban-rural interface

• Large-scale woodland planting to screen urban development along the southern margins at the AONB is likely to be inappropriate in this open upland landscape. However, there may be some opportunities to soften the urban edge with sporadic, small-scale planting to the rear of properties which is designed to reduce the visual scale of the built environment.
• The construction of the new Brighton-Hove bypass along the southern edge of the AONB has in places trapped ‘left-over’ pockets of AONB land to the south. Such areas may provide new opportunities for small-scale planting designed to soften the visual impact of the urban edge and improve the integration of the road into the wider landscape, particularly at junctions.
• It is important that any new planting should be designed strategically, in direct response to a careful, detailed visual analysis which takes full account of the sequence of ridges and dry valleys along the southern margins of the chalk dip-slope.

Roads

• There is considerable scope to improve the immediate landscape setting of the new Brighton-Hove bypass. In particular it is important to ensure that the new road, including its associated cuttings, embankments, service facilities and new planting, are visually well-integrated into the wider landscape and that the new landscape of the road forms a positive transition between the dense urban development on the coastal plain and the open chalk uplands, while at the same time creating a strong impression of the surrounding chalkland scenery. It may be appropriate to remove some of the existing new planting along the bypass where this would create an unbroken ‘corridor’ of woodland between the open chalk uplands of the AONB and the urban development to the south.
• The special character of the existing narrow chalkland roads should be conserved. Upgrading schemes which involve works such as road widening or straightening, and the addition of kerbs and signage can have a particularly destructive, urbanising effect on the character of local roads. Such schemes should be resisted and the use of subtle, appropriate measures for traffic control, such as cattle grids and speed limits should be investigated.

Priorities for action

• Screening and upgrading of individual prominent landscape elements and in particular new planting designed to improve the existing harsh interface between the open chalk uplands and the extensive urban development along the southern margins of the AONB.
• Bring relic areas of chalk grassland under appropriate management and encourage reversion of adjoining areas to create unified swathes of characteristic open grassland.
• Conserve the special character of small local roads.
• Improved management and composition of small woodlands, supplemented by very limited, carefully composed new woodlands designed to achieve improved balance and harmony in the visual quality of the landscape.

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