Landscape Character Assessment - Chelmsford Borough Council

29D – Drained Estuarine Marsh Landscapes Areas of flat, artificially drained former saltmarsh currently grassland and cultivated fields Visible sea walls separate drained former marshland and current saltmarsh/mudflats Lack of large areas of trees or woodland Network of visible drainage ditchesE – Coastal Farmland Landscapes Predominantly flat, low-lying landscape, sloping gradually upwards to the north Views of river estuaries and coastline from several locations Arable farmland on underlying heavy clay soils Lack of large patches/areas of woodland Relatively sparse settlement patternF – Wooded Farmland Landscapes Elevated undulating hills or ridges and slopes Mixture of arable and pasture farmland Pockets of common and pasture Views to wooded horizons Well wooded with blocks of mature mixed and deciduous woodland (including areas ofancient and semi-natural woodland); copses, hedges and mature single trees Mature field boundaries Framed views to adjacent character areas Enclosed character in places Network of quiet, often tree-lined narrow lanesG – Fenland Landscapes Level relief Open, exposed landscape Large-scale arable and pasture farmland Gappy hedges Linear roads on causewaysH – Chalk Upland Landscapes Strongly rolling landform of broad roundbacked ridges Large scale arable farmland Distinctive elevated, expansive and generally open character Panoramic views from ridgetops Dispersed blocks of woodland and isolated copses Sparse settlement pattern, small linear villages alongside stream courses, and hamlets withgreens2.5.12 Within the eight generic Landscape Character Types, seventy Landscape Character Areashave been identified at 1:25,000 scale within the Study Area (see Figure 2.8). The LandscapeCharacter Areas reflect distinctive variations in local character within each LandscapeCharacter Type based on visual analysis of how different combinations of physical featuresand perceptual qualities such as scale, pattern, tranquillity, cultural associations, etc. createareas of distinctive landscape character.11100101R Final LCAs_09-06Section 2.0 – Overview of the Study Area