Area 12 Cam and Wellow Brook Valleys

Context

Location of Area

7.12.1 The Cam and Wellow Brook Valleys is one of the larger character areas at approximately 30sq km. It consists of the river valleys of the Cam and Wellow Brooks, which run from west to east. They are separated by the Paulton and Peasedown St John Ridge character area. The brooks merge at Midford to become the Midford Brook. This then flows into the Avon at Monkton Combe near the Dundas Aqueduct, within the Bathford and Limpley Stoke character area. The Wellow Valley section starts to the north of Midsomer Norton with Welton Vale and Clandown Bottom and re-emerges to the east of the built up area of Radstock while the Cam Valley section starts further west to the north of Paulton. The higher ground of the Hinton Blewett and Newton St Loe Plateau Lands and Cotswolds Plateaux and Valleys character areas are found to the north and the Hinton Charterhouse and Baggridge Plateaux character area is to the south. The boundaries of the area generally follow the top of the valley sides before they level off or merge with the adjoining plateau landscape.

Description

Landform and Drainage Pattern

7.12.5 The valleys are both moderately steep and wide. The Oolitic Limestone has generally given rise to steeper upper slopes and the Lias Clays to the more gentle slopes. The sides of the valleys are rounded and undulating through both erosion and occasional slippage due to the softer clays. Many springs issue from the valley sides. The resultant streams are often lined with trees. The junction of the valley sides with the base is usually gentle and rounded and the valley floors are narrow but flat with the brooks meandering freely across their flood plain. The brooks are quite deep in places and they frequently have steep sides, which was taken advantage of in making anti-tank defences along the Wellow Brook in 1940. The valleys range in height from the lowest point near Midford at 30m to high points of 146m north of Dunkerton and 156m north of Combe Hay.  

Land-uses

7.12.6 The land-use is a mixture of arable and short term and permanent pasture. There is generally an equal proportion of arable to pasture. The arable tends to be in localised blocks on the more gentle slopes where soil conditions are better. Conversely the pasture is on the steeper slopes and poorer soils.

Fields, Boundaries and Trees

7.12.7 Fields are of small and medium size and irregularly shaped, larger ones located on higher less steep slopes are more regular in shape. Hedges are the dominant boundary and these may be low and clipped or tall and quite mature. Added to this are frequent hedgerow trees, belts of trees and, most significantly, thick lines of trees that follow the brooks for much of their length. This tree pattern produces an enclosing effect within much of the valleys.

7.12.8 There is a significant amount of woodland especially on the steeper slopes such as Underdown, Cleaves and Hang Woods, which are registered as ancient semi-natural woodland. The woods sometimes extend down to the valley bottom. The woodlands are either deciduous or mixed plantations and they vary considerably in size from less than 0.5ha. to Cleaves Wood at over 20ha. They are varied in form from small and regular to large and irregular or compact and linear. The old coal batches are generally covered in mixed plantations with much sycamore and Scots pine.

Settlement and Communications

7.12.9 The settlement pattern is quite dense and diverse. Villages generally follow the valley floors. Camerton, Dunkerton, Combe Hay and Midford are located in the Cam Valley and Shoscombe, Stony Littleton and Wellow are located in the Wellow Valley. The village of South Stoke is a notable exception located on the upper slopes of the Cam Valley and it extends beyond the character area boundary to the plateau forming the southern outlier of the Cotswold Plateau and Valleys Character Area. Mills and their associated features are also an important part of the landscape. There are also smaller hamlets and individual farms and houses that are more isolated and generally higher up the slopes. The urban areas of Midsomer Norton and Radstock are adjoining and are widely visible from the character area. Though they are outside the area of the landscape assessment they are closely connected with this area. They developed along the valleys where coal was mined and the valleys accommodated the associated works and railways, which serviced the coal mines. The predominant building material of this area is Oolitic or white Lias Limestone, mainly to the east and west of the area respectively, with a small number of properties in a rendered finish. Limestone walls within and at the edge of settlements are characteristic. Roofs are predominantly red clay tiles with some slate, and fewer with concrete tiles, usually on more modern buildings. The traditional farm buildings are of Oolitic or white Lias Limestone, and the modern ones noted are constructed in asbestos or concrete.

7.12.10 The principal road is the A367 Bath to Radstock road that crosses the Cam Brook Valley. There is a road that links all the valley bottom villages in each valley but they do not connect at Midford, the road east from Wellow runs up the slope and to Hinton Charterhouse. Other roads connect the valley road to the surrounding higher villages and these usually run straight up the valley sides in deepset cuttings resulting in characteristic sunken lanes and old hedge banks. With tall hedges on either side these minor roads are very enclosed and concealed. Part of the disused railway line is now part of the long distance footpath, the Limestone Link. This route runs the entire length of the Cam Valley to Midford. The intimate character of the landscape and the many features of interest make this area a popular area for walking, riding and cycling.

Landscape Characteristics

7.12.11 The Cam and Wellow brooks are the key features of the area. They are both relatively small rivers that are deeply set into the valley floor with high banks. They meander freely and are generally lined with alder and willow trees. Oak and ash are also often present. Views are mostly contained within the valley by the taller hedges, the trees lining the brooks and the undulating landform. The upper slopes are generally quite open, giving views of the strong valley landform while in places, such as the Combe Hay area, the wooded skyline is an important characteristic.

7.12.12 The field pattern reflects medieval settlement with the brook sides having early or pre-medieval characteristics and the upper slope of a later and post medieval one. Earthworks around All Saint’s Church, Dunkerton are an example of a shrunken medieval village which has survived within later enclosed land and good examples of medieval fields can be seen around Radford. There is a well-preserved section of the Fosse Way Roman road through Dunkerton parish. The dominant features however are the remnants of the coal mining industry from the 18th-20th centuries. In both valleys there are frequent shafts and batches together with the remains of the railway and tram lines that connected the mines to the Avon Valley. Remains of the Somersetshire Coal Canal are also significant reminders of this coal mining history. Midford Aqueduct at Midford is a powerful architectural survival of this canal that is still a significant feature today. Stone mining and Fuller’s Earth extraction were also carried out in the Southstoke/Midford area and an example of a 19th century Fuller’s Earth processing plant survives in Combe Hay parish, near Odd Down. The villages along the valleys housed the workers in coal mining and associated employment. The line of the Wellow Brook was part of Stop Line Green; an anti-tank defence line set up to protect Bristol during the Second World War. There are the remains of pill-boxes and tank traps near Shoscombe Vale and Stony Littleton constructed as part of this defence.

7.12.13 The valley generally has a peaceful, tranquil quality. This is disturbed along the major road corridors such as the A367.

7.12.15 There has been relatively little in the way of more recent development but changes in agricultural practice have left a less manicured landscape. Consequently the condition of the landscape may be regarded as rather unkempt in places but this has given it a wilder and more ‘natural’ quality. There is occasional evidence of work being carried out to enhance the long-term health of the hedges such as hedge-laying carried out at Upper Radford.

7.12.16 Where arable farming is more intense the landscape is more open and managed but nowhere is the landscape in poor condition. There has been significant hedgerow removal in many parts of the area but most noticeably on the upper northern slopes of the Cam Valley and where arable farming is mostly practised. Where this has occurred on the upper slopes of the valleys it has effectively opened up the landscape giving wide views across and along the valleys. A much more enclosed and intimate landscape is experienced on the lower slopes and valley floors where there are plenty of trees and hedges. However even on the valley floors there has been some amalgamation of smaller pastoral fields. On the steeper more wooded slopes the fields and hedges are much as they were in 1884.

7.12.17 The impact of Dutch elm disease has also had a significant effect in reducing the number of hedgerow trees and giving some hedgerows a rather unkempt look due to the number of dead or dying elm suckers. The amount of woodland cover however has generally increased, with many woods being larger than in 1884 and with some new ones developing partly as a result of changes in management of the land. There has been a large reduction in the amount of orchard. Wellow in particular had extensive areas under orchard. Some, near to the village centre have been built upon while many further away and on farms have been grubbed up.