Summary of Landscape Character

• Undulating Oolitic Limestone plateau mostly above 100 m.

• Generally clayey soils with thinner stony light coloured free-draining soils on the limestone

• Mixture of pasture and arable land

• Open landscape with wide views to surrounding areas

• Medium or large fields that are regular and angular in shape

• Fields surrounded by hedges or occasionally walls

• Small woodlands

• Tree belts and frequent hedgerow trees

• Fairly straight roads

• Small village of Hinton Charterhouse and hamlet of Pipehouse that harmonise well with landscape 

• 19^th century farms often with prominent modern buildings

• Features include water tower at Pipehouse and 2^nd world war defences at Hog Wood

• 18^th century parkland with specimen trees at Hinton House

Description

Landform and Drainage Pattern

7.17.5 This area comprises a gently undulating limestone plateau ranging in height from 70m to 150m. Most of the area is above 100m. There are no significant natural drainage features because of the flat nature of the landform and the porous geology.

Land-uses

7.17.6 The land cover consists of arable and pastoral fields, in roughly equal measure. The higher parts on the soils derived from the Cornbrash are ideal for growing cereal crops as the name implies. At the time of survey there was some conspicuous extensive pig farming and there was plentiful evidence of pheasant rearing around Hassage Wood.

7.17.7 There is 18th century parkland at Hinton House. There is also a small limestone quarry north of Pipehouse.

Fields, Boundaries and Trees

7.17.8 The fields are of medium and occasionally large size and these are generally regular or angular in shape. Hedges usually enclose these fields. Occasionally there are dry limestone walls, especially around the settlements or along the roads. There are several types of fencing such as post and rail and post and wire. This latter type is frequently used to divide larger fields for different uses or crops. The hedges are very varied. In places they are tall and unclipped and in others they are low and clipped or very rarely layed. A few hedges have been allowed to develop as belts of trees and these can give a misleading impression of there being more woodland than there really is. There are frequent mature trees in the hedges and some in the fields themselves. These are mostly oaks with a smaller number of ash, sycamore and occasionally beech. There are a few small woodlands generally between 2 and 5 ha. in size. Littleton Wood is an exception at approximately 20 ha. The woodlands consist of mixed deciduous and coniferous trees. They are regular in shape and generally reflect the field shapes.

Settlement and Communications

7.17.9 There are two significant settlements; the village of Hinton Charterhouse and the hamlet of Pipehouse. Both are typical rural settlements associated with agriculture. Hinton Charterhouse is at the hub of a number of roads. Both are set high on the plateau at the centre of farmland. There are also individual farms that are spread evenly across the plateau. Upper Baggridge Farm is of particular note positioned at the centre of a number of routes including a byway.

7.17.10 The settlements fit in well with the landscape. Buildings are generally constructed of Oolitic Limestone and roofs are usually red clay or brown concrete tiles. Domestic buildings are small and non-uniform in shape, clustered tightly together. Limestone walls usually mark their boundaries. Within settlements mature trees are common and this strengthens the harmony with the landscape. Some buildings have rendered walls and these tend to stand out. The large modern barns that are usually constructed from concrete block and sheet steel cladding are also very prominent.

7.17.11 The principal road is the A36 Bath to Warminster road towards the east of the area. There are also a number of secondary and minor roads as well as a network of byways and footpaths. Roads are often straight and run across the plateau linking villages and properties. Where roads rise up onto the plateau they usually follow the more gentle slopes but occasionally the roads are steep as for example at Hassage Hill, Baggridge Hill and Hinton Hill.

Landscape Characteristics

7.17.12 It is an expansive landscape that is generally very open. There are some wonderful views both to distant surrounding hills including the Westbury White Horse at Westbury on the Wiltshire Downs and more locally into the Cam and Wellow Valleys. Hedgerow trees and the taller hedges and walls provide an element of enclosure in places and especially around Pipehouse which has a much more enclosed feel than the rest of the plateau.

7.17.13 The main landmarks are the villages and farms scattered throughout the area and the water tower at Pipehouse. In Hog Wood near Pipehouse there are a number of pill boxes, anti-tank and infantry trenches dating from 1940 which were built as part of the outer defence line for Bristol against the threat of invasion. The specimen trees in the parkland of Hinton House and the Priory remains are also notable features.

7.17.14 There are several significant archaeological remains that verify the long history of settlement and use of this area. The Stony Littleton Neolithic Long Barrow, various Bronze Age round barrows on Midford Hill and a scheduled length of Roman Road to the south of Pipehouse are the earliest features in a landscape dominated largely by later periods. The Scheduled Monument of Hinton Priory represents the remains of a rare Carthusian priory and both Baggeridge and Peipards Farms are associated with deserted medieval settlements, the latter associated with the village of Woodwick. Hinton House and the diverted toll road to the north are visible examples of planned landscapes.