Summary of Landscape Character

• Broad open valley of the River Avon in places dramatic and gorge-like

• Narrower Frome River and Midford and By Brooks valleys

• Steep generally wooded valley sides

• Meandering course of Rivers Avon, Frome and the Midford and By Brooks edged with groups of alder and willow

• Important transport corridors

• Settlements on valley sides

• Extensive views across and along the valleys

• Views contained by ridges and woodland each side of the valleys

• Generally hedged field boundaries, some clipped and some unclipped

• Several fields enclosed by walls

• Impressive houses and attractive farmhouses usually of characteristic golden Oolitic Limestone on valley sides in wooded or parkland setting

• Distinctive canal architecture including Dundas Aqueduct and bridges

• Mill buildings and associated features such as mill races

• Second World War pill boxes

• Brown’s Folly

Description

Landform and Drainage Pattern

7.18.5 The River Avon occupies a comparatively broad but steep sided valley. The steepness of the valley sides in relation to the breadth of the valley gives a dramatic almost gorge-like feel to the landform in places. The River Frome and Midford and By Brooks by contrast occupy narrow valleys also with steep sides. The floor of each valley is generally flat or gently sloping, gradually increasing in steepness higher up the valley sides. The present form of the Avon Valley with its markedly undulating side slopes has to a large extent resulted from the instability of the Oolitic Limestone over clay leading to landslips along the section east of Bath.

Land-uses

7.18.6 The land is principally used for grazing. Only part is in arable use such as to the south of Bathford. There are sports pitches north of Bathampton and along the By Brook and Midford Brook Valleys. There are also areas of parkland with mature specimen trees at Claverton Manor, now the American Museum, and at Warleigh Manor, now converted to smaller housing units. 

Fields, Boundaries and Trees

7.18.7 Much of the field pattern throughout the valleys reflect relatively modern adjustment of earlier enclosures. There are however areas of medieval enclosure of rich wet grassland such as alongside the River Frome and By Brook and alongside the River Avon between Claverton and Bathford. There is evidence of late medieval enclosure of steep sided cultivation in some areas such as below Warleigh Wood. The medium sized fields are generally enclosed by hedgerows; some are well trimmed and others are tall and unclipped. The hedges often contain mature oaks and other trees. Walls are also present but are less common.

7.18.8 The valley sides are typically well-wooded. Most of the larger areas of woodland are registered as ancient semi-natural woodland. As well as native woodland there are also characteristic parkland trees including copper beech and redwood trees as for example at Claverton Manor and Warleigh Manor. There is often also a transition to patchy scrub on the more gentle lower slopes.

Settlement and Communications

7.18.9 Throughout history the area has been important as a communication corridor. The Avon Valley contains not only the river, but also the Kennet and Avon Canal, the railway, the A4 Batheaston Bypass and the A36 Warminster Road, and a number of public footpaths all of which make use of the comparative convenience of the valley floor. The Kennet and Avon Canal was important for moving stone but is now important for recreation. The Somersetshire Coal Canal joined it at Dundas and a short remaining section can still be seen near the aqueduct. The Camerton branch of the railway once followed the Midford Brook Valley. This was made famous in the film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’. The A36 was originally built in 1830 as a turnpike road by Macadam. The A363 Bradford Road climbs the eastern valley side. The Rivers Frome and Avon and the Midford and By Brooks were commercially important giving rise to a number of mills which constitute important features in the landscape. The area also contains a network of minor routes following the valley and rising up the valley sides. These are often narrow and enclosed by hedges.

7.18.10 The main settlements include Bathford, Claverton, Monkton Combe, Limpley Stoke and Freshford. They each occupy sloping ground on the sides of the valleys. There are also several farms and large properties, many of Georgian origin, which characteristically occupy strategic positions on the upper slopes overlooking the valleys. Examples include Warleigh and Claverton Manors.

Landscape Characteristics

7.18.11 The landscape is open providing extensive views both along and across the valley. Views are contained or framed by the ridges and dense woodland on each side and wider views beyond the valley are rare. In places the valley sides are so steep and well-wooded that they give a dramatic and gorge-like feeling to the valley whilst the overall scale of the landscape maintains a sense of openness. The course of the rivers and brooks is marked by groups of willow and alder trees. Although the lower slopes and valley floor of the River Avon are occupied by busy main roads and the railway, much of the area has a remarkably tranquil quality. Similarly the River Frome and Midford and By Brook Valleys are all to a greater or lesser extent transport corridors, but taking less traffic they have a more tranquil character similar to the quieter parts of the Avon Valley.

7.18.12 Impressive houses and smaller farm houses located on the valley sides, often nestled into woodland or within parkland on the upper slopes, are distinctive features within the landscape. The traditional building material is Oolitic Limestone with clay tile and sometimes slate roofs. Reconstituted stone is now widely used often with dark coloured concrete tile roofs.

7.18.13 There are distinctive structures associated with the canal, river and railway. The A36 viaduct and Dundas Aqueduct near Monkton Combe are particularly distinctive, as are the smaller bridge structures such as the one over the canal near Claverton. There are numerous other features such as Claverton Pumping Station built in 1813 to pump water from the river to the canal; mills or evidence of mills at Freshford, Bathford and Tucking Mill; Brown’s Folly above Bathford and remnants of the Second World War defences known as the Outer Bristol Defences which pass through the area in the vicinity of Freshford Mill. The most evident features of these defences are a series of pill boxes such as the one at Woodside near Freshford.

7.18.14 Significant detractors within the landscape include traffic on the A4 and A36, pylons, communication masts and some new development by virtue of its scale, location and/or design.