Landscape Character Menu
List of Figures
List of Photographs
1 Introduction
1.1 The Scope and Context for this Study
1.2 Purpose of the Landscape Character Assessment
1.3 Approach and Methodology
1.4 Structure of the Report
2 The Evolution of Lancashire
2.1 Physical Influences
2.2 Human Influences
3 Lancashire's Landscape Character
3.1 Moorland Plateaux
3.2 Moorland Hills
3.3 Enclosed Uplands
3.4 Moorland Fringe
3.5 Undulating Lowland Farmland
3.6 Industrial Foothills and Valleys
3.7 Farmed Ridges
3.8 Settled Valleys
3.9 Reservoir Valleys
3.10 Wooded Rural Valleys
3.11 Valley Floodplains
3.12 Low Coastal Drumlins
3.13 Drumlin Field
3.14 Rolling Upland Farmland
3.15 Coastal Plain
3.16 Mosslands
3.17 Enclosed Coastal Marsh
3.18 Open Coastal Marsh
3.19 Coastal Dunes
3.20 Wooded Limestone Hills and Pavements
3.21 Limestone Fells
4 Lancashire's Urban Landscape Types
4.1 Historic Core (1100-1800)
4.2 Industrial Age (1800-1930)
4.3 Suburban (1930 onwards)
A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire - Landscape Character Assessment
Low Coastal Drumlins
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Low Coastal Drumlins Character Areas 12a Carnforth-Galgate-Cockerham 12b Warton-Borwick 12c Heysham-Overton |
Landscape Character
Areas of low, whaleback hills around 40m high, with broad rounded tops towards the north-west coast of the study area. The landscape is characteristically gentler and of lower altitude than that of the Drumlin Field and individual drumlins are more isolated; there are often areas of poorly drained pasture, standing water and occasionally mosses, fens and fen meadows between the drumlins. The alignment of drumlins gives the landform a distinctive grain. The strong pattern of pastures emphasises the undulating topography, with neat, low cut thorn hedges traversing the drumlins. Trees and shrubs are limited in this agricultural landscape, although small copses occur on the tops and sides of the drumlins. Scattered large farmsteads are reached by a network of winding hedged lanes and tracks, but large housing estates and industrial development are also features of the landscape today. All settlement is sited above poorly drained land on the shallow valley slopes. Minor roads and the canal wind around the drumlins while overhead powerlines and major transport routes typically cut across these areas, paying no attention to the natural landform. Coastal cliffs of boulder clay are significant features where the drumlin landscape meets the sea. Sand and gravel pits, creating lakes and ponds reflect the ongoing exploitation of the drumlins as a resource.
Typical View photo 27:
Drumlins near Bolton-le-Sands
Physical Influences
The Low Coastal Drumlins are around 40m high. The hills, which have broad rounded tops and frequently steep sides, were created as a result of erosional and depositional processes of the glacial ice sheets moving through the area. Outwash sands and gravels, or boulder clays were moulded to form oval whaleback hills. These are isolated and generally more subdued than drumlins of the Drumlin Field landscape type. The alignment of the Low Coastal Drumlins gives a distinctive grain to the landscape and provides important evidence of the movement of the glacial ice sheets in the quaternary period.
Agricultural improvement through drainage, fertilisation and reseeding has reduced the wetland habitat to those areas which cannot readily be drained. Boulder clay coastal cliffs, which occur at Cockersands Abbey, south of Heysham Head and between Hest Bank and Carnforth are important for their semi-natural grasslands, scrub and woodland. Gravel extraction and canal construction has created important wildlife resources, valued for their open water and marginal swamp and fen habitats.
Human Influences
Whilst it is likely that these drumlins have been farmed and settled since the earliest period, medieval and later ploughing appears to have destroyed much of the physical evidence.
The introduction of Christianity was important in the development of the area; it contains many pre-conquest churches and the chapel of St. Patrick at Heysham dating from the late 7th to 9th centuries.
The most conspicuous element of the agricultural landscape is the regular hedged enclosures of the Parliamentary Acts, which divide the landscape up into neatly farmed units, punctuated only by small copses, wooded brooks and isolated hedgerow trees. The pattern of fields has changed little since 1850.
Large settlements have developed around key strategic or trading settlements such as Lancaster, Heysham and Morecambe. However the rest of the landscape is relatively rural, though well settled, with villages and farms linked by winding lanes. Villages have been expanded by modern development which tends to dominate, especially along the A6.
The Low Coastal Drumlins have proved attractive sites through which to locate communication routes such as Roman roads, canals, railways and modern main roads. These weave between the higher drumlins and link large villages to the main urban areas.
An important remnant of the industrial past is Glasson Dock. It was opened in the 1780s when the increasing size of vessels rendered access to St Georges Quay at Lancaster more difficult. After 1927 the dock was the seaward terminal of a short branch of the Lancaster Canal. Today the dock maintains some commercial trade and the canal and marina are important for leisure.
CHARACTER AREAS - LOW COASTAL DRUMLINS
Low Coastal Drumlins are found on the north-west coast of the study area where the last retreating ice sheets left a series of rounded boulder clay hills in their paths.
Local
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Character Areas |
Description |
| 12a |
Carnforth-Galgate-Cockerham |
The Low Coastal Drumlins, on or near which Lancaster and Morecambe are built, extend along the coast behind Morecambe Bay from Cockerham in the south to Carnforth in the north. This landscape supports an extremely high proportion of built development including the large settlements of Lancaster and Morecambe and recent built development along the A6. The Low Coastal Drumlins provide a convenient transport corridor; the Lancaster Canal, M6, A6 and mainline railway run side-by-side in a north-south orientation. The canal, which weaves through the drumlins, is an important reminder of the areas industrial heritage; a branch emerges into the Lune at Glasson Dock. To the west of Cockerham settlement is sparse and dominated by scattered large scale farmsteads in contrast to the towns and large villages further north. Fields are largely of post medieval pattern, however there are areas of older enclosure and settlement, notably at Cockersand Abbey. The drumlins provide elevated points from which there are views over the salt marshes to Morecambe Bay. Near Thurnham there is a significant are a of mossland lying between the drumlins, allowing long distant views towards the coast. Traditional farmsteads and older settlement cores are built of stone but the modern development is often built using red brick. Buildings on top of the drumlin hills are particularly visible. Woodland is limited to small plantations, woods associated with former estates and rarely, fragments of ancient woodland in unusual hilltop or hillside settings. |
| 12b |
Warton-Borwick |
The Low Coastal Drumlins around Warton are more rural in character than those immediately to the south. Large pastures are divided by low clipped hedgerows or stone walls, some of which are degraded or missing. There are areas of waterlogged, rushy pasture and standing water in the low lying areas between the drumlins. The River Keer winds its way between the low drumlins, draining into Morecambe Bay at Carnforth. Historic Halls and estates are associated with the river Keer at Capernwray and Borwick. Gravel extraction has had an impact on this landscape in the creation of open water bodies which attract wildfowl. The largest of these is Pine Lakes. There is considerable development associated with the M6, A6 and railway such as motels and a lorry park. Parking areas and caravan sites are also features of coastal parts of this area. |
| 12c |
Heysham-Overton |
This is a coastal area where marine transgression has caused partial drowning of the drumlin field resulting in low, washed out, drumlins at the mouth of the River Lune south of Heysham. It is a pastoral landscape with flat areas of reclaimed land where grazing is rougher and rushes mark the course of drainage channels. Hedgerows form field boundaries but there are few trees; those which exist are found sheltering the large stone built farmsteads on the low drumlin forms which protrude from the plain. Other built development, including villages and industrial development, is also restricted to the higher land and pressure for holiday accommodation has resulted in a number of static caravan parks which have become a feature of the landscape. |