A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire - Landscape Character Assessment

Moorland Hills

Landscape Character

The rolling Moorland Hills are generally at lower elevations than the higher Moorland Plateaux. Although grit crags and glacial erratics provide some texture to the smooth profiles, the steep escarpments create distinctive and dramatic landforms which are steeply incised and drained by fast flowing streams. Hillsides allow long views across wide valleys or the surrounding lowlands. Landcover is typically blanket bog, heather moor, and acid grassland although the presence of several large woodland blocks, both broadleaved and coniferous, distinguishes these lower moorland hills from the high moorland core. Colours are generally muted , although the moorland vegetation creates striking seasonal effects. The open, exposed character of the hills creates a wild and windswept experience. Small, isolated hamlets and stone farmsteads, although rare, are focal points in the landscape and fields in their vicinity are enclosed by an undulating network of stone walls: however most of this landscape lies above the upper limit of enclosure. The mosaic of upland habitats are of significant nature conservation value and there is considerable evidence of settlement and land use since prehistoric times, particularly in the form of industrial monuments and landscapes.

Physical Influences

The Moorland Hills are formed by the Millstone Grit series. These rocks were laid down in alternating thick bands of coarse, cemented sand and gritstone separated by weaker shales. The gritstones form the fell tops, while the softer rocks form lower areas. The slopes are of even gradient and are covered by shallow podzolised soils. Peat generally covers higher summits (above 400m). The area tends to have a soft rounded topography, the slopes having been smoothed by ice and further softened by the boulder clay mantle of glacial deposition.

The erosive action of water flowing off the main hill summits has cut deeply incised valleys, ravines or cloughs. These form a radial pattern of drainage from the higher ground. The areas physical characteristics and its land-use history has created a range of natural and semi natural habitat types, many of which are recognised as Sites of Special Scientific Interest or non-statutory Biological Heritage Sites. These form a rich mosaic of heather moorland, grass moor, wet flushes and springs, blanket bogs and semi-natural woodlands which support a wide range of characteristic plants and animals. In Bowland, extensive areas of the heather dominated blanket bog, have been sustained by management of grouse, which has created ideal conditions for upland wildlife such as merlin, hen harrier, curlew, peregrine and golden plover. The Bowland Fells SSSI is the largest area of semi natural habitat in Lancashire and constitutes mainly blanket bog and heather moorland. The largest breeding colony of lesser black backed gulls in Europe has become established on Mallowdale and Tarnbrook fells. In the West Pennine Moors heather is returning to some areas following a reduction in the grazing pressure from sheep. The deep cloughs and high level oak woods of the moorland slopes provide additional wildlife interest, as do Millstone Grit crags where they are protected from burning and grazing.

Human Influences

Mesolithic hunting camps probably existed here, although the ephemeral nature of the remains means that visible evidence is rare. Forest clearance by Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers contributed to the spread of heathland and probably mosses and blanket bog. This led to the decline in the natural woodlands which have never since recovered. Evidence of the Bronze Age is well distributed across the area. Despite early clearance it is possible that large tracts of the Moorland Hills remained under forest cover until it was felled during the Anglo-Saxon and Norse periods. Place name evidence suggests that Norse peoples settled in the spaces available in these areas; especially north of the Ribble names such as gill, fell, moss, thwaite and beck all indicating a strong Viking influence.

Parts of the Moorland Hills were included within the Royal Hunting Forests of Bowland and Pendle in medieval times and were subject to Forest Law. Wolves survived until the 17^th century within the Forest of Bowland and this is reflected in place names such as Wolf Fell. Later, landscape change occurred as a result of the enclosure and improvement of moorland and woodland wastes to meadows and pasture from the middle of the 16^th century; this pressure on land was created by population and economic growth. The shapes of the fields indicate the type of enclosure; irregular patterns suggest piecemeal enclosure by individual farmers which although technically illegal, was condoned in many areas. More geometric patterns indicate systematic division of the commons, usually of the 18^th and 19^th century. This process created a non-nucleated settlement pattern of individual farmsteads which now forms the predominant farming unit on the Moorland Hills.

Farm buildings and boundary walls are constructed of stone and form most of the oldest buildings of the area. Whilst there has been little new development in the last 150 years, changes have occurred as a result of abandonment of farmsteads, desertion of the more marginal lands, reversion to rushy pasture and other changes in vegetation management. The suitability of the fells and popularity throughout the modern period of grouse shooting has ensured the continued management of heather moorland.

CHARACTER AREAS - MOORLAND HILLS

This landscape type occurs as outlying Moorland Hills to the west of the main Pennine Ridge (the West Pennine Moors); the centrally located Bowland Fells and its outliers Longridge Fell, Waddington Fell, Pendle Hill and White Moor/Burn Moor.