LLD: The Cherwell Valley

Assessment area map: the Upper Cherwell Valley

Upper Cherwell Valley - View the map full screen in a new tab

Assessment area map: Cherwell Valley

Cherwell Valley - View the map full screen in a new tab

Long-range views over the Oxford Canal

Long views across the Upper Cherwell valley

Context

The assessment area extends north to south through the centre of Cherwell District, covering much of the shallow valley of the River Cherwell. It extends to the edge of the district bordering the administrative boundaries of Stratford-on-Avon District to the north-west, West Northamptonshire District to the north-east and east, West Oxfordshire District to the south-west, and South Oxfordshire District to the south.

Land adjacent to the district boundary east of the River Cherwell and east of Wardington is locally designated by West Northamptonshire District as the ‘Aynho, Cherwell Valley & Eydon’ Special Landscape Area (SLA). This designation does not follow the whole of the district boundary with Cherwell as it excludes land north, west and south-west of Middleton Cheney east of Banbury, and west of Chipping Warden.

The adjacent land in Stratford-on-Avon District is designated locally as part of the ‘Ironstone Hill Fringe’ SLA. The floodplain and villages of Middle Aston, Upper Heyford, Steeple Aston and Lower Heyford, running from Woodstock Gap (Lance Lane) to Somerton Lock are all proposed as a Special Landscape Areas in the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan.

The assessment area covers the whole of LCA 1: Upper Cherwell Valley and LCA 2: Cherwell Valley, and parts of LCA 3: Lower Cherwell Floodplain, and LCA 8: Otmoor Lowlands, as described within the Cherwell Landscape Character Assessment.

Evaluation

Local distinctiveness and sense of place

Considerations

Is landscape rare/unique or special in the local context, and/or does it have a strong sense of place derived from its combinations of elements?
Does it contain character/features or elements which are considered to be important, typical or rare examples?
A landscape may have additional distinctiveness if it has a strong association with the character of a particular settlement, whether through strong views from the settlement or through providing a clear sense of arrival at the settlement.

Analysis

The assessment area covers the River Cherwell, its tributaries, and associated gently sloping shallow valley. The valley is more steeply incised in the south, due to the influence of glacial meltwater. The Cherwell valley has a unique character, distinct from the more complex Ironstone hills and valleys to the west and flatter plateaux to the east.
The assessment area also includes the course of the Oxford Canal, which runs along the valley via the larger settlements of Banbury and Kidlington. The canal contributed to Banbury’s industrial growth in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and the steeply hump-backed bridges that punctuate its course form prominent features in the open countryside.
Willow trees mark the course of watercourses, with white willow common along the Rivers Cherwell and Swere.

Landscape quality (intactness/condition)

Considerations

What is the physical state of the landscape in terms of its intactness and the condition of individual natural and cultural elements?

Analysis

Parts of the river are often flanked by dense riparian vegetation, such as near Trupp and Kirtlington. This helps to visually mark the river’s passage through the landscape and provides a sense of visual coherence across the assessment area.
Fields are defined by a network of hedgerows, with hawthorn and oak common. Hedgerow trees are more common in the upper Cherwell valley. However, some hedgerows are in poor condition, and have been reinforced or replaced by post and wire or post and rail fences, which locally reduces landscape quality.
In the south, where landform is steepest or poorly drained, small holdings or horse grazing feature more widely, which interrupts the predominant pastoral character.
The urban settlement edges of Banbury and Kidlington, and major transport corridors including the M40, railway lines and A-roads are detracting features in the landscape, and often visually intrusive. Increasing commercial development on the eastern and northern edges of Banbury, including large warehouses, are also visually detracting, and disturb the intactness of the wider river valley landscape, separating the upper and lower reaches of the Cherwell valley.

Scenic qualities and perceptual aspects

Considerations

Does the landscape appeal to the senses, primarily visual but also considering perceptual and aesthetic qualities such as sense of tranquillity and remoteness.

Analysis

The open valley sides feature important vertical elements visible across the valley, including isolated hedgerow oaks, willows along the watercourses and views of church steeples.
Long views across the Cherwell valley from the top of the valley sides are important to the character of the assessment area. These contrast with the more enclosed views along the valley floor, where topography and riparian vegetation restrict views.
Strong rural character and sense of tranquillity across much of the area. The major transport infrastructure and urban edges of Banbury, Kidlington and Oxford have an urbanising impact. This is reflected in CPRE’s tranquillity mapping.
Dark night skies are found in the north and centre of the assessment area, as demonstrated by CPRE night blight mapping. Light pollution is introduced by the urban and industrial edges of Banbury and Kidlington, and the M40.

Natural qualities

Considerations

Are there natural attributes that contribute to the value of the landscape?
Consider distinctiveness of landforms and the presence and extent of semi-natural habitats and wildlife that contribute to sense of place.
Consider any particular functional value associated with the natural landscape, particularly in the healthy functioning of the landscape.
Consider landscapes and landscape elements that have strong physical or functional links with an adjacent national landscape designation, or are important to the appreciation of the designated landscape and its special qualities.

Analysis

A valley landform, which changes from a shallow upper valley to a more steeply incised valley in the south. A mixed underlying geology, ranging from Lias Siltstones and Mudstones, Red Marl Rock Bed and Limestones in the north, to Oxford Clay in the south. The geology is expressed through the local vernacular apparent particularly in the villages. Kirtlington Quarry, on limestone, is designated as a geological SSSI. It has the richest assemblage of Middle Jurassic mammal fossils in the world.
Tree cover is limited to willows along the river corridors, and scattered small stands of oak, alder and poplar. Small areas of Ancient Woodland are found along the river.
Provides an important functional role as a floodplain landscape, which seasonally floods.
On the floodplain Priority Habitat ‘coastal and floodplain grazing marsh’, and small areas of ‘good quality semi-improved grassland’ and ‘lowland fens’ are important habitats. Bestmoor is designated as SSSI for its grassland habitats, which have a long history of traditional management.
On higher ground, rough pasture fields are punctuated by patches of gorse, bracken and heathland scrub.

Cultural qualities

Considerations

Are there cultural attributes that contribute to the value of the landscape?
Consider the extent to which the landscape displays time depth: either in terms of the presence of natural features, historic field patterns or heritage assets that contribute to landscape character.

Analysis

The Oxfordshire HLC identifies much of the area as comprising ‘18^th and 19^th century enclosures’, including ‘piecemeal enclosure’, ‘planned enclosure’ and ‘reorganised enclosures’. There are also areas of ‘prairie/ amalgamated enclosure’ where 19^th and 20^th century farming techniques have removed field boundaries.
Strong settlement pattern of compact, largely nucleated villages of varying sizes, which mainly sit on higher ground above the floodplain. Many settlements are covered by Conservation Areas, and contain a number of Listed Buildings. Outlying farmsteads and hamlets also contain historic buildings, including a Grade I listed tithe barn at Upper Heyford. These features provide historic character and sense of time-depth, and the landscape forms an important river valley setting.
The Oxford Canal is also covered by a Conservation Area for its entire length through the area. The majority of the bridges, locks and mill buildings along the route of the canal are Listed Buildings, and contribute to the landscape character of the area.

Recreation value

Considerations

Is there evidence that the landscape is valued for recreational activity where the experience of the landscape is important?

Analysis

The Oxford Canal and the promoted Oxford Canal Walk provides the main focus of recreational activity along the valley floor. The canal also provides opportunities for boat-based recreation and fishing.
The area features a relatively extensive network of public rights of way, including the Oxfordshire Way, Jurassic Way and Battlefields Trail between Cropredy and Wardington. The Oxford Greenbelt Way extends into the south of the assessment area and provides access along the canal towpath. These footpaths and bridleways provide valuable access to the landscape, and allow experience of long views across and along the valley.

Associations

Considerations

Is the landscape associated with particular people such as artists or writers or events in history that contribute to its character?

Analysis

Land between Cropredy Bridge and Wardington is of historical interest as the battlefield site where, in June 1644, Parliamentary forces led by Sir William Waller failed to defeat Charles I and the Royalist cavalry. Although the Cherwell itself is no longer a wide and formidable barrier, the landscape of the battlefield is much as it was in the seventeenth century, the main change to it being the construction of the Oxford Canal. It is registered on the Register of Historic Battlefields by Historic England.
Cropredy hosts the annual Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, a festival of folk and rock music headed by British folk-rock band Fairport Convention. The festival has taken place in August every year since 1976. To celebrate 40 years of the festival, a documentary called ‘Summer by the Cherwell’ was released in 2020.

Summary of landscape value and qualities

Aspects of landscape value (qualities and/or elements/features/areas of value) are:

The valley of the River Cherwell and its tributaries has a unique character, distinct from the more complex Ironstone hills and valleys to the west and flatter plateaux to the east.
Dense riparian vegetation often marks the river’s passage through the landscape and provides a sense of visual coherence across the assessment area.
The important functional role as a floodplain landscape, which seasonally floods, and which is of ecological importance.
The Oxford Canal, with its associated hump-backed bridges, provides a distinctive and historically important feature within the landscape.
Strong settlement pattern of small villages on the higher ground above the floodplain. Many retain their historic form, contain a number of Listed Buildings, and are covered by Conservation Areas.
Changing underlying geology is reflected in the transition from limestone vernacular in the south to ironstone vernacular in the centre and north of the area.
Strong sense of rurality and tranquillity, despite proximity to major transport routes and urban edges.
Features a relatively extensive network of public rights of way, including a number of promoted routes and the Oxford Canal, which provide valuable access to the landscape.
Long distance views from the valley sides across the valley; vertical elements in views include isolated hedgerow oaks, willows along the watercourses and views of church steeples.

Based on the above, it is considered that much of the assessment area has ‘above ordinary’ landscape value.

The boundaries of the former AHLV would need to be slightly altered to be appropriate for a reinstated LLD as listed below, and shown on the Maps at the top of the page. Two physically separate areas of LLD are recommended to the north and south of Banbury.

North and east of Banbury – it is recommended that the boundaries are pulled back to the north of the M40 and east of the A423 due to increased residential and commercial development.
Land at Nethercote and Huscote – this area lies in close proximity to the commercial edge of Banbury. While it is a small but important rural survival, its proximity to warehouses, the A361, A422 and the M40 reduces the rural and tranquil character in this area. It is also cut off from the rest of the proposed LLD by the M40 and district boundary. This landscape has more in common with the Ironstone Hills (and the Aynho, Cherwell Valley & Eydon SLA in West Northamptonshire, although this designation does not extend to the district boundary). The area is therefore recommended for exclusion from the LLD.
South of Banbury and east of Bodicote – the influence of new development south of Banbury and at Bodicote and views to the commercial edges of Banbury impact the perceptual qualities of the landscape, reducing the sense of tranquillity and rurality. It is recommended that the River Cherwell and Oxford Canal and associated slopes are included between the south of Banbury and Twyford Road.
Land west of Port Way, south-east of Lower Heyford – this land is less related to the valley landscape and more characteristic of the open farmland of the Upper Heyford Plateau, it should therefore be excluded from the LLD.
North and north-east of Kidlington – farmland immediately abutting Kidlington (Kidlington Moors) is influenced by the urban edge of the town, impacting the perceptual qualities of the landscape by reducing the sense of tranquillity and rurality. The boundary should therefore be pulled back to exclude these areas and include only the land that forms part of the river valley. The land within the Kidlington Church Street Conservation Area, north of Mill End could also be included, to continue following the line of the Oxford Greenbelt Way (though still exclude development along Mill End itself).
North of Oxford – development on Oxford’s northern edge, including at Oxford Parkway, has significantly reduced the sense of tranquillity in this area. the area should therefore be excluded from the LLD.

Landscape guidelines

Landscape management

Retain and enhance areas of floodplain grazing marsh and other wetland habitats. Consider opportunities to extend wetland and grassland.
Retain and enhance existing hedgerows, especially on the valley sides. Strengthen these where there are gaps, and consider hedgerow tree planting.
Consider opportunities for woodland planting on the valley sides and adjacent to the major road and rail corridors to enhance the biodiversity and natural functioning of the landscape.
Protect the experiential qualities of the landscape, particularly the high levels of tranquillity and intact rural character.
Identify key viewpoints from publicly accessible locations and promote the retention and enhancement of the distinctive long-range views across the valley.
Encourage and enhance opportunities for public access within the valley with education and new access agreements where appropriate.

Development management

Maintain the characteristic and historic settlement pattern. Avoid large-scale development outside of the existing villages.
If development is proposed within existing villages, look to minimise its impact through careful design, in terms of siting, form, scale, massing, materials and the use of locally characteristic planting.
Consider the implications of any flood prevention measures on the landscape and natural seasonal flooding of the alluvial floodplains.