Plateau Estate Farmlands

Summary

Overall description:

A medium to large scale, ordered, arable landscape, for the most part associated with an open, rolling plateau on sandy soils, characterised by estate farms and discrete small villages/hamlets.

Location:

Located mainly in Norfolk and northeast Essex, with smaller areas in Suffolk and Bedfordshire.

Physical environment

Landform:

Elevated land, with a gently rolling topography, associated with low glacial plateaux.

Natural / water features:

Frequent small streams drain this landscape, but these are not visually obvious.

Vegetation and land use

Ecological character:

The relatively flat topography and workable sandy soils have resulted in the development of an arable landscape with only fragments (<1%) of lowland heath now remaining. Small patches of ancient woodland also survive in places.

Primary land use :

Predominately arable cultivation.

Tree cover:

Discrete tree belts, coverts and occasional larger plantations, often associated with areas of 18th and 19th century parkland.

Cultural pattern

Historic features:

There are many small parklands in this landscape, often with associated large country houses.

Enclosure pattern:

Rectilinear fields with occasional earlier sinuous elements, giving rise to a regular, large-scale field pattern with well-trimmed hedgerows.

Settlement pattern:

Low density of settlement comprising primarily discrete small villages/hamlets and estate farms. Towns are absent and there has been little 20th century development.

Many buildings of brick and clay tile construction.

Historic development :

Mainly late enclosure of common fields and rough grazing land, particularly in northwest Norfolk, (Agricultural Revolution of the 18th century). Around Colchester & Ipswich, however, this landscape is characterised by earlier enclosures.

Perceptions

Tranquility:

This is a tranquil rural landscape, which in places, can feel rather empty and remote.

Views:

Estate farms and parkland give rise to a visually well ordered landscape.