JCA 147 Blackdown Hills
FGU Summary: The Blackdowns Hills straddle the border of Devon and Somerset, wrapping around the eastern
edge of the M5 spanning between Taunton to the north, Chard to the east and southwards to Lyme Bay. It is a
remote, tranquil landscape, ranging from dramatic scarp slopes to a flat topped plateau, incised by valleys and
combes. Less than 3% of the Character Area is urban, 12% is woodland and 80% of land is farmland.
Approximately 80% of the Character Area falls within the Blackdown Hills AONB and 19% falls within ESA.
6 sub-units: northern escarpment; wooded ridge; upland plateau; Rolling Ridgeland, which springs from the upland
plateau and runs between the valley corridors; River Valleys (Axe, Yarty, Culm and Otter run south, Fivehead
River runs east); coastal chalk plateau separated by the Axe Valley.
1.
Settlement & Development
At the junction of the Upper Greensand and the underlying low permeable mudstones, spring lines have
had an important influence on the position of settlements.
Evidence of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic occupation in coastal areas. Extensive prehistoric remains of
many periods: eg: hillforts such as Membury, Musbury and Lambert's castles; also barrows and
cemeteries such as on Broad Down - mix of earthworks and buried(ploughed) examples; field systems,
for example above Littlecombe Shoot overlooking Lyme Bay.
Predominant settlement pattern, of medium-high levels of dispersal, comprises scattered farmsteads
and hamlets mostly along the spring lines, including a high proportion of medieval or earlier origin. This
ancient pattern of settlement is intermixed with a large amount of nucleated settlements, evident by late
11th century but continuing to develop in 12th and 13th centuries. The villages are often located close to
rivers, and many of the isolated farmsteads on the high ground were built in association with its 18 th and
19th century enclosure.
Market centres developed at new town of Honiton (founded c1200), Chard and Axminster. Axminster
substantially rebuilt in 18th and 19th centuries, its wealth mainly deriving from its carpet factories, and
Honiton – its wealth deriving from cloth industry and lace-making prior to 19th century – also rebuilt after
two fires in mid 18th century. Coastal fishing towns of Lyme Regis, Seaton and Sidmouth were
developed as resorts from the early 19th century, although on a modest scale.
Military airfields: The WWII fighter pens, traffic control structures and perimeter defences at RAF
Culmhead; US Navy airfield at Dunkeswell, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a WWII airfield
landscape; D-Day landings airfield at Upottery.
Wide variety of traditional building materials. Cob survives from the medieval period, and is most
concentrated in the east. Triassic Sandstone is locally used and Beer Stone chalk used for carving from
medieval period, flint also occurring in the southern chalk area. Use of chert is widespread, mainly as
squared coursed stone, commonly with brick banding and edging, but is also used as rubble masonry
and is the most characteristic material of the area. Brick tiles and slate became widespread in the 19 th
century. Many thatched buildings.
2.
Agriculture
Arable extended over much of the area until the early 14th century, the development of pastoral farming
(in particular for dairying) mixed with some arable cultivation developing as a key characteristic from this
period on the brown clay and earth soils of the valleys. Arable historically concentrated on coastal chalk
areas, with coastal salt marshes on the Axe providing rich grazing land. Higher ground, marked by
generally poor and acidic soils and woodland, heath, bog and scrub, reverted to grazing from the 14th
century but from late 18th century subject to enclosure and arable tillage.
High concentration of pre-1750 farmstead buildings, these mostly comprising threshing barns (including
combination buildings with cattle at one end), farmhouses (including by national standards a high
proportion of medieval examples) and some early examples of linhays for cattle. Some bank barns
dating from late 18th to mid 19th centuries, many farmsteads having cattle yards for fattening added in
the mid-late 19th century. Open-fronted linhays a distinctive feature, facing into cattle yards and often
fully enclosed from late 19th century in order to accommodate dairy cattle. Cider houses typically
incorporated with stabling and other functions into combination ranges.
Some enclosed courtyard plans, mostly on larger and high-status farms, some as developed or
remodelled in the early-mid 19th century with wheel houses for threshing machinery. Predominant
farmstead plans comprise dispersed layouts, sometimes with farmhouse attached to buildings, and Land U-shaped layouts.
3.
Fields and Boundary Patterns
The field boundaries are generally hedgerows with hedgebanks.
Late 18th and 19th century enclosure of plateau, including late enclosures of Stockland Hill (1864) and
Beacon Hill (1874) characterised by large-scale and regular enclosures and straight roads.
Slopes and vales with strong patterns of small, irregular fields and sunken lanes. Farmsteads were sited
in villages, in hamlets or individually with access to infield areas ploughed into strip fields, the outfield
areas located in large fields or enclosures being subject to intermittent cultivation and sometimes
retaining strip fields. Evidence from at least 14th century (around Axminster from the 13th century) for
piecemeal enclosure, generally complete by 16th century, characteristically retaining curved shapes of
medieval strips to at least one of the longer sides. Larger-scale enclosure of this type is also found,
representing enclosure at the outset of larger groups of strips. Some medieval fields – on grange farms
or high-status barton farms - enclosed from the outset, these typically retaining more square forms with
generally irregular boundaries, occasionally with post-medieval subdivision within them.
4.
Trees and Woodland
Some planted deciduous and coniferous woodlands on high ground, of late 18th century and later date..
Slopes and vales retain many hedgerow trees, ancient woodlands concentrated on the steeper slopes.
5.
Semi-Natural Environments
Patches of heather and gorse heathland. Wet grassland and wet heath, willow-dominated carr
woodlands, on the valley sides where springs and flushes emerge.
6.
River & Coastal Features
Medieval and later packhorse bridges eg Sidford and Beckford. Masonry bridges are part of the two
main concentrations of medieval-18th century bridges in England (Devon and Cornwall, and north and
west Yorkshire).
Important WWII defence area landscapes at Weycroft and Wadbrook along the Axe valley, including
pillboxes, anti-tank cubes, rail- and road-block plinths and manchine gun emplacements; part of the
Taunton Stop Line.