Somerset Landscape Character Assessment

The Sandstone Plateau is located in the north-west of Somerset, extending from West Quantoxhead in the north to Broomfield in the south, and falls entirely within the Quantock Hills National Landscape. This LCT contains the elevated plateau extending across the west of the Quantock Hills, sitting between the Sandstone Hills, Footslopes and Combes (LCT 18) to the east, and the lower-lying Steep River Valleys and Hills (LCT 16) and Farmed and Settled High Vale (LCT 21) to the west.

The Sandstone Plateau LCT features rolling summits, steep-sided combes, and expansive heathlands of significant ecological and recreational value. Pastoral farming on steep slopes and overgrown beech hedges enhances the rural character. Bronze Age cairns and barrows on the summits reflect long-standing human occupation. The heath-clad ridges to the north, contrasting with the more wooded ridges to the south, form a diverse and wild landscape that has long inspired poets like Coleridge and Wordsworth.

Key Characteristics

• A rugged upland landscape of rounded summits forming a gently rolling narrow plateau, carved by wooded combes, and descending to steep scarp slopes to the west.
• The Devonian Hangman Sandstone underlying the heathland gives rise to a series of exposed rounded hills, creating a distinctive ridgeline in views from the wider landscape.
• The diverse topography supports a range of semi-natural habitats, including upland heath, grass moorland, deciduous woodland and lowland dry acid grassland (all priority habitats). Habitats are concentrated in the northern and central areas, where they form part of the Quantock Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
• Open, long-distance views are available from the elevated plateau. Panoramic views are available across the surrounding low-lying landscapes, such as across the Vale of Taunton and across the Bristol Channel towards Wales.
• Acidic loamy and sandy soils, with a thin layer of peat, overlie sandstone bedrock beneath the heathland. Steep slopes support predominantly pastoral agriculture, often grazed by sheep and occasionally cattle. Fields are small-scale, and irregular, bounded by low cut hedges with occasional hedgerow trees.
• Beech hedgebanks define fields along the southern edge of the plateau and lower farmland. In some areas, beech hedges have matured into trees, becoming a striking feature of the LCT.
• A long-standing history of human occupation is reflected in a range of features, from Bronze Age cairns and barrows to ancient field systems and medieval manor houses, and more recent industrial heritage of disused quarries.
• Bronze Age burial cairns and barrows atop unenclosed heath, hilltops and commons indicate a significant concentration of prehistoric ceremonial and funerary sites.
• A dispersed settlement pattern of farmsteads, small villages and hamlets, with local red sandstone giving character to villages such as Crowcombe and Cothelstone (Conservation Areas). Thatched roof cottages and houses are a distinctive feature of the LCT.
• Settlements are located along spring lines or nestled in narrow combes and valleys, connected by a well-established network of narrow rural lanes, some of which are sunken or form tree-lined tunnels.
• The open, windswept heathland (with few oak and beech trees), contrasts with the more wooded southern extent, which features dense hanging woodlands of mixed and conifer plantations, some of ancient origin.
• A landscape of high recreational value, with open access land across expansive heathland, featuring numerous waymarked paths and several promoted long-distance routes.
• Cultural associations with Romantic poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, who found inspiration for their works in the wild heathland and wooded combes.

Natural Influences

Landform within the LCT rises sharply from the adjacent lower-lying landscapes of the Farmed Coastal Fringe (LCT 14), Steep River Valleys and Hills (LCT 16) and Farmed and Settled High Vale (LCT 21) into a prominent north-west to south-east plateau. To the east, the plateau is flanked by the steep, wooded combes of the Sandstone Hills, Footslopes and Combes (LCT 18). Streams have carved steep and incised combes, dividing the plateau mass into distinct, rugged and broadly rounded hills. The hard Hangman Sandstone Formation shapes the ridges and high points from West Quantoxhead to Triscombe, forming heathland summits reaching over 300 metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). Wills Neck, to the south-west of Triscombe, forms the highest point in the Quantock Hills at 384m AOD. Ridgelines in the south, extending from Lydeard Hill, Cothelstone Hill and Broomfield Hill, are shaped by softer Harte and Ilfracombe Slates Formations, underpinning varied topography dissected by steep-sided wooded combes. To the west, the plateau falls sharply into steep scarp slopes, underlain by the Mercia Mudstone Group, descending to as low as 120m AOD at Crowcombe. The narrow upland sandstone plateau is a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.

In the north and centre of the LCT, the underlying sandstone gives rise to well-draining, acidic, loamy and sandy soils interspersed with pockets of peaty soil. These nutrient-poor soils support extensive areas of rare upland and lowland heath habitats. In the centre of the LCT, the landscape transitions into a mosaic of semi-natural habitats, including deciduous woodland, grass moorland, upland heathland and lowland dry acid grassland (all priority habitats). This mixture of heath-clad ridges and hills is a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape. It supports a rich mosaic of heath species (ling heather, whortleberry, and gorse) and diverse wildlife (Red Deer, Dartford Warblers, Stonechats and Nightjars) as recognised in its designation as the Quantocks SSSI. Additionally, these extensive semi-natural habitats are also designated as part of the Exmoor Coast and Heaths Important Bird Area (IBA).

The south of the LCT has a more wooded character, with steep scarp slopes cloaked in dense hanging woodlands of mixed and coniferous plantations, including significant areas of deciduous woodland (priority habitat). The area also features ancient woodland, though primarily ancient replanted woodland, notably at Badger Copse, Buncombe Wood and Ball Covert. These woodlands are interspersed with open habitats, including lowland dry acid grassland (priority habitat) at Cothelstone Hill and lowland meadow (priority habitat) at Broomfield Hill. Distinctive beech hedges (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape) and ancient holloways, now overgrown into linear strips of mature trees, form wildlife corridors along the southern scarp slopes below the plateau. The introduction of extensive coniferous plantations (replacing oak and beech trees) during the early 20th century significantly impacted the southern extent of the LCT, resulting in damage to the archaeological landscape as well as changing the habitat balance of the landscape.

Agriculture in the LCT is limited and predominantly pastoral, confined to the western and southern scarp slopes. In the north, extensive open heathland is managed as common land, grazed by ponies, sheep and some cattle. Slightly acidic loamy and clayey soils over Mercia Mudstone, resulting in a Grade 3 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) and supporting pastoral grazing. In the south, fine-grained slate rock underlies free-draining loamy soils (ALC Grades 3 and 4), supporting both pastoral and arable uses. Areas of traditional orchards (priority habitat) are found throughout the LCT, especially around the settlement of Crowcombe.

Areas of wood pasture and parkland are typically linked to historic estates and designed landscapes such as Weacombe House, Crowcombe Court (Grade II Registered Park and Garden (RPG)), Bagborough House, and Tilbury and Cothelstone Parks (historic deer parks). They are also found in less formal settings on common land, such as at Short Combe. The unique habitats within these areas are valued for the species they support. Abandoned quarries within the LCT, including Halsway Quarry and West Quantoxhead, have become valuable habitats.

Cultural Influences

The Quantocks Hills landscape has been shaped by prehistoric settlement, beginning with Neolithic farming communities that initiated woodland clearance. Today, this moorland landscape is defined by its well-preserved Bronze Age monuments, including funerary and ceremonial round barrows and cairns on prominent hilltops such as Beacon Hill, Wills Neck and Cothelstone Hill (Scheduled Monuments). The Trendle Ring Settlement Scheduled Monument at Bicknoller Hill, a univallate hillfort with defensive ramparts and ditches, provides insights into the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities. Medieval standing crosses (Scheduled Monument) at Crowcombe reflect the area’s medieval heritage. The legibility of surviving elements of the historic landscape is a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.

The current settlement pattern of dispersed farmsteads, hamlets and small villages has its origins in both the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods. These settlements often follow natural features such as spring lines or occupy secluded locations within narrow combes and valleys. Villages like Crowcombe and West Bagborough are situated on the western scarp. West Bagborough is designated as a Conservation Area containing several listed buildings. Cothelstone (also a Conservation Area) lies on the southern scarp edge, at the transition to the adjacent Farmed and Settled High Vale (LCT 21).  Traditional building materials, such as local red sandstone from the Devonian Hangman Sandstone Formation, give character to the villages and hamlets, and have been used for local buildings like Halsway Manor (Grade II* listed building). Roofing materials are a mix of slate and thatch, with stone-built, thatched cottages being a distinctive feature of the region and a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.

Deer parks in the Quantock Hills were established during the medieval period, often associated with manorial estates at Crowcombe, West Bagborough and Cothelstone. Many of these medieval deer parks transitioned into 18th and 19th-century landscape parks, which still survive as areas of parkland today, such as Crowcombe Court (Grade II RPG). The area’s distinctive tree-ring enclosures, such as those at Weacombe and Cothelstone Hill, were likely constructed on the moorland during this time.

Much of the open heathland remains unenclosed and is used for grazing. Enclosed fields within the LCT are defined by both ancient field pattern (pre-17th century) and parliamentary enclosure (17th – 19th century) and are characterised by generally small field units of irregular shape. The edges of the open commons are characterised by small-scale irregular pastoral fields influenced by the steep landform. These contrast with regular and linear fields in the south, sometimes under arable use.

Field boundaries typically comprise low hedgerows, with some hedgerow trees. The southern edge of the Quantock Hills plateau is characterised by its distinctive beech hedgebanks. On Lydeard Hill’s southern slopes, distinctive overgrown beech hedges established during 19th-century Parliamentary enclosure now feature mature trees with gnarled roots binding the underlying earth banks.

The industrial heritage of the Quantocks is evident in the scattered, disused, small quarries that once supplied road stone and building materials, especially sandstone. The largest was Triscombe Quarry which had been quarried for at least 200 years to supply high-quality aggregate and roadstone, until its closure in the 1990s.

The elevated heathland plateau, which forms a distinctive ridgeline in views from the surrounding landscape, has remained free from modern infrastructure such as turbines or masts, with the exception of overhead lines supported by pylons at West Hill in the north. A dense, winding network of narrow, often sunken minor roads crosses the LCT, particularly on the western scarp slopes and in the southern extent.

Perceptual Influences

The whole of the LCT falls within the Quantock Hills National Landscape. This large-scale landscape retains a wild and remote character (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape), especially in the open heathland, where sightings of red deer and the sound of their roaring during the rutting season heightens the sense of closeness to nature. The absence of significant modern infrastructure and large settlements contributes to exceptionally dark skies and a profound sense of tranquillity within the LCT (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape). The dispersed small villages and hamlets on the scarp slopes, with sandstone and slate buildings, slightly disrupt tranquillity but overall enhance the rural character of the landscape. Tranquillity is reduced by commuter traffic from Taunton and seasonal visitor peaks, adding noise and activity. Overhead lines traversing West Hill in the north detract from the essentially uninterrupted landscape of the open moorland.

Vast areas of open access land and a good network of public rights of ways, including the long-distance West Deane Way, Coleridge Way and Macmillan Way West, cross the LCT. The recreational value associated with the landscape is a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape, with the relatively accessible nature of the landscape supporting experiential qualities of the designated landscape.

Views within the LCT, especially in the north, extend over the rolling summits of the Quantock Hills’ heathland system, including Black Hill and Beacon Hill, and out towards the forested combes in Sandstone Hills, Footslopes and Combes (LCT 18). The open moorlands of the Quantock Hills offer commanding views over the surrounding low-lying landscapes (a special quality of Quantock Hills National Landscape), including the Vale of Taunton, from multiple vantage points. To the north, long-distance views stretch across the Bristol Channel towards Wales, particularly from West Hill. Long-distance views to the west extend towards Exmoor National Park, visible near Black Hill. The promoted viewpoint at Cothelstone Hill to the south offers panoramic 360-degree views of the surrounding landscapes. This includes views south towards the Blackdown Hills, as well as views north/ north-east which look across the LCT and towards the coast (with Hinkley Point Power Station visible in the distance).

The wooded character of the south of the LCT limits some views, though the hanging woodlands form distinctive skyline features in southerly views. The characteristic beech hedge banks (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape) are prominent in views within the LCT, particularly along the southern plateau edge. This is exemplified by ‘The Drove’ which runs along the central hilltop spine between Triscombe Stone and Crowcombe Combe, with the Macmillan Way West following its path. The Quantock plateau itself is a prominent feature in views from the surrounding lower-lying landscapes.

The Quantock Hills have long been a source of inspiration and local legend. Romantic poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge often wandered these hills and found inspiration for their seminal work ‘Lyrical Ballads’. The cultural associations and influence of these poets forms a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape. Triscombe Stone, one of three surviving megalithic standing stones, is said to grant wishes to those who sit upon it at sunrise.

Key Sensitivities and Valued Features

• A rugged upland landscape comprising a narrow plateau with rolling summits, rising on steep scarp slopes which form iconic skylines visible from the surrounding lowlands, contributing to a strong sense of place and the special qualities of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.
• Extensive semi-natural habitats, including upland and lowland heath and deciduous woodland (special qualities of the Quantock Hills National Landscape) designated as the Quantocks SSSI and Exmoor Coast and Heaths IBA, support biodiversity and enhance the sense of place.
• Beech hedgebanks in the south contribute to the special qualities of the Quantock Hills National Landscape, sense of place and also support biodiversity in hedgerow networks.
• Bronze Age cairns and barrows, the Trendle Ring Settlement and medieval standing crosses, along with surviving areas of ancient field pattern, contribute to a legible historic landscape with a strong sense of time depth (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape).
• Historic parklands at Crowcombe (Grade II RPG), West Bagborough and Cothelstone create locally distinctive historic landscapes.
• Small, scattered historic settlements and farmsteads with a local vernacular of red sandstone and slate or thatched roofs (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape) contribute to the time-depth and visual character.
• Recreational value (a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape) is provided by vast areas of open access land and a good network of public rights of ways, including the long-distance West Deane Way, Coleridge Way and Macmillan Way West.
• Long views from the plateau overlooking the Vale of Taunton Deane, extending north to the Bristol Channel towards Wales, west to Exmoor National Park and south to the Blackdown Hills, contribute to sense of place. Exceptional panoramic views are a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.
• The contrast of windswept, open heathlands and the enclosed wooded combes enhances the landscape’s sense of place and visual character.
• Dark skies and a profound sense of tranquillity across much of the LCT are highly valued and a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape. The absence of major settlements or modern infrastructure reinforces the wild and remote character.
• The Quantock Hills’ association with Romantic poets Coleridge and Wordsworth influences the cultural significance and sense of inspiration drawn from the landscape, a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.

The Changing Landscape

The following section sets out the changes and pressures to the Sandstone Plateau LCT.

• The erosion of steep slopes and combes exacerbated by more frequent and intense rainfall, will lead to loss of soil stability, sedimentation of watercourses, and disruption of agricultural land and habitats. This will change the landscape pattern and sense of place within the LCT.
• Hedgerow management across the LCT is varied. In some areas, neglect or unsympathetic land management has led to the loss of mature beech trees and a gradual deterioration of beech hedgebanks, degrading the landscape pattern and sense of place.
• Potential changes in woodland species composition, with shifts favouring warm-weather species and increasing vulnerability to pests, diseases (e.g., acute oak decline, Phytophthora pathogens), and invasive species may lead to a change in the landscape pattern and species composition of habitats.
• Insufficient grazing threatens heathland sustainability. Active human intervention in the form of winter swaling (heather burning) is evident in the landscape for maintaining habitat and traditional management practices.
• Spread of invasive species, like rhododendron, threatens native habitats and obscures historical features.
• Large conifer plantations in the south have altered the landscape pattern and character of views, replacing historic broadleaf woodlands.
• Loss of historic orchards around settlements, especially around Crowcombe and West Bagborough, has degraded the traditional rural setting to settlements and the landscape pattern.
• Increased visitor activity during peak seasons threatens tranquillity, with associated challenges such as littering, erosion, and wildlife disturbance.
• Recreational pressures, including four-wheel-drive use on moorlands, have caused erosion of paths and archaeological sites. Less visible historic features, such as Bronze Age barrows, face risks of damage from vehicles inadvertently driving over them.
• Rural diversification to support tourism has introduced car parks and pressure could increase for further development of tourism-related infrastructure in the area, decreasing the sense of remoteness and rural tranquillity.
• The fragmentation of smallholdings has resulted in the conversion of outbuildings into housing, changing the traditional rural character in parts of the LCT.
• Potential introduction of infrastructure such as communication masts or renewable energy projects, particularly turbines, may cause visual intrusion on the distinctive wild upland skyline.
• Light pollution from nearby settlements and increased vehicular traffic threaten the area’s valued dark skies and sense of remoteness.

These guidelines recommend how the landscape can be managed to ensure future change respects the local character and should be read in conjunction with the overarching management strategy objectives of the Somerset Landscape Character Assessment.

Landscape Management

• Promote the restoration of ancient broadleaf woodland, replacing conifers in plantations where feasible, while improving the design of remaining coniferous forestry to better integrate it within the landscape.
• Prioritise the removal of invasive species like rhododendron to conserve open heathland, enhance biodiversity, and restore the landscape’s natural landform and character.
• Protect and enhance semi-natural habitats, such as upland and lowland heathland, lowland dry acidic grassland and lowland meadows designated as part of The Quantocks SSSI and Exmoor Coast and Heaths IBA. Introduce species-specific management where appropriate, including the creation of wildlife corridors to maintain ecological connectivity across the plateau.
• Promote active hedgerow management across the landscape, encouraging the restoration and maintenance of traditional beech hedgebanks.
• Prioritise the restoration and conservation of historic orchards, especially in areas around Crowcombe and West Bagborough. Encourage the planting of new orchards, using local varieties and ensuring the conservation of pollinator populations.
• Promote natural flood management measures such as riparian planting, leaky dams, floodplain restoration and wetland creation to slow stream flow and reduce downstream flooding during heavy rainfall events, particularly to the east in the Levels (LCT 10) and Peat and Clay Moors (LCT 11).
• Conserve historic features within the heathland and combes, especially Bronze Age barrows and those designated as heritage at risk, from recreational and environmental pressures. Consider introducing clear zoning for off-road vehicle use, ensuring that sensitive sites such as Bronze Age barrows are protected.

Development Management

• Encourage new developments to blend with the landscape, using local materials like red sandstone and slate. This will ensure that they reflect traditional forms and the local vernacular that is a special quality of the Quantock Hills National Landscape.
• Mitigate the impact of visually intrusive overhead lines and pylons in the north by considering underground cabling and natural screening where feasible. Avoid further introduction of tall structures such as additional overhead lines, masts or large-scale development that will compete with highly visible skyline of the Quantock Hills.
• Ensure new developments do not obscure or harm long-distance views from the elevated areas and edges of the LCT, especially towards the coastline, Exmoor National Park and the Blackdown Hills.
• Prioritise small-scale rural enterprise over domestic conversions for barns and farmsteads, and carefully design new agricultural buildings to minimise negative impacts on the traditional rural character of the landscape.
• Ensure that any new tourism-related infrastructure, such as car parks, is carefully sited to avoid damage to sensitive areas or a reduction to the sense of wilderness or remoteness. Consider low-profile and discreet parking options similar to those at Triscombe Car Park and Dead Woman’s Ditch.