Moorland plateau edge

Description

Low moorland slopes along the western edge of the moorland plateau. The topography of the landscape is heavily influenced by its geology. Alternating strata of Carboniferous limestones, sandstones and softer shales give a stepped profile to slopes in places and a strong horizontal grain to the terrain. Slopes are moderate. Limestone outcrops are marked by low grey scars, stone bands and limestone pavements and are followed by tracts of shake holes. The slopes are drained by rocky, quick-flowing becks in steep sided gills with occasional waterfalls, or by more meandering sikes on slacker ground. There are occasional small peaty tarns. The slopes are generally clothed in ‘white moor’ dominated by moorland grasses grazed by hardy upland sheep. There are some areas of blanket bog where thicker peats are exposed in eroded haggs along gills and sikes, and drained areas of peat managed for grouse with prominent burning and cutting patterns.

The landscape is largely devoid of human-made features other than occasional fences, grouse butts, cairns, sheepfolds and bields. The few roads across the moor are often unfenced with cattlegrids at the moor wall or bounded by low walls and wire fences. Relics from the Bronze Age and Roman period survive in a few places as earthworks. Localised remains of the C18th and C19th lead mining industry can be found locally including abandoned shafts and small revegetated waste heaps together with some small disused limestone quarries.

The landscape is visually open with panoramic long-distance views out across the Vale of Eden to the west. The visual simplicity of the landscape and the lack of human-made features gives it an austere and remote character.

Measures: land management

Natural features, watercourses & wetlands

See Nature Recovery section, Outcomes NR1, NR3 and NR4, for main measures relating to peatland and heathland, trees and woodland, rivers and streams. Additional measures are listed below.

• Protect natural rock outcrops, screes, stone bands, limestone pavements & shake holes by preventing disturbance, stone removal or tipping

Cultural features

• Protect archaeological features by avoiding overstocking and supplementary feeding on sensitive sites
• Conserve and restore moorland structures like sheepfolds, bields and bothies
• Protect and conserve lead mining features – avoid physical damage, removal or infilling, consolidate important structures; sensitively gate open shafts and adits

Measures: development

Energy, telecommunications & infrastructure

• Avoid the siting of tall structures such as masts, pylons and wind turbines in the Moorland Plateau Edge landscape generally - in particular avoid prominent skylines
• Locate masts or pylons in the moorland fringe close to existing buildings or forest edges
• New buildings should only be developed in exceptional circumstances - they should be sited to minimise visibility, be built of natural materials, and where possible designed to look like traditional moorland features – bields, bothies or sheepfolds

Tourism & recreation

• Manage access to decrease pressure on fragile substrates and avoid disturbance to breeding birds
• Facilities and infrastructure for tourism and recreation – paths, car parks, litter bins, signage and interpretation - should be provided only where absolutely necessary and should be sensitively designed and low key to avoid exerting an urbanising influence on this wild and natural landscape