Lower Bann Floodplain Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Flat floodplain of the Lower River Bann; undulating landform towards outer margins of floodplain.
• Numerous winding rivers, with the wide channel of the River Bann at the centre of the floodplain;
• Extensive blocks of wet woodland on the margins of some rivers; smaller birch woodland on higher land.
• Pastures vary in size; some small-scale, linear fields beside rivers.
• Large farms with prominent buildings.
• Straight roads on embankments across the floodplain.

Landscape Description

The Lower Bann Floodplain comprises the flat floodplain landscape of the River Bann to the south of Coleraine, at a point where the Bann is joined by a series of tributaries, including the Macosquin River, the Aghadowey River, the Agivey River and the Ballymoney River. The floodplain is drained by numerous smaller streams and rivers and the low-lying fields are criss-crossed by a network of straight drainage ditches.

In places, the principal river channels are flanked by areas of damp woodland (birch, alder and ash); elsewhere they are open, and flow between flat pastures. The fields vary in size. Many have been enlarged to form extensive, open flat pastures, with a scanty hedgerow network, but there are also areas with a small-scale field pattern, particularly close to the River Bann and in low-lying parts of the floodplain. There are some smaller ash woodlands on the higher land on the margins of the floodplain and some occasional blocks of conifers, particularly in the vicinity of the golf course beside Brickhill Bridge.

The traditional settlement pattern is dispersed, with most buildings set back from the embanked roads. There are clusters of buildings at the principal road junctions. Large farm buildings are prominent in this flat, relatively open landscape, and there is ribbon development along some roads.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The condition of the landscape varies. There is much evidence of hedgerow removal in areas with good quality farmland. Low-lying pastures are often in poor condition, with areas infested by rushes on the edges of the wet woodlands. The disused airfield to the west of Landagivey is a relatively degraded area, with considerable scope for improvement. The floodplain is a relatively sensitive landscape, rich in wetland habitats. The immediate margins of the river channels are particularly sensitive for their nature conservation value, and the rivers are important visual features in the landscape.

Principles for Landscape Management

• New tree planting around farmhouses and their associated farm buildings would help to integrate these prominent buildings in the wider landscape.
• A combination of hedgerows and wire fencing is appropriate, but an ongoing programme of hedgerow management would improve the appearance and ecological value of the existing hedgerows, and their contribution to the overall structure and pattern of the landscape.
• There is scope to improve public access to the river banks, with provision of parking, footpaths and occasional picnic sites.
• The wet woodlands on the floodplain are important landscape features, valued for their visual contribution to landscape character and for their ecological importance.
• There is scope for the restoration of the disused airfield.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• New development may be accommodated easily in the landscape if it is linked to existing clustered settlements at road junctions
• Further ribbon development along roads will block views across the floodplain and to the rivers.