Hillsborough Slopes Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Rounded ridges and hills; lower slopes influenced by drumlin form but dominant ridges have an E-W alignment.
• Windswept ridge-top farmland with a neat, geometric patchwork of fields and hedgerow trees on lower slopes.
• Dense network of winding, narrow roads on lower slopes; straight roads along ridge-tops.
• Small farmsteads are focal points in the landscape.
• Residential development scattered along roads and often visible on skylines.
• Hillsborough Park dominates the highest point of the ridge.
• Long views from ridge-tops.

Landscape Description

The Hillsborough Slopes are found to the west of the Ravarnet Valley. The area includes the elevated ridge on which the town of Hillsborough is sited, together with the rounded ridges and hills of its marginal slopes. The gently rolling, shallow ridges and rounded hills on the slopes of the Hillsborough ridge have no particular alignment but the centre of the landscape character area is dominated by a number of broad, rounded ridges, each with an east-west alignment. On the lower slopes, the landform is strongly influenced by the drumlin form and there are many egg-shaped and rounded summits. The farmland is divided into an orderly patchwork of fields and hedgerows. All the fields have straight edges but they vary in shape and size; large arable fields predominate on the broader slopes but these are interspersed with pockets of smaller paddocks, particularly on the ridge-tops and close to areas of residential development. Scattered hedgerow trees have a strong visual influence. They have no discernible pattern, although the number of trees increases towards the lower slopes and there are sometimes clusters of trees close to traditional farmsteads. The ridge-tops have a relatively open character and the scattered farmsteads are focal points in all views. They are generally set back from the road and are reached by long tracks; cottages and barns (some derelict) are sited along the many narrow roads. Some roads are becoming dominated by the influence of recent ribbon development. Hillsborough Park dominates the highest point of the ridge, the walled woodland providing a strong contrast in character with the open farmland.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

Most of the landscape is in good condition, with few wasted corners although agricultural intensification on the ridge-tops has led to significant hedgerow loss and elsewhere, many of the hedgerows are gappy and overgrown. The larger arable fields are often bordered by wire fences and hedgerow loss has left the landscape relatively exposed and sensitive to change. The small ridge-top paddocks are generally in poor condition, with gappy hedgerows and patches of rushes. The most sensitive part of the landscape is the ridge-tops; ridge-top development is generally extremely prominent on the open skylines as the principal roads in this area follow the ridge-lines. The area immediately adjacent to the walls of Hillsborough Park is also prominent and relatively sensitive as it forms an essential part of the landscape setting for this important designed landscape.

Principles for Landscape Management

• The local landscape pattern may be strengthened by replacing hedgerows lost to development and by planting new hedgerow trees.
• There may be opportunities for large scale planting of mixed deciduous woodland on parts of the open ridge-top which have relatively degraded farmland in order to provide a more distinctive identity in this area.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• Consideration should be given to local views from ridge-tops when assessing the potential visual impact of proposed new development.
• If new development is sited on the lower slopes, avoiding local skylines, it may be less prominent and visually less intrusive.
• The use of existing housing sites would be preferable to further ribbon development; rural views and local identity may be protected by retaining extensive 'gaps' between houses.