Craigantlet Escarpment Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Steep ridge containing the eastern urban edge of Belfast.
• Robust landscape structure provided by woodland, shelterbelts and hedgerows.
• Pastures predominate.
• Stormont Castle, set within wooded grounds and avenues, stands out as a distinctive feature.
• Radio masts on the ridge-top are prominent.
• Encroachment of housing from the outskirts of Belfast.

Landscape Description

The Craigantlet Escarpment is a prominent ridge of Silurian rocks which forms the escarpment to the Holywood Hills. The escarpment encloses and shelters the urban edge of east Belfast which pushes up against the ridge, extending into the woodlands at Stormont. The government buildings stand out as a major landmark, situated high up on the ridge. A dense network of woodlands and avenues gives the landscape a robust structure, particularly around Stormont. Green pastures extend along the ridge, divided by hedgerows and shelterbelts. The rural/urban interface is strong and well defined. There are clear views to the ridge from the surrounding lowlands and adjacent escarpments, including an important view across Belfast Lough from the M2 at Newtownabbey; any development on the ridge is highly visible.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The landscape of the Craigantlet Escarpment is in good condition, primarily owing to the well structured woodland and hedgerow network which is particularly developed around Stormont. However, hedgerow removal is evident and the landscape condition becomes more degraded towards the ridge-top. The robust landscape structure and well wooded appearance help to integrate development into the landscape. However, the prominence of the escarpment and its proximity to Belfast make it extremely sensitive to built development. Encroachment of development from the edges of Belfast threatens to alter the rural character of the escarpment as well as the definition of the urban edge. This area has been defined as an `Area of Scenic Quality'.

Principles for Landscape Management

• The extension of existing shelter belts, woodlands and hedgerows to encompass a wider area would enhance woodland structure and wildlife links.
• Woodland planting along the urban edge would enclose and contain the eastern edge of Belfast; planting should follow contours, emphasising the local topography.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• The rural wooded character of the escarpment slopes will be conserved by strict control of all built development and in particular, by confining buildings to the foot of the slope.
• Communication masts are prominent elements on the ridge-top; siting masts in groups will be less visually intrusive than scattering a large number of individual masts.