The River Six Mile Water flows within a broad, gently undulating valley which acts as a corridor for the dense infrastructure linking the towns of Antrim and Ballyclare. A shorter tributary, the Three Mile Water, extends south east from this principal valley to Newtownabbey. Large pastures, divided by overgrown hedgerows, dominate the rural landscape, although there is a much smaller scale field pattern on the valley floor near Newtownabbey, where the soils are relatively poorly drained. Large scale built development and infrastructure is prominent in some areas, particularly on the fringes of Newtownabbey and Antrim. There are numerous hedgerow trees and the valley floor landscape has a secluded character. However, larger blocks of woodland are rare and the hedgerows are often incomplete. Electricity pylons are especially prominent on local skylines.
The traditional settlement pattern, of small clustered towns and villages on the lower slopes of the valley, and small settlements on the upper slopes alongside tributary streams, is still very evident, although there is a scattering of industrial premises, factories, landfill sites and housing throughout the area, connected by a good infrastructure network. The variety of scales and styles of built development emphasises its presence in the landscape and does not always encourage a coherent relationship between settlement and landscape context.
Carnmoney Hill is a prominent outlier from the Belfast Basalt Escarpment, which forms a landmark for Newtownabbey. The hill has a rugged, natural landscape, with a plummeting escarpment to the south. There are long views from the M2 motorway along the Three Mile Water valley to the town of Newtownabbey and to Belfast Lough.
Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to ChangeLandscape condition is generally poor due to the incomplete hedgerow network and the decline of mature trees, although the valley floor between Antrim and Templepatrick has a richer character and a much denser network of trees. The wooded estates of Greenmount and Upton Park add to the diversity and sensitivity of the landscape in this area. The settings of built development are often quite open and incoherent, leading to a rather degraded visual character in some areas.
There are long views along the valleys from the narrow roads linking settlements on the lower slopes, and both valleys are overlooked by views from the surrounding ridges and hills. The area is therefore relatively sensitive to large-scale development, although development could be accommodated if it were well integrated with existing field patterns and if links to the existing infrastructure could be designed with minimum visual impact. The extent of built development in this area has a significant impact and continued hedgerow loss will result in a greater sensitivity to landscape change. Woodland planting could substantially reduce the sensitivity of the landscape to large scale development.
Principles for Landscape Management