Castlereagh Plateau Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Compact, undulating terrain extending over wide areas.
• Lush, improved pasture is the predominant land use; very little arable cropping.
• Small fields enclosed by hedges create pronounced landscape structure and texture.
• Hedges not layered and often gappy with hedgerow trees.
• Pockets of scrubby woodland and rush marshland break up uniformity of pasture.
• Houses and bungalows widely scattered throughout, often in prominent hilltop locations.
• Scale of landscape varies with elevation of view; large scale derives from raised, long distance hilltop views; small and medium scale derives from low-lying views within compact landform amidst hedges and trees.
• Views of sea to east and south east from high ground and to mountainous skyline of Slieve Croob to south west.

Landscape Description

This landscape character area occupies much of Castlereagh District and extends into adjacent areas to the west and south. It is underlain by Silurian sedimentary rocks but its geomorphology has been strongly influenced by glaciation which has created a compact rolling landform of small hummocks and narrow valleys. Its fertile soils create rich pasture which is the predominant land use of the area. Small fields are partitioned by hedges which rise and fall across the landscape, emphasising its contours. The hedges, although often unmanaged and gappy, imbue the landscape with a prominent structure and texture, occasionally enhanced by hedgerow trees. Although large woods are scarce, hedgerow trees and small copses create the impression of a well wooded landscape, especially within low-lying hollows and valleys. Occasional areas of marsh also help to break up the impression of uniform pasture.

Due to its proximity to Belfast, the area is well settled. The edges of towns and villages are ill-defined because of the sprawl of new housing and peripheral cottages. Numerous modern houses and bungalows, often in prominent locations and emphasised by white walls and manicured gardens, are scattered across the open countryside. The traditional grey stone farm buildings are heavily outnumbered by this rural housing. The area is dissected by a network of roads and small lanes. Transmission lines are also prominent and detract from the rural character of the area. The landscape possesses an intriguing mix of scales, sometimes offering long distance views to the sea or the mountainous backdrop of Slieve Croob across a rhythmic rolling landform, and sometimes presenting a more intimate, small scale experience due to the enclosure by hills, hedges and trees.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The area still provides a productive agricultural resource but neglect of hedgerows and woods will impoverish the diversity and structure of the landscape. The landscape retains an attractive rural character but this has already been affected by the encroachment of isolated houses as well as urban sprawl. The complexity of the landform presents opportunities for siting new developments unobtrusively, especially in combination with sensitive landscape planting. However, the desire for prominent locations results in many, often highly conspicuous, developments which cumulatively detract substantially from its rural character.

Principles for Landscape Management

• An increase in woodland planting in less productive farmland, especially in low-lying areas, will improve the diversity and visual structure of the plateau landscape.
• The conservation of traditional farm structures and features, such as hedgerows, woodlands and farm buildings within agricultural support schemes, will reinforce local landscape identity and nature conservation interest.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• The establishment of compact, contained communities rather than disparate, isolated properties will improve the relationship between new buildings and their landscape context and will encourage a more co-ordinated approach.
• The use of native planting on the boundaries of developments and of a limited range of building materials - for garden fences and walls, as well as for the buildings themselves, will improve the unity and integration of buildings within the countryside.