Sperrin Mountains Landscape

• broad, rounded ridges with rocky outcrops leading to steep, pointed summits
• deep, branching gullies and open, fast-flowing moorland streams
• carpet of open moorland pasture and heather with extensive bog and areas of damp grassland on flatter land and lower slopes
• earthbanks and stone walls follow historic townland boundaries on lower slopes; some pastures are derelict and infested by scrub and rushes
• winding moorland roads and straight tracks leading across contours
• broadleaf woodland concentrated within lower valleys; some conifer woodland on mountain slopes.Isolated barns on upper slopes; clachans and farmsteads in valleys

The Sperrin Mountains form a spine across the North West and a backdrop to views. Formed from resistant metamorphic Dark Schists and Upper Glenelly Schists, they extend broadly east - west across the southern part of County Londonderry and the northern part of County Tyrone. The steeper summits average 500m, with the highest peak, Sawel Mountain, rising to 678m. The Sperrins have a dramatic, mountainous appearance; the ridges have a broad, rounded profile, leading to summits with a rocky, pointed silhouette. Glacial deposits sometimes form mounds and terraces along the lower slopes, softening and confusing the natural beak of slope.

Fast-flowing moorland streams are fairly straight and open in character, sometimes eroding deep channels between steep ridges of glacial moraine. Deep gullies, some with broken, eroded edges, create strong dendritic patterns, carving and moulding the steep slopes into striking forms. Outcrops of grey rock and minor screes litter many of the slopes. Water flows in deep gullies to the upland plateau. Summits have extensive areas of bog supporting acres of heather and rushes. The bogs are punctuated by small, rounded loughs, the source of many streams.

The steep slopes leading to the summits are carpeted with close-cropped moorland grasses. The lower valley slopes retain the historic field pattern, with hedgerows, earthbanks and stone walls enclosing a diverse patchwork of fields and woodlands. Stone walls on the upper slopes often follow the historic townland boundaries. Conifer woodlands are features in some areas and form dark, geometric blocks on the slopes. In areas with poor soils, the field pattern on the lower slopes has often become derelict and overrun with scrub, rushes and bog.

This open mountain landscape is extremely sensitive to change since even relatively small elements in the landscape, such as electricity pylons or a single building are visible over long distances. The most significant pressures for change are from conifer plantations, mineral extraction and windfarms on the upper slopes, and built development on the valley slopes. The upland summits are generally in good condition, but the quality of the landscape deteriorates towards the edges of the character area, particularly on the lower summits to the west, where transmission masts, roads and conifer plantations have a cumulative negative influence.

Conifer plantations are often very extensive and form vast homogeneous blocks which mask out the subtle variations of colour and landform which are such an important local characteristic. The Sperrins have long been the source of building materials and are now subject to exploration for gold. The quarries form prominent scars on the landscape, visible for miles around. The plant, machinery and roads associated with the works are also a negative visual influence. There is very little evidence of new buildings on these upland slopes.

• The large scale of the landscape is best reflected by large woodlands, rather than small, isolated stands; the edges may be softened by broadleaf planting designed to utilise natural diversity of landform.
• Restoration of abandoned quarries and the removal of derelict plant and fly-tipping would enhance the upland landscape.
• Restoration and conservation of stone walls and earthbanks would conserve the historic townland boundaries and associated field patterns.

• Any form of built development would be extremely visually intrusive and would threaten the intrinsic qualities of this landscape, in particular, its valued sense of wild remoteness.
• The wider landscape setting of archaeological sites is especially sensitive to the impact of built development and should be conserved.
• The use of local stone for new buildings, or for the restoration of older properties is essential to help integrate new development, particularly where it is prominent on lower mountain slopes.