Historic Landscape Character Area 10
Wooded Chalk Downland of the Cranborne Chase and Chetterwood
Location
- The Chase Woodlands are centred on Tollard Royal.
- Chetterwood is located near Witchampton to the west of the Allen Valley
Summary Description
- Great swathe of veteran forest which runs from Warminster to just north of the A303 at Penselwood, along the sinuous greensand escarpment.
- Core of the former Medieval forest of Selwood.
- Nationally important historic houses and their associated gardens and parklands.
- The Cranborne Chase wooded chalk downland forms the inner boundary of the Cranborne Chase hunting area, which was divided into a series of walks. Chetterwood is an outlying ‘walk’.
- Both areas have veteran woodland at their core.
- The ancient shire boundary crosses the Cranborne Chase wooded chalk downland.
- The Chase is also firmly associated with the legacy of the archaeologist Pitt Rivers.
- The woodlands are broken up by early woodland clearance and pre 1800 fields. Roman roads cross both areas.
The full Historic Landscape Character Area description is available to download from the Historic Environment Action Plan Pages
