SDO16952 - Farmstead and Landscape Statement: Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase. National Character Area 134

Landscape Character Area 134 Historic character ■ The predominant pattern is of nucleated settlement along river valleys. ■ There is low density of very large-scale, isolated farmsteads in the landscape, resulting from enclosure of open fields and downland from the 17th century. ■ Large-scale courtyard farmsteads are typical of downland landscapes, with large barns, stabling, granaries, cart sheds and cattle yards. Unlike the chalk downland areas to the north and east, aisled barns are rare. ■ There are shelter sheds for cattle, either free-standing or built against barns and cow houses. ■ Outfarms of 19th-century date usually consist of a barn and shelter shed or just a shelter shed and a yard for cattle. ■ Timber-framing is uncommon across most of this area, in contrast to many of the other downland landscapes of southern England. Greensand, sometimes combined with brick, brick alone or brick with flint are the predominant walling materials. Plain clay tile roofs or Welsh slate is used for roofing. Straw thatch is rarely seen on farm buildings. ■ On the large, isolated farmsteads that often remain in agricultural use, large sheds dominate the farmsteads. Significance ■ Of recorded farmsteads (in Wiltshire), 70% retain some historic farmsteads character with 52% retaining more than 50% of their historic form. ■ There is a low survival of pre-1700 buildings in this area; 12% of recorded farmsteads (in Wiltshire) have a pre-1700 farmhouse and 2.7% have a pre-1700 working building. ■ Early surviving buildings are typically barns of 17th or early 18th-century date. ■ Few working farmsteads remain within villages, their buildings either converted, usually to residential use, or demolished leaving only the farmhouse. ■ There are several barns that were associated with religious houses or high-status owners. Some of these have particularly interesting roof carpentry including hammer beam roof trusses, sometimes re-used from former monastic buildings. ■ The ‘sling brace’ truss is a type that is mostly found in Dorset and principally found in this Character Area. Present and future issues ■ The Photo Image Project (2006) recorded medium rates of conversion of listed buildings to non-agricultural (primarily domestic) uses (over 30%, the national average being 34%). ■ This area now has some of the largest corn-producing farms in England.