South Suffolk and North Essex Claylands, Eastern Arable
Author(s): Jeremy Lake
The South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland forms part of the same boulder clay plateau as the South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands (NCA 83) which lies to the north-east, but it is far more dissected by small river valleys, giving rise to a much more undulating topography. The ground rises to the East Anglian Chalk Character Area to the north-west and drops away to the Northern Thames Basin Character Area to the south-east. The Chilterns lie at its western tip beyond Stevenage, and Breckland lies to the north beyond Bury St Edmunds. A large part (82%) of the Character Area is in agricultural use, of which the majority is arable and horticulture, and the area has a relatively low woodland cover (albeit higher than NCA 83 to the north), at approximately 4%. Of the landcover, 6.5% is urban and the remainder is semi-natural. The Character Area has 2.3% of its area designated as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Dedham Vale AONB).
- Report Number:
- 90/2020
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 13
- Keywords:
- Landscape Farmstead Historic
