Geography - Limestone Ridge

The Limestone Ridge is a narrow band of limestone forming a series of hills running diagonally from the north east corner of Wiltshire at Highworth, though the northern part of the town of Swindon to Bremhill. The Limestone Ridge forms a belt of rolling land rising from approximately 90m to 150m AOD. The western slopes can be steep, particularly to the south, with the eastern slopes more gentle, with a more gradual transition into the neighbouring clay vale.

Historic environment
The presence of round barrows around Lyneham indicates prehistoric activity. Later developments include an Iron Age Hill Fort dating from around 500BC. It is a well defended site with double banks constructed of limestone enclosing about eight acres. The Romans established a settlement on Swindon Hill and there is also a Roman villa near Tockenham.

The area became increasingly settled through the Saxon period, with the foundation of settlements such as Swindon and Wootton Bassett. The smaller villages in the area also have Saxon or often medieval cores. An important medieval site is Bradenstoke Abbey, an Augustinian priory on Clack Mount founded in 1142. Enclosure of the landscape occurred through the medieval period with small irregular field patterns still visible today in the more remote parts of the area. Most fields are however, indicative of more recent enclosure.

Settlement and built character
Settlements had a defining impact upon the Limestone Ridge. The influence of the urban centre of Swindon and other large settlements such as Wootton Bassett, Purton, Lyneham and Highworth were significant. The edge of Swindon is mixed in character with a number of different land uses including large industrial warehouses, residential estates, recreation areas and transport infrastructure creating a fragmented feel. Swindon is also prominent in views from higher ground, such as from Peat Moor and Moredon.

Perched on higher ground, the villages of Purton and Highworth are highly visible from the lower lying surrounding areas. Due to its 150 metre above sea level plateau location, Lyneham is less visible from the lower ground, but has a profound impact upon its immediate surroundings. It is dominated by the airfield, related hangers and a large security fence, with the majority of 20th century residential development also linked to the military use of the area.

Elsewhere other settlements consists of smaller villages, connected by a network of rural roads. Originally nucleated and centred at junctions, the villages have frequently expanded through ribbon development along the lanes. Building materials and styles are mixed. The central cores frequently include fine medieval stone buildings, further out however more modern development uses a variety of materials including Coral Rag in rubble walls, Cotswold limestone, wood cladding and brick.

Several transport routes pass through the Limestone Ridge. The M4 passes east/west and is visually exposed creating a sense of movement and increased noise. The A3102 is also a very busy road, servicing most of the southern part of the area it is also part of the Wiltshire HGV Primary Freight Network. Associated with these roads is a proliferation in signage and hard edging with a more urbanised character. Two railways lines also pass through the area bisecting the countryside to the north of the village.

The influence of the urban fringe, visible urban edges, the military complex at Lyneham, ribbon development, mix of building styles and the busy transport route all increase urban influences in this otherwise rural landscape.

The Swindon-Lyneham Limestone Ridge
The Swindon-Lyneham Limestone Ridge is a belt of Coral Rag Formation limestone hills emerging from the lower clay vales. The land form of the area undulates, rising sharply along the western boundary to form a steep scarp slope in places. To the east the transition to the lower clay areas is more gradual.

Land cover is predominantly pastoral farmland although there are pockets of arable and and horse pasture. The fields are fairly large and divided by a network of hedgerows with numerous hedgerow trees and intermittent woodland clumps, although the hedgerows have become flailed and more open in places. Smaller, more sinuous fields indicative of medieval enclosure are also present in more isolated areas.

Settlements have a considerable influence over the area: the Swindon-Lyneham Limestone Ridge is divided into two sections by the large urban mass of Swindon and other large settlements also have a visual influence such as Highworth and Purton, which are highly visible from surrounding lower areas.

The RAF airfield at Lyneham, dominates the southern central part of the area. Smaller settlements have also been affected by urban influences with ribbon development expansion and a proliferation of signage along the more popular transport routes, such as the A3102.

Building materials and styles vary throughout, with local stone buildings and more modern estates on the periphery. Within the area views are intermittent, but from the peripheral slopes there are panoramic views. Around Swindon the town dominates but further south and in the very north of the area the views out across the rural clay vales create a more remote feel.

The mix of land uses around large settlements and the ribbon development expansion of smaller settlements creates a fragmented feeling. The area is also disturbed by the visual and acoustic intrusion of the M4 and A3102 roads, the inconsistent building materials and styles and a sense of urbanisation intruding on the otherwise rural landscape of pastoral fields with an intact pattern of hedgerows, hedgerow trees and small woodlands.