Fareham Borough Landscape Assessment

May 1996

Landscape Character Area 6

The Meon Valley

Summary Description

The Meon Valley character area embraces the whole length of the valley within the Borough, from Funtley in the north to the coast at Titchfield Haven. Although the immediate floor and valley sides are quite narrow in places, the character area embraces a wider swathe of landscape on either side of the valley that broadly defines the extent of open countryside within the corridor between the urban edges of Stubbington, Hill Head and Fareham to the east and Titchfield Village and Titchfield Park to the west.

The Meon Valley is characterised by: * a relatively gentle but distinctive valley landform, running through the Borough from Funtley in the north to the coast at Hill Head; * distinct valley floor characterised by small-scale pasture and variable cover of trees (typically willow and alder) in the narrower, upper reaches and broadening into open floodplain pasture and complex of wetland communities to the south at Titchfield Haven, where the natural qualities of the valley and maritime influences are most strongly evident; * restricted vehicular access to the valley floor resulting in a generally quiet and intimate character in the northern and southern sections of the valley, making it attractive for quiet recreation and for wildlife; * a mosaic of open farmland (part of the wider coastal plain farmland), minor wooded valleys and smaller, enclosed pastures bordering the valley to the south of Titchfield, the latter helping to buffer the intrusion of adjacent urban development and fringe farmland to the east on the setting of Titchfield Haven; * a more fragmented character and stronger influences of urban development and roads within the central section of the valley, resulting in some damage to the integrity of the valley form and a more suburban character; * garden centre and horticultural activity around Titchfield Abbey which detract from the setting of the historic Abbey and associated buildings (a Conservation Area); * dense mosaic of wooded farmland mainly to the north of the railway which provides an intimate, rural context for the river valley, but with localised intrusion of the M27 motorway bridge.

Enhancement Priorities

On the whole, the landscape of the Meon Valley is comparatively unspoilt and of a high quality but it is affected by roads, commercial horticultural activities and urban intrusion, particularly in the central section. The emphasis should be to protect the important landscape and ecological resources of the river corridor, mitigate the effects of intrusive activities and undertake measures to reinforce the river valley character and strengthen its overall integrity.

Priorities for enhancement are: * to protect the important landscape, ecological and historical resources of the valley corridor, particularly the wetlands at Titchfield Haven (NNR/SSSI), the pastoral character and features of the valley floor, the complex of wooded farmland to the north and the important historic building and landscape at Titchfield Abbey; * to protect the overall integrity of the valley system from further fragmentation; * to resist changes that would have an adverse impact on the rural character of the valley; * to reduce the impact of roads, urban edges and horticultural development, possibly through new planting; * to encourage enhancement of the historic landscape setting of Titchfield Abbey.