Landscape

The Forest of Bowland Landscape Character Assessment was updated in 2025 from an earlier iteration of 2009. It is a detailed document that breaks down the landscape into 13 Landscape Character Types, which are themselves then broken down into 73 distinct Landscape Character Areas. 

An in-depth consideration of the area’s landscape character can be found in the full LCA at: www.forestofbowland.com/Landscape-Character-Assessment.  A summary of the 13 Landscape Character Types, their locations, key characteristics and key sensitivities can be found in Appendix 1.

Click to view a larger version of the map.

This part of the Management Plan sets out measures that will protect and enhance the qualities and character of these landscape types, and thus the places in which they occur.

The overall management outcome should be that landscape character is conserved and enhanced. Measures to achieve this outcome are to be found throughout the Management Plan, e.g. in Peatlands Outcome 2, measure 2G suggests: “Avoid new permanent track construction, infrastructure or any development on deep peat which requires planning permission” and in Woodlands Outcome 3, measure 3D states: “Survey and retain existing significant / veteran trees in the landscape and plant new ones to act as habitat, stepping stones and future landscape features, in line with UKFS”. Therefore, rather than duplicate these in the specific Landscape Quality section below, the measures included are not found elsewhere in the plan, yet they remain significant, hence their selection and inclusion here.