Parish of Olveston Design Statement
Olveston, Tockington, Old Down, Ingst, Lower Hazel, Awkley
2. The existing environment
Space

2.1 Landscape of the Parish

The villages and hamlets within the Parish are set within an attractive landscape. This comprises a landform of visually prominent wooded scarp slopes and mainly pasture ridges on limestone which form a contrast with broad valley forms and extensive levels extending towards the Severn Estuary7. Amongst the watercourses flowing through the valley to the Pilning Levels are Olveston Mill Rhine and Tockington Mill Rhine with their tributaries.

One ridge extends to Alveston immediately north of the Parish, through Tockington Hill, Old Down and Stroud Common. The wooded scarp slopes, which include Sheepcombe Brake, The Slad and Little Down Wood, provide part of the setting and backcloth to the hamlet of Old Down and the villages of Olveston and Tockington. Old Down lies on the ridge. Olveston lies between the ridge and the somewhat lower Catherine and Eastcombe Hills. Tockington lies to the south alongside the grounds of Tockington Manor School with its historic garden and arboretum.

Another ridge extends from Rudgeway to Almondsbury mostly just outside the Parish. There are areas of woodland on the high ground along the A38 providing a visual foil to the intermittent houses alongside the road.

Between these ridges lies the unspoilt Sheepcombe Valley with arable fields along the bottom and pasture and rough grassland on the valley sides enclosed by woodlands and hedgerows. This valley extends from Lower Hazel towards the M4 motorway embankment with views to Spaniorum Hill and the industry at Avonmouth beyond.

To the south west of Olveston and Tockington lie the Pilning Levels which are predominantly flat with a few small areas of higher ground. The area is largely covered by pasture fields bounded by hedges with some trees and small copses.
The field pattern is partly defined by the pattern of rhines flowing towards the Severn Estuary. There are small settlements based around clusters of farmsteads at Ingst and Awkley on locally higher ground.

The Levels are crossed by the M4 and M48 motorways linking to the two Severn bridges.
The whole of the Parish is connected by a network of minor roads and lanes and an intermittent network of public rights of way8.

7. The landscape character of the Parish is described in the South Gloucestershire Draft Landscape Character Assessment, published by South Gloucestershire Council. It may be viewed at public libraries in South Gloucestershire
8. Public rights of way include footpaths open to walkers only and bridleways open to horse-riders, cyclists and walkers. Most rights of way in Olveston Parish are footpaths
Space
Sheepcombe Valley
From Catherine Hill looking towards Ingst and the Seven Bridge
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