The constant presence of Dartmoor on the northern horizon is a defining characteristic of this area. Situated below the open skyline, moorland rim and wall-patterned upper slopes of Dartmoor, this landscape forms a patchwork of fields, small woodlands and some estate planting. Together they create a settled, well-treed and scenic landscape. Despite the presence of the A38 and the town of Ivybridge, the area’s narrow wooded valleys retain an intimate and secluded character, with tree-lined rivers snaking through a pastoral landscape of meadows, woodland and estate parkland.
This area is located to the east of Plymouth, and includes the town of Ivybridge. To the north is a gradual transition up to Southern Dartmoor and Fringes and to the south a transition to the Bigbury Bay Coastal Plateau; while to the east and west respectively lie the Mid Avon and West Dart Valleys and Ridges and the built-up area of Plymouth. The area includes the middle catchments of the Rivers Erne and Yealm and is crossed by the A38.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/south-hams-area/plymouth-and-modbury-farmlands
https://www.devon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policies/landscape/devon-character-areas
Planning Strategy
To protect the landscape’s scenic quality and rural character, and enhance the settings of Dartmoor National Park and the South Devon AONB. Agricultural land is well-managed, and urban fringe influences (including neglect of farmland) are resisted. Woodland, parkland and other semi-natural habitats are well managed. The visual and audible impacts of existing and future urban and road developments are minimised.
