Historic landscapes on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight Historic Environment Action Plan (HEAP)

The Island’s Historic Landscapes are all around us and contain the sites, settlements, fields, lanes and roads, houses and landscapes which survive from every period of our human past.

The Isle of Wight Historic Environment Action Plan draws on the programmes of Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) carried out by Vicky Basford. The HLC covers the whole Island and consists of a digital map displaying HLC types which represent the historic dimensions of the present day landscape.

The final HEAP Reports
are available to download see below:

The Isle of Wight HEAP Project commenced in June 2006 and the reports were completed by the end of March 2008.

Drawing on the successful model of the Isle of Wight Biodiversity Action Plan, the Isle of Wight HEAP has used a partnership approach and has established a Steering Group to oversee the preparation of the plan.

The Isle of Wight HEAP identifies areas of importance for archaeology, the historic landscape and the historic built environment and sets out strategies for their local management.

A key aim of the Isle of Wight HEAP is to promote community understanding, conservation, and management of the historic environment. The Project Officer has worked to make information on the historic environment available to local councillors, countryside managers, planners and the wider community. The work of the HEAP also included the promotion and support of specific community action projects connected with the historic environment.

The HEAP will feed into the Local Development Framework (The Island Plan). An agreed process of consultation with the Isle of Wight Council’s Planning Policy Team and with the public will ensure that the HEAP is robust and that it meets planning needs. The completed HEAP will be treated as background evidence in planning matters connected with the historic environment. In terms of general landscape management the HEAP will facilitate the assessment of Environmental Stewardship applications, woodland plans and proposals by the Council’s Countryside Section.

The following HEAP Reports have been prepared and can be downloaded from the Isle of Wight Council website, or contact Ruth Waller on 01983 82310 for paper copies as required.

To use the HEAP, first check which HEAP Area you are interested in on the map, then either open the HEAP for the Area you are interested in or look at the Isle of Wight Overview if you are interested in the Island as a whole. All objectives and actions from each HEAP Area are combined in the Vision, Aims, Objectives and Actions document.

Introduction to the HEAP (booklet)
Isle of Wight Overview HEAP
HEAP Vision, Aims, Objectives and Actions

Historic Routeways Type Report
Rural Settlement Type Report
Urban Settlement Type Report

Map of HEAP Areas

Arreton Valley HEAP
Atherfield Coastal Plain HEAP
Brading Haven and Bembridge Isle HEAP
East Wight Chalk Ridge HEAP
Freshwater Isle HEAP
Newchurch Environs and Sandown Bay HEAP
Northern Lowlands HEAP
South West Wight Coastal Zone HEAP
South Wight Downland Edge HEAP
South Wight Downland HEAP
South Wight Sandstone and Gravel HEAP
The Undercliffe HEAP
Thorley Wellow Plain HEAP
West Wight Chalk Downland HEAP
West Wight Downland Edge and Sandstone Ridge HEAP

References
Glossary

HEAP Steering Group Terms of Reference

The HEAP Project has been supported by the AONB Sustainable Development Fund and LEADER+.

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Page last updated on: 12/10/2009