The Lough Navar and Ballintempo Uplands Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Broken plateau with rock outcrops, heath, intact blanket bogs, small loughs and valleys and special wilderness appeal.
• Dominant land cover of forestry plantations, with small areas of semi-natural woodland on rocky scarps and in valleys.
• A few surviving hill farms, with extensive rough grazing and small areas of improved grassland.
• Peat cutting widespread on blanket bog.
• Few working farms and forestry houses; many derelict farm houses.
• Neolithic monuments are a particular feature of the rocky plateau.
• Tourist facilities such as picnic areas, footpaths and viewpoints, with panoramic views of surrounding lowlands.

Landscape Description

These exposed uplands of west Fermanagh lying between 150 and 300 metres, have been carved out of a broken and undulating sandstone plateau. Different layers of grits, shales and limestones form escarpments, lough basins, rock ridges and the distinctive rock pinnacles of Big Dog and Little Dog. Limestone forms steep escarpments to the north, east and south, cut by deep glens, but to the west the land slopes gently. Conditions have favoured the formation of extensive blanket bog, which now covers much of the area. Much of this is planted with forestry in regular blocks of uniform age, masking the underlying features and varied terrain and enclosing farms. Unplanted areas are crucial in the appreciation of the landscape. These include turbary plots, nature reserves and hilltops unsuitable for the planting of trees. During the 19th century a significant farming population occupied sheltered valleys and patches of better soils. Many of these farms are now abandoned and the former field boundaries lost within forestry. Some continue to be worked, but overall the uplands are empty. The area has a concentration of Neolithic megaliths, standing stones, passageways and court tombs.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

Blanket coverage of much of this area with forestry has resulted in the landscape being dominated by plantations, hence obscuring pre- existing variations in natural vegetation, topography and cultural features such as old farms, fields and ancient monuments. In open areas, the terrain is broken by rocky outcrops and loughs, creating a varied landscape with swathes of trees interrupted with heather clad knolls, patches of native trees and loughs fringed by marsh and fen. Such unplanted areas are crucial to this landscape. Other minor pressures include wire fences replacing traditional boundaries along the side of roads; visitor pressures on viewpoints which are sensitive to erosion and peat cutting of the area's extensive bogs. Although the uplands are not currently threatened by development, such development would interrupt skylines and be detrimental to the open character of the area. Radio-masts would be similarly damaging, as long views are a feature of the landscape.

Principles for Landscape Management

• Improved siting and design of forestry plantations, favouring lower sites, smaller blocks and the inclusion of deciduous species especially along edges and on stream sides, would be beneficial.
• The retention of open areas of moorland, rocky knolls and prominent higher ground is crucial to the conservation of the character of this upland area. Settings to ancient monuments, attractive areas of natural vegetation, old farmsteads and areas of distinctive field patterns would be lost if obscured by further blanket forestry.
• The continuing conservation of nature reserves for particular wildlife including rare plant species would be beneficial.
• Turbary adds variety to the landscape but would be less damaging if carried out in small areas.
• Management of popular tourist destinations using (access, signage, interpretation) may be necessary if visitor pressures increase.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• Derelict farmsteads and abandoned housing sites could be restored or used as locations for new traditional style, small white painted stone cottages. There is little pressure for development.
• The conservation of open skylines in this upland landscape is important. New settlement or radio-masts on the tops of hills would be inappropriate to the area's landscape character.
• Tourist facilities such as car parks would be least intrusive if sheltered in natural hollows or amongst native vegetation.