Cuilcagh and Marlbank Landscape

 
Key Characteristics

• Karst landforms of limestone cliffs, pavements, gorges and caves, with peat moorland on gritstone summits.
• Rough grazing on slopes; forestry and extensive peat cutting on moors.
• Rich botanical interest; limestone and blanket bog habitats of exceptional value and semi-natural gorge and scarp woodlands.
• Sparsely populated; small houses are associated with farms and buildings are prominent in the open landscape.
• Prehistoric field boundaries and important archaeological sites, including megalithic tombs, cairns, cashels and raths.
• Important area for tourism with impressive views from higher ground.

Landscape Description

The south-west corner of Fermanagh includes the only true mountain in the area (Cuilcagh at 665m) and has some of the most dramatic countryside in the district. Underlying carboniferous strata dip to the south and west and the Upper Limestone forms a magnificent escarpment, riddled with potholes and caves. There are also dry valleys, limestone pavements and gorges, with prominent rounded hills known as 'reef knolls' rising above the land surface. Impermeable flagstones and shales form the long broken slopes of the Cuilcagh Mountain.

There is a rich variety of vegetation, with montane grassland and blanket bog on the grits and fine species-rich dry grassland on the limestone. Poorly drained hollows on the limestone reflect the presence of boulder clay. Hazel scrub grows in irregular patches on steeper limestone slopes but there is a more luxuriant woodland cover at sink-holes. Agricultural activities and scrub clearance have resulted in some loss of the diversity of habitats. Heather, cotton grass and sedges predominate on the peat uplands and extensive areas of blanket bog have been cut mechanically.

Field enclosures are traditionally small but most have been enlarged to incorporate the existing prehistoric boundaries. Broken dry stone walls subdivide the limestone slopes, with hedgerows lower down and open fenceless moors above. The area is sparsely populated with a number of farms on the lower scarp slopes. It is rich in historic interest and the dramatic scenery, caves and the area's botanical interest have long attracted visitors. Florence Court Estate adds another element of diversity to the landscape.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

This predominantly natural landscape is in good condition and is highly sensitive to change. Apart from its outstanding scenic qualities, the area is rich in archaeological, historic and ecological interest. Pressures for change include the neglect of dry stone walls, dereliction of isolated cottages and farms, expansion of commercial forestry and peat cutting, which is damaging upland bogs. New development and forestry plantations are not always well integrated with the existing landscape character but the area is coping relatively well with the pressures exerted by tourism. A Natural History Park has been developed to manage sustainable tourism.

Principles for Landscape Management

• The repair of distinctive limestone dry stone walls, particularly along roadsides is preferable to their replacement with fences.
• The conservation of the limestone pavement habitats and the avoidance of any damage through overgrazing, stone removal and the use of chemicals to improve the land or afforestation is critical. Small disused limestone quarries make interesting features and habitats.
• The monitoring of peat cutting on the uplands will help to avoid widespread damage to moorland landscapes and underground water tables.
• Forestry is not considered to be an appropriate land use for this area.
• The control of water pollution in limestone areas is important as it may influence sensitive underground solution systems and springs.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• Radio-masts would be visually intrusive in these prominent uplands.
• The area has limited capacity for development; new buildings would be intrusive on the exposed higher ground, where there are sensitive skylines. Some scattered housing may be accommodated on lower slopes.
• Small-scale, white stone cottages, in sheltered sites are characteristic of the area; new development which reflects these characteristics may be accommodated relatively easily on lower slopes, particularly if native hedgerow species or drystone walls are used to link boundaries with local field patterns.
• The use of treed or walled former housing sites is preferable to the restoration of derelict buildings.
• The siting and design of tourist facilities requires careful consideration in this sensitive landscape; the use of limestone in buildings and surfacing is recommended.