Loughermore Hills Landscape

Key Characteristics

• broad ridges with rounded summits and wide, relatively shallow valleys
• homogeneous, large-scale mosaic of open moorland and conifer plantations on upper slopes and summits
• more finely grained mosaic of scrubby woodland, rough pasture and peaty marsh within larger valleys
• no buildings on upper ridges; a few scattered farms and cottages on the lower slopes bordering the valley pastures
• broken stone walls form a partial network on lower slopes
• derelict buildings
• peat cutting

Landscape Description

In broad terms, the Loughermore Hills are bounded to the west and south by the Rivers Faughan and Foreglen and to the east, by the River Roe. They overlook Lough Foyle to the north. The Loughermore Hills rise to 396m (Loughermore) with the surrounding hills averaging 280m. They are broad rounded ridges with shallow valleys and gently undulating slopes. Blanket bog stretches across the upper valley of the Burntollet River, with gleyed (waterlogged soils) pastures on the slopes alongside.

This is a relatively homogeneous landscape, with a simple, large scale pattern of moorland, bog and the conifer plantations of Loughermore Forest on the upper slopes. Within the valleys, patches of scrubby woodland and marsh form a more finely-grained landscape mosaic. There are sometimes the remnants of pastures on the margins of the moor, with partially broken stone walls, earthbanks and gappy hedgerows. Peat-cutting is an influence in the more accessible areas. It leaves geometric cuts and ridges, lowering the level of small blocks of moorland in relation to the surrounding land. The open moorland has an exposed, windswept character, but there are abrupt contrasts in the dark, enclosed landscape of the conifer plantations which cover extensive areas. The shapes of the plantations, and in particular the character of their edges, have a strong visual influence. Most are geometric blocks and they form hard, angular lines across the rounded slopes of the ridges.

The landform of those ridges with extensive conifer plantations often seems diminished in scale. The upper slopes are a remote landscape, with few roads and virtually no settlements. However, there are scattered farm buildings and small-holdings on fringes of the moorland. There are tracts of deciduous woodland in the gullies and steeper valleys on the margins of the Hills; those within the steep valley of the Burntollet River are particularly attractive and are managed as the Ness Wood Country Park and the Ervey Wood Country Park. The waterfall in Ness Wood is popular with visitors. Transmission masts are prominent elements in the landscape where they occur on the ridgetop summits

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

Much of the landscape is inaccessible and the most important pressure for change is from conifer plantations. Many of the older plantations have hard, angular edges, which can be a distracting, negative visual influence; there is enormous scope for improvement as these plantations are felled and replanted in due course. The open character and scale of the summits makes them sensitive to change. Any form of built development, and in particular upstanding elements such as transmission masts or wind farms, is likely to be visible from the surrounding lowland areas.

The lower margins of the hills are prominent in views from the A6 to the south and the A2 to the north and are sensitive to change, particularly from extensive built development. The individual dwellings on the southern slopes overlooking the Foreglen River are particularly visible and are a distinctive landscape element in this area, well-integrated within the pattern of fields and hedgerows.

Principles for Landscape Management

• broadleaf species may be used to soften some of the edges of Loughermore Forest and improve the integration of the plantations within the surrounding landscape.
• if large-scale mechanised peat cutting continues, the natural vegetation cover will be lost and the landscape will be badly scarred.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• the rural character of the prominent southern slopes of the hills overlooking the Foreglen River could easily be disrupted by extensive built development; any new buildings should be carefully sited and integrated into the landscape using native trees and existing hedgerows
• there may be scope for the restoration of derelict buildings and for the re-use of local building materials to convert existing farmsteads into modern dwellings