The rolling wooded pasture landscape type is found around the margins of the Dorset Heaths. Although landcover varies, the areas are unified by remnant heathy patches within a well wooded landscape of pastures and dense hedgerows, shaping an intimate and rural landscape. Rempstone has a more agricultural character whilst towards Lulworth, the area has strong parkland character.

Landscape change

• Policy driven farming changes over the last seventy years have resulted in concentration of stock levels, limiting the availability of livestock to graze land of low agricultural, but high environmental value such as rough pastures.
• Some loss of hedgerow boundaries and particularly mature hedgerow trees.
• Loss of mature elms in 1970’s.
• Intensification in farming leading to drainage and improvement of permanent pastures.
• Historical planting of conifer plantations on heathland habitats.
• Traditional agricultural areas are likely to diversify, resulting in the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential or tourism uses and the establishment of secondary enterprises.
• Limited pressure for further expansion of settlement and new development threatening the character of the small villages and scattered farmsteads.
• Increasing road and military use could further diminish the rural tranquillity of the landscape.
• Pressure to upgrade roads through additional kerbing and signage to accommodate an increase in farm traffic size.
• Coppice management is economically unviable in many woodlands.
• Impacts arising from equine-related activities are becoming more widespread.