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Why we use Train Hugger

We are working towards B Corporation (BCorp) status, which balances profit against social sustainability and environmental performance. This aligns with our mission of putting purpose above profit.

One of the ways we contribute positively to our social and environmental impact, is by using Train Hugger for all our train travel bookings.

Train Hugger plant trees in the UK, but they also make sure to practise sustainability within their own company.

For every booking, Train Hugger contribute approximately a quarter of their revenue to restoring the UK’s natural world. Their mission is to restore 250 hectares of wild flower meadows, plant 10 million trees in the UK by 2025 & double UK woodland cover form 13% to 25%. Train Hugger have also partnered with Millwall F.C. amongst other businesses, who we’ve also worked with on their new training ground in Sevenoaks, Kent. The Millwall fans can book their travel to the matches and contribute to the Millwall forest by doing so.

We have had many trees, such as Weymouth Pine, Downy Birch & Blackthorne planted, it’s an intuitive and straightforward interface to use and we would recommend the company to anyone who travels by train!

The team tours Ebbsfleet

Last week EDLA visited Ebbsfleet (one of our training days).  Over the past few years we have been working on a community centre, sports areas and a green pocket park within Ebbsfleet, so have built up a good relationship with Simon and Emma, urban designers at EDC.  They very kindly took time out of their day to walk around with us, suggest areas to explore and discuss lessons learnt and future phases.  We are so grateful to them, and it was incredibly useful to see the various approaches taken to green space and street design in particular, and the types of events and ways residents are using the urban spaces which is ultimately what makes a thriving community.

A big thank you to Simon and Emma.

Kent Design Urban Design School Masterclass

Three of our landscape architects Michael, Sharanya and Kate attended the Kent Design Urban Design School masterclass this week organised by Design South East, collaborating with a range of architects, masterplanners, developers, planning consultants and planning officers.

Great networking, fun and stimulating discussion and a rare opportunity to debate the different points of view (and of course challenges) from different professional perspectives.

A big thank you to Design South East for running the session.

EDLA does Paris…

Paris is renowned for its beauty, particularly in the Spring. However, it also exudes so much charm during the summer, despite the scorching heat we experienced during our trip. So why did we embark on this adventure and decide to take our team away? (Or rather those who could make it, Jo and Richard were certainly missed.

Simply because our team deserved it. We had been through a demanding period of project work and it has been a strong year for us. This trip was our way of saying thank you and allowing the team to pause, recharge and reconnect. In this era of remote working and as we now operate from multiple locations, we feel it is important to get the team in person, in one place.

The trip was also an important chance for the team to recharge their imaginations and draw inspiration from Parisian urban design and thinking. The maintenance of Parisian parks and the thoughtfulness they put into their street materiality is impressive and something for the UK to learn from. And given how quick and easy it is to travel to Paris on the Eurostar, this beat most other options in the UK for us.

Our team explored, meandered and observed and came back feeling refreshed, thoughtful and energised.

Here’s a glimpse of what unfolded during our trip:

We arrived in Paris at 11:30 am, greeted by a light drizzle. Undeterred, we made our way to the enchanting Passage des Panoramas, a collection of covered arcades adorned with exquisite shops, art galleries, and delightful eateries and cafes. En route, we couldn’t resist stopping at Donald’s favourite patisserie, Carton, near Gare du Nord, renowned for winning the prestigious “Best Croissants 2022” award. Sipping coffee and savouring pastries under the canopy, we indulged in people-watching and soaking up the cultural vibe.

Next on our itinerary was a leisurely stroll through the Passage des Panoramas. Succumbing to the lure of culinary delights, over a typically French lunch set menu (you know the type that is accompanied by baskets of sliced baguette…) we took the time to connect with each other. Afterwards, we decided to meander towards Pigalle, where we visited the basketball court open to all- a vibrant collaboration between Pigalle and Nike. After exploring Pigalle further, we made our way back to the hotel.

We chose Paris for our team away destination partly because of its aim to become the ‘greenest city in Europe’, with an ambitious tree planting scheme and the creation of three urban forests in the east of the city by 2030. An aim launched in 2019 by the re-elected Council.

It’s always fascinating to see and be inspired by how other cities are responding to the global emergency. By 2030, the authorities want 50 per cent of the city to be covered by planted areas, whether parkland or green rooftops. Including a target of 170,000 new trees, including 20,000 on inner-city streets.

So, it was very interesting for the team to see how much this green vision had become a reality and to learn of some of the challenges and oppositions to it, most notably from motoring organisations and some residents.

Paris’s famous allure lies in its meandering streets, where hidden squares, charming parks, and exquisite churches await discovery.

Although there is much still to do, the changes are evident and we felt the city boasts a harmonious approach to biodiversity and green spaces, evident through its integrated planting schemes and informational boards designed for both residents and tourists.

Following a brief rest at our hotel, just minutes away from Notre Dame, we gathered for a drink before embarking on a stroll along the Seine, taking in the scenic Parc Rives de Seine. We enjoyed the talented buskers playing along the riverbanks at sunset. After dinner, some of us then ventured to a jazz club, descending into a small basement adorned with exposed brick walls, where we spent the rest of the evening being entertained by some very upbeat jazz.

Paris’s famous allure lies in its meandering streets, where hidden squares, charming parks, and exquisite churches await discovery.

The following morning, we stumbled upon a cosy breakfast spot next to the Jardin du Luxembourg gardens, where French toast was specially served for our Graduate Landscape Architect, Jaya, a first-time visitor to Paris!

We then proceeded to explore the grandeur of Jardin du Luxembourg, an impressive formal garden, before continuing our journey to the Promenade Plantée. This former viaduct transformed into a lush linear park offered a unique and inspiring experience for all the team. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jun/07/paris-promenade-plantee-free-elevated-park-walkway-bastille-bois-de-vincennes

After a few delightful stops for ice cream and refreshing iced coffee, our trip culminated at the Tuileries Gardens. With a couple of hours of free time at hand, everyone pursued their own interests—whether it be sightseeing, sketching, renting a bike, or more sightseeing.

Ultimately, we reconvened on the Eurostar, rather hot and slightly sunburned(!), arriving back in the UK a more exhausted but relaxed team, with lots of inspiration for our own projects.

Stephen Lawrence Day: A Reminder of the Urgent Need for Diversity and Inclusion in Leadership.

In response to the skills shortage report, we ask, does LI need a rebrand?

Public realm is designed by men, for men. What does this mean for women today? Listen to the podcast now.

Eleanor and our Consultant Jade Goto were delighted to take part in a recent episode of Talking Landscape, a podcast from the Landscape Institute and Open City. This episode discussed how public space has been designed by and for men, and how this can have potentially deadly consequences for women. Listen to it here: What public space designed for men, means for women – Open City | Podcast on Spotify

This is a follow-on discussion from an article we wrote on the same subject for the Autumn edition of the Landscape Journal, ‘Designing for gender equality. Celebrating 100 years of women in landscape architecture

As Eleanor says, ‘We simply need to create a safer and more welcoming space for all.’

Gender Inclusive Design- Discussion for the Journal of the Landscape Institute

In a recent edition of the Journal for the Landscape Institute, the EDLA team was asked to discuss how gender influences design. The full article is extracted below or the link to the excellent full edition here (Our article is on pages 60-61).

Article begins:

Jade Goto opened the discussion by saying, “I live, work and exist in a world that has been designed by men, for men.” She continued, “women’s voices and differences in female physicality have been marginalised or ignored by a patriarchal society and it is only very recently it is occurring to people that this matters.”

”Perhaps more shocking is that this male bias is still at work in all our lives. Research by Caroline Criado Perez for her book ‘Invisible Women‘ [1] demonstrates this. The research shows that the entire world has been designed to work best for the average male. According to Perez, this happens in all aspects of modern life. Until very recently, even the regulatory size for the car crash test dummy….was designed to best fit the male body.’

Whilst the panel emphasised this complexity, simple solutions suggested included more lighting, more open and community spaces, and wider pavements and avenues. Smarter infrastructure in parks, such as adequate lighting, CCTV, clear sightlines, plus the position of the toilets, multiple exits, and an open feeling to prevent entrapment were also felt to make a huge difference. These are examples, and as with all design, there should be some care in the way these principles are applied: for example, greater levels of lighting can have an impact on wildlife, wider pavements can alter the character of streets, sightlines can change the intimacy of space.

“I live, work and exist in a world that has been designed by men, for men”

Eleanor Trenfield explains, “from their early teens, females are often inadvertently made to feel uncomfortable in public spaces or to feel that these spaces are not for them. Take, for example, the work that Make Space for Girls is doing to raise the profile of this issue and campaign for more inclusive design in parks for teens, where most play provision is aimed at boys. Take the Fields in Trust Guidance, on which most local authorities now base their play requirements. This does not even acknowledge that boys and girls use open space differently and proposes sports uses that will be primarily used by boys”.

EDLA’s current project, Oxted Quarry, Surrey, illustrates how public realm can be designed in a way that is welcoming and engaging to all. The project which would provide 75 new homes and 57 acres of parkland created within a lime quarry, has been influenced by the principles of safety for women and proposes wide pathways, clear sightlines, and adequate lighting which is mindful of ecological concerns.

Georgia Timpson argues that “public realm needs to be designed so women can be seen but not watched”. This may take the form of ‘natural surveillance, such as street vendors, other residents and passers-by. High boundary walls that block people off, or dark unlit areas without exits, ultimately increase the risk of danger to women. This was also something that was considered in EDLA’s Oxted scheme.

The second aspect discussed by the panel was the belief that if women had been at the helm, space would have been designed to be more conducive to collective social and community experiences. The panel considered how women typically lean into each other and bond together and felt that design could be used more effectively to bring people out of their houses, build communities and encourage cohesion. Simple ideas recommended by the group include the use of a circular seating design that creates central open meeting spaces, spaces with natural shade for baby changing, and spaces that are accessible to prams as well as people with disabilities – automatically encouraging more inclusivity.

The third aspect that the participants felt would have been different was the celebration of softness in design. It was felt currently that angularity and strength was more respected than gentler, softer solutions. This has an impact on both the design for children and how nature is seen and used in space-making; both are rarely considered. An approach that tackles this is Commissioners Road, Strood. In this project, EDLA was commissioned to design public open space, with a wealth of green and blue infrastructure including creative play areas. The scheme connects nature to the new homes for people and children in the area by using the existing topography to create a site-specific response to play. The use of natural play elements such as wood, stone, sand, and plants also foster creative play among children, while blending cohesively into the surroundings.

“Women typically lean into to each other and bond together”

These design elements not only serve young people but also increase the scheme’s biodiversity gains.

Jade believes that ‘if women were present in all the professions that create space, nature would have historically been much higher on the agenda. As I believe women would have more instinctively known the benefits that integrating the natural environment in public spaces offers to communities”.

The group ended the discussion considering the part that education plays. Eleanor said:

“Until we change how we are taught, challenge the syllabus, and do much more to encourage and retain women in professions historically considered ‘male’ to broaden the range of voices present, then the status quo will never change.”

Imagination, adventure and risk should be at the heart of all playschemes.

A world of pure imagination.

As school children enjoy their summer holidays, EDLA Landscape Architects Georgia Timpson and Eleanor Trenfield discuss why imagination, adventure, and risk should be at the heart of all playschemes

This week saw National Playday celebrated, a day organised by charity and campaign group Playday to celebrate play, and support the right of every child and young person to have the time to play, and as importantly, the right space to do it in.

Playday maintains that play is essential for children and young people’s physical and mental health, for building relationships, for dealing with challenges, and for coping with stress. It also allows children to test their limits and learn about risk. Which is a key life skill.

Recent research supports Playday’s views and suggests that risky play has many benefits and is associated with children’s wellbeing, involvement, and physical activity (Sando et al, 2021) as well as improved abilities to perceive and assess risks (Lavrynsen et al, 2017). As children experiment with what their bodies can do, they gain confidence and intuition about what is and isn’t manageable and safe. Research has also demonstrated that risky play can lead to increased social interactions, creativity and resilience, and decreased aggression

As children experiment with what their bodies can do, they gain confidence and intuition about what is and isn’t manageable and safe. Research has also demonstrated that risky play can lead to increased social interactions, creativity and resilience, and decreased aggression

But when anyone says risk, it immediately conjures up thoughts of ‘danger’. But this is too limiting.

As Georgia Timpson, EDLA’s Assistant Landscape Architect, says, ‘Risky play doesn’t have to be dangerous; it just has to be non-prescriptive.’ For example, a tumbling water feature, on a boat with sand and pulleys is arguably riskier than a single slide in a fenced-off, rubber matt floored playground. But the potential it gives for adventure and imagination and most importantly a different experience each time it’s played with, far outweighs the risk that these materials may pose. In fact, it is these experiences that could be the spark that ignites the water engineers of the future.

The value of interesting, exciting but safe play areas for both children, and the community they live in cannot be underestimated. We need to allow children to explore the world (unharmed) but realistically. Never is this more important that now particularly now, after a pandemic that saw playgrounds shut and children stopped from any outdoor play for many months.

It is important that we grab the future and freedom we now have again and build spaces that let our young people run as naturally free as possible.

“As designers, we should be doing all we can to demonstrate the beauty and enhancement that adventurous play schemes offer. As well challenging the status quo and cross-industry risk-averse approach”, explains Eleanor Trenfield, EDLA Co-Director.

Eleanor is quick to clarify that there is no blame being apportioned, “Ultimately everybody wants to keep children safe, and nobody wants to be liable for a child being hurt,’ she says, “But what we need to see is a wholesale culture change that enables more creative playgrounds to be created that enhances people’s lives.”

Positively, however, she has seen signs that things are changing, ‘We are beginning to see our clients push for more naturally designed and imaginative spaces as they understand it as a benefit and offers an attractive addition to their schemes.”

As Playday puts it, we need to see, a “Space that offers more play, better play, every day!”

“As designers, we should be doing all we can to demonstrate the beauty and enhancement that adventurous play schemes offer. As well challenging the status quo and cross-industry risk-averse approach”, explains Eleanor Trenfield, EDLA Co-Director.

“As designers, we should be doing all we can to demonstrate the beauty and enhancement that adventurous play schemes offer. As well challenging the status quo and cross-industry risk-averse approach”

Georgia agrees. After a recent professional trip to Bavaria, Germany, with renowned play space builders and designers, Timberplay, she returned energised and inspired to inject imagination, challenge and risk in her future playscape designs.

She argues, “The idea that risk is beneficial in play comes from the inviable fact that life is risky and thus children need to learn how to manage this. If children aren’t exposed to any risk as they develop physically, socially, and mentally, they will not learn important self-protecting strategies.”

Or to put it another way, telling a child, ‘Not to climb that’ ‘or that’s too heavy for that’ or ‘don’t walk on that wobbly bridge, you may fall’ (all things that parents naturally do) doesn’t make them understand how to use their bodies and brains to mitigate against hazards. Allowing children to understand their limits, to test themselves and as importantly to use their imaginations to solve problems (and fail) in relatively safe environments is so important.

Bavarian play company Richter Spielgerate sums it up with their philosophy of, ‘design as much play value as possible, and as much safety as necessary.

This essentially means working cleverly within the currently very strict safety regulations and pushing the boundaries to offer as much enriching adventure in the space as possible.

“The idea that risk is beneficial in play comes from the inviable fact that life is risky and thus children need to learn how to manage this

Similarly incorporating as many naturalistic elements into designs goes hand in hand with creative, risky schemes, and offers the added benefit of connecting children to nature. An important extra element that contributes to self-esteem and mental wellbeing. Studies suggest that traditional playgrounds with swings and slides afford the fewest opportunities for risky play, whilst more natural play areas utilising materials such as wood and ropes, allow for the most challenging play (Lee, 1999).

Things that EDLA would like to see more of (whilst accepting it will not be appropriate for all play spaces) include:

• Natural materials, to connect children to the natural world and reduce plastic use in equipment
• Loose materials including sand and water, to allow children to build and manipulate the environment around them
• Loose, naturalistic flooring like pea gravel and woodchip rather than wet pour rubber crumb, to improve the drainage of playground surfaces and reduce the surface impact
• No fencing, open access play spaces, to create welcoming spaces that can form part of the wider landscape
• Play that is accessible in a subtle manner, to allow children of all different types of abilities to play in the same space, in a way that is not belittling or differential
• Equipment that is exciting time after time, and can be used in different ways, so children use it repeatedly and never get bored.
• Creative play design which stimulates children’s imaginations.

Schemes that we believe do all of this extremely well include the Diana Memorial Park Playground, and Salute Playground, which is the largest playground in Moscow.

One feature that is particularly notable in the Diana Memorial Park was that the playground was specially designed to create an area where less able and able-bodied children can play together and seeks to provide for the physical, creative, social, and educational development of all.

Which is another positive proponent of newer and more adventurous play spaces.

Willy Wonka, in Roal Dahl’s Charlie and Chocolate Factory, tells his golden ticket winners (and through them all people in the world), ‘There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination.’

Good advice for us all to remember when we are creating and building play schemes for our vibrant and colourful communities and the inventors, engineers, scientists, and explorers of the future.

• Ann Lavrysen, Els Bertrands, Leene Leyssen, Lieve Smets, Anja Vanderspikken & Peter De Graef (2017) Risky-play at school. Facilitating risk perception and competence in young children, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25:1, 89-105, DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2015.1102412
• Brussoni, M.; Gibbons, R.; Gray, C.; Ishikawa, T.; Sandseter, E.B.H.; Bienenstock, A.; Chabot, G.; Fuselli, P.; Herrington, S.; Janssen, I.; Pickett, W.; Power, M.; Stanger, N.; Sampson, M.; Tremblay, M.S. What is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 6423-6454. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120606423
• Lee, S.-H. (1999). The cognition of playground safety and children’s play – a comparison of traditional, contemporary, and naturalized playground types. In M. L. Christiansen 19 (Ed.), Proceedings of the international conference of playground safety. Pennsylvania: Penn State University: Center for Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation Research.

English Viticulture- our new landscape.

‘It is said that in wine there is truth’, (In vino veritas), and it seems fitting that during English Wine Week, taking place until Sunday (26 June), we raise a glass and discuss the impact of this dynamic and exciting new UK industry on our landscape.

Viticulture, the growing of grapevines, is an expanding market within UK crop production. According to the National Association for British and Welsh Wine Industry, there are over 700 vineyards (of which about 540 are commercial) ranging in size from small plots to large well-known wine producers. In total there are over 160 wineries producing world-class internationally award-winning sparkling, white, rose, and red wines.

A huge proportion of these are located in Sussex and Kent due to the chalky soil conditions and in recent times much warmer weather, which offers a good environment for grape growing. This is evolving our agricultural landscapes in a really interesting way, evolving from crops and grazing land that may offer more in the way of food security, to something that has more appeal, profile, and profit-making potential, particularly when aligned with the tourism aspects that viticulture can offer.

But it’s a tough industry that favours the brave, with annual success or failure heavily connected to the weather. But clearly a very successful industry with many high-profile new vineyards coming forward including one by Taittinger outside of the village of Chilham, a few miles from our Canterbury studio.

However, Viticulture has been accused of not doing enough to minimise carbon pollution and offset its emissions. Renowned viticulturalist Richard Smart poses this question in his article ‘Are Winemakers Environmental vandals?’ And as the National Farmers Union has set a net-zero goal for UK farming by 2040, what is the industry doing to minimise its impact?

EDLA colleagues Jade Goto, Georgia Timpson, and Eleanor Trenfield discuss the changing nature of our agricultural land and offer ideas for how we mitigate the environmental consequences of these new crops.

Our backgrounds and experience

Living in Kent and the Sussex Downs the emergence of high-quality vineyards in our surrounding areas is something we have observed with professional interest. In 2019, Jade undertook an extensive course at Plumpton College on the Principles of Vine Growing, to expand her theoretical and practical knowledge of Viticulture and also to gain a better understanding of the changes that she was witnessing across the landscape.

Because of the location of EDLA, much of the team’s understanding of Viticulture has come through observation of the surrounding landscape, including within The South Downs National Park (SDNP). The SDNP currently holds the largest percentage of vineyards in the UK, due to its soil, aspect, and climatic makeup. It is also one of the most sensitive landscapes, of the highest national designation in policy terms, so how the tensions are managed here is interesting to observe.

Living in Kent and the Sussex Downs the emergence of high-quality vineyards in our surrounding areas is something we have observed with professional interest.

Jade’s study coincided with a project that EDLA was engaged in, which combined the design of a small vineyard to be used as an educational resource as part of a wine importer’s new headquarters in Ashford (‘The Vinorium’).

The Vinorium proposed Concepts (Courtesy of Holloway Studios)

Our aim at EDLA is to support new vineyard projects from inception, so that we can advise on landscape sensitivities regarding the developments as a whole, collaborating with specialist viticulturists, to create schemes that will be optimal for the growers and producers, whilst having a positive impact, environmentally and visually, on the surrounding landscape, and support the thriving of our landscapes into the future.

How has Viticulture changed our landscape?

Historically, the South Downs and Kent landscapes have been farmed. The animals grazed and the crops grown have changed over time and this, in turn, has shaped the landscape. Both geographical and socio-economic aspects have influenced what and how humans have chosen to farm in this area and this point in history is no different. Climate change has seen temperatures rise and today’s agricultural industry has responded to this by adapting the crops that are grown.

Vineyards themselves do not physically appear to be very different to other forms of fruit production, however, it is the associated recreational aspects and income streams associated with the vineyards that will have a greater impact on how our landscapes are perceived and experienced. They also provide various employment opportunities, from picking to more skilled tourism-related employment.

In recent years, Viticulture has grown significantly. A 2021 research piece, undertaken by Vinescapes, estimated the scale of growth at a ‘90% increase in vineyard coverage in the South Downs National Park since 2016, with approximately five new vineyards planted every year.

“Climate change has seen temperatures rise and today’s agricultural industry has responded to this by adapting the crops that are grown.”

At this rate, the prediction is that the UK wine industry will continue to increase rapidly, with up to 34% of the South Downs National Park being suitable land for the growing of grapes. This is not confined to Sussex. Viticulture is one of the fastest-growing areas of agriculture across the UK.

The reason that the UK has not historically been a serious contender in the global wine industry, is that in the past is that the conditions for vine growing were not favourable. With increasing temperatures, the South Downs and parts of Kent now offer a similar growing climate to Champagne, which is ideal for sparkling wines.

With the recent news that Sussex wines have just been awarded protected status, joining Champagne and Burgundy, The South Downs is set to become an even bigger huge player on the Viticultural stage.

What is the bigger picture environmental impact of the growth of viticulture?

Viticulture has many of the same environmental impacts as any large-scale agronomical production. The creation of a vineyard still requires the removal of existing vegetation, and the implementation of a carefully controlled monoculture which is often maintained using a wide variety of pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. If you have ever seen a landscape dominated by vineyards, you will know how much physical alteration must go into the landscape in order to facilitate successful vine growth. Terraces into hillsides, drainage channels into valleys.

There is also the CO2 released into the air from fermentation to be accounted for, a study that looked at the strength of carbon emissions created during the wine fermentation found that a litre of juice produces 60 litres of carbon dioxide. Leading the study was Roger B. Boulton, a Professor in Chemical Engineering and Viticulture. He said, “As a winemaker, if you want to be a serious leader in sustainability then you have to capture your carbon emissions – a good way to do this is to turn it into chalk,”.

He goes on to cite that Spanish wine giant Torres has led the way in developing technology that successfully captures and transforms the carbon dioxide created during fermentation via its CCR (Carbon Capture and Reuse) programme.

Biodynamic viticulture considers the ecosystem surrounding the vineyard. Lunar cycles, soil health, biodiversity and natural pest control are all cornerstones of the biodynamic method.

Despite the challenges, there are some fantastic methods of growing grapes for wine that are becoming more popular. However, this is understandably a niche decision that does not have large-scale commercial traction, given that the margins between success and failure of a harvest can be so slim.

Biodynamic viticulture considers the ecosystem surrounding the vineyard. Lunar cycles, soil health, biodiversity and natural pest control are all cornerstones of the biodynamic method. Livestock are used to manage weeds, and grassland around the vines and provide natural fertilizer; the lunar cycle dictates the growth and harvest cycle rather than the demands of the grower. Space is given for wild growth, and irrigation is kept to a minimum.

With any form of agriculture, there has to be an ongoing awareness and understanding of how our use of the land can have a negative impact on the natural environment. Wildlife habitats, the soil and the water courses need protection.

This needs to be a major part of the design process and the thinking behind any new venture. This high-level awareness of ecological factors then needs to continue into the future management and maintenance of these developments.

Overall, outside of climate consequences, the negative impacts of viticulture are the same as any other agriculture practice that creates a monoculture that is overly managed.

What landscape factors need to be considered in the selection of sites and production?

An understanding of the specific site, its constraints and opportunities and the landscape character is essential, as is an in-depth look at the potential economic investment and rewards. The quality of a wine will depend on the site, climate, vine and rootstock variety and viticultural practices. The most crucial decisions when creating a Vineyard include where and what you plant.

The microclimate of a site is assessed on temperature, frost risk, sunshine and rainfall. Site-specific influences on vine growth are the aspect, altitude, topography, wind exposure, surrounding landscape features and the soil. But temperature is the most principal factor in cool climate viticulture and the site will ideally fall within the upper and lower temperature range of 10-20c. The temperature of a site will influence the species chosen.

The climate of a site is evaluated on three levels; Macroclimate, that of region or country; Mesoclimate, that of area or field and Microclimate, the space immediately around the plants’ leaf canopy.

Frost can be managed passively, before the risk of frost to prevent damage or actively, during a frost. Passive management can include low-risk site selection, cold air drainage, a later budding cultivar of vine and pruning height. Active frost protection includes wind fans and electric cables.

The quality of a wine will depend on the site, climate, vine and rootstock variety, and viticultural practices. The most crucial decisions when creating a Vineyard include where and what you plant.

Sunshine hours will affect the growth success of Vitis vinifera and the ideal aspect for slopes is south-facing. 1250 hours of sunshine are required to ripen the fruit and sunshine hours decrease as you move away from the South coast, if the site is near to a large city or if the site is shaded.

The UK produces more rain than is required by the vines, so here drainage is more important than irrigation. This can be done by improving the soil structure and creating ditches and drains.

Wind protection is important, as a windbreak will improve the micro-climate temperature and reduce wind damage. However, it is important that the windbreak does not shade the plants or increase frost risk. If trees are being planted as a windbreak, they must be planted several years before the vines. Tree planting is also a good opportunity for wildlife corridors.

In 2021, the South Downs National Park Authority published a planning TAN (Technical Advice Note) to guide prospective vineyard developers on planning matters. This document outlines the wider context of vineyard development, rather than the site specifics. It states that Viticulture is both a form of farming and a new enterprise. The South Downs has always been a living, working landscape that supports local communities but one that needs to be protected from any adverse impact of a new industry.

The long-term outcomes for this particular area, focus on conserving and enhancing the landscape’s natural beauty and character, wildlife habitats, soil and water and tree management. The development of new vineyards needs to join up with these strategies. The thinking and planning from inception need to be aware and sensitive and if this is done correctly, hopefully, the adverse effects of viticulture will be minimised and the overall impact on the surrounding landscape and communities will be one that is beneficial.

What visual impact do vineries have on the landscape?

The vineyards that can now be seen as you drive through the countryside, are reminiscent of journeys through Europe. As well to the visual aspect, there is also the human and economic aspect. Conversations with people who work at, dine at, tour and buy from local vineyards have become a frequent part of daily life.

There are bigger considerations than just the vineries though, as many vineyards are also associated with visitor centres and tourism.

By the nature in which vines are grown, in upright rows, only about 20% of any vineyard floor is the vine plant. Traditionally, the land between the vines is grass or wildflowers. The vineyard alleys are a prime area for considered planting of wildflowers and grasses that will enhance biodiversity. In addition to these wildlife strips, hedges, trees and soil-enhancing planting are living elements that can be incorporated into the landscape design. Therefore, the soft visual aspect of the vineyards, if planted traditionally, can have a natural beauty.

The vineyards that can now be seen as you drive through the countryside, are reminiscent of journeys through Europe.

If the vines can be laid out in smaller, appropriately located areas, rather than dominating a landscape that may have experienced largescale field pattern loss, they can be designed to seamlessly merge with the surrounding landscape and maintain open vistas.

However, in terms of the infrastructure that is required for the winemaking process, visitor centres, accommodation etc; the site needs to be considered both contextually and holistically with a sympathetic, landscape-led approach to the positioning of the visitor facilities, roads and wine-making infrastructure. For each project, a specialist team needs to work closely together to create a sensitive thoughtful design that reduces the impact on the natural landscape.

When done well, these vineyards have the ability to bring in gentle tourism that connects people to the landscape, increases employment, educates and ideally works in tandem with the natural environment.

As long as there is a balanced and environmentally considered approach, we are sure that Dionysus, son of Zeus and the God of Wine, would join us in celebrating the growth of the UK wine industry and the transformation of the landscape around us.

We will drink to that! Cheers.

Wine Favourites of the Contributors:

Eleanor’s favourite tipple is Chapeldown’s English Rose, (it brings back happy memories of her wedding), Jade is partial to Wiston Estate Brut and Georgia’s go-to is grape is Barnesole Classic Reserve, as she grew up next to the vineyard.

We'd be interested to hear about your projects and ideas, do get in touch.

office@edla.co.uk
01227 490485

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