Design guide for houses: how buildings and settlements contribute to the character of the Blackdown Hills landscape.

Whether you are involved in building, extending or renovating a house in the Blackdown Hills, this guide
will help you to play a part in maintaining the unique character of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (now known as Blackdown Hills National Landscape) is truly a special place, with its ever-changing landscape and attractive, traditional villages. The buildings of the Blackdown Hills are an integral part of the patchwork of beauty and heritage which makes the area so special.

This is not chocolate box, stylised countryside – yes, we have the thatched cottages, the high-banked and wild flower-strewn hedged lanes, but also working farms and villages, smells and mess!

The advice in this guide can be applied to modern, cutting-edge development or to the restoration of very old houses. It is also forward looking, promoting sustainable construction and sensitivity to climate change – all from the starting point of thinking about the relationship between the landscape and buildings.

Good building design really matters, and decisions made today can help to maintain the quality of our built environment for generations to come. This guide gives homeowners, planners, architects and builders a brief and user-friendly tool for getting it right. It celebrates local building materials such as chert, and guides you through the architectural details which make up the distinctive style of the Blackdown Hills.