Rural Lanes and Roads

The Reclaiming our Rural Highways project in the Dorset AONB has indicated the scope of the issues regarding the urbaniastion of rural roads and the loss of their essential countryside characteristics. The project looked at ways to reduce the clutter of signs and other artefacts, and to find means of improving driver behaviour without adding to those artefacts or creating further clutter.

This joint Dorset County Council and Dorset AONB initiative is establishing a protocol to guide the management of rural roads in harmony with landscape character and local distinctiveness and sense of place. This clearly has wider relevance and this AONB is actively involved with our colleagues extending the principles of reclaiming our rural highways throughout this AONB.

B3081 Landscape Apprasial

The B3081 runs from the junction between Boynes Lane and Shaftesbury Lane at Cann Common near Shaftesbury southwards to the junction with the A354 at Handley Hill. It is an attractive rural road which crosses the Wiltshire – Dorset border. It is located entirely within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB.

In 2009 the AONB commissioned The Landscape Practice to undertake a landscape appraisal of the view from the road to make an assessment of the landscape characteristics of the route and to record its current condition.