Upland Landscapes

• The physical landscape of the UK is due to geological processes over time

• Processes involved are:

  • Weathering: breakdown of rock in their original place

  • Mass movement: weathered material moving down slopes under the influence of gravity

  • Erosion, transportation and deposition by rivers

• Geologically the UK is split in half, with an imaginary boundary line running from the Tees estuary in the north-east of England to the Exe estuary in Devon

• We can split the UK into two main features, uplands and lowlands

Uplands - north west

• Glaciated during the last Ice Age, it is mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks

  • The uplands are found mostly in the north and west of the country: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and north England (e.g. Lake District, Grampian Mountains and Snowdonia etc.)

  • Climate is wetter and less fluctuating

Map of upland and lowland UK showing glacial limit and major rivers

Lowland Landscapes

Lowlands - south east 

• Not glaciated, but heavily influenced by glacial deposition and dominated by sedimentary rocks

• The lowlands are in the south and east of the UK: Central and southern England (e.g. Cotswolds, Norfolk and South Downs)

• Most cities are in lowland areas and along main river courses such as Liverpool on the Mersey, Bristol on the Severn estuary and River Avon etc.

• Climate is drier with a greater temperature range

Worked example

Which one of these terms would you be more likely to use for an upland landscape than a lowland one? 

(1 mark)

Answer:

• B - rugged means broken, rocky and uneven which is mostly seen in an upland landscape (1)

Human Activity & Landscapes

• The physical landscape of the UK has been heavily changed by human activity

• Settlements grew up where the landscape offered advantages such as:

  • Rivers - meanders in rivers provided good defence locations as well as transport links and fresh water

  • Natural harbours were sites for fishing and trading

  • Natural springs brought reliable freshwater

• Agriculture:

  • UK landscape has been changed through farming

    • Drainage ditches are built to drain water from low-lying land

    • Trees and hedges are cleared away to make room for large agricultural machinery

    • Small fields are combined to make it more profitable for farming but also to use large machinery

• Forestry:

  • Planting, managing and care of forest for conservation, natural windbreaks, landscaping, recreation and timber production

  • Many upland areas have been planted with trees, usually in straight lines, making it easier to manage