Natural England commissioned extensive qualitative social research to provide baseline evidence of the cultural services and experiential qualities that landscapes provide.
It is generally recognised that England’s landscapes provide a range of ‘services’ which contribute to people’s quality of life, including spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment.
A key aim was to understand whether such services correlate to particular landscape characteristics or particular landscape features.
The detailed objectives for the study were to:
- Establish and refine evidence from national/regional public surveys and research through more focused work with the public in a selection of England’s National Character Areas.
- Make judgements about whether and how the findings correlate to particular landscape characteristics and relate to particular landscape features.
- Make recommendations on whether the outcomes could provide a sufficiently representative baseline that could be used either at national, regional or a National Character Area scale.
- Provide qualitative material that will aid in the updating of National Character Area descriptions and associated strategic objectives for the future.