| Zone | Valley form and drift geology | Land use | Frequency of mapped palaeochannels | Nature of palaeochannel record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upland (above Rugeley, Staffordshire) Figure 7 | Very narrow valley (<1km) with narrow sinuous channel; narrow alluvial floodplain with no gravel terrace. | Floodplain grassland | Very infrequent; none above Weston, Staffordshire | Narrow moisture-mark features within floodplain |
| Upper Middle (Rugeley to Nottingham) Figure 8 | Valley typically 13km wide, expanding to around 6km at a number of major confluence zones. Sinuous/meandering channel. Dominated by gravel terrace, particularly in confluence zones. Ratio of gravel to alluvium c. 2:1 | Predominantly arable, with significant floodplain grassland | Many smaller palaeochannels (3.2 channels/km²) | Cropmarks the largest group (5060%); floodplain depressions significant (c. 30%) |
| Lower Middle (Nottingham to Gainsborough) Figure 9 | Valley typically 25km wide with fewer major confluences; sinuous/meandering channel. Dominated by alluvium, with significant gravel terrace; ratio of alluvium to gravel c. 2:1 | Arable; some floodplain grassland | Fewer, broader palaeochannels (1.7 channels/km²) Cropmarks predominate (c. 70%); 1020% floodplain depressions | |
| Perimarine (below Gainsborough) Figure 10 | Broad, sinuous channel with occasional meander. Very broad and deep alluvial spreads; no gravel terrace | Arable often to channel margins | Very few channels (0.2 channels/km²) | Cropmarks and field boundaries only |
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Last updated: Tues Mar 20 2007