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 1–3km 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 (50–60%); floodplain depressions significant (c. 30%)
Lower Middle (Nottingham to Gainsborough) Figure 9	Valley typically 2–5km 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%); 10–20% 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