describe the character;

identify aesthetic and perceptual qualities;

assist in final decisions about division into character types and areas;

update and expand the database of desk study information;

contribute to the process of making judgements about the future of the
landscape.

Information should be recorded on a field record sheet designed specifically for the purpose. This encourages surveyors to make systematic observations and to record them in a consistent way. The contents of the field survey sheet (Figure 5.1) should normally includes space for:

a written description of the character observed at particular points or in certain
areas;

an annotated sketch;

a checklist of landscape elements and their significance;

a checklist of aesthetic and perceptual factors;

space for observations about the condition, sensitivity and management needs
of the landscape.

The space allowed for these may vary according to circumstances and record sheets must be individually tailored for each assessment.

A brief written description recorded in the field should capture the overall impression of landscape character. It should incorporate information about the elements that make up the landscape and the way that they interact together, and about the aesthetic and perceptual characteristics of the landscape. It is better to write too much, rather than too little at this stage, as these descriptions will be an invaluable source when preparing generalised descriptions for inclusion in final reports.

Checklists, which can be used for both landscape elements and aesthetic and perceptual factors, can be an important aide memoir for surveyors. They are simply a tool to encourage those who are carrying out the assessment to look carefully and rigorously at the landscape they are dealing with. They are certainly not a method of assessment in themselves and standard checklists should not generally be used as each situation is different. They can be very simple and selective, or they can be more complex, dealing for example with how conspicuous different elements are in the landscape.