summary

 
©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001

LOCATION

This area follows the Gade valley and its side slopes from Hunton Bridge into Watford. The area also includes Whippendell Wood and Cassiobury Park.

 
©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

A narrow but marked river valley with the predominant influence from a combination of historic parkland and ancient woodland. Moderate slopes rise to either side with occasional dramatic open views across the valley. The eastern slopes of the area are mainly built-up and form part of Watford. The Grand Union Canal flows majestically through the area from whence there are views up to the parkland landscapes

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

• narrow valley floor with wide canal and wetland habitats
• historic parkland landscapes, some in declining condition
• historic houses set on the plateau edge looking over the valley
• arterial routes and M25 to north of area
• gently sloping valley sides with minor secondary valleys
• urban development hidden by vegetation or set back from the slopes
• major woodland complex at Whippendell Wood centred on narrow steep dry valley
• individual woods within parklands
• extensive public access to the south
• important mosaic of wildlife habitats adjacent to urban population

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

• canal locks and bridges
• former watercress beds at Cassiobury Park
• Grove Mill and mill race by canal

Grand Union Canal at Cassiobury Park (HCC Landscape Unit)

assessment

PHYSICAL INFLUENCES

Geology and soils. The soil pattern is relatively complex. On the side slopes to the north the soils are characterised by a mix of well-drained fine loamy over clayey soils and coarse and fine loamy over clayey soils with slowly permeable sub soils and slight seasonal waterlogging (Marlow series). The underlying geology is a combination of plateau and river terrace drift. To the south the soils include well-drained flinty coarse loamy and sandy soils over some gravels (Sonning 1 association). They cover the same geology as to the north, with the exception of the narrow valley of Whippendell Wood, where chalk is present. On the valley floor soils comprise shallow calcareous and non-calcareous loamy soils over flint gravel and small areas of peat (Frome series).

Topography. The valley floor varies between 200-300m wide. The side slopes rise up to the plateau edge and there is a subtle pattern of secondary valleys. To the west there is both a narrow plateau area and a narrow twisting chalk valley which form part of the Chilterns dip slope.

Degree of slope. . Valley slopes range between 1 in 10 and 1in 20. In the narrow western chalk valley, slopes locally reach 1 in 7. Along the river valley the gradient is less than 1 in 300.

Altitude range. Between 55-67m along the valley floor and 80-90m along the western ridge.

Hydrology. The River Gade and the Grand Union Canal combine along most of the valley producing a wide and sometimes majestic, slow-moving watercourse, e.g. at Grove Park. There are secondary channels, some of which act as millraces, and a number of weirs and locks. At Cassiobury Park the river and canal separate into a number of channels fringed with lush vegetation. There a number of now redundant watercress beds, some being managed by the Wildlife Trust. There are no significant streams or ponds on the slopes.

Land cover and land use. The primary land cover is parkland and woodland. In the parkland there has been a considerable shift towards recreation, golf, playing fields, and institutional uses from the traditional grazing pattern, which survives only locally, e.g.Hazelwood. Cassiobury Park extends into Watford and comprises a mix of informal park, semi-natural habitats and more urban leisure facilities.

Vegetation and wildlife. 

• Whippendell Wood (SSSI) is an ancient woodland site in the clay-with-flints region. Stands of oak, hazel, ash and sycamore are found on the calcareous loams in the damp valley bottoms, with areas of pure beech on the acidic upper slopes. Oak/hornbeam woodland is also present. The wood complex contains both high forest and coppice-with-standards, with hazel in the shrub layer, and holly, hawthorn, dogwood, wild cherry and occasional spindle. The ground flora is dominated by bluebell, honeysuckle and bracken and there are remnants of wild strawberry fields, now regenerating to birch/hazel scrub. The scarce coralroot bittercress is found in the woods. The woodland supports a diverse breeding bird community, including hawfinch and wood warbler. Plantations extend onto the plateau sides next to the parklands.
• The golf course on Jacotts Hill occupies a well-treed site, formerly ancient wood pasture, and contains a number of fine veteran trees. There are areas of acidic heathy grassland and ancient chalk pits with locally rare chalk grassland communities. The area is noted for important rare insects.
• The Gade has chalk spring sources which support areas of alder and willow swamp. The watercress beds by the River Gade are managed by the Wildlife Trust for nature conservation.
• The parklands contain small woodland plantations and significant numbers of mature and over-mature trees, including lime, oak, cedar, and pine. Hedges are variable, with the tallest to the east against the neighbouring urban areas.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

• Grove Park was the home of the Earls of Clarendon from the late 18th century to 1920. The original garden features include dual-level formal terraces with ponds, a sunken garden and a 4-acre walled garden of 1881. The wider park is being cleared and redeveloped as a golf course.
• Cassiobury Park is an extensive and varied park radiating from the site of the former Cassiobury House, demolished in 1927. In the 16th century the estate comprised a hunting park where Elizabeth I was once entertained. Following the Restoration, the grounds were laid out in the formal French style by Moses Cook, author of The Manner of Raising, Ordering and Improving Forest Trees. Little of the formal 17th-century grounds associated with the house remain. One notable exception is the towering avenue of limes, planted by Cook in 1672, crossing the golf course towards Whippendell Woods. Following the agreement of large sums of compensation, the Grand Union Canal was routed through Grove Park and Cassiobury Park. Humphrey Repton was employed by the 5th Earl of Essex in 1796 to create a widened canal, islands and associated water features at Cassiobury, which contribute so much to the current relaxed and elegant character of the park. The park was acquired as a 'people's park' for the population of Watford in the early 20th century. Clumps of Repton's trees still remain amid the leisure facilities.

Field pattern. The parkland areas have an open character. The majority of the boundaries to the parks are open or marked by rough fencing. Where present, the field pattern comprises irregular and small to medium fields.

Transport pattern. To the north the M25 Watford spur and the A41 are prominent features locally, severing the valley and parklands. Secondary roads follow the perimeter of the parkland boundaries, e.g.Grove Mill Lane. To the south there are no roads across the area. The Grand Union Canal flows through the entire area from north to south.

Settlements and built form. The parkland landscapes are

sparsely settled, apart from the houses and associated farmsteads. This has long been a very planned landscape. All the parks were recorded by 1766. There are also two major houses.

Langleybury School is early Georgian red brick with a stable block and distinctive cupola. Some of the later school extensions are visually discordant.

The Grove is a brick block constructed in 1720 and altered by Sir Robert Taylor in 1756. Within the park is an elegant stucco bridge over the canal and also an attractive grouping at Grove Mill.

The Grand Union Canal brought the Industrial Revolution to west Hertfordshire, however this part of the course has remained unaffected by industry

OTHER SOURCES OF AREA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

English Nature SSSI notification.

English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens.

Pevsner, N., rev. Cherry, B., Hertfordshire, Penguin (2000).

evaluation

VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION

The landscape is generally well contained from surrounding areas, with limited views from the edge of roads encircling the parks, the adjacent plateau and built-up areas. Within the area the landscape is compartmentalised, with a sense of containment in the parklands and confinement within Whippendell Woods. The M25 Watford spur severs the area north of The Grove. There is a good level of tranquillity to the south, particularly along the canal from The Grove to Cassiobury, while to the north the M25 and Euston railway line create notable noise intrusion.

Rarity and distinctiveness. A unique combination of parklands, formal canal and woodland complex close to a large population.

VISUAL IMPACT

The M25 and A41 and the attendant structures and garages degrade the northern section of the area, particularly where they cross the River Gade. The buildings of the area are generally appropriate to its character, whether canal-side cottages or large country houses

ACCESSIBILITY

There is extensive public access over the south of the area. There are two car parks in Whippendell Wood, but one is via a narrow and intimidating cul-de-sac. Towpath access along the canal is a major feature, with long-distance routes between Watford and Hemel Hempstead. Cassiobury Park is a well-known urban-fringe recreation facility and provides an important 'green lung' to the west of Watford. The two parklands to the north are much more private, with access only along the canal.

COMMUNITY VIEWS

Cassiobury Park is one of the county's most valued landscapes (A). Other areas, including the Whippendell Woods, are valued as distinctive (C).

Re. Cassiobury: 'the soil is stony, churlish and uneven .... exceedingley addicted to wood [the grounds] adorned with walks, ponds and other rural elegances ..... very handsome avenues of [black cherry trees]...' (John Evelyn's diary, 1680)

LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS

SSSI: Whippendell Woods.

Landscape Conservation Area (Whippendell Woods area).

English Heritage Grade II listing: Cassiobury Park.

guidelines

STRATEGY AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING CHANGE: IMPROVE AND CONSERVE

• prepare and implement restoration and management plans for historic parklands in conjunction with existing uses, including Jacotts Hill, Cassiobury Park and Grove Park. Schemes should fully address landscape, historic and ecological issues
• restore historically appropriate and high-quality boundaries to parklands
• promote recording and management of veteran trees for biodiversity value and visual amenity
• promote further tree planting to minimise the visual impact of the A41 and M1
• promote appropriate woodland management for distinct habitats, including high forest, coppice, coppice-with-standards and woodpasture. Re-establish a species-rich ground flora
• review public access arrangements to woodlands, including safety and car parks
• improve recreational opportunities and direct public access from adjacent settlements
• maintain local patterns of species diversity within woodlands
• promote education in the community about the historic and ecological importance and appropriate management of woodland
• seek to resolve conflicts arising from competing uses and activities in woodland
• protect river valley habitats of significant nature conservation interest and support initiatives for management for nature conservation, e.g. Cassiobury Park
• promote the use of low-density stock grazing as a management technique for valleys
• maintain and improve access along and to the Grand Union Canal
• promote crop diversification and the retention/restoration of mixed livestock/arable farming
• ensure all existing and proposed recreational land uses include appropriate measures to manage and enhance the existing landscape setting and historical and ecological value