©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
| Landscape Character Assessment | HertsDirect | Environment | |||
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©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
This area runs from Moor Park in the west to Carpenters Park in the east. Oxhey lies to the north and South Oxhey to the south.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
The area is linear in form and constrained by residential development on the majority of its perimeter. The land use is predominantly recreation with a strong influence from golf courses, both current and disused. The undulating landform and areas of native copses and small woodlands within the landscape combine to create a contained and relatively quiet landscape character despite the proximity of extensive residential settlement.
Oxhey Warren lime avenue (J. Billingsley)
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Geology and soils. The underlying geology of the area comprises Tertiary clay overlaid by the Windsor series of slowly permeable and seasonally waterlogged soils with some brown subsoils. A significant feature is local areas of fine loamy and silty soils over the clays, which give rise to a lighter soil type indicated by place names, such as Oxhey Warren.
Topography. A gently undulating area of ground generally falling from the elevated Oxhey Woods to the south and the Colne Valley to the north. Locally there are some secondary valleys across the slope, e.g. Big Wood, where there is also a disused quarry
Degree of slope. Typically between 1 in 30 and 1 in 50. Locally up to 1 in 8 in the secondary valleys.
Altitude range. 60m to 83m.
Hydrology. A number of small streams run off the slopes to the north, west and east towards the river Colne. Some of the streams are incorporated as ditch features within the Sandy Lodge golf course. Two streams, including Oxhey stream,flow northwards adjacent to the defining railway embankments.
Land cover and land use. The majority of the land cover is recreational grassland used for both golf course and playing fields. The central area is occupied by a disused golf course that is now an extensive area of informal public open space.
Vegetation and wildlife. Most of this area is grassland of variable quality depending on the management practice. There are smaller areas of rough, grassland and scrub where features such as electricity pylons and landform restrict the golf. Tree and woodland cover is significant in determining character. There are several discrete small plantation woods and copses. Oak is the principal species both as a component of the woods and also developing in bushy stands within the golf landscapes. Within the woods oak combines with hornbeam and ash and on the lighter ground birch is common. Elsewhere linear tree groups follow distinct features, including streams, road cuttings, railway embankments or boundaries to housing areas, e.g. poplar shelterbelts . Hedges are locally insignificant but where present e.g. Sandy Lodge Road, they include a mix of elm, hawthorn and hazel.
The historic field pattern has largely been removed. The area around Oxhey Warren was informal parkland in 1820. The lime avenue and a few copses survive from this period.
Field pattern. A number of small fields remain at the fringes, however the golf courses are generally an open landscape with few internal boundaries.
Transport pattern. Two roads cross north/south through the area, the A4125 and B4543 (Prestwick Road). These routes interrupt the linear nature of the area but do not present major sources of noise or visual disruption. The railways and their substantial earthworks mark the edges of the area to the east and west.
Settlements and built form. The area is open space with few buildings. The exceptions are Sandy Lodge golf clubhouse and Brookdene Arms, which was probably the former clubhouse, and the lodge within Oxhey Warren. On the perimeter of the area there is a wide mix of residential areas. To the south a large 1940s council estate is located on the site of the former Oxhey Place. To the north west lies the exclusive Moor Park with a wide range of detached dwellings, most notably from the early 1900s, with some overlooking the golf course.
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This area is only locally visible from outside due to the encircling residential areas and combination of small woods, shelterbelts and occasional hedges. Within the area the landscape is generally contained, but with a number of significant more distant views over the adjacent housing to surrounding areas which are generally wooded and upstanding in character. The most significant of these aspects is towards Oxhey Woods to the south. Other views are to Moor Park in the west and over the Colne valley north from Sandy Lodge Road. Within some of the golf landscapes there is a relaxed 'semi-natural' feel and in the context of the urban fringe there are some relatively long open views to the east from the highest ground. The scale of the area is generally small to medium. In the wider urban context there are no major trunk roads and the area is relatively quiet.
Rarity and distinctiveness. Active golf courses typical. Disused golf course unusual and locally valuable.
The extensive areas of built development on the margins is locally apparent and of moderate impact. To the south east the housing fronts directly and has a stronger influence, creating a more urban character. The pay-and-play golf course, the golf driving range and Prestwick Road detract from the character of the area. Housing to the west is generally better screened. Two major series of pylons are visually harmful. The golfing landforms of Sandy Lodge golf course have recently been re-modelled.
Public footpaths exist to the west on Sandy Lodge and to the east. There is free public access to the Oxhey playing fields and the disused golf course, which provide a valuable resource for local residents. Recreational facilities include golf (both public and private), football and tennis.
This area has some aspects regarded of value for distinctiveness (D).
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | widespread |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mixed |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | relic |
| Management of semi-natural habitat: | variable |
| Survival of cultural pattern: | declining |
| Impact of built development: | moderate |
| Impact of land-use change: | high |
| ROBUSTNESS | |
| Impact of landform: | apparent |
| Impact of land cover: | prominent |
| Impact of historic pattern: | relic |
| Visibility from outside: | locally visible |
| Sense of enclosure: | contained |
| Visual unity: | incoherent |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | unusual |
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Sandy Lodge golf course (J. Billingsley)
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