©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
The area follows the floodplain of the River Colne from Rickmansworth in the north east to West Hyde and Harefield in the south.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
Essentially a young landscape created through extensive mineral extraction in the early 20th century. A relatively peaceful area, valued for its range of recreational opportunities on the edge of extensive urbanisation. Scattered pasture provides an indication of the former character, but much of this is a 20th-century creation.
Grand Union Canal (J. Billingsley)
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Geology and soils. The geology of the area is river alluvium which is overlaid by stoneless clayey, fine silty and fine loamy soils (Fladbury 3 series), affected by ground water.
Topography. Essentially a flat river valley flood plain along its core. Man-made features such as the canal and the banks of the gravel pits provide the main changes in level.
Degree of slope. There is a very slack fall of less than 1 in 500 over a 4.5 km length.
Altitude range. 39-46m.
Hydrology. Wetland habitats and watercourses form a key component of the landscape. These comprise the river Colne, the Grand Union Canal and a large number of lakes created following extraction of sand and gravels. The water is highly calcareous and in some of the lakes there are direct spring sources. Eutrophication is a problem in the watercourses and lakes. Biological condition is relatively worse downstream of the Maple Lodge sewage treatment works.
Land cover and land use. Waterbodies created from restored mineral workings are the major land cover with recreational land uses for a wide range of both active and passive activities. There are also areas of pasture with grazing mainly by sheep and cattle.
Vegetation and wildlife. There are several important habitats including semi-natural floodplain meadows and remnant semi-natural stands of crack willow and alder, which are the natural woodland type for the area. There are also areas of reed swamp (or 'poor fen') which is a BAP priority habitat and in which the rare yellow loosestrife is found. Maple Lodge reed beds are also a distinctive feature. Within the discrete areas of woodland the main species are poplar, alder and willow. These include some areas of carr at Stockers Lake Nature Reserve, which also supports the largest heronry in the county and the rare bittercress. There is also extensive secondary tree cover in the form of linear belts which follow lakesides, canals and local roads and combine to create an enclosed character. Hedges are generally confined to the local roads and comprise mainly hawthorn and willow with field trees.
The landscape has been extensively altered over the last 200 years. The area would originally have comprised floodplain meadows, but few remain. Sands and gravels were extensively extracted, mainly between 1920 and 1940. Following this many of the sites have been restored as wetlands.
Field pattern. This landscape would have traditionally been unenclosed. Few of the floodplain meadows remain, e.g. Stockers Farm, while other fields are the result of 20th-century enclosure with a more regular field pattern, e.g. Lynsters Field, and are generally small in size.
Transport pattern. There are a few sinuous and enclosed minor roads crossing the floodplain between the lakes and over the canal. The A412 (the former North Orbital Road) follows the western boundary of the area. The Grand Union Canal, built in the early 19th century, is a major recreational corridor.
Settlements and built form. Settlement within the floodplain is still limited to the occasional lock-keeper's cottage and isolated industrial buildings such as the sewage works. Elsewhere isolated traditional brick farmsteads sit on the edge of the floodplain, e.g. Lynsters and Stockers Farm. The encircling urban settlement is usually screened from view but houses often back onto the area, e.g. at Rickmansworth.
BAP: A 50 year vision for the Wildlife and Natural Habitats of Hertfordshire.
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There are views from the elevated valley slopes to the east and west outside the area to the valley floor, e.g. from Mount Pleasant, Harefield and from Tilehouse Lane. However, the extent of the waterbodies is generally concealed by the extensive secondary tree cover and the adjacent residential areas. Within the area the views are often contained, creating a coherent and small/medium-scale landscape. There is a clear sense of tranquillity throughout much of the area.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This is a young landscape but one that has rapidly developed to create a strong sense of place with local value. It is relatively rare in Hertfordshire.
Extensive mineral extraction and restoration has changed the character of the landscape. The area is locally degraded by a number of unkempt or insensitively located industrial buildings and sites, including the sewage works. Some of the built forms are attractive, e.g. Springwell locks.
There is a wide range of recreational activities in the area. The area is part of the Colne Valley Regional Park, and the Aquadrome at Rickmansworth is a significant local attraction. Activities include sailing, water-sking, fishing, walking, boating, cycling and bird watching. There are a number of long distance waymarked paths including the Grand Union Canal Walk and the Colne Valley Trail. Facilities are generally in a good state of maintenance and well signed for local residents. The facilities are not clearly signed for the wider population.
The area exhibits some contrasts but Rickmansworth Aquadrome and Stockers Lake are very highly valued both by locals and those living at some distance, making this one of the county's most remarked-upon locations (A).
Colne Valley Regional Park.
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | widespread |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mature or young |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | fragmented |
| 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: | continuous |
| Impact of historic pattern: | relic |
| Visibility from outside: | locally visibile |
| Sense of enclosure: | contained |
| Visual unity: | coherent |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | unusual |
condition robustness pic here
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Springwell Inns, Stockers Lake (J. Billingsley)
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