©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 follows the course of the River Lea between Harpenden in the west and Lemsford in the east.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
A marked valley form with a narrow river corridor. Arable cropping dominates on the slopes. A good number of estate woodlands creates a mature wooded feel to the east. Parklands are a notable feature making use of both slopes and the river valley. Conversion to golf courses has been successful, while there is visual impact from 20th-century settlements.
Lea valley from David's Dingle (J. Billingsley)
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Geology and soils. The geology of the river corridor from Lemsford to Wheathampstead is glaciofluvial drift overlaid by deep well-drained fine loamy, coarse loamy and sandy soils, which are locally flinty and in places over gravel (Ludford association). There is a slight risk of water erosion. Upstream from Wheathampstead the geology is plateau drift over clay-with-flints. These soils are fine silty over clayey and fine loamy over clayey soils with slowly permeable subsoils (Batcombe series). There are also some well-drained clayey soils over chalk and varying amounts of flint.
Topography. The narrow river corridor meanders through the area, typically only 50m wide. The slopes to the south are relatively consistent while to the north there are more marked undulations and a series of secondary valleys reaching up into the plateau landform.
Degree of slope. Less than 1 in 500 along river. Slopes vary between 1 in 12 and 1 in 18.
Altitude range. River corridor falls from 85m at Harpenden to 75m at Lemsford. Side slopes rise up to 120m.
Hydrology. The River Lea meanders along the narrow floodplain but is rarely very prominent. Upstream of the area the river quality is affected by outfalls from the Luton sewage works which cause eutrophication. However, the most diverse upper reaches of the Lea are close to Wheathampstead. The main areas of interest adjacent to the river are small areas of derelict land and wet/marshy grassland, the most important of these being Hyde Mill. To the east there is a medium to fast water flow over a gravel river bed which supports a range of coarse fish species including the barbel. The river is crossed by a ford of Roman origin at Waterend, and at Brocket Park it is dammed to create an artificial lake. There are few streams on the chalky side slopes, Marshall Heath Lane being the exception.
Land cover and land use. Arable cropping is the dominant land use. Secondary uses include pastoral near settlements, woodland, and recreation in the form of three golf courses. Within the narrow river corridor there is an almost continuous band of meadow pasture with grazing and groups of riparian trees, including poplars and willows. There are a number of parkland landscapes, mostly now used as golf courses, including those at Brocket Park and Aldwyckbury near Harpenden.
Vegetation and wildlife. Woodlands are a mix of ancient woods, including Gray's Wood and Piggottshill Wood, and estate plantations, e.g. in association with Brocket Park. The main woodland type is oak/hornbeam. Other species include beech and ash, with pine and larch common in the plantation areas. At Lamer Park there are coniferous commercial stands on the lighter loamy soils, and at Blackbridge Tip heathy habitats are associated with the light soils, with gorse and bracken present.
There has been both loss and dereliction of hedgerows, particularly on the slopes north west of Wheathampstead, where field oaks are left stranded in a sea of crops. Where present, hedges are medium to tall and comprise hazel, hornbeam, hawthorn, field maple, ash, elm and a number of distinctive holly standards. Semi-improved neutral to calcareous grasslands on the banks of the river provide good wildlife habitat and grazing. Water voles are present east of Wheathampstead, although they are in decline. Within Brocket Park there are areas of semi-natural alder along the river
The land around Wheathampstead was granted to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor in 1060. The Abbey Manor controlled the open fields along the Lea. Within the vicinity there are numerous 'Ends' and 'Greens' which are hamlets created in the piecemeal clearances of the woodland reaching out from Wheathampstead, e.g. Mackerye End and Waterend.
The major house in the area is Brocket Hall, bought by Sir Matthew Lamb and rebuilt by James Paine between 1760 and 1775. The exterior is a simple large square of red brick. The grounds were laid out by Joseph Wood and contain a stable block, walled garden with octagonal greenhouses, entrance gates at Lemsford and a fine ornamental bridge and cascade over the dammed River Lea. The undulating grounds contain areas of wood pasture on the upper acidic slopes and many fine specimen trees in the parkland, including a cedar from the 18th century and many veteran oaks. Perimeter shelterbelts, still in good condition, contain the site and comprise sweet chestnut/oak, pine and beech. An impressive lime avenue extends south west from the house, which later became the home of two prime ministers, Lords Melbourne and Palmerstone.
Field pattern. The historic land-use pattern consists of a mix of pre-18th century organic, informal parkland and some co-axial enclosure along the line of the disused railway. This range still exists but there has been a move to field enlargement for arable production. Fields are large and irregular within the arable areas.
Transport pattern. Winding and often sunken lanes characterise the area with the underlying chalk and gravels partially exposed. Associated verges are generally narrow, apart from areas of former heath, e.g. Marshalls Heath, where there is secondary regeneration. Both the B653 and the Ayot Greenway follow the course of the river valley, on opposite sides, the latter following the line of a disused railway.
Settlements and built form. The historic settlement pattern is a sparse estate character. Traditional buildings are therefore scarce but varied and comprise good examples in brick, (e.g. the Jacobean manor house at Waterend), wattle and daub, knapped flint, and render. The exception to this pattern is Wheathampstead, which is an early nucleated village of Saxon origin. Wheathampstead church is an important landmark built in flint and with a narrow lead spire. Along the Lea valley there are also a number of 20th-century developments, many of which are poorly integrated visually, e.g. Lea Valley and parts of Wheathampstead.
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There are extensive views into the area from the adjacent plateau areas and in particular from the B653/Marford Road. Views along the valley are locally interrupted by belts of trees and small woodlands around the parks. The A1(M) (although outside the area) and the B653 create significant noise intrusion into Brocket Park and parts of the valley, but away from the roads this is a peaceful area.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This landscape type is frequent in the county. The distinctive feature is Brocket Park.
The major visual impacts are localised and comprise the built edge of the settlements including Wheathampstead, the Folly, Batford and Lea Valley. Locally intrusive features include the chainlink fencing to the golf course at Brocket Park and the poor and unwelcoming car park to the Blackbridge Tip on Codicote Road. The conversion of parklands and woodland areas to golf courses has generally been successful, with sympathetic new planting and management of the historic landscapes. The loss of field boundaries to arable has been more damaging.
There are two waymarked footpaths: the Upper Lea Valley Walk and the Ayot Greenway. The former partly follows the river corridor but also rises up onto the slopes. The latter follows the line of the disused railway and has a picnic site near Robinson's Wood. The remaining areas have moderate footpath provision including Brocket Park with two routes. Other facilities include Cherry Tree stables and angling.
A variety of aspects are regarded as contributing to the value of this distinctive landscape, including the historical associations. The parkland and waterside landscapes are particularly valued (C).
Landscape Conservation Area.
English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens: Brocket Park (Grade II).
| 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: | interrupted |
| Impact of built development: | low |
| Impact of land-use change: | low |
| ROBUSTNESS | |
| Impact of landform: | prominent |
| Impact of land cover: | prominent |
| Impact of historic pattern: | interrupted |
| Visibility from outside: | locally visible |
| Sense of enclosure: | partial |
| Visual unity: | coherent |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | frequent |
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Bridge and weir at Brocket Park (J. Billingsley)
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