©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 lies between Harpenden in the west, Welwyn in the east and is north of the valley of the River Lea.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
An elevated plateau area with extensive arable fields. Despite recent landscape change there is a strong sense of continuity closer to the settlements and around some of the notable historic houses and parklands. The area has a tranquil and remote feel with good opportunities for informal recreation.
Ayot St Lawrence ruined church (J. Billingsley)
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Geology and soils. Soils are fine silty over clayey and fine loamy over clayey soils with slowly permeable subsoils and slight seasonal waterlogging (Batcombe series). There are also some well-drained clayey soils over chalk and variable amounts of flint. The underlying geology is plateau drift and clay-with-flints. Locally, pockets of chalk have been recorded, e.g. at Priors Wood.
Topography. The plateau area extends for a distance of 6km from east to west with a series of secondary spurs pushing to the north and south. The plateau is almost flat.
Degree of slope. Minimal, typically less than 1 in 250 across the plateau.
Altitude range. . 120-130m.
Hydrology. There are no significant streams. There are, however, a number of small ponds associated with the farms, houses or common areas.
Land cover and land use. The dominant land use is arable farming. Closer to the settlements there are smaller areas of pasture, mainly for horses, but also for sheep and goats. Woodlands are scattered, with concentrations around the settlements. Parkland is a more local feature of the land cover, e.g. Ayot Park and Lamer Park.
Vegetation and wildlife. Woodlands are scattered and discrete and include both ancient woods, e.g. Priors Wood, Hall Wood and Marshall Wood, plantations and areas of regenerated common, e.g. Bower Heath. The main woodland type is oak/hornbeam, with some beech where the chalk is closer to the surface. Understorey species are mainly holly and hawthorn. On some of the ancient woodland boundaries enormous multi-stemmed beech pollards create imposing character trees. Within the woods there are natural colonies of native daffodils.
Hedgerows are variable in condition and often gappy and occasionally infilled by fencing. Where present, hedges are medium in height and mixed in composition, including elm, hornbeam, field maple, ash, privet and holly. A particular feature of note is the number of holly standards that have been allowed to grow out. Also of particular note is Gustard Wood Common, an isolated unenclosed common currently managed by Mid Herts Golf Club. The acidic glacial gravel soils support acid grassland and a wide range of species, most notably juniper, including specimens over 6m tall.
Ayot St Lawrence dates from the late Saxon period. The most famous resident of the village was the playright George Bernard Shaw, who lived at The New Rectory, now Shaw's Corner, for almost 50 years. From the small garden house overlooking the landscape he wrote many of his later works, including Pygmalion and St Joan. The property is now open to the public through the National Trust and each July a series of short plays are put on by the Shaw Society.
Field pattern. The historic agricultural landscape pattern consists of pre-18th century organic enclosure. This pattern is partly retained to the south, although field amalgamation has taken place in recent decades, particularly in the arable areas to the north. Field sizes are typically large and irregular in shape. Commons have either regenerated to secondary woodland or been used for recreation, e.g. Gustard Common.
Transport pattern. In the network of minor roads and lanes some are straight, e.g. The Slype, while the majority are narrow and winding.
Settlements and built form. This area has a dispersed and settled character with a number of mature country houses and farmhouses in traditional vernacular materials, including brick and timber frame.
English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
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This area is only locally visible from surrounding areas due to the level and elevated landform. It is a generally coherent landscape with some areas unified and contained while others are downgraded by the impact of extensive arablisation and with open and exposed views over the area. The area is particularly peaceful, a feature that drew George Bernard Shaw to the area.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This landscape type is frequent in the county. The most distinctive elements are the historic village of Ayot St Lawrence and Gustard Wood Common.
There are very few built detracting features and a number of fine local buildings of note. The 20th-century Blackmore End is the largest settlement in the area but is visually well screened by perimeter tree belts.
There is a good network of local footpaths and bridleways to the south of the area. The quiet lanes also provide good opportunities for cycling and horse riding. Shaw's Corner is a popular destination in the summer.
This area contains landscapes with significant value for their distinctiveness and historical and literary associations, including the woods, fields, commons and villages at Ayot St Lawrence, Gustard Wood and Mackerye End/Marshalls Heath (C).
Landscape Conservation Area (central and southern part).
English Heritage Grade II listed: Ayot Park
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | widespread |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mature |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | fragmented |
| Management of semi-natural habitat: | good |
| Survival of cultural pattern: | interrupted |
| Impact of built development: | low |
| Impact of land-use change: | high |
| ROBUSTNESS | |
| Impact of landform: | apparent |
| 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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