©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 floodplain of the River Colne and the lower reaches of the River Gade for 4.5km between Watford in the east and Rickmansworth in the west.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
A varied though coherent landscape created by a mix of mineral extraction, agriculture, education and transport corridors. A jumbled but peaceful area on the edge of extensive urbanisation. Scattered pasture and semi-natural habitats survive throughout the area, giving an indication of the original landscape character, but there is a strong 20th-century influence.
Croxley Common Moor (J. Billingsley)
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Geology and soils. The geology comprises river alluvium overlaid by stoneless clayey, fine silty and fine loamy soils, affected by groundwater (Fladbury 3 series). Croxley Moor Common is located on an area of freely draining sandy soils on the Colne gravels.
Topography. The area is essentially flat along the floodplain core. Outside the floodplain yet within the character area visually related slopes, e.g. at Croxley Hall Woods and Manor of the Rose, provide enclosure.
Degree of slope. Valley floor less than 1 in 500. Side slopes 1 in 20 to 1 in 40.
Altitude range. Valley floor 47-52m. Side slopes 50-70m.
Hydrology. Wetland habitats and watercourses still form a key component of the landscape. These comprise the rivers Colne, Chess and Gade which meet close to Batchworth. Historically the rivers contained a mix of meanders and relic meanders, however most of these have been lost. The Chess is regarded as one of the best chalk river sources in the county while the Colne is more acidic. The Grand Union Canal follows the valley of the Gade and then the Colne. Causeway and railway embankments etc., have affected the natural drainage patterns. A number of lakes have been created following extraction of sand and gravels and there are also areas of upwelling chalky water. Watercress beds are a feature at the confluence of the Chess and the Colne.
Land cover and land use. Land cover comprises a mix of improved grassland, woodland, waterbodies and a range of semi-natural habitats. The land use includes grazing, mainly for cattle, education and recreation, both passive and active.
Vegetation and wildlife. A significant habitat type is the river valley floodplain and grasslands. Croxley Common Moor (SSSI), is an area of particular wildlife interest. It comprises natural floodplain features with flood bars, gravel bars, alluvial peat deposits and relic meanders. The soils range from acidic to basic and support a variety of habitats, including patchy heath on the raised gravels and pockets of fen in the hollows. Species include sweet vernal grass, betony and a range of rushes and sedges on the wetter ground. A county rarity, fen bedstraw, is also present. Rickmansworth Meadows are similar in character to Common Moor but are topographically more evened out.
There are discrete areas of woodland, with the main species being poplar, alder and willow. Typical floodplain woodland comprises an oak/alder/willow mix. Withy Beds is an area of old osier beds with some old oaks. There is also extensive secondary tree cover in the form of linear belts which follow lakesides, railways and local roads, combining to create an enclosed character. Hedges are generally confined to the local roads and comprise mainly hawthorn and willow with field trees. On the valley slopes Croxley Hall Wood is an ancient semi-natural wood with oak/ash/beech/hazel on the chalky dip slope of the Chilterns. Some of the pasture is traditionally managed wet meadow, e.g. Lairage Land (LNR).
Recorded settlement goes back to the Mesolithic Period, e.g. at Hampermill, where findings appear to represent a river valley base camp for exploiting the resources of the wider wooded area. The historic landscape pattern of floodplain meadows has been largely altered over the last 200 years, particularly as a result of mineral extraction between 1920 and 1940. Most of the sites have been restored as wetlands. Areas of meadow pasture still remain at Oxhey Hall and on the side slopes at Manor of the More.
Field pattern. In the floodplain there are still areas of enclosed meadow pasture. Common Moor is unenclosed. On the valley slopes the field pattern is a mix of organic pre-18th century enclosure and 20th-century enclosure. Fields are irregular in shape and medium in scale.
Transport pattern. The area has been strongly affected by canal and railway construction. The Grand Union Canal passes through the area, close to the course of the River Gade. Tolpits Lane is the only road that crosses the area and runs on an embankment. Most of the railways are still in use.
Settlements and built form. Settlement within the floodplain was historically limited to the occasional Victorian lock-keeper's cottage and isolated industrial buildings such as pumping stations. However there have been several substantial industrial developments in the late 20th century, e.g. off Tolpits Lane. Elsewhere isolated traditional brick farmsteads sit on the edge of the floodplain, e.g. Brightwells Farm and Croxleyhall Farm, which has a splendid late medieval barn c.1400.
English Nature SSSI notification.
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The area is only locally visible from outside, being screened by a mix of built development, landform, fringeing vegetation and woodland. There are open views from the A4125 by Oxhey Hall across the meadows and more framed views on Sandy Lodge road adjacent to the Merchant Taylors School. Within the area the views along the canal and Ebury Trail are contained by planted tree belts and regenerating woodland. There are views across the valley between Watford and Tolpits Lane and from Croxleyhall Farm Common. There is a clear sense of tranquillity throughout much of the area.
Rarity and distinctiveness. Some of the floodplain habitats are both rare and uncommon. This is unusual in close proximity to urban areas.
Mineral extraction has changed the character of much of the landscape. Restoration has created a different but attractive area. The area is locally degraded by a number of unkempt or insensitively located industrial buildings and sites, including the industrial estate adjacent to Croxley Hall Common. Pylons across the Common also detract from the area. Some of the built forms are attractive, e.g. Springwell locks.
There is a range of recreational activities in the area, including fishing, walking, canal boating, cycling and bird watching. There are a number of long-distance waymarked paths including the Ebury Trail, which follows a disused railway from Watford to Rickmansworth, and the Grand Union Canal Walk. The facilities are not clearly signed for the wider population.
This area is valued for its distinctive landscapes (C).
Re. watercress in 1966: 'largest areas of production are those which occur naturally below the level of an adjacent waterway. A large expanse of what would otherwise be waste ground is then used along the sides of the Grand Junction Canal and the river Colne and their tributaries and in the Chess and Gade Valleys ... about one third of the total amount marketed in London is delivered from Hertfordshire.' (in 'Watercress-growing in Hertfordshire', Herts Countryside, Vol. 20, No. 82, Feb 1966, pp 232-33).
SSSI: Croxley Common Moor.
SAM: Oxhey Hall moated site and The Manor of the More.
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | localised |
| 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: | moderate |
| Impact of land-use change: | moderate |
| 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: | unusual |
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Batchworth Heath (J. Billingsley)
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