©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
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©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
Narrow curved area extending from north-eastern edge of Hatfield Park southwards to Bell Bar then eastwards to Newgate Street, including the farmland around the northern and western edges of Great Wood.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
Flat-topped, open narrow arable ridge above steeply undulating wooded valleys to the north, and arable slopes with dense hedgerows to the south, with linear 19th and 20th-century settlement. Generally small to medium-scale farmland, with arable and pasture (horses) and some small, late parkland influence. Frequent long-distance views. Contrast between small scale of ridge-end settlement and medium-scale open arable fields.
Plateau arable farmland and woods (HCC Landscape Unit)
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Geology and soils. Gleyed (poorly draining) soils over till (glacial drift).
Topography. Gently undulating.
Degree of slope. 1 in 270.
Altitude range. 116m to 129m.
Hydrology. Small stream flowing westwards into Mimmshall Brook and bournes contributing to the swallow holes in Northaw Great Wood.
Land cover and land use. This area is mainly treed arable farmland with some pasture and isolated farmhouses or small parklands. Newgate Street is the only settlement.
Vegetation and wildlife. The arable farmland has medium elm hedgerows with standard oaks, ditches and medium verges. Some hedgerows are unmanaged and overgrown, now treed, with low-level views beneath the canopy but blocked long views. Other hedges are low and in poor condition. There are a few small woodlands but most of the vegetation in this area is to be found in the hedges and around the parklands. Species found locally are hawthorn, field maple and blackthorn hedges with ash and oak standards and relic hornbeam. Holly and gorse are also found in small patches. Ponsfall Farm Pastures at Newgate Street is a key acid grassland site.
The New Gate was on the edge of the Hatfield Estate. Popes Farm had a deer park before 1645, while that at Wood Hall was first recorded in 1577. New Park Farm indicates the former New Park, north of Great Wood, which was enclosed from North Mymms Common c.1790. The former parkland is now mainly in arable cultivation, with some remnant damp acid grassland.
Field pattern. Much of this area was former common land between the two great parks of Hatfield and Theobalds. Parliamentary enclosure resulted in the current rectilinear field pattern with pre-dating woodland scraps over much of the area. The scale is generally small to medium, occasionally larger.
Transport pattern. The verged lanes which wind along the plateau suddenly plunge off the edge in straight densely hedged lanes. On the plateau the lanes are densely hedged or treed, with a confined aspect.
Settlements and built form. rather large farmhouses and small private parklands or large private houses with extensive gardens, all of which are well-wooded on their boundaries, to prevent views in. Newgate Street is a 19th/20th-century linear settlement with older buildings at its hub. It is surrounded by small farms, mainly equine, often with extensive views over the surrounding landscape from the rear of houses.
A Biodiversity Action Plan for Hertfordshire, p.82.
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This area is largely concealed from outside view by both the vegetation within it and the extensive woodland on the slopes below. From within there are occasional extensive long-range views, but they are more often filtered by vegetation. It is a nonetheless a high and open landscape, contained at a distance by large woodland blocks and closer-to by small discrete woodlands and hedges. It is a medium scale landscape, tranquil and coherent.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This is not a notably unusual landscape. The landform suggests that significant development would be difficult to achieve unless arable land were to be taken out of production. The current balance between farmland and built form should be retained if possible, due to its contribution to the coherence and scale of the landscape.
The settlement makes an important contribution to the landscape locally, although it is not visible over a wide area. The change from pastoral to arable cultivation is marked here by a widespread deterioration in the condition of hedges. In the south-western part of this area pylons are locally prominent and there is a transmitting station and water tower, which are quite well concealed by woodland.
Noted recreational land uses are footpaths and a bridleway (used by a horse and trap). Both are in good condition being wide and sometimes well surfaced, with aggregate on some tracks.
North of Queenswood this is a hardly remarked upon landscape (E).
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | insignificant |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mature |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | fragmented |
| Management of semi-natural habitat: | poor |
| Survival of cultural pattern: | intact |
| 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: | continuous |
| Visibility from outside: | concealed |
| Sense of enclosure: | open but contained |
| Visual unity: | coherent |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | frequent |
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Pasture and woodland near Newgate Street (HCC Landscape Unit)
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