©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
Lee valley from the southern edge of Rye Marsh power station to southern edge of Nazeing Marsh, extending south west to include Silvermeads and Broxbourne Mead.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
Less 'watery' than either of the other two areas of the southern Lea valley, due to greater areas of dry land and the difficulty of gaining access to the river or waterbodies. A complex and varied mix of industrial, commercial, urban and rural land uses, with many glasshouses along its eastern flank and extensive operational and derelict minerals sites. The railway combines with housing development to provide a strong urban edge to the west.
Eastern edge of Hoddesdon from Middle Lea Valley (P. Shears)
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Geology and soils. Stoneless clayey soils, in places calcareous, over river alluvium (Fladbury 1 series).
Topography. Flat river valley.
Degree of slope. 1 in 470.
Altitude range. 23m to 30m.
Hydrology. Within this area lie the River Lee Navigation, the river Lynch, the Flood Relief Channel and the river Lee or Lea which, with the numerous extensive waterbodies, in particular Nazeing Mead, provide a complex of habitats. The Navigation canal is uniform in size and shape and tends to have at least one engineered bank. It receives large quantities of treated effluent at Hoddesdon and carries a large amount of boat traffic, both of which have restricted its habitat, although it does support barbel (Barbus barbus), protected under the EC Habitats Directive List) and has EC designated cyprinid fishery status. The Broxbourne Mill Stream, just south of Dobb's Weir, is one of the few remaining 'old river' loops, with a relatively natural channel form and a diverse range of habitats. The Flood Relief Channel, completed in the 1970s after a major flooding incident in 1947, is heavily engineered and of limited, although not poor, ecological interest. The Nazeing Meads complex of lagoons covers some 127 acres and is renowned for its specimen tench, carp and bream.
Land cover and land use. This is a highly modified landscape with a diversity of land uses, ranging from industry and utilities to ribbon housing development and extensive glasshouses for the nursery trade, as well as extensive and focused leisure activities. At Nazeing Marsh there are sewage works and Keyser's (industrial) Estate, with the Carthagena estate slightly to the north. Dobb's Weir consists of industrial use and housing, together with recreational facilities (caravan park, boat hire, etc.) associated with the weir and active or disused mineral extraction sites. The eastern bank of the valley is typified by glasshouses, with a country park tucked behind them below Clayton Hill and mixed farming just above the floodplain.
Vegetation and wildlife. There is little vegetation in this area compared to the valley north and south. The backfilling of mineral extraction pits has produced mainly species-poor rough grassland and scrub, while the watercourses and waterbodies tend to be poor in wetland habitats. The remnant grazing meadows at Silvermead are species-rich and important for wetland insects, especially dragonflies. The caravan park at Dobb's Weir is characterised by tall poplars. The natural regeneration of wetland species, such as willow, hawthorn and elder, and ruderals around disused mineral workings lends an air of dereliction. The Broxbourne Mill Stream, which diverges from the Lee Navigation just south of Dobb's Weir, is a loop of the 'old' river and supports a diverse range of habitats, including valuable stands of marginal plants. It is also a valuable spawning and nursery site for coarse fish. The river Lynch provides good habitat and good water quality.
The area around Broxbourne has produced some of the most important early Mesolithic remains in Britain, and the remaining archaeological resource of the Lea and Colne valleys is one of the most critical archaeological assets of Hertfordshire. The river has been used extensively for transporting produce to London, and Broxbourne developed as a small settlement for milling at a river crossing point. The first bridge at Dobb's Weir was erected in 1604. During part of the 19th century the Lea valley was one of the largest centres of the malting and brewing industry in western Europe, and the mills were also used for papermaking. Pressure from London lead first to a change from pasture to nursery production, then to the development of utilities, such as refuse disposal sites and sewage works, while sand and gravel extraction began during the early 20th century. This area has not yet benefited significantly from the work of the LVRPA, as further south.
Field pattern. The original field pattern no longer exists and the landscape scale has been considerably enlarged.
Transport pattern. The B194 crosses the valley between Lower Nazeing and Broxbourne and, to the north, a minor road links Hoddesdon and Roydon via Dobb's Weir. The linear routes along the valley, including the railway, lie just above the floodplain on either side of the valley. Only the Lee Navigation lies within it, taking a meandering rather than direct route through this area, in contrast to the flood relief channel.
Settlements and built form. There is 20th-century housing within the floodplain at Dobb's Weir and Lower Nazeing and extensive glasshouses for nursery production on the east bank in this area. At Lower Nazeing this serves to block views of the valley and create an urbanised character.
Lee Valley Management Plan.
Environment Agency LEAP for North London
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This is a very mixed and incoherent area due to the variety of land uses and screening of the waterbodies from general view, which prevents their use to unify the area visually. It is fairly peaceful, but with traffic, rail and assorted industrial noises. Much of it is screened by built form, but there are some treasures within it, such as Dobb's Weir, with its suite of recreational spaces and the water thundering through the weir, contrasting with its more peaceful seepage into the lock nearby.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This is certainly an unusual area, but it is likely that few people would regard it as currently attractive.
The impact of urban and industrial development, the railway and housing along the urban edge are all very apparent, more so than the waterbodies within the valley, which are often screened from view. Where they are visible, they often appear derelict or neglected, lacking the vegetation that is characteristic of the restored sites further south.
Lea Valley Walk with footpaths across valley between waterbodies.
This area is not greatly valued by Hertfordshire residents for its distinctiveness (D).
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | widespread |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mixed |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | relic |
| Management of semi-natural habitat: | poor |
| Survival of cultural pattern: | declining |
| Impact of built development: | high |
| Impact of land-use change: | high |
| ROBUSTNESS | |
| Impact of landform: | prominent |
| Impact of land cover: | apparent |
| Impact of historic pattern: | relic |
| Visibility from outside: | concealed |
| Sense of enclosure: | partial |
| Visual unity: | incoherent |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | unusual |
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Dobbs Weir (P. Shears)
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