summary

 
©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001

LOCATION

Bounded by Sawbridgeworth to the east, the Hunsdon plateau to the west and the Stort valley to the south, with an open arable plateau to the north.

 
©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

A south-facing slope of mixed farming within a small irregular field pattern, usually ditched rather than hedged. An area of transition, showing increasing urban influence in the southern part and with links to the parkland area to the west. Around High Wych there are wide stretches of open farmland with old houses nestling in small coppices. The flint church is surrounded by the school, ancient houses and thatched cottages.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

• isolated farms and houses
• small-scale open farmed landscape
• gently undulating south-facing slope
• discrete blocks of woodland
• tight network of narrow, winding, sunken lanes, usually ditched
• small areas of parkland on the western edge

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

• High Wych retains village character despite links to Sawbridgeworth
• golf course and hotel add suburban character to generally rural area
• High Wych Road is a commuter-run, therefore not tranquil

Allens Green (P. Shears)

assessment

PHYSICAL INFLUENCES

Geology and soils. Slowly permeable calcareous clayey soils over chalky till (Hanslope series).

Topography. Gently undulating south-facing slope with slight dip to Fiddlers' Brook in west.

Degree of slope. 1 in 70 to 1 in 130.

Altitude range. 60m to 80m.

Hydrology. Fiddlers' Brook meanders southwards through Gilston Park (where it is dammed to form a lake) to the Stort. There are other minor streams flowing into the Stort.

Land cover and land use. Open arable farmland, small areas of parkland and suburban development, in a confusing mix. Few hedgerows and little pasture. Around the urban edge development is dense enough to completely mask the local topography.

Vegetation and wildlife. This uniform area of boulder clay farmland contains rather species-poor remnants of semi-natural woodland, mostly ash/maple but formerly with frequent elm. The former hazel/maple/elm hedges have largely been removed and almost no natural grassland remains. Poplar, lime and horse chestnut have all been planted within the area.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

This is arable farmland with a pattern of dispersed settlement.

Field pattern. Irregular, with a gradual increase in size away from settlements, varying from very small to very large. Generally unhedged and divided by ditches.

Transport pattern. A tight network of small lanes, with a rectangular pattern west of Sawbridgeworth, often enclosing small areas.

Settlements and built form. 'G.E.Pritchett's High Wych [church] of 1861 deserves to be specially mentioned as an eminently typical example of High Victorian design at its most revolting' (Pevsner).

• There are no settlements other than the village of High Wych. Elsewhere the built form is of isolated houses or farms, often using black weatherboard and red brick.
• The hotel at The Manor of Groves, with its golf course, is almost an extension of the urban character of Sawbridgeworth, despite its geographical links to the former deer park and parkland of Gilston. Although screened, it is hedged with non-indigenous species, and the rear of the hotel backs directly onto the lane.
• Allen's Green is the only hamlet within the area, with its own tiny flint church.

OTHER SOURCES OF AREA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Pevsner, N., rev. Cherry, B., Hertfordshire, Penguin (2000).

evaluation

VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION

From outside this area is largely concealed from view by its topography, while from within it offers extensive views over the Stort valley to the industrial edge of Harlow and mineral workings. The scale of landscape elements is mixed and there is little visual unity, giving an appearance of incoherence, despite the openness. This is not a tranquil area, with commuter through-routes and the constant noise of traffic.

Rarity and distinctiveness. The change within this area from north to south provides a good indication of the effect of creeping urbanisation.

VISUAL IMPACT

There is a widespread and significant visual impact on this area from the transport corridor and urban development to the south and east. Farmland is being lost to the spread of suburban housing and the balance of the landscape is changing. This is particularly noticeable along Gangies Hill and West Road. West of the junction with Beaufield Road isolated farmhouses are strung along the lane with indigenous vegetation associated with them. East of the junction the development is cramped suburban with 'golf course' vegetation - laurels and cherry trees - set in the still predominantly agricultural landscape. On the western edge of this area there are links to the parkland beyond, at High Wych Park and The Manor of Groves, but these give the appearance of being relic rather than maintained historic elements.

ACCESSIBILITY

Frequency/density of footpaths: network along former field boundaries.

Condition: not known

 

CONDITION
Land cover change:	localised
Age structure of tree cover:	mature
Extent of semi-natural habitat survival:	fragmented
Management of semi-natural habitat:	not obvious
Survival of cultural pattern:	declining
Impact of built development:	high
Impact of land-use change:	high
ROBUSTNESS
Impact of landform:	apparent
Impact of land cover:	apparent
Impact of historic pattern:	relic
Visibility from outside:	concealed
Sense of enclosure:	open
Visual unity:	incoherent
Distinctiveness/rarity:	frequent

guidelines

STRATEGY AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING CHANGE: IMPROVE AND CONSERVE

• encourage landowners to safeguard existing hedges, increase hedged field boundaries, create permanent grass strips around field margins and prevent spray drift, using financial incentives as available
• discourage the use of non-native species for woodland and hedgerow planting
• encourage the use of native species of local provenance for all new planting
• encourage the replanting of former hedges along historic boundaries, ensuring that historic features such as ditches and banks are not destroyed
• encourage the reduction of urban impact by dense woodland planting around settlements. Over time this could become a valuable local amenity; public participation in its establishment should be encouraged
• reinforce the small parklands by planting additional woodlands adjacent to their boundaries, using locally indigenous species, of local provenance if possible
• encourage a reversion of arable to pasture and the management of new and existing grasslands to maximise their biodiversity potential, using low-density stock grazing where possible