©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
River valley south of Wareside (Mardocks Mill) north to Hadham Cross, including tributary stream north-eastwards to Dane Bridge.
©Crown
Copyright. All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council, LA 076678, 2001
Narrow flat river valley floor, falling gradually to the south, with steep undulating slopes on either side. A landscape of distinctive wetland vegetation in the valley and woodland on the interlocking spurs of the valley sides.
View south west of Ash Valley from Helham Green (P. Shears)
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Geology and soils. Deep well-drained loam or clay soils over chalky till (glacial drift) (Hanslope series).
Topography. The river meanders through a narrow floodplain with strongly undulating side slopes and spurs.
Degree of slope. 1 in 540 along the river; 1 in 10 to 1 in 12 on the valley slopes.
Altitude range. 39m to 75m.
Hydrology. except in its lower reaches. It is predominantly natural in form, although affected by impoundment, and is lined along much of its length with mature trees and shrubs. It is of high invertebrate value.
Land cover and land use. Despite the traditional use of valley floors for grazing, much of this valley is now in intensive arable cultivation, with dense woodland on the steep valley slopes. The river supports the rare river water dropwort.
Vegetation and wildlife. Woodland cover clings to the steep slopes lining the valley, and consists of weeping willow, white willow, hornbeam, oak, elm, silver birch, sweet chestnut, lime and sycamore, indicative of the slight parkland character of parts of the area, set within the mainly arable cultivation. There is little alder. Boundary hedgerows consist of thorn, elder and poplar.
The old quarry site at Hadham Towers has diverse spring-fed pools and secondary woodland/plantations, as well as rough grassland
There appears to have been very little change to this landscape until the advent of the railway - which has now been dismantled. The river valley floor was too narrow and the slopes too steep for settlement, which lies instead on the plateau above. The main change will have been the loss of pastoral cultivation to arable.
Field pattern. The field pattern is irregular and organic, following the base of slopes and the meandering river. Field boundaries are a mix of tree rows, fences, medium hedgerows and wet ditches, with the tree rows making a significant contribution to the local vegetation. Field sizes are generally small to medium but variable and often large, especially on the valley floor, while the woodland on the slopes provides a larger scale.
Transport pattern. The B1004 crosses the valley obliquely between Wareside and Widford, and again at Hadham Mill, but the dismantled railway is the only linear feature within the valley and now provides part of the track for the Hertfordshire Way waymarked footpath route.
Settlements and built form. There are no settlements within the valley, rather they cling to minor indentations in the plateau edge above, as at Wareside, Widford and Hadham Cross, although the latter does extend down to a ford across the river.
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Views into the area are obstructed by landform and vegetation. This is echoed in the views within the area, which are generally framed by vegetation and landform, giving it an enclosed character. Extensive views are possible along the valley and up the valley slopes, but are contained by the plateau edge or the woodland on the steep slopes. The scale of landscape elements is small to medium and there is a general sense of containment. It is unified, tranquil and coherent.
Rarity and distinctiveness. This is one of the most traditional and picturesque river valleys in Hertfordshire, with steeper sides than many others and a wooded farmland character that differentiates it from the shallow parkland valleys elsewhere.
There is little to impact on this area, with roads and settlements set away from the steep slopes. The dismantled railway creates a local feature but has largely been absorbed into the web of farm tracks and footpaths.
Noted recreational land uses are walking/riding/fishing. Although localised, footpaths and bridleways are clearly marked and easily accessed. Waymarked routes are extensive, if linear (following the former railway along a wide, reasonably well-surfaced track of road planings).
This landscape area is highly regarded for its distinctiveness (C).
Landscape Conservation Area.
The Ash Valley is recognised as a High Biodiversity Areas. (HBA) for its woodlands and wetlands.
| CONDITION | |
|---|---|
| Land cover change: | insignificant |
| Age structure of tree cover: | mixed |
| Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: | widespread |
| Management of semi-natural habitat: | not obvious |
| Survival of cultural pattern: | interrupted |
| Impact of built development: | low |
| Impact of land-use change: | moderate |
| ROBUSTNESS | |
| Impact of landform: | prominent |
| Impact of land cover: | prominent |
| Impact of historic pattern: | continuous |
| Visibility from outside: | concealed |
| Sense of enclosure: | contained |
| Visual unity: | unified |
| Distinctiveness/rarity: | rare |
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View south east across Hogham Wood from Helham Green (P. Shears)
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