Area Summary Assessment Guidelines Evaluation DATCHWORTH

DATCHWORTH SETTLED SLOPES summary assessment evaluation guidelines area37

Buntingford

100019606 2004 Watton Stortford -at- Stone

Hertford

area 37

LOCATION KEY CHARACTERISTICS North-west and west-facing slope south of Stevenage, • sloping intermediate area with extensive views up to between the Datchworth plateau and the linear urban Datchworth plateau development associated with the A1(M) between • farms and villages linking the plateau settlements to the Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City urban edges - a curving link between Knebworth and Digswell LANDSCAPE CHARACTER • large-scale open arable farmland, lacking hedges Undulating and gently sloping, west-facing, open arable • large area of woodland and a few scattered blocks farmland. An ancient landscape with modern settlements. • small semicircular greens along winding lanes and sunken Large blocks of woodland (Harmergreen Wood) screen ways views of some of the urban development and block views to the south. This is very much an 'in between' area, still DISTINCTIVE FEATURES rural but exhibiting a stronger urban influence than the • sinuous open lanes, some very narrow and steeply adjoining areas to the east and south. banked • extensive views towards Stevenage • proximity of urban settlements (Oaklands, Knebworth) • veteran hornbeams west of Burnham Green

Hempstall Spinney • hornbeam coppice woodland (P. Shears)

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PHYSICAL INFLUENCES HISTORIC AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES Geology and soils. Deep fine loam and clay over slowly Pevsner refers to a site at Six Hills, south of Stevenage, with permeable clay subsoils, over plateau drift (Hornbeam 3 Roman barrows. This area of arable farmland with series). Superficial deposits of clay-with-flints at Woolmer associated farm buildings and of hamlets developed as Green. outliers of the plateau or valley settlements and enlarged Topography. Undulating west-facing slope with local during the 20th century. variations - slight valley formation running north-south and Field pattern. Most of the former field pattern has been now containing a railway, often in tunnel. lost as fields have been enlarged during arable Degree of slope. 1 in 50 intensification. Altitude range. 85m to 120m Transport pattern. Within this area there is a strong Hydrology. There is little water in this area; one ditch network of winding lanes linking the villages to the larger drains westwards to Hempstall Spinney but the local plateau settlements. The B197 runs parallel to the railway topography discourages any northwards drainage into on the western edge, between Mardley Heath and Stevenage Brook. There are some springs. Mardleybury Knebworth, through Woolmer Green. The Roman road Pond is one of the few waterbodies in this area. between Welwyn and Watton has dwindled here to a lane Land cover and land use. Open arable farmland and and a footpath. woodland Settlements and built form. Datchworth, Woolmer and Vegetation and wildlife. Although the cropped fields Harmer Greens are the settlements in this area and the generally lack hedges, the woodlands are of interest, being 'green' suffix denotes their evolution as outliers of larger generally oak/hornbeam with holly. Hempstall Spinney is settlements. coppiced hornbeam with hornbeam standards, with a • Woolmer Green benefits from natural springs, around ground flora of bluebells and mixed hornbeam and holly which the manor of Mardley Bury developed. Its around the perimeter. Nearby lanes lie between steep population was swelled by railway workers after 1851 hedgebanks supporting a wide range of chalk-loving and it has a more urban character than most of the wildflowers. Remnants of old commons (Barns Green) and villages in this part of Hertfordshire. isolated greens with old grasslands (Sedge Green) are • Datchworth Green consists of 19th and 20th-century typical of the area, with remnant pasture and little grazing cottages around an extensive green, but is a considerably greens as semi-circular verge details along the lanes. To the older settlement than this suggests. west of Burnham Green there are several veteran • Harmer Green is similar in character to Burnham Green, hornbeams. on the plateau, but changes noticeably where it becomes Digswell. The former is small scale, domestic and rural, while the latter is gradually larger in scale, still in woodland but with a much denser, more urban character, linking with Welwyn.

pg 14 East Herts District Landscape Character Assessment DATCHWORTH SETTLED SLOPES summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 37

VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION ACCESSIBILITY The variable topography and extensive woodland in this Noted recreational land uses: none area serve to block long-distance views within and outside There are footpath links between Hamer Green and this area, adding to its character as an 'in between' area, Oaklands, but little elsewhere. remote yet close to the urban centres along the A1(M), rural yet influenced by the proximity of the 20th-century COMMUNITY VIEWS developments around Welwyn. There is a certain uneasiness This area is valued as a distinctive landscape (C). to this area, a conflict between old and new. Rarity and distinctiveness. Hempstall Spinney is a good LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS example of hornbeam coppice with standards. The UK A mix of Landscape Development Area and Landscape contains nearly 25% of the world total of bluebell woods, Conservation Area. of which this is a good example. The impact of housing on the rural landscape is very typical of the county.

VISUAL IMPACT Much of the urban impact of the A1(M) and associated development is screened in this area by topography and woodland. Despite this there is an underlying sense of the encroachment of urban influence.

CONDITION STRENGTH OF CHARACTER Land cover change: localised Impact of landform: prominent Age structure of tree cover: mature Impact of land cover: prominent Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: fragmented Impact of historic pattern: interrupted Management of semi-natural habitat: not obvious Visibility from outside: concealed Survival of cultural pattern: declining Sense of enclosure: contained Impact of built development: high Visual unity: incoherent Impact of land-use change: low Distinctiveness/rarity: unusual

Strengthen Conserve Safeguard and and and reinforce strengthen manage

Improve Improve Conserve and and and reinforce conserve restore MODERATE

CONDITION Restore Improve condition Reconstruct and to maintain POORrestore GOOD character

WEAK MODERATE STRONG

STRENGTH OF CHARACTER

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STRATEGY AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING CHANGE: IMPROVE AND CONSERVE • integration of new development within the historic landscape fabric is a priority in this area. The use of woodland planting to screen new/recent development as well as to create ecological corridors linking to existing woods should be carefully considered • any proposed development in this area should respect its character and reflect current land use. • encourage landowners and tenant farmers to reinstate historic hedges and maintain relic hedges where appropriate, preferably alongside public rights of way and significant field boundaries rather than along roadsides. The open views within this area are part of its distinctiveness. • encourage landowners and tenant farmers to create and manage verges for their biodiversity and wildlife interest. Similarly, where the reinstatement of former hedges is held to be inappropriate, consideration could be given to the creation of beetle banks, nature conservation headlands and other biodiversity initiatives. Advice and possible grant aid may be available. • proposals for new woodland planting should focus on existing woodlands with a view to creating buffer zones around them and links to other woodlands or areas of nature conservation interest (grasslands, etc.). All woodland planting should be of native species of local provenance, to reinforce local distinctiveness.

• Datchworth Green Post Office historic building reflecting age of settlement (P. Shears)

pg 16 East Herts District Landscape Character Assessment