Area 002.Qxd

HERONSGATE HEIGHTS summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 2

County Map showing location of LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREA Stevenage

LOCATION KEY CHARACTERISTICS This area is located to the west of the M25, south of the • woodland areas that flow over the slopes into the narrow River Chess and east of the Chalfonts. (NB: A considerable dry valleys to the east part of the area falls within Buckinghamshire.) • M25 major feature on the skyline to the east • sinuous though level plateau with considerable pasture LANDSCAPE CHARACTER and equestrian land A gently undulating and sinuous plateau, locally divided by • coherent settled pattern narrow chalk valleys (see Maple Cross Slopes Character • parkland areas, some in institutional uses Area). A small to medium-scale landscape, relatively • Heronsgate settlement wooded and treed, which helps to create a visually • Chorleywood Common contained and coherent appearance. The area has a planned feel with a number of traditional farm buildings, DISTINCTIVE FEATURES parklands and more recent development. Chorleywood • Shire Horse Centre Common is of local importance for nature conservation and recreation.

View from • Shepherds Lane (J.Billingsley)

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PHYSICAL INFLUENCES HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES Geology and soils. The soils are characterised by a mix of The Quaker leader and founder of Pennsylvania, William well-drained fine loamy over clayey soils and coarse and Penn, was married in King John's Farm. Heronsgate, fine loamy over clayey soils with slowly permeable subsoils formerly known as O'Connerville, was the first of the and slight seasonal waterlogging (Marlow association). The settlements founded by Feargus O'Conner's Co-operative in underlying geology is a combination of plateau and river- 1846. O'Conner was an MP, idealist and social reformer. terrace drift forming part of the clay-with-flints area. The concept was that a new egalitarian system would Topography. The plateau is a gently undulating area replace the harsh economic conditions of the early 19th forming part of the Chilterns dip slope. Slopes rise from the century by the creation of an idealised 'medieval' lifestyle adjacent Maple Cross slopes. At Artichoke Dell there is a with the absence of the great landowner. The realised plan steep-sided wooded valley running through to of 1847 was for a school and 35 cottages, each with 2 to 4 Chorleywood near Chorleywood Common. acres. The scheme was not a financial success and the Degree of slope. Generally less than 1 in 50 over the company was declared bankrupt in 1851. plateau. Locally up to 1 in 7 at Chorleywood Common. Field pattern. The cultural field pattern is largely intact, Slopes rise from east to west by up to 1 in 25. dating from the 18th-century parliamentary enclosures. Altitude range. 95-110m on plateau. Down to 70m at Exceptions to the rule occur, e.g. at Horn Hill Court, where Artichoke Dell. the M25 severs a corner of the informal parkland. Field Hydrology. There are no significant streams, however there patterns are typically geometric in form, with a range of are a number of ponds associated with either parklands, medium-sized fields and some smaller paddocks in farmsteads, field corners or Chorleywood Common. association with the equestrian areas. Land cover and land use. The land-use pattern is wooded Transport pattern. The area is served by a number of farmland with a dominance of pasture, mainly for sinuous lanes, some sunken and some with wider verges equestrian use. Arable areas are modest in extent and tend including bracken. Old Shires Lane follows the county to be on the fringes of the area. boundary with Buckinghamshire. The M25 lies to the east. Vegetation and wildlife. There are a number of The railway to Chorleywood passes through a natural interlocking woodlands with beech the natural type, valley. particularly on the slopes. Other species include oak, ash, Settlements and built form. The area has a planned and hornbeam, hazel, and occasional larch and horse chestnut. settled appearance. There are parkland areas, including Parkland trees include lime, cedar and pine. There are areas Horn Hill Court and Newland Park, together with mature of species-rich grassland, orchards and old enclosure within farmsteads including the late medieval timber-framed King the Heronsgate estate. Hedges are mixed with a high John's Farm. There is a good range of traditional building percentage of hawthorn and locally areas of bracken. materials including brick, render and clay tile. Chorleywood Common, 'the glory of Chorleywood’, is a • A singularly distinctive feature of the settlement pattern is distinctive area of wet acidic common dating from before Heronsgate, a low-density Victorian smallholding 1766 and lying on glacial gravel. There are some areas of settlement, laid out along narrow single-track lanes species-rich grassland remaining at Artichoke Dell and enclosed by tall hedges. The area still has a heavily associated acidic heath plants. There are also pockets of vegetated character despite infill over recent years. chalk grassland by the railway. The common was • There is considerable 20th-century housing at traditionally used for grazing and as a stopover for drovers Chorleywood, however this is generally well integrated but has subsequently partly regenerated to woodland and is into the landscape with considerable belts of mature trees now partly the Chorleywood golf course. The woodland and tall hedgerows softening the edge of the settlements. mix is oak/birch with some invasion of sycamore.

pg 18 South Hertfordshire Landscape Character Assessment HERONSGATE HEIGHTS summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 2

VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION COMMUNITY VIEWS Views of the area from outside are generally restricted by Contrasting. While most parts are generally rarely remarked vegetation and the elevated plateau landform. Views within upon, the Chorleywood Common site stands out as a the area are generally filtered by vegetation and housing significantly distinctive landscape in its own right, affecting and contained by hedgerows along narrow roads. The area the rating of this area as a whole (B). feels private and relatively remote, despite the proximity to Re. Chorleywood Common: ‘woody yet open-spaced the M25 and the neighbouring settlements. It has a common ... the wooded section is threaded by parks and coherent and unified character with mature trees having a glades and orchards onto varying types of trees, shrub and strong influence. bush. These intriguing twists and turns reveal stretches of Rarity and distinctiveness. The area is unusual in the bracken ... A magnificent sight is the early bloom of golden county with Heronsgate and Chorleywood Common being gorse.' ('Common Heritage', Hertfordshire Countryside, Vol. the most distinctive features. 19, No. 77, April/May 1965, pp 214-15).

VISUAL IMPACT LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS The M25 and its associated pylons and radio masts are the Chilterns AONB: (north of Chorleywood only). major detracting features. The motorway also severs parkland at Horn Hill. Fly-tipping is a problem on the minor roads near the M25.

ACCESSIBILITY There is a good network of footpaths and bridleways, including over Chorleywood Common, a golf course and several stables. The Shire Horse Centre north west of Horn Hill is a local attraction. The attractive and contained character of the landscape adds to the enjoyment of the facilities.

CONDITION STRENGTH OF CHARACTER Land cover change: insignificant Impact of landform: apparent Age structure of tree cover: mature or young Impact of land cover: prominent Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: widespread Impact of historic pattern: interrupted Management of semi-natural habitat: variable Visibility from outside: concealed Survival of cultural pattern: interrupted Sense of enclosure: contained Impact of built development: low Visual unity: unified 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: SAFEGUARD AND MANAGE • promote new woodland planting to provide mitigation • within parklands ensure new planting is encouraged to for the M25. Use ancient hedge and field boundaries to maintain age diversity. Landscape improvements should identify the most appropriate location for woodland respect the historic context and the form and character of restoration and expansion parkland and gardens. Ornamental species should only be • promote the appropriate management of woodland in used to replace damaged or over-mature specimens, order to maintain a rich ground flora and the distinction where appropriate between different management systems, such as high • ensure that the surroundings of converted buildings are forest and coppice-with-standards designed and maintained to be in keeping with their • establish realistic and attractive countryside management agricultural surroundings by ensuring that 'garden' details schemes for all sites with heathland and acid are screened from view where possible and native species grassland/scrub communities including Chorleywood are used on site boundaries Common. Maintain a balance between developing a rich • promote the distinctiveness of Heronsgate village by variety of habitats and safe public access. Promote resisting further infill development and actively realistic initiatives for traditional management in supporting the management of species-rich grasslands conjunction with existing recreational uses and orchards • encourage landowners and developers to retain and • traffic-calming measures, where considered necessary, increase ponds and wetland areas and to enhance their must be of a scale and design that relates to the local visual and wildlife functions landscape character of the settlement • promote hedgerow management which should involve locally appropriate measures, including coppicing, laying and replanting/gapping-up • promote the restoration of hedges adjacent to rights of way, green lanes and along parish boundaries • encourage the re-use of existing agricultural buildings for equestrian activity • promote the use of traditional hedged field enclosure where land is converted to equestrian pasture. Discourage the use of timber-and-wire fencing as a permanent solution

• Stockport Road, Heronsgate (HCC Landscape Unit)

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