NETTLEDEN RIDGES AND VALLEYS summary assessment evaluation guidelines area122 area 122 District Map showing location of LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREA Tring ©Crown copyright .All rights reserved Dacorum Borough Council 100018935 2004 Berkhamsted Hemel Hempstead LOCATION historic estate is widely apparent. The planned 'gatepost' The area covers a series of parallel ridges and dry valleys woodlands that frame the dry valley at Water End, the that start to the east of Ashridge college, close to Little woodland roundels and scattered veteran trees and the Gaddesden and stretch down to join the High Gade Valley sunken road at Nettleden were all part of the historic to the south east. The hamlet of Nettleden nestles in the approach to the manor. central dry valley. KEY CHARACTERISTICS LANDSCAPE CHARACTER • rolling topography The character area is defined by the strongly undulating • long views from ridge tops along valleys to the south topography and the cover of extensive arable fields and • very large arable fields relict parkland features. The ridge and valley complex • sparse settlement with scattered farms extends westwards beyond the character boundary and into • relic parkland the Ashridge Estate (Area 121), where the designed estate • woodland copses landscape becomes dominant. The settlement of Nettleden • designed landscape provides a visual and cultural focus to the area. It is a small • transport routes following the lie of the land hamlet of traditional built styles including some newly • lack of field hedgerows and ecological links converted residential properties hidden away in the folds of • poor landscape management on St. Margaret's ridge the arable landscape. The area is strongly linked with • planned woodland blocks Ashridge and evidence of its former inclusion within the DISTINCTIVE FEATURES • flint and brick faced sunken 'Spooky Lane', Nettleden • reservoir • viewpoint at Frithview Farm of both Wyatt Houses (Ashridge College and Gaddesden Place) • designed woodlands and earthworks marking the historic approach to the Ashridge Estate • distinctive pargeted house and ice house in Frithsden • Buddhist Temple at St. Margaret's and monastic remains • Hudnall Park • distinctive pargeted house and ice house in Frithsden • Spooky Lane (A.Tempany) Dacorum Landscape Character Assessment pg 115 NETTLEDEN RIDGES AND VALLEYS summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 122 PHYSICAL INFLUENCES Geology and soils. The bedrock geology is Upper Chalk decision, in the early 19th century, to sink the original with a superficial geology of acidic clay-with-flints on the straight medieval route (also locally called the 'roman' road) ridges and areas of exposed chalk drift within parts of the into a deep cutting with revetted flint retaining walls and upper and middle valleys. The soils are stagnogleyic paleo - run a driveway across, complete with a Tudor style bridge. agrillic brown earths. They comprise fine silty over clayey This was in order to avoid contact with the villagers of and fine loamy over clayey soils, with slowly permeable Nettleden and Frithsden. The 19th century driveway subsoils and slight seasonal waterlogging, (Charity 2 approach to Ashridge began on the Nettleden Road leading association). from the Gade valley and heralded by two large sentinel Topography. The area lies on a series of north west, south woodlands on the adjoining ridges. At the bridge over east dry valleys draining down the Chiltern dip slope. The 'Spooky Lane' the drive afforded a vista of Ashridge House landform is strongly undulating and contains a narrow dry before sweeping through Golden Valley into the park. valley within the character area, between Nettleden and Fragments of the park's original extent can be seen in this Frithsden. area with several large field trees. Degree of slope. Average gradient along the ridges is 1 in Other aspects which recall the area's historic and cultural 70 with the valley slopes typically 1 in 8. continuity are the picturesque Nettleden Lodge House, and Altitude range. From 110m at Crossways Farm up to 175m the scant remains of a Benedictine Nunnery at at Lady Grove. St. Margaret's, whose site is now partly occupied by a Hydrology. There is little water apparent, although Buddhist temple. Nettleden has been described as once standing water is evident in places, together with a number being a valley of nettles. of small ponds around St. Margaret's. Field Patterns. The field pattern is essentially irregular with Land cover and land use. Land cover and land use are sinuous field boundaries common to a number of fields. predominantly devoted to agriculture, primarily arable but Elsewhere the enclosure is generally post 1960. There is a with a proportion of pasture, particularly on the Nettleden localized area of prairie fields on the south facing slopes side in the former extents of Ashridge Park. Significant below High Park Wood. Field sizes are generally medium to secondary land cover comprises broadleaf semi natural large and the area includes reputedly the largest field in woodland. In terms of changes in land use and land cover, Hertfordshire (due to boundary removal/erosion). Near these are chiefly marked by loss of the eastern most extents Nettleden and Frithsden there are a number of smaller of the park to pasture, and possibly of woodland to arable. paddocks enclosed by post and rail timber fences. There is a vineyard at Frithsden. Transport pattern. This is characterised by a variety of Vegetation and wildlife. Woodland is characterised by roads, including a number of B roads. The transport pattern oak, sweet chestnut, beech and holly, with cherry is however predominantly defined by tracks and lanes, particularly evident at the margins. Stands of plantation generally winding or sinuous, some of which are deeply species such as larch and Scots pine are also common place. sunken as at 'Spooky Lane'. Semi-natural woodland survives especially at Highpark Settlements and built form. There are few areas of Wood, which is unusual in the area as it is essentially settlement. The Ashridge estate villages of Nettleden and beech/ash woodland on chalk, but has been subject to Frithsden are within the area. Both are small, essentially partial replanting. More acidic oak/beech woodland occurs medieval and largely unspoiled hamlets, with a good range at Heizdins Wood and Pulridge Wood. of vernacular buildings using local flint and Old grasslands are limited, but there are areas of weatherboarding. The 'Little Manor' at Frithsden is an calcareous/neutral grasslands of moderate diversity at interesting 17th century house with a pargeted façade Hudnall Park and Corner Farm. bearing the arms of Adelbert, Earl Brownlow, as do many of Hedgerow vegetation is similarly species rich. Field maple the houses in the area, recalling the connection to (both in the hedgerow and as a tree), cherry, holly, lime Ashridge. (hedgerow tree), hawthorn, hazel, elder, blackthorn and There are many other half timber with brick houses, and at clematis were all recorded. Nettleden also, where the characteristic Brownlow The slopes of the principal ridge between Nettleden and vernacular of red brick with Totternhoe stone detailing, Frithsden are grazed with both sheep and cattle on the steep roofs and intricate gabling may be seen at Nettleden Nettleden side, while apparent badger and rabbit activity House. At St Margaret's, a number of relatively recent and are evident in the hedgerows. In the fields immediately untidy properties contribute to the general air of neglect north west of Frithsden, at Frithsden gardens, rare breeds evident in this part of the character area, although some such as long horn cattle are grazed. early medieval houses survive. HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES OTHER SOURCES OF AREA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION With its close links to Ashridge (Area121) and the fact that Pevsner N: Buildings of England - Hertfordshire it once formed part of the estate, the area is culturally and historically strong. At 'Spooky Lane' (after the ghost of an Ashridge Monk seen at the spot), there are clear signs of a designed landscape. This is due to the Bridgewaters' pg 116 Dacorum Landscape Character Assessment NETTLEDEN RIDGES AND VALLEYS summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 122 VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION ACCESSIBILITY As the character area is defined by a partially enclosed dry Access to the area is more difficult than the neighbouring valley system, contained by woodlands the area is only Ashridge Estate (Area 121). There is no common land and locally visible from outside. Within the area the scale of most of the paths follow the boundaries of large fields. landscape elements is large in terms of field size, however there is still a relatively intimate scale due to the COMMUNITY VIEWS containment by topography and vegetation which frames This area includes some distinctive elements (D). and defines views. To the pastoral slopes with traces of the Respondent 2160 writes of this area and the associated former extent of Ashridge Park, the landscape displays a Upper Gade “We know this area as being very picturesque clear visual unity, and is relatively tranquil. with lovely views from the hills and attractive villages along Rarity and distinctiveness. In terms of historical pattern the dales. There is also a lovely bluebell wood.” and its implications for manipulation of this landscape, the “[Nettleden] is beautifully situated at the foot of a wooded character area is unusual. The bridge and revetted flint hill.” HW Tompkins “Hertfordshire”