Area Summary Assessment Guidelines Evaluation HUNSDON PLATEAU

HUNSDON PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area83

Buntingford

100019606 2004 Watton Stortford -at- Stone

Hertford

area 83

LOCATION KEY CHARACTERISTICS Focused on Hunsdon village, bounded to the south by • few settlements: Hunsdon, Widford estate/parkland associated with the river Stort, to the east • significant woodland groups clustered in north east and by less disturbed farmland, and to the north by the river south west Ash valley. • poor or fragmented hedges • quite remote LANDSCAPE CHARACTER • large-scale arable fields Large-scale open arable farmland on flat upland plateau, • heavy wet clay - ditched with smaller fields and woodland to north west of Hunsdon. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES • former World War II airfield south-east of Hunsdon - very bleak and lacking in features • homogenous style of villages • pylons and overhead power lines • historic links down to river Stort • distinction between settlement and generally unsettled countryside

Hunsdon Plateau, • view to north west (HCC Landscape Unit)

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PHYSICAL INFLUENCES HISTORIC AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES Geology and soils. Clay soils over till (glacial drift). The historic pattern of this area is apparent but very altered Hunsdon village lies on fine loamy over clayey soils, with locally by the destruction of the field pattern on the former slowly permeable subsoils (chalky till and glaciofluvial drift) WWII airfield. Hunsdon House, on the outskirts of the (Ashley series), while the surrounding area lies on slowly village, was the favoured residence of Henry VIII, to escape permeable calcareous clay (Hanslope series). the London plague and for hunting. There was an extensive Topograph. Flat plateau. deer park and the possible remnants of a hunting lodge Degree of slope. 1 in 375. survive as a barn at Hunsdon Lodge Farm. The Tudor palace Altitude range. 66m to 81m. became a Georgian mansion in the early 19th century. The Hydrology. There are many ditches in this poorly drained central block of woodland was formerly much more area, but few streams. To the south they flow into the Stort extensive but suffered from clearances in the early 1970s. or Lea; in the north into the Ash. 'It is perhaps typical of Hunsdon that where a medieval Land cover and land use. This area is in intensive arable hunting ground has not been transformed into a later park, production, with areas of ancient woodland in an the ground has been radically altered by modern aggregated block to the north east of Hunsdon village and construction.' (Munby, The Landscape of Hertfordshire, woodland plantations around Bonningtons, south west of p.134.) the village. The impact of former land use as a World War II Field pattern. Field sizes are generally large to vast, smaller airfield is very apparent to the south east of the village, and more regular immediately to the west of Hunsdon. where all trees and hedgerows were removed and have not They vary between very geometric north of Gilston to been replaced. irregular within the ancient woodland, but are generally Associated features: ditches, moats. irregular (although this is difficult to see in the field, due to Vegetation and wildlife. This is a uniform area of arable the scale). On the former WWII airfield the former field farmland with wet boulder clay woodlands of transitional pattern has not been reinstated. oak/hornbeam and ash/maple/hazel and a fairly diverse Transport pattern. One notable feature of this area is the ground flora dominated by dog's mercury. The woodland is difficulty of access. There are no public roads within the a mix of ancient woodland in the north east and plantations rectangle bounded by the B1004, the B180 and Hollycross of between 50 and 120 years old in the south west. In both Road, an area of c.1200ha. The remaining 550 hectares of cases the individual blocks are quite large (5 to 15ha); the the area are similarly un-roaded, and the B180 is the only ancient woodland blocks are closer together and linked by road within the whole area. Despite an extensive network hedgerows. Elm is a prominent species locally, with willow of footpaths, much of the area remains inaccessible by car along the ditches. Hedge species are elm, hawthorn and or on foot. The B180 winds across the plateau, usually sallow with standard oak or ash, but there are few of them ditched and hedged along much of its length, although and they are not in good condition. Marshland Wood open between Widford and Hunsdon. contains field maple, hornbeam, hawthorn, spindle, ash, Settlements and built form. There are two villages within oak and elm. In the churchyard at Hunsden there is a the area. Although Widford lies on the plateau edge, it is veteran yew and veteran oaks are scattered through this perhaps more associated with the Ash valley, unlike area, as at Olive's Farm, Hunsdon. Hunsdon which is a focus for the whole area. Between Hunsdon and Widford there is linear settlement along the B180. Elsewhere there are only isolated farms. • Hunsdon has a homogeneous character due to the extensive use of white weatherboard or render and uniform black-painted bargeboards for groups of houses of different styles. The date of some estate cottages is 1856, but there are older houses too, notably a timber- framed hall house in Widford Road. • Widford is also a long-established village, with 12th- century fragments in the church and some 16th-century (Nether Hall) and 18th-century (Goddard House) houses. • Widfordbury, perched above the river Ash, is a 17th- century farmhouse with 16th-century brick-wall relics.

OTHER SOURCES OF AREA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION Pevsner, N., rev. Cherry, B., Hertfordshire, Penguin (2000).

pg 156 East Herts District Landscape Character Assessment HUNSDON PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 83

VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION ACCESSIBILITY Views of the area from outside are concealed by local Frequency/density of footpaths and waymarked routes: topography, while views within are extensive. The scale of extensive and widespread but unwelcoming across airfield. landscape elements varies between small and large, with an Condition: fair. emphasis on the latter. This is a very open, incoherent but tranquil landscape. COMMUNITY VIEWS Rarity and distinctiveness. Unique in the impact the WWII A few locations are noted for their distinctiveness but this airfield still has on the area. The north-eastern part of the area also includes large tracts of unremarked landscape (D). area shows the former cultural pattern of the whole area. LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS VISUAL IMPACT A small part of this area is designated a Landscape Impact of built development: the airfield has altered the Conservation Area. historic scale locally. Distinctive features: former airfield, now large-scale arable - strong contrast with pre-existing/remaining landscape to north east and south west.

CONDITION STRENGTH OF CHARACTER Land cover change: insignificant Impact of landform: prominent Age structure of tree cover: localised Impact of land cover: apparent Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: mature Impact of historic pattern: interrupted Management of semi-natural habitat: fragmented Visibility from outside: open Survival of cultural pattern: declining Sense of enclosure: open Impact of built development: low Visual unity: coherent Impact of land-use change: high 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 • the north east part of this area retains its historic characteristics of ancient woodland blocks linked by ditched hedgerows. This part should be conserved and protected, while the remainder should be improved to achieve the same landscape and ecological value • 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 • encourage the replanting of hedges along historic field boundaries, where this will not damage historic features such as ditches and banks • encourage the planting of new woodland around existing, to protect them, increase the scale of woodland in this area and improve ecological diversity • new woodland planting should use only locally indigenous species, of local provenance if possible • plantations and woodlands should be managed to favour locally indigenous species, to encourage good age diversity and to maintain a species-rich ground flora • where the loss of ponds and ditches is unavoidable, ensure that replacement features of at least equal potential nature conservation value are created and maintained • encourage awareness of the importance and value of veteran trees • if any artefacts relating to WWII use of the airfield are still extant, consider their retention and conservation

pg 158 East Herts District Landscape Character Assessment