adopted March 2007 Landscape Character Area 13a

Welsh Maelor 13a

This is one of a series of Local Attractive undulating lowland farmland to the south of Wrexham town and west of the Planning Guidance Notes based River Dee, containing a number of large estates on Wrexham LANDMAP (adopted November 2004), setting out recommendations for each Landscape context Landscape Character area. This lowland rural area is similar to the English Maelor and Dee Terraces, and to the Cheshire and North Shropshire Plain beyond the Wrexham boundary. However it is geographically and historically separated from the English Maelor by the River Dee, and former administrative boundaries, and is currently more affected by proximity to urban areas

Map of Welsh Maelor Landscape Character Area

map not to scale

Welsh Maelor summary: O Undulating, mainly pastoral lowland farmland

O Well-managed hedges with hedgerow trees and small woodlands

O Historic designed estates influence a large propotion of this area

O Field ponds abundant on areas with clay soils

O Historic settlement pattern Character Area boundaries should be considered transitional rather than precise © Crown copyright. All rights reserved Licence No.100023429. 2006 with remnants of medieval ridge and furrow

O Erddig estate important for tourism, recreation, nature conservation and heritage

O Wat's Dyke runs north-south through area

O Patches of valuable semi- natural habitats, especially in Clywedog valley

O Affected by urban pressures and economic changes to farming

Wrexham Landscape Character Area Guidance Landscape Character Area 13a

Geological character: also found in the south O Deep deposits of glacial drift O Although most grassland is overlie bedrock of Carboniferous improved, remnants of high and Triassic age value neutral grassland survive in the central and northern areas O Glacial till (boulder clay) covers a large part of the character O The Welsh Maelor has valuable area, with glacial sands and remnants of estate parkland or gravels found mainly in the area wood pasture with mature and immediately to the south of veteran trees - a Biodiversity Wrexham town, and in the river Priority Habitat terrace on which Eyton Grange is situated O Field ponds are frequent, and valuable for wildlife Key characteristics O The area drains to the Clywedog in the north and to the River Dee in the east and south Historical character: Visual character: O Medieval military feature - Wat's O Good views to the hills and over Ecological character: Dyke earthern bank and ditch cuts the Dee Valley from higher across farmland ground O The River Clywedog valley south of Wrexham town has a diverse O Widespread evidence of medieval O Undulating estate farmland with range of valuable semi-natural open fields - ridge and furrow mosaic of farmland and trees (N. habitats including wet remnants of the Wrexham Lowlands and S. areas) and undulating woodlands, lowland meadows open farmland in the central and nationally important O Important designed parklands on area wetlands (especially for Cadw Register at Erddig, Wynnstay invertebrates) with areas of fen and Brynkinalt, as well as Penylan, O Designed parks and gardens sedge, herb-rich swamp and Erbistock and Rosehill rush pasture O Generally an abundance of well O Non-planned settlement with managed hedgerows and O Farm orchards are now rare, but medieval origins at Gyfelia and hedgerow trees a valuable old orchard survives Crabtree Green at Erddig O Traditional red brick O 19th/20th century ribbon farmsteadings but many barns O Semi-natural upland mixed ash development at Marchwiel now converted to residential woodlands, other broadleaved woodlands and plantations are uses O Disused Ellesmere railway characteristic of the northern O Tranquillity and landscape and southern areas, forming a O Remnants of former ordnance depot quality affected by A483 and mosaic of woodland and at Parkey area south of Wrexham pylons to west farmland. Mixed plantations are Industrial Estate

Wrexham Landscape Character Area Guidance Landscape Character Area 13a

Cultural character Welsh Maelor - North Central and South O Still predominantly agricultural, with dispersed farms The northern part, nearest to Wrexham drains into the River O Farmsteads and villages Clywedog, and has a high proportion affected by commuter pressure, of land belonging to the estates of with residential conversions and Erddig, Marchwiel, Bryn y grog and new housing Cefn Park. This area is particularly O Sense of place - Erddig and valuable for nature conservation and informal recreation. Wynnstay in particular

O Wynnstay Estate once culturally The southern part also has a high dominated the southern part of proportion of land in former or the Welsh Maelor but the existing estate management, including buildings of the core area are Wynnstay, Penylan and Brynkinalt. being converted to residential Some of these estates also extend accommodation, enabling into the Dee-Ceiriog Wooded restoration of the Grade 1 Valley landscape character area. Capability Brown pleasure gardens The central part is generally open farmland with dispersed farms and O High level of recreational use in hamlets where former estate Erddig and Clywedog Valley, influence is weaker. It includes a and extensive network of small small semicircular flat area around lanes and rights of way in all Eyton Grange which is a terrace of parts except Wynnstay the River Dee. Attractive undulating lowland farmland to the south of Wrexham Landscape sensitivity town and west of the River Dee, containing a number of large estates. The traditional Welsh Maelor landscape is very vulnerable to continuing development and recreational The Welsh Maelor can be subdivided into 3 areas: pressures, to economic changes which threaten traditional farming, and from land use practices and development which do not take historical landscape features into account.

For further information contact: Planning Environment Planning Department Wrexham County Borough Council Lambpit Street, Wrexham. LL11 1AR Tel:01978 292019 www.wrexham.gov.uk/planning All our information is available in accessible formats

Wrexham Landscape Character Area Guidance Landscape Character Area 13a

Overall management strategy: Conservation and sustainable rural development Management Guidance

Aims Guidelines Conserve rural character O Promote replacement planting of hedgerow trees, particularly oaks and ash to ensure perpetuation of characteristic landscape

O The area is particularly sensitive to the 'suburbanisation' of farm steadings - resist

O The character of rural villages and their settings are particularly sensitive to new development

O Encourage Village Design statements by local residents

O Areas for Horsiculture are to conserve traditional field boundaries and avoid the proliferation of fences, structures and buildings within the countryside, where this would erode character

Protect and enhance O Protect estate landscapes and estate-influenced landscapes and consider Cadw listing of stone historic landscape boundary walls and other significant designed landscape features not protected at present

O Protect fieldscape and areas of medieval ridge and furrow

O Increase awareness and appreciation of historical landscape character

O Preserve surviving features in designed landscapes and avoid subdivision or development of parklands

O Prevent woodland regeneration on Wat's Dyke and Erddig Motte and Bailey

O No development on or near Wat's Dyke - contact Cadw

O Preserve Gyfelia field boundaries

O Preserve by record medieval features at Crabtree Green

Preserve geodiversity O Preserve disused railway, relate to wider industrial landscape

Conserve and manage O Maintain integrity of landforms, including glacial and fluvial landforms, and assess new exposures ponds and other aquatic O Maintain high pond density, restore and enhance ponds.Protect species associated with ponds, eg and wetland habitats bats, newts, water vole, lesser silver diving beetle

O Enhance river bank habitats and minimise hard bank engineering; such as canalisation and retaining walls; protect otters and water voles

O Refer to River and Pond Habitat Action Plans and Otter Species Action Plan of Wrexham Biodiversity Action Plan

O Restrict drainage in wetland sites

Enhance and restore O Enhance and expand wood-pastures and retain veteran trees and fallen timber biodiversity of historic parklands O Protect wood-pasture from agricultural intensification Manage farmland for O Diversify general agricultural land and enhance and extend hedgerows nature conservation O Develop green networks to link fragmented habitats and species

O Maintain arable headlands and wide field margins

O Enhance and extend orchards and preserve historic fruit varieties

Conserve and manage O Maintain, expand and link fragmented native woodlands woodlands O Replace coniferous trees with native broadleaved trees in woodlands and increase diversity in woodland structure and retain old/dead standing or fallen trees

O Restrict grazing in woodlands Manage grassland to O Protect and manage lowland meadows and enhance lowland pastures increase biodiversity O Encourage cattle grazing in rush pastures

Preserve rural heritage and O Maintain historic appearance of area, encourage local businesses encourage sustainable rural O Support National Trust initiatives development O Develop strategy for sympathetic new build in rural villages

O Preserve local distinctiveness, in particular agricultural buildings

Wrexham Landscape Character Area Guidance © Wrexham County Borough Council 2007 Back