LOCAL
ACCESS FORUM
Hertfordshire
Field Trips
Winter Field Trip, January 2012
Panshanger Park, Hertford
Best kept secret and not for long. This former Capability Brown park has been quarried since the late 70s/early 80s and it is now about to be given back for the enjoyment of the public. Several paths have already been opened and by the this summer more will open. Over the next 2-4 years all of the park should be restored and opened to the public to enjoy. One of the areas is still being quarried and will soon be closed and restored as other parts of the park. The park will provide an oasis for people and wildlife alike. When you wander through the park you can are hardly aware of the major transport routes nearby, you are completely enveloped by the woods and your attention is taken by the beautiful open spaces and flora and fauna that thrive in the park.
We are looking forward to enjoying it openly soon. In the meantime, have a look at some of the shots taken to wet your appetite.
Summer Field Trip, September 2011
Ellenbrook Fields, Hatfield
The former British Aerospace area was 800 acres. Now 400 acres have been
developed and the remaining 400 have been turned into an area to be enjoyed
by all.
The Ellenbrook Field Project is being funded with the help of s106 money
and Goodman which commissioned Maydencroft Rural Agency to look after and
progress this project. The scheme has been looked at as a 10 year project
to manage and develop.
The project has divided the 400 acres in 4 areas of development:
The site is also earmarked as gravel extraction site.
Not at the moment however there might be a time in the future when this will
be implemented.
Presently half of the old taxing route has been left in place and provides
a neat drive/area where people walk and exercise. The area we surveyed used
to be grassland and the grass cut by the old aerospace.
The old runaway was crushed and all
the concrete was used as foundation for the houses on the other 400
acres of the site that has already been developed. Very little is left
from the old aerospace.
Part of the woodland we saw in the distance has been used by the film
industry. Films like ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Band
of Brothers’ have been filmed in part here.
Works at Ellenbrook Fields commenced
on the ground ca. 1 year ago when the managing agent started fencing
the area. They finished in March 2011 and the cattle was introduced
soon after and had been in situ ever since.
With regard to the Woodland, this is native to Hertfordshire and is
made of hornbeam which used to be coppiced regularly (evidence on site)
this kind of woodland is recognised as typical of Hertfordshire. The
trees were not coppiced for a long time, and last year the team experimented
with ¼ of the woodland and coppiced it. The trees have started
sprouting again, so this year it will be applied to another ¼
of the woodland.
The area is an Open Access site. Ponds are present in the father part
of the park (nearer the houses) and have been restored. These are fed
by water ends channelled from the housing estates during their construction.
View some of the picures here and click for the video here
Winter Field trip, February 2011
Ver Valley Walk, nr Redbourn
Following the presentation at the December
Public Meeting from the chairman of the Ver Valley Society, the LAF
went to visit part of the open walk and see first hand the river, the
challenges encountered by the Society and
experiencing first hand biodiversity and access issues.
more photos...
Summer Field Trip, June 2010
Cross Farm, Harpenden
Situated between Harpenden and Nomansland, Wheathampsted, we were welcomed
by the farmer, Mr Will Dickinson, and his son who took us around their
farm and land and pointed out the challenges they are often facing when
fields have Rights of Way crossing them or are in the vicinity. About
a Bridleway about to be dedicated and the long delays... the LAF will
be on the case and give a helpful prod to all concerned parties.
click here
for more photos
Winter Field Trip, January 2010
Radlett SRFI
This area of land east of Park Street is the subject of a planning application
to develop a Strategic Rail-Freight Interchange (road to rail and vice
versa). It is envisaged that there are only a limited number of such
interchanges nationwide, hence it strategic nature. On the former wartime
airfield, which is currently farmed, a new railway is planned to enter
the site, interchange warehouses will be built covering the site in
buildings up to 1 km long and lorry movements will increase on the A414
/ A405 and access routes to the A1(M), M1 and M25. A mitigation package
of extensive country parks, permissive path routes and a few changes
to the definitive network has been proposed by the developers.
Wall Hall
This former university site is owned by HCC and the farms around it
are overseen by the Rural Estates team. As a result of the redevelopment
of the buildings, into private residences, s106 funding was secured
to upgrade and improve the rights of way network on the site. A package
of improvements including; upgrades to bridleways, creating routes along
former missing links in the network and surfacing improvements are underway
using that funding with the cooperation of Hertsmere Borough Council's
Greenways Officer, HCC's Rights of Way Service and the Rural Estates
team.
Click on the links to view maps and more photos. maps: SRFI,
Wall Hall; photos.
Summer Field Trip , July 2009
Early in July 2009 LAF members attended an on-site briefing
on the Ayot Green Way by members of the RoW Service.
Issues highlighted were:
Winter Field Trip, January 2009
The Forum met on a very wet day in Sandridge
to view the newly acquired site by the Woodland Trust, which forms part
of the Heartwood Forest project. Representives of the Woodland Trust
joined the Forum and were instrumental to the understanding of the project.
more discussion and contributions are hoped will come at the February
Public Meeting, when once again the Woodland Trust are invited to present
the project to the public and those members who could not join on the
walk. The project will put together a lot of different groups and communities
to work together to achieve the success of this local project.
Summer Field Trip, 2006
The theme for the Forum’s summer field trip was ““Impact of Roads on Access””. Forum members toured a number of sites looking a range of problems and solutions – this culminated in a practical demonstration, by one of the LAF members, of an at-grade horse crossing on the A414 near Colney Heath.
The the verge has been surfaced to create
an off road route for pedestrians, horseriders and cyclists –
which also links a number of rights of way.
Members were impressed by the cloverleaf crossing near Watford which
opened last year after many years of hard work (since the early 90’s)
by Hertsmere Borough Council, local users and the police. Horses, cyclists
and walkers can now get across the A41 without having to risk mixing
with busy traffic. This is a landmark scheme as it is the first time
that non motorised users have been allowed to legally use a motorway
verge – requiring ministerial permission to vary Section 16 of
the Highways Act 1980 for the M1.
At Tykeswater Lane the LAF members were able to see the potential difficulties
when rights of way are added to the definitive map or have their status
changed. The change in status of Tykeswater from footpath to byway was
confirmed in 2005 – however there are serious concerns about the
safety of users on horse back and in vehicle when joining Theobald Street
from the right of way.
An example of measures that have been put in place to improve crossing
was seen at the “Pegasus” crossing on Bell Lane near London
Colney – a light controlled crossing with specific provision for
horses. However they are not a universal solution as they can only be
sited on suitable stretches of road with adequate visibility. Cost is
also an issue.
A stretch of the A414 highlighted typical problems faced by pedestrians,
cyclists and horse riders where access routes cross busy roads. It is
difficult to convey in words the impact of the horse crossing demonstration
– at grade crossings certainly must deter use by some people –
as this exercise was tackled by a very experienced rider on a quiet
and calm horse.
Summer Field
Trip, June 2005
The Forum Summer Field Trip to Broxbourne woods led by Heidi Hutton,
Projects Officer for CMS, proved a valuable insight into the improvements
being made in the area. The Forum took a circular route from The Woodman
public house which also included the newly constructed boardwalks nearing
completion in Danesmead Nature Reserve, and sections of the roman road
Ermine Street. A sculpture trail is planned for part of the wood and
the tour provided a ‘before picture’ prior to the work beginning
and the forum will have the opportunity to visit again in the autumn
to see the finished result. The trip allowed the Forum to see and discuss
several access points along the route.
.
Spring Gathering, April 2005
The Forum met for an evening at the Waterend Barn in St. Albans to informally
discuss the Forum. Members had the opportunity to air their views on
how the Forum was meeting it’s requirements and how further improvements
could be made. Members also provided positive feedback from their time
on the Forum and what discoveries they had made by working together
as a group.
Winter Walkabout,
December 2004
The
Forum held their first annual walkabout on Friday 10th December. This
provided the opportunity for the Forum to meet socially and experience,
as a group, the reality of countryside access. The Forum followed one
of the Chilterns Country Walks that are widely available, starting in
Lilley. The local Countryside Access Officer Tom Goldsmith accompanied
them on the walk and was on hand to answer questions. Tom pointed out
some of the improvements that he and his team have made recently, as
well as describing proposals for future improvements. Members of the
Forum commented that the day “provided a first-hand experience
of the problems faced by officers trying to make the countryside more
accessible to the public.”
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