Landscape Character Assessment - Chelmsford Borough Council

148A8 CAN AND WID RIVER VALLEYKey Characteristics Confluence of the relatively shallow U-shaped valleys of the Can and Wid rivers. Human-influenced/course of River Can as itflows into Chelmsford’s urban area. Can river channel surrounded by designedparkland/amenity landscape (Admiral’sPark). Sense of enclosure provided by diversemature vegetation lining the Can (within thebuilt area). Relatively open nature of the floodplain andslopes of the River Wid. Patchwork of riverside habitats, includingpasture and arable fields, interspersed withriverside poplars and other patches ofvegetation lining the Wid. River valleys overlooked by ChelmsfordUrban Edge. Dispersed settlement pattern, withoccasional single farmsteads within thefloodplain and on the slopes.Overall CharacterThis character area is situated adjacent to the western edge of Chelmsford and encompasses theconfluence of the relatively shallow U-shaped valleys of the Can and Wid. The Can valley flows intothe area through farmland plateau to the northwest, where the course of the river does not dominate thecharacter of the landscape. As the river valley gently meanders into the fabric of Chelmsford urbanarea to the east, the character of the valley is more greatly influenced by human interaction as it flowsthrough Admiral’s Park, (than in its upper reaches). At this point, diverse riverside vegetation andmature trees line the river (which is straightened in places). Immediately adjacent to the river, areas ofopen amenity grassland, dotted with single mature (predominantly deciduous) parkland trees contributeSection 5.0 – Landscape Character of Chelmsford Borough11100101R Final LCAs_09-06