Landscape Character Assessment - Chelmsford Borough Council

182F11 SOUTH HANNINGFIELD WOODED FARMLANDKey Characteristics Undulating mature woodedfarmland. Vast expanse of Hanningfieldreservoir. Mixed woodland and apatchwork of diverse habitatssurrounding the reservoir. Small-scale linear settlementpattern. Medium to large-scale arablefields with hedged and treedfield boundaries. Views to wooded horizons bothwithin the character area andwithin adjacent character areas. Network of quiet, narrow rurallanes traverse the area.Overall CharacterThis character area is situated to the south of Chelmsford and north of Billericay and Wickford (to thesouth of the Study Area). Undulating arable wooded farmland (delineated by mature hedgerows withseveral hedgerow trees) covers the area. The area slopes (relatively steeply in places) downwards fromnorth to south, affording spectacular views across the Thames valley in places. At the centre of thearea, character is dominated by the vast expanse of Hanningfield reservoir. The large body of water issurrounded by a mixed woodland reserve (including Peninsula Wood, Well Wood, Chestnut Wood andHawks Wood, a visitors centre and nature reserve) and contains diverse habitats for wildlife (especiallywildfowl). Flocks of swifts, swallows and martins swooping onto the reservoir during the summer,provide a visually interesting and dynamic character. The uniform and engineered concrete edges ofthe reservoir exert a strong human influence upon the surrounding landscape, whilst certain stretches ofthe reservoir exhibit more natural shorelines and have well-developed marginal vegetation. Settlementpattern consists of several small linear hamlets and villages (including South and West HanningfieldSection 5.0 – Landscape Character of Chelmsford Borough11100101R Final LCAs_09-06