TWO
SENCE AND SOAR GREEN WEDGES
PART TWO – SURVEY: CONTENTS
[PLEASE NOTE: THE LANDUSE AND LANDSCAPE FEATURES PULL OUT PLAN
ON PAGE 111 ACCOMPANIES PART 2b: ECOLOGICAL SECTION. ]
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2a: PHYSICAL SURVEY
Topography
Geology
Soils
The Floodplain and Watercourses
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9
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2b: ECOLOGICAL SURVEY
Overview
Soar Valley (north)
Soar Valley (south)
Sence Meadows
Narborough Bog
Narborough Fields
The Paddocks
Cosby Fields
Enderby Parkland
Enderby Fields
Ten Pound Rise
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2c: TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS
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2d: USAGE
Landuse And Ownership
Footpaths And Cycleways
Path Condition
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2e: ARCHAEOLOGY
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PULL OUT PLAN – LANDUSE & LANDSCAPE FEATURES
111
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SURVEY
2a: PHYSICAL SURVEY
TOPOGRAPHY
The green wedges study area is comprised predominantly of low lying land between
55 and 100 metres elevation above sea level. The bulk of the area is made up of the
Sence and Soar river corridors, which lie between 55 and 65 metres. The Soar valley
being the larger of the two, flowing from south to north gives rise to a large swathe of
flat land, dotted with small isolated areas of rising land. The lowest point of this feature
can be seen at the northern most point of the study area.
Due to the low level of land surrounding the river valley much of the land is
designated as floodplain, and is noted as such in the Blaby District Local Plan.
In contrast to the River Soar corridor the land rises to the west of the M1 Motorway
towards Enderby and Narborough to over 100 metres above sea level. This rise is
gently sloping for the most part, levelling off to form a low ridge parallel with the River
Soar. To the eastern side of the area are two smaller areas of elevated ground
situated either side of the Sence valley.
To the southern edge of the study area the land begins to rise very gently towards
Cosby, where the green wedge broadens out to meet the open countryside beyond.
The main topographical features within the study area other than the watercourses
comprise predominantly of the linear embankments of the M1 motorway which cuts
across the western side of the study area, the Leicester to Birmingham railway line
which cuts across the centre of the area and the Great Central Way cycle route and
the Old Great Central Railway line’, (formerly a railway line but now partially derelict),
which lies to the eastern side.
The M1 lies in a cutting between Enderby and Enderby St Johns, and is elevated to
the northern and southern ends of the area. Where the M1 is elevated steep
embankments area notable feature. Steep embankments also typify the Leicester to
Birmingham railway line. The Great Central Way and Old Great Central Railway line,
being located at the edge of the flood plain, is elevated down the whole of its
length.
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SENCE AND SOAR GREEN WEDGES
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TWO
SURVEY
PHYSICAL SURVEY
GEOLOGY AND SOILS
Solid Geology
The underlying rock within the study area consists predominantly of mudstones and
sandstones. These give way towards the eastern end of the Sence Valley into clays,
mudstones and limestones.
The Blaby District Local Plan identifies the designation of a geological SSSI (Site of
Special Scientific Interest), located in the north-eastern corner of the study area at the
Enderby Warren Quarry area, adjacent the former Enderby Quarry 98hylandfill site.
Drift Geology
Along the rivers Sence and Soar the drift geology is comprised for the most part by
recent alluvial river deposits. Bordering these alluvial deposits is an area with no drift
cover. Further away from the river valleys alluvial deposits the drift geology consists of
sometimes chalky glacial till deposits.
Future Prospects of Sand and Gravel Extraction
The Blaby District Local Plan identifies four locations where mineral reserves have
been identified as a possible resource, although the plan also notes the requirements
of further investigative work in order to ascertain the extent and quality of this reserve.
Policy M4 states that:
‘Planning permission will not be granted for development
which would sterilize or prejudice the extraction of proven
mineral reserves from the following locations:
(iii) Land in the Sour Valley South;
Further to policy M4, Leicestershire County Council Minerals Section can be quoted in
saying that;
“There are currently no permissions for gravel extraction for this
area. There are no applications for permission, …it is unlikely that
there will be any renewed interest in the area.”
The short-term threat or impact that extraction would cause to the Soar Valley would
appear to be negligible. The Long-term impact, however unlikely, will depend on
market forces and technological advances making this reserve a viable resource.
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SENCE AND SOAR GREEN WEDGES
TWO
Soils
The soils along the edges of both the rivers Sence and Soar are river alluviums. These
are stone-less clayey soils, calcareous in places, forming flat land, variably affected by
ground water and with a risk of flooding.
A strip of land runs adjacent to the alluviums of the river Soar before its confluence
with the River Sence, the soils of this area consist of glacio-fluvial or river terrace drift.
These are deep, well drained coarse loamy and sandy soils.
North of this area in the north western corner of the site, around Enderby, the substrate
is a reddish till. This forms a slowly permeable, seasonally waterlogged reddish fine
loam over clayey soil.
To the south east of the River Soar a strip of land again runs adjacent to the river
alluvium and stretches south down to Cosby. This soil is a deep permeable glaciofluvial drift, comprised of a coarse and loamy soil, which is affected by groundwater.
Going eastward from this area the soil becomes a chalky till, a slowly permeable soil,
with slight seasonal water logging and is comprised of fine loam over clay.
Approximate position of study area indicated.
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SURVEY
PHYSICAL SURVEY
THE FLOODPLAIN AND WATERCOURSES
The River Soar
The River Soar rises in south Leicestershire and flows northwards to meet the Trent west
of Nottingham. It passes through the study area at an elevation of roughly 60 metres
above sea level. The plan shows the highly meandering nature of the river’s course.
This contrasts with the much straighter, engineered course of the Grand Union Canal
which enters the study area for a short length of roughly 3km at its north eastern
extremity.
At approximately the centre of the study area the River Sence joins the Soar from the
east. Whetstone Brook, the only other watercourse of any size within the study area,
flows into the Soar to meet it at Narborough Bog some 2km upstream of the Sence
junction. This watercourse is highly engineered and narrow, being little more than a
ditch.
The extent of the floodplain shown is taken from the Blaby District Local Plan,
September 1999. It should be noted that this information is subject to re-evaluation by
the Environment Agency.
The River Soar’s floodplain extends from Aylestone playing fields in the north, to the
east of Braunstone and down to Littlethorpe at it southern most point. At its widest
most point the flood plain extends laterally approximately 600 metres and contains,
close to the Sence junction, a number of large ponds.
The River Soar’s floodplain is bordered by the Grand Union Canal to the east and
therefore predominantly extends west of the river, covering mainly farmland as well
as the Narborough Bog.
The River Sence
The River Sence drains an area to the south eastern side of Leicester and is a much
smaller watercourse than the Soar. The floodplain of the Sence is therefore much less
extensive than that of the Soar with its widest point within the study area being
approximately 300 metres across.
The Grand Union Canal
A relatively short stretch of the canal enters the study area towards its north eastern
corner. Although not formally part of the drainage system of the valley, the canal
and its associated towpaths, lock and boundaries forms an important component of
the landscape locally and is a widely used recreational resource.
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TWO
SURVEY
2b: ECOLOGICAL SURVEY
AN OVERVIEW
The green wedges are dominated by the flood plains of the Rivers Soar and Sence.
There are a number of sites of importance for nature conservation within the two
valleys most of which comprise grassland and are important at a Parish level. The
River Soar is the major natural physical feature of the green wedges having an
excellent diversity of aquatic and marginal flora and notable for its mature willows.
Many of the willows are in need of pollarding to conserve their nature conservation
value. Field boundaries are primarily comprised of tall unmanaged hawthorn
dominated hedges with occasional mature ash, willow and oak. Woodland is scarce,
in the green wedges and presumably a reflection of the predominately flood plain
habitat. The two river valleys, the Grand Union Canal and the former Great Central
Railway provide the most significant wildlife corridors in the green wedges.
Of particular note is the Narborough Bog Site of Special Scientific Interest containing
the only substantial deposit of peat within Leicestershire. The reserve is a mixture of
wet woodland and damp meadows. On the northern boundary of the green
wedges at Aylestone Meadows are two Wildlife sites. Potential Wildlife Sites have also
been designated next to the River Sence and on the south-western boundary next to
the River Soar at Narborough. Two kilometres of the Grand Union Canal on the
eastern edge of the green wedges are important at a District level.
The western part of the green wedges is notable for the lack of sites designated for
their nature conservation interest despite the survey having recorded one of only two
unimproved grasslands in the whole of the green wedges. Although pockets of
wildlife interest exist, this western part is primarily an area of arable crops and amenity
grassland. Enderby Warren is a Site of Special Scientific Interest but designated for its
geological interest.
Records from the Leicestershire Environmental Resources Centre show that Bats and
Grass Snake are the only protected species in the green wedges. Reports of Otter on
the Sence and upper Soar suggest that it is only a matter of time before these species
can also be officially included in the list of protected species present. Water Vole
were, until relatively recently, a common sight in the two valleys. Their preferred
habitat is plentiful on the rivers and canal in the green wedges. Control of the North
American Mink is perhaps all that is required to restore Water Vole in this area.
There is much of nature conservation interest in the green wedges, from river, canal,
brooks and ditches to grassland and ponds. Conserving the best of the existing
habitats with appropriate management and enhancing the more intensively
managed parts of the green wedges will increase the nature conservation value of
this area.
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