Stokenchurch Gap
Encyclopedia
The Stokenchurch Gap, also known as the Aston Rowant Cutting or Aston Hill cutting (from the nearby village of Aston Rowant
), or locally "The Canyon" is a steep chalk
cutting
, constructed through the Chiltern Hills
in Oxfordshire
, England
during the early 1970s for the M40 motorway
. It is 1,200 metres long and a maximum of 47 metres deep, and is located approximately eight miles (13 km) from High Wycombe
and close to the village of Stokenchurch
. Despite the names, the cutting is in the parish of Lewknor
rather than Aston Rowant or Stokenchurch.
The cutting is mainly through the Upper Chalk
, with some Middle Chalk seen at its base. The cutting is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
of geological importance. It provides the best Coniacian
section in central England.
The curved route of the cutting was designed to mitigate impact on the skyline, and to fit the local topography. The construction of this section of the M40 (junctions 5–8) was at the time extremely controversial, since the cutting through the Chiltern Hills was driven through the middle of the ecologically-important Aston Rowant NNR
. Conservation groups were appalled at the unexpected decision of the Inspector at the Public Enquiry to reject their claims that the National Nature Reserve
designation implied a fully protected landscape which should in no circumstances be damaged. Their alternative proposals for a tunnelled solution, or a route on-line with the existing A40, were rejected.
To a great degree, the Inspectors decision, and the subsequent endorsement of that decision by the Secretary of State, proved a "wake-up" call to conservation groups across the country, so that when a similar case arose in the 1980s regarding the Winchester
-Bypass section of the M3 at Twyford Down
a far more robust — though ultimately unsuccessful — response was forthcoming.
Drivers often note significant changes in weather conditions on passing through the cutting, sometimes with clear conditions on one side, and rain and low cloud on the other. It is also well known for making people's ears "pop" as they travel through, due to changes in air pressure and gradient on the motorway.
Red kite
s are commonly seen flying within the cutting or on the surrounding downland, making their return after their persecution by game keepers in Victorian times
following a successful reintroduction programme organised by the RSPB and Natural England
, which selected the Aston Rowant NNR as one of four initial sites in the UK for a captive release programme using birds brought in from Spain
. The scheme has been so successful that the population has grown to over 200 pairs and is now self-generating and supplies birds for similar release programmes elsewhere in the UK.
An aerial shot of the cutting looking northwards is shown during the opening titles of the BBC
sitcom The Vicar of Dibley
.
Aston Rowant
Aston Rowant is a village and civil parish about south of Thame in South Oxfordshire, England. The parish includes the villages of Aston Rowant and Kingston Blount, and adjoins Buckinghamshire to the southeast....
), or locally "The Canyon" is a steep chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
cutting
Cutting
Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. An implement commonly used for cutting is the knife or in medical cases the scalpel...
, constructed through the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the early 1970s for the M40 motorway
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
. It is 1,200 metres long and a maximum of 47 metres deep, and is located approximately eight miles (13 km) from High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
and close to the village of Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, about south of Chinnor in Oxfordshire and west of High Wycombe. The village is a popular place to live, due to its rural location and ease of access to London and Birmingham...
. Despite the names, the cutting is in the parish of Lewknor
Lewknor
Lewknor is a village and civil parish south of Thame in Oxfordshire. The civil parish includes the village of Postcombe.-Iron Age and Roman periods:...
rather than Aston Rowant or Stokenchurch.
Chalk Formation
The Chalk Group is a lithostratigraphic unit in the northwestern part of Europe. It is characterised by thick deposits of chalk, a soft porous white limestone, deposited in a marine environment during the Upper Cretaceous period.Chalk is a limestone that consists of coccolith biomicrite...
, with some Middle Chalk seen at its base. The cutting is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
of geological importance. It provides the best Coniacian
Coniacian
The Coniacian is an age or stage in the geologic timescale. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series and spans the time between 89.3 ± 1 Ma and 85.8 ± 0.7 Ma...
section in central England.
The curved route of the cutting was designed to mitigate impact on the skyline, and to fit the local topography. The construction of this section of the M40 (junctions 5–8) was at the time extremely controversial, since the cutting through the Chiltern Hills was driven through the middle of the ecologically-important Aston Rowant NNR
Aston Rowant NNR
Aston Rowant Nature Reserve is located on the western escarpment of the Chiltern Hills near Stokenchurch on the Oxfordshire - Buckinghamshire border in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The reserve is in several sections, divided by the M40 motorway in the Aston Rowant Cutting...
. Conservation groups were appalled at the unexpected decision of the Inspector at the Public Enquiry to reject their claims that the National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
designation implied a fully protected landscape which should in no circumstances be damaged. Their alternative proposals for a tunnelled solution, or a route on-line with the existing A40, were rejected.
To a great degree, the Inspectors decision, and the subsequent endorsement of that decision by the Secretary of State, proved a "wake-up" call to conservation groups across the country, so that when a similar case arose in the 1980s regarding the Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
-Bypass section of the M3 at Twyford Down
Twyford Down
Twyford Down is a small area of ancient chalk downland lying directly to the southeast of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The down's summit, known as Deacon Hill, is towards the north-eastern edge of the area which is renowned for its dramatic rolling scenery, ecologically rich grassland and as a...
a far more robust — though ultimately unsuccessful — response was forthcoming.
Drivers often note significant changes in weather conditions on passing through the cutting, sometimes with clear conditions on one side, and rain and low cloud on the other. It is also well known for making people's ears "pop" as they travel through, due to changes in air pressure and gradient on the motorway.
Red kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
s are commonly seen flying within the cutting or on the surrounding downland, making their return after their persecution by game keepers in Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
following a successful reintroduction programme organised by the RSPB and Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
, which selected the Aston Rowant NNR as one of four initial sites in the UK for a captive release programme using birds brought in from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The scheme has been so successful that the population has grown to over 200 pairs and is now self-generating and supplies birds for similar release programmes elsewhere in the UK.
An aerial shot of the cutting looking northwards is shown during the opening titles of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
.