Medway Gap

Last updated
The River Medway passing through the Medway Gap. In the foreground is Cuxton with the Cement Works at Halling to the rear. The A228 is visible. CuxtonMedway9914.JPG
The River Medway passing through the Medway Gap. In the foreground is Cuxton with the Cement Works at Halling to the rear. The A228 is visible.
The M2 motorway, and the raillink crossing the Medway, between Cuxton and Borstal. The Nashenden valley on the other bank is typical of Kentish downland scenery. M2RailLinkBridgeOverMedway9928.JPG
The M2 motorway, and the raillink crossing the Medway, between Cuxton and Borstal. The Nashenden valley on the other bank is typical of Kentish downland scenery.

The Medway Gap is a topographic feature in Kent, England.

Contents

It was created when the prehistoric River Medway cut roughly south to north through the line of chalk hills [1] now known as the North Downs; [2] other rivers such as the Darent and the Stour have similar features.

Its past significance as a means of travel is indicated by the prehistoric Medway megaliths in the area. Today the Medway Valley railway line and the A228 road both run through the valley, connecting Tonbridge, West Malling and the Medway Towns. At the north end of the Medway Gap, the river is crossed by the M2 motorway and High Speed 1 viaducts.

Environment

The Gap is designated as a Biodiversity Opportunity Area by Kent County Council. [3] It also has the effect of creating local weather patterns, thereby frequently exhibiting opposite conditions to the surrounding countryside.

Human settlement

Kent UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Medway gap
class=notpageimage|
The Medway Gap in north west Kent.

In the borough of Tonbridge and Malling, the "Medway Gap" refers to the group of villages in this area i.e. Aylesford, East Malling, Larkfield and Leybourne. Much of the residential development in this area took place after World War II. [4] [5] Most of these settlements are in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency.

Related Research Articles

Aylesford Human settlement in England

Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, 4 miles northwest of Maidstone.

River Medway River in South East England

The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a total distance of 70 miles (113 km). About 13 miles (21 km) of the river lies in East Sussex, with the remainder being in Kent.

Snodland Human settlement in England

Snodland is a small town in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It lies on the River Medway, between Rochester and Maidstone, and approximately 27 miles (43 km) from central London. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 10,211.

Tonbridge and Malling Non-metropolitan district in England

Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Tonbridge is the largest settlement but the authority is based in the modern development of Kings Hill.

Borough of Maidstone Non-metropolitan district in England

The Borough of Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone, the county town of Kent.

Yalding Human settlement in England

Yalding is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone in Kent, England. The village is situated 6 miles (9.7 km) south west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway. At the 2001 census, the parish, which includes the villages of Benover and Laddingford, had a population of 2,236. increasing to 2,418 at the 2011 Census.

Medway Valley line Railway line in Kent

The Medway Valley line is the name given to the railway line linking Strood in the Medway Towns via Maidstone West to Paddock Wood. High Speed services also link between Maidstone West, Snodland, Strood and London St Pancras International. The section from Maidstone West to Paddock Wood passes through some of Kent's most picturesque countryside along the narrower sections of the River Medway.

Tonbridge and Malling (UK Parliament constituency) Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Tonbridge and Malling is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative. The constituency is located in Western Kent, in South East England.

Chatham and Aylesford (UK Parliament constituency) UK Parliament constituency since 1997

Chatham and Aylesford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Tracey Crouch, a Conservative.

Walderslade Human settlement in England

Walderslade is a large suburb in Kent to the south of Chatham split between the unitary authority of Medway and the boroughs of Maidstone and Tonbridge & Malling in South East England. It was, until 1998, fully part of Kent and is still ceremonially associated via the Lieutenancies Act. It encompasses almost all the ME5 postcode district.

Eccles, Kent Human settlement in England

Eccles is a village in the English county of Kent, part of the parish of Aylesford and in the valley of the River Medway.

East Malling Human settlement in England

East Malling is a village in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, in the part of the civil parish of East Malling and Larkfield lying south of the A20 road. In 2019 the ward had an estimated population of 5478.

East Peckham Human settlement in England

East Peckham is a village and civil parish in Kent, England on the River Medway. The parish covers the main village as well as Hale Street and Beltring.

A228 road

The A228 road is an important transport artery in Kent, England. It begins at the Isle of Grain and runs in a south-westerly direction to connect eventually with the A21 trunk road at Pembury. It serves existing communities and new and proposed housing developments and commercial enterprises. The most influential force on the recent upgrading of the road has been the development of Kings Hill near West Malling.

Ditton, Kent Human settlement in England

Ditton is a large village and civil parish in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The village is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) west-northwest of Maidstone and 1.8 miles (2.9 km) east of West Malling. The parish, which is long and narrow, straddles the A20, with farmland to the south and industry to the north. It lies in the Medway Valley, on the northern edge of the Kent Weald, and adjoins the ancient parishes of Larkfield, Aylesford and Barming.

Blue Bell Hill (village) Human settlement in England

Blue Bell Hill is a village in the Aylesford parish of the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is located halfway between Chatham and Maidstone and lies on top of Blue Bell Hill. The community significantly expanded with the developments of the Walderslade area in the post war years, creating several housing estates around the village.

Haysden Country Park

Haysden Country Park is a 64-hectare (160-acre) country park and Local Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Tonbridge in Kent. It is owned by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Environment Agency, and managed by the council.

Larkfield, Kent Human settlement in England

Larkfield is a village in Kent, part of the civil parish of East Malling and Larkfield in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling. Of the two parts of the parish, Larkfield is much more built-up, lying on and north of the main A20 road. The M20 motorway also passes through, with junction 4 residing at the centre of Leybourne on the A228.

References

  1. ↑ Facilities Management Journal https://www.fmj.co.uk/magazines/fmjfebruary2017ebook.pdf
  2. ↑ Reynolds, Kev (1 Aug 2001). The North Downs Way. Cicerone Press Limited. ISBN   9781852843168 . Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  3. ↑ https://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/11970/Maidstone-Briefing.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. ↑ Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council https://www.tmbc.gov.uk/downloads/file/1252/medway-gap-character-area-spd-adopted-part-1
  5. ↑ Kent County Council https://maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/88984/Kent-and-Medway-Structure-Plan-2006-SPG4-Vehicle-Parking-Standards.pdf
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.