Top 3 Natural Monuments in Aston Rowant Nature Reserve

I found this handy to get down to the Ridgeway from Cowleaze Car Park for circular rides on a gravel bike. It is steep and flinty in places.

Long. Steep. Hard. Tough climb up from the Ridgeway to Cowleaze Car park.

Tipi in the woods, amazing woodland

Stokenchurch Gap. 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.[citation needed] 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 inquiry 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stokenchurch_Gap

Magnificent views from the "throne".

The M40 motorway passes through the reserve, where a cutting, the Stokenchurch Gap, drops the motorway down onto the Oxfordshire plain between Junction 5 Stokenchurch and junction 6 Watlington. This section of the "Midlands Link" motorway opened in 1974 after a Public Enquiry. The event helped to motivate conservation groups to oppose infrastructure projects that would damage protected natural habitats, such as the M3 cutting through Twyford Down near Winchester, which could have been protected by tunnelling. http://www.newsmedianews.com/m3.shtml

Cowleaze Wood, which is managed by the Forestry Commission, incorporates a great mix of woodland habitats. The bluebells in late April and May are like a blue carpet and well worth a visit. Tragically, on 31 March 1944 a Handley Page Halifax Mk III bomber aircraft, LW579 of No 51 Squadron RAF, was returning from the Nuremburg raid when it crashed in the wood, killing all seven of its crew. The aircraft was based at RAF Snaith in Yorkshire and seems to have been at least 120 miles (190 km) off course. It was a clear, moonlit night, and it is not clear why the Halifax lost height and crashed into the hill. There is a monument in the wood to the crew of LW579. It is a stone plinth from Lincoln Cathedral with the names of the crew inscribed upon it. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chilterns-countryside/trails/watlington-hill-and-the-wormsley-estate--an-emblematic-chilterns-walk

Talking Trail at Aston Rowant,a Sound and sculpture walk through spectacular Chilterns landscape. There are sculptural installations with wind-up listening posts to interpret the wildlife, cultural history and ecological features of Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve.The trail is open all year and like the rest of the reserve is free of charge for all to enjoy. The reserve is bordered by The Ridgeway National Trail and Swan's Way and is well linked in to the Public Rights of Way network in the area. Walking routes from the reserve into the surrounding area can easily be found using the interactive Oxfordshire County Council Countryside Access Map. The reserve is easy to access by car and is signposted from the A40 near Stokenchurch, just off junction 5 of the M40. There are two car parks with cycle racks and notice boards, one at Beacon Hill (signposted from the A40 near Stokenchurch), and one at Cowleaze Wood (shared by permission from the Forestry Commission).For the main Aston Rowant NNR car park; follow the brown signs to the reserve from the A40 near Stokenchurch. The nearest post code to the Beacon Hill car park is HP14 3YL and for Cowleaze Wood you can use OX49 5HX There is a regular bus service between High Wycombe and Oxford that stops near to the reserve at both Stokenchurch and The Lambert Arms at Aston Rowant. The Stagecoach Oxford Tube runs a frequent service between Oxford and London which stops at Lewknor village, a short walk from the reserve.The reserve is also easy to access by bicycle and there are cycle racks in the car parks at Beacon Hill and Cowleaze Wood. The Trail is approximately 1.5km with several resting places, mostly flat and surfaced til you reach the top of the hill. The latter part of the loop is a little steep and uneven in places but is suitable for most pushchairs.An easy access route starts opposite Cowleaze wood. Allow 1-2 hours to walk and enjoy. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway/attractions/talking-trail-aston-rowant-national-nature-reserve