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| Berkshire Downs | |
|---|---|
| Lambourn Downs | |
 The Downs nearGoring-on-Thames | |
 Interactive map of Berkshire Downs | |
| Location | England |
| Coordinates | 51°34′30″N1°34′12″W / 51.575°N 1.570°W /51.575; -1.570 |
TheBerkshire Downs are a range ofchalkdownland hills in southernEngland, part of theNorth Wessex DownsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Berkshire Downs are wholly within the traditional county ofBerkshire, although split between the current ceremonial counties of Berkshire andOxfordshire. The western parts of the downs are also known as theLambourn Downs.
The Berkshire Downs run east–west, with theirscarp slope facing north into theVale of White Horse and their dip slope bounded by the course of theRiver Kennet.Geologically they are continuous with theMarlborough Downs to the west and theChilterns to the east. In the east they are divided from the Chilterns byGoring Gap on theRiver Thames. In the west their boundary is generally taken to be the border between Berkshire andWiltshire, although the downs in Wiltshire between the Berkshire border and the valley of theRiver Og are sometimes considered to be part of the Berkshire Downs. The Berkshire and Marlborough Downs together form one of Natural England'sNational Character Areas.[1]
English downland has attracted human habitation since prehistoric times. The ancient track known asthe Ridgeway runs along the Berkshire Downs. Prehistoric sites in the Downs includeWayland's Smithy (Neolithic), numeroustumuli (Neolithic orBronze Age),Uffington White Horse (Bronze Age),Liddington Castle andUffington Castle (Bronze Age andIron Age), andSegsbury Camp andGrim's Ditch (Iron Age).
It is generally thought that inAnglo-Saxon times the downs were known asÆscesdūn or Ashdown, and that it was here that theBattle of Ashdown was fought in 871.[2]
By the middle ages, the downs were famous for their huge flocks of sheep, providing wool and fertiliser for the lower-lying arable land with their manure to support the local corn production. From the 15th and 16th centuries, the downs saw the rise of a new type of large-scale, capitalist farming. Farmers began to expand their landholdings by taking over large institutional estates and absorbing smaller farms, leading to the creation of some of the country's largest farms. This trend of farm enlargement continued from the late 18th century and again after 1950, resulting in some exceptionally large farmsteads that stand out even in a national context. The average farm size in this area is now larger than in other chalk downland landscapes.[3]
In 1915, after a brief stint as a hospital orderly at theBritish hospital for French soldiers in Haute-Marne,John Masefield moved to his country retreat atLollingdon Farm. The setting at the foot of the Downs - Masefield's "Lollingdon Downs" would inspire a number of poems and sonnets.
Downland pasture is firm and well drained, suited to grazing sheep and grazing and training horses. Starting in the 19th century,horse racing became a major business in the area, with much of the downs covered with training areas, andstables centred on the village ofLambourn.
The Berkshire Downs can be accessed from various cities via theGreat Western Main Line and its current single operator runs localised stopping trains as well as the high-speed trains along theVale of White Horse calling at major stopsSwindon andDidcot Parkway. FromReading toNewbury trains run along theReading to Taunton Line in the River Kennet Valley to reach Devon on the quickest route from London. FromReading there are the scenic Thames Valley stations ofPangbourne,Goring & Streatley andCholsey (linked to theCholsey and Wallingford Railway).
Due to its natural beauty and special scenic qualities, the majority of the Berkshire Downs (97%) is included in theNorth Wessex DownsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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