Stokenchurch Gap

Stokenchurch Gap is a road cutting through the Chiltern Hills in Oxfordshire. The passage was carved into the chalk bedrock to make way for the M40 motorway.

The cutting was created in the 1970s as part of the M40 motorway expansion project. The work involved extensive blasting and excavation through ancient chalk bedrock.

The cutting functions as a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, containing geological features from the Late Cretaceous period.

Visibility on this motorway section can be significantly reduced during winter months due to dense fog formation. Travelers should expect reduced sight lines and adjust their driving accordingly.

The cutting exposes chalk layers from about 88 million years ago, revealing how the environment changed during that ancient period. These old rocks remind us that this region looked completely different at that time.

Location: South Oxfordshire

GPS coordinates: 51.66167,-0.93806

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:02