BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

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c2R
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BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by c2R »

This looks interesting - M25: On Tuesday on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kjm9
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Moore_O »

c2R wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 14:39 This looks interesting - M25: On Tuesday on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kjm9
Good programme. On a par with the one that bloke did about the A303.

No-one else watch it then?
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by trickstat »

Moore_O wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 15:23
c2R wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 14:39 This looks interesting - M25: On Tuesday on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kjm9
Good programme. On a par with the one that bloke did about the A303.

No-one else watch it then?
I saw it and enjoyed it.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

Moore_O wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2020 15:23
c2R wrote: Thu Jun 25, 2020 14:39 This looks interesting - M25: On Tuesday on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kjm9
Good programme. On a par with the one that bloke did about the A303.

No-one else watch it then?
I'm part way through watching it - it's interesting how inconsequential the M25 seems when viewed from the air, whether that's good landscaping after construction or good luck I'm not in a position to know.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by B1040 »

A good and interesting programme that shows how hard they worked to minimise the impact
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by owen b »

I watched it and was slightly disappointed, though I still found it interesting and informative. It wasn't really a nature programme, it wasn't really an in depth documentary about the motorway and its environment and history, it was too long and serious to be one of those programmes where a jolly presenter goes on a long walk or a car journey and meets lots of interesting folk on the way. I enjoyed the section about the Thames bridges at Staines and the section past the reservoirs. I also liked the discussion with the ex-Highways England chap who had been involved in the verge planting programme when the motorway was built. For me the best bit (where I paused iPlayer for a couple of minutes while I looked up Sabre maps) was the excellent view of the M25/M1 junction from a slightly unusual angle. I've always found that junction interesting and attractive being half of a four level stack.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

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A slightly unfocused and long programme, but some interesting sections. I was impressed by how much effort was made 35 years ago to landscape the edges of the M25, they didn't just sprinkle some grass and "general wild plant" seed but rather really planned it carefully.

It certainly made me see "wasted" land around Motorway Junctions in a different light, e.g. the M1/M25 junction (or further in to London the end of the M11 where it flares to allow space for the M12 to arrive), these areas of wasteland can be really useful for wildlife, much more so that the "natural looking" areas of farmland outside the M25
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

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Scratchwood wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 15:26 A slightly unfocused and long programme, but some interesting sections. I was impressed by how much effort was made 35 years ago to landscape the edges of the M25, they didn't just sprinkle some grass and "general wild plant" seed but rather really planned it carefully.

It certainly made me see "wasted" land around Motorway Junctions in a different light, e.g. the M1/M25 junction (or further in to London the end of the M11 where it flares to allow space for the M12 to arrive), these areas of wasteland can be really useful for wildlife, much more so that the "natural looking" areas of farmland outside the M25
Absolutely - this is part of the shame with widening schemes that are constrained to being within the motorway boundaries, as these areas are often not replaced, and hard retaining walls put in with the road going right up to the nearby property or field boundaries.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Norfolktolancashire »

c2R wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 15:44
Scratchwood wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 15:26 A slightly unfocused and long programme, but some interesting sections. I was impressed by how much effort was made 35 years ago to landscape the edges of the M25, they didn't just sprinkle some grass and "general wild plant" seed but rather really planned it carefully.

It certainly made me see "wasted" land around Motorway Junctions in a different light, e.g. the M1/M25 junction (or further in to London the end of the M11 where it flares to allow space for the M12 to arrive), these areas of wasteland can be really useful for wildlife, much more so that the "natural looking" areas of farmland outside the M25
Absolutely - this is part of the shame with widening schemes that are constrained to being within the motorway boundaries, as these areas are often not replaced, and hard retaining walls put in with the road going right up to the nearby property or field boundaries.
Sometimes these wide areas alongside or between the carriageways are the only "wild" areas left in many places. Much of the M25 I have driven has mature woodland alongside it planted to screen the road. The issue with this are the restricted views from the road for the hundreds of thousands of daily drivers!

I liked the programme, quite wide ranging in its content. The separating of the motorway and therefore programme segments into south, west, etc, was a good idea too.

I would hope there would be more of these type of programmes, however with the BBC taking most funding from BBC4 I don't hold much hope.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by MotorwayPlannerM21 »

I quite enjoyed it.
When they said that nobody would know where the M25 crosses the Thames (other than Dartford, which isn't even the M25), I thought to myself, I do, as in term time and when there isn't a lockdown, I go to uni at the nearby Royal Holloway and have actually walked across Runnymede Bridge (there are footpaths either side).
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

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MotorwayPlannerM21 wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 16:47 I quite enjoyed it.
When they said that nobody would know where the M25 crosses the Thames (other than Dartford, which isn't even the M25), I thought to myself, I do, as in term time and when there isn't a lockdown, I go to uni at the nearby Royal Holloway and have actually walked across Runnymede Bridge (there are footpaths either side).
I definitely do as my late Grandparents used to live on the river at Hythe End and you could see the bridge from there garden
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Scratchwood »

MotorwayPlannerM21 wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 16:47 I quite enjoyed it.
When they said that nobody would know where the M25 crosses the Thames (other than Dartford, which isn't even the M25), I thought to myself, I do, as in term time and when there isn't a lockdown, I go to uni at the nearby Royal Holloway and have actually walked across Runnymede Bridge (there are footpaths either side).
I've walked under it, while walking the Thames path! A very impressive pair of structures
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by ElsaAvend »

Scratchwood wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 17:42
MotorwayPlannerM21 wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 16:47 I quite enjoyed it.
When they said that nobody would know where the M25 crosses the Thames (other than Dartford, which isn't even the M25), I thought to myself, I do, as in term time and when there isn't a lockdown, I go to uni at the nearby Royal Holloway and have actually walked across Runnymede Bridge (there are footpaths either side).
I've walked under it, while walking the Thames path! A very impressive pair of structures
Completely agree with you! More impressive that sitting and writing my assignment :lol: SPAM link edited I'd better go riding or just walking.
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Scratchwood »

Scratchwood wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 17:42
MotorwayPlannerM21 wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 16:47 I quite enjoyed it.
When they said that nobody would know where the M25 crosses the Thames (other than Dartford, which isn't even the M25), I thought to myself, I do, as in term time and when there isn't a lockdown, I go to uni at the nearby Royal Holloway and have actually walked across Runnymede Bridge (there are footpaths either side).
I've walked under it, while walking the Thames path! A very impressive pair of structures
It's a good trick question for a pub quiz actually, what's the name of the bridge where the M25 crosses the Thames :D
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by A303Chris »

If anyone missed this, it was on BBC2 a couple of weeks ago and is back on Iplayer.

Thought it was very interesting especially the Acocrombie maps showing the ringways
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by KeithW »

This is something that first happened with railways, I read an article some years ago about the Gunnersbury triangle which became a de facto Nature Reserve as it is boundaries were the District Railway (now the District line of London Underground), and the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). It is now apparently officially registered as a Nature Reserve.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Gun ... 4511?hl=en

Closer to home part of the old Middlesbrough to Guisborough Line has become the Guisborough Forest Walkway
https://www.google.com/maps/@54.5296333 ... a=!3m1!1e3
https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visit ... nd-walkway
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Re: BBC: Hidden Wilds of the Motorway

Post by Gareth Thomas »

A303Chris wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 14:03 If anyone missed this, it was on BBC2 a couple of weeks ago and is back on Iplayer.

Thought it was very interesting especially the Acocrombie maps showing the ringways
I watched the “repeat”. I phrase it that way because I didn’t know it was a repeat and was trying to figure out when it had been filmed - clearly October/November, but no-one was social distancing! 😄
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