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66-610: Many kinds of animals engage in digging, either as part of burrowing behavior or to search for food or water under the surface of the ground. Historically, humans have engaged in digging for both of these reasons, and for a variety of additional reasons, such as engaging in agriculture and gardening , searching for minerals , metals , and other raw materials such as during mining and quarrying , preparing for construction , making fortifications and irrigation , and also excavations in archaeology , searching for fossils and rocks in palaeontology and geology and burial of

132-852: A highway , clay might be excavated for use in brick -making, gravel to be used for making concrete , etc. In some cases, the borrow pits may become filled with ground water , forming recreational areas or sustainable wildlife habitats (one such example is the Merton Borrow Pit, near Oxford in central England , excavated to provide materials for the nearby M40 motorway ). In other cases, borrow pits may be used for landfill and waste disposal . Borrow pits are common archaeological features in Waikato , where sand and gravel were dug to mix with clay topsoils to improve their drainage and friability, to suit growth of kūmara and taro , brought by Māori from tropical islands. A regional variation of this

198-452: A burrow may be kept dry, safe and at a stable temperature. Burrows are also commonly preserved in the fossil record as burrow fossils , a type of trace fossil . M40 motorway The M40 motorway links London , Oxford , and Birmingham in England, a distance of approximately 89 miles (143 km). The motorway is dual three lanes except for junction 1A to junction 3 (which

264-753: A junction spans several hundred metres, both start and end locations are given. An Active Traffic Management system operates on the short section northbound from junction 16 ( A3400 ) to the M42 . Junction 1 of the M40 is at the Denham Roundabout near Uxbridge just east of the M25. The motorway is carried over the top of the roundabout, which interchanges with the A40, the A412, the A4020 and links to

330-486: A number of mammals , amphibians , fish ( dragonet and lungfish ), reptiles , and birds (including small dinosaurs ). Mammals are perhaps most well known for burrowing. Mammal species such as Insectivora like the mole , and rodents like the gopher , great gerbil and groundhog are often found to form burrows. Some other mammals that are known to burrow are the platypus , pangolin , pygmy rabbit , armadillo , rat and weasel . Some rabbits , members of

396-520: A southerly direction to Holtspur, Beaconsfield , a temporary junction 2 was opened. The section bypassing Beaconsfield was built in 1971 and the section past Gerrards Cross to junction 1 was completed in 1973. In 1974, the motorway between junctions 5 to 8 was completed to Great Milton . Between junctions 3 and 4, the beginnings of slip roads were built on both carriageways for a service area at Abbey Barns between Beaconsfield and High Wycombe. Beaconsfield services off junction 2 opened in 2009. Late in

462-457: A spur off the M40, with two-lane carriageways, leaves the mainline of the motorway as far as a trumpet junction for Wheatley and the A418, then continuing as the A40 towards Oxford . The spur can be accessed via the M40 northbound or by leaving the M40 at junction 8a southbound and crossing the M40 via the A418, and traffic heading towards the M40 can only join the southbound carriageway. Traffic going in

528-512: A temporary lane drop. The junction used to be a straightforward roundabout interchange with exits for the M40 (west and east), High Wycombe (A404), the A4010, two local roads and the A404 dual carriageway to the south. During 2007, work was completed which included extra stacking space on the sliproads from the M40, provision for traffic from the A404 northbound to join the M40 westbound slip road without joining

594-504: A very large volume of traffic using the junction. To try to alleviate this problem, there is a temporary lane drop for the London-bound carriageway. The largest exchange of traffic is between the A34 and the M40 north, and traffic on those roads backs up and causes congestion on both roads (going north and south), as well as on the interchange itself. North of the junction, the existing A34 becomes

660-555: A wild boar in the arms of one of the skeletons. As human technology advanced, digging began to be used for agriculture , mining , and in earthworks , and new techniques and technologies were developed to suit these purposes. In construction and civil engineering , a borrow pit , also known as a sand box, is an area where material (usually soil , gravel or sand ) has been dug for use at another location. Borrow pits can be found close to many major construction projects. For example, soil might be excavated to fill an embankment for

726-745: A wooden handle. Because digging is a cutting process, particularly where the soil being dug contains plant roots , digging is aided by the shovel being sharpened. Historically, manual shoveling (often in combination with picking ) was the chief means of excavation in construction, mining , and quarrying , and digging projects employed large numbers of people. After the Industrial Revolution , mechanization via steam shovels and later hydraulic equipment ( excavators such as backhoes and loaders ) gradually replaced most manual shoveling; however, individual homeowners still often find reasons to engage in manual digging during smaller-scale projects around

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792-451: Is a measure of the material to be excavated (dug) with conventional excavation equipment such as a bulldozer with rippers , backhoe , scraper and other grading equipment. Materials that cannot be excavated with conventional excavation equipment are said to be non- rippable . Such material typically requires pre- blasting or use of percussion hammers or chisels to facilitate excavation. The excavatability or rippability of earth materials

858-549: Is a restricted junction with the A329 serving Thame and the A40. Access is limited allowing exit for only northbound traffic and entry only for southbound traffic. The exiting slip road on the southbound M40 at junction 7 is for "Works Traffic Only" to a depot. A slip road allows traffic from the A329 to join the M40 north but is closed to motorway traffic by a gate, so traffic must continue for 2 miles (3.2 km)to junction 8. At junction 8,

924-626: Is dual four lanes) a short section in-between the exit and entry slip-roads at junction 4 (which is two lanes in both directions) and also between the slip-roads at junction 9 (in the south-eastbound direction only). An Active Traffic Management system operates on the short section north-westbound from junction 16 ( A3400 ) to the M42 . The motorway between London and Oxford was constructed in stages between 1967 and 1974. The first section opened in June 1967, from Handy Cross roundabout , High Wycombe to Stokenchurch (junctions 4–5). In 1969, extending in

990-420: Is evaluated typically by a geophysicist , engineering geologist , or geotechnical engineer . The rippability of an earth ( rock ) material is a measure of its ability to be excavated with conventional excavation equipment. A material may be classified as rippable, marginally rippable or non-rippable. The rippability of a material is often evaluated by an engineering geologist and/or geophysicist utilizing

1056-633: Is junction 12, serving Gaydon and the Heritage Motor Centre via the B4451 . The junction is a box-standard diamond interchange . Farther along the motorway is Warwick Services , the last on the motorway, before it reaches the restricted access junction 13. This serves Leamington Spa and Warwick via the A452 , and Gaydon via the B4100. The junction is incomplete as a half-diamond interchange, with access only from

1122-469: Is termed " barrow pit " in the western United States (especially the Rocky Mountains). The localism—sometimes pronounced "borrer pit"—describes the ditch along a roadway. These ditches were excavated to provide the fill to level and crown the roadway and subsequently provided drainage for the road. An excavation lake (also a flooded gravel pit ) is an artificial lake , which usually has its origins in

1188-467: Is the largest exchange of traffic between the two motorways. The M40 passes over the interchange, with the M25 on the bottom. The clockwise M25 enters the junction with four lanes with a lane drop to accommodate traffic heading for the M40 westbound, leaving the junction with three lanes. The anti-clockwise M25 enters the junction with three lanes and gains a lane from the London-bound M40 to accommodate

1254-406: Is the standard roundabout interchange over the M40. Beaconsfield services are located at this junction. Junction 3 is 3 miles (4.8 km) further on, and serves the A40 for High Wycombe East and Loudwater. This is a restricted junction; the only flows are from the westbound M40 to the A40 and from the A40 to the London-bound M40. The westbound carriageway loses a lane, remaining three lanes for

1320-622: The A3400 . This means the A34 is now technically in two halves (it regains status farther up the road at junction 16, although signs on the motorway do not mention this). Instead, the first signs for the A34 from a motorway are on the M42 at junction 4, as with the A41. The road also becomes part of the E05 north of junction 9. The M40 follows a course of almost due north for 5 miles (8.0 km) before reaching junction 10, for

1386-672: The Cherwell Valley services , the A43 and the village of Ardley . The A43 terminates at junction 10, although originally it carried on to Kidlington, the southern part of the old route now used by the re-routed A34. (The original A43 towards Oxford is now the B430.) The A43 serves Brackley, Silverstone and its racing circuit , home to the British Grand Prix . Farther on, the A43 leads to Northampton and

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1452-540: The polar bear . Burrows can be constructed into a wide variety of substrates and can range in complexity from a simple tube a few centimeters long to a complex network of interconnecting tunnels and chambers hundreds or thousands of meters in total length; an example of the latter level of complexity, a well-developed burrow, would be a rabbit warren . A large variety of vertebrates construct or use burrows in many types of substrate; burrows can range widely in complexity. Some examples of vertebrate burrowing animals include

1518-417: The seismic refraction equipment (see refraction ). Rippability studies can involve the performance of seismic refraction traverses, the drilling of borings with an air percussion drill rig, the excavation of test trenches with a bulldozer with rippers or backhoe, and by geologic mapping. Cave-in of an excavation is the detachment of the mass of soil in the side of the trench and its displacement into

1584-567: The 1960s, not long after the first stretch opened, the Ministry of Transport announced the possibility of building a new motorway to link London with Birmingham as an alternative to the M1 – M6 route – as well as improving road links to the South Coast ports for The Midlands  – but it was not until 1983 that the decision to extend the M40 from Oxford to the south of Birmingham

1650-579: The A34 (E05) and the A41 . The A34 dual carriageway serves Oxford and is a trunk route for Newbury, Winchester and Southampton (via the M3 ) as well as the rest of the South Coast ;— for this the reason it is part of the unsigned European route E05. The A41 dual carriageway serves Bicester and Aylesbury, and both roads meet the motorway at Wendelbury roundabout junction. Its design is inefficient and cannot cope with

1716-550: The A413 off the A40 westbound. The motorway carries on for another 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) before it reaches junction 1a, the free-flow interchange with the M25 London Orbital . It is a partially unrolled cloverleaf, with the smoothest turns from the London-bound M40 (from Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands) to the anti-clockwise M25 (London Heathrow, Gatwick, The Channel Ports) and vice versa, since this

1782-518: The A43 (between the M1 and M40) was upgraded to dual carriageway, the junction was redesigned and rebuilt by the Highways Agency to cope with the extra traffic. A third roundabout was added to the junction, to the north, with the slips for the southbound M40 and the A43, with the slip roads for the northbound M40 remodelled as well, and the roundabout in the middle now serving the services. The slip road for

1848-504: The A452 to J13. A few hundred yards further up is junction 15, known as Longbridge island. This is a large, regular roundabout interchange, and is always busy during peak times due to the various destinations it serves, including The Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, and Warwick. Farther north, Henley-in-Arden (J16) is again 'incomplete' to discourage local traffic. The motorway joins the M42 in both directions, with northbound traffic taking

1914-448: The B4009 for Lewknor , Watlington , and Chinnor . This junction is a variant on the diamond interchange, with the slip roads from the M40 having sharp bends. Just over 1 mile (1.6 km) after junction 6 the motorway passes to within 330 feet (100 m) of St Giles Church, Tetsworth and 2 miles (3.2 km) farther on meets the first of three junctions in close succession. Junction 7

1980-528: The London-bound M40; and a five-lane cross-link between the M40 and the A404(S). In 2009 the Highways Agency extended the Active Traffic Management (ATM) system onto the northbound carriageway from J16 to the junction with the M42. Beaconsfield services opened in 2009, near the site of the service station proposed at Abbey Barns almost 40 years earlier. In August 2010 work started on J9, upgrading

2046-515: The London-bound carriageway which used to be accessed from the roundabout is now reached only via the services. The design and execution of the revised design of new junction is greatly derided, mostly because of the three roundabouts giving no priority to the main flow of traffic, (A43-M40 London), and the slip roads off and onto the motorway (except the one accessed via the services) have sharp turns and adverse cambers, which results in lorries frequently tipping over and spilling their loads especially on

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2112-405: The M1. Junction 10 was originally a dumbbell junction. The capacity of both the junction and the single carriageway A43 proved too small when the road was used as a freight thoroughfare from the congested M1 to the M40 to London, and the A34 at junction 9 to the south coast — in fact the 5 miles (8.0 km) stretch between these junctions is the busiest on the motorway in both directions. When

2178-825: The UK base of Ariston (now owned by Indesit ) and the UK headquarters of Staples are based in High Wycombe. The UK base of Robert Bosch is in Denham , near Gerrards Cross. Pioneer UK is in Stoke Poges and the Barracuda Group (owner of Varsity ) is in Marlow , both locations being near the motorway. Kraft Foods Banbury , Westminster group plc , Prodrive and Ascari Cars all have offices or are based in Banbury . The head office of Travelodge UK

2244-419: The animal to keep a good stock of food inside the burrow to avoid extreme weather conditions or seasons where certain food sources may be unavailable. Additionally, burrows can protect animals that have just had their young, providing good conditions and safety for vulnerable newborn animals. Burrows may also provide shelter to animals residing in areas frequently destroyed by fire, as animals deep underground in

2310-469: The animals that originally dig and construct the burrow, and are generally very strong. Some animals considered to be primary excavators are the prairie dog , aardvark and wombat. Pygmy gerbils are an example of secondary modifiers, as they do not build an original burrow, but will live inside a burrow made by other animals and improve or change some aspects of the burrow for their own purpose. The third category, simple occupants, neither build nor modify

2376-504: The burrow but simply live inside or use it for their own purpose. Some species of bird make use of burrows built by tortoises , which is an example of simple occupancy. These animals can also be referred to as commensals. Some species may spend the majority of their days inside a burrow, indicating it must have good conditions and provide some benefit to the animal. Burrows may be used by certain species as protection from harsh conditions, or from predators. Burrows may be found facing

2442-674: The burrows as well. There is also evidence that a burrow provides protection for the Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink ( Tiliqua adelaidensis ) when fighting, as they may fight from inside their burrows. Burrows by birds are usually made in soft soils; some penguins and other pelagic seabirds are noted for such burrows. The Magellanic penguin is an example, constructing burrows along coastal Patagonian regions of Chile and Argentina . Other burrowing birds are puffins , kingfishers , and bee-eaters . Kangaroo mice construct burrows in fine sand. Scabies mites construct their burrows in

2508-484: The case of the lakes in the Attenborough Nature Reserve . Although humans are capable of digging in sand and soil using their bare hands, digging is often more easily accomplished with tools. The most basic tool for digging is the shovel . In neolithic times and earlier, a large animal's scapula (shoulder blade) was often used as a crude shovel. In modern times, shovels are typically made of metal, with

2574-450: The dead prevents diseases associated with the presence of corpses, and prevents scavengers and other predators from being attracted. The earliest undisputed human burial discovered so far dates back 100,000 years. Human skeletal remains stained with red ochre were discovered in the Skhul cave at Qafzeh , Israel. A variety of grave goods were present at the site, including the mandible of

2640-778: The dead. There are a wide variety of reasons for which humans dig holes , trenches , and other subsurface structures. It has long been observed that humans have a seemingly instinctive desire to dig holes in the ground, manifesting in childhood . Like other animals, humans dig in the ground to find food and water. Wood-lined water wells are known from the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture , for example in Kückhoven (an outlying centre of Erkelenz ), dated 5090 BC and Eythra , dated 5200 BC in Schletz (an outlying centre of Asparn an der Zaya ) in Austria . Humans are unique among animals in

2706-464: The direction of sunlight or away from the direction of cold wind. This could help with heat retention and insulation, providing protection from temperatures and conditions outside. Insects such as the earwig may construct burrows to live in during winter, and use them for physical protection. Some species will also use burrows to store and protect food. This provides a benefit to the animal as it can keep food away from other competition. It also allows

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2772-413: The excavation of gravel or sand for construction materials or in some other kind of surface mining . In many cases, the excavation holes are landscaped according to the land restoration required by law. Because the excavation reached a point below the water table , lakes form naturally. Less frequently, excavation lakes are intentionally made, especially as recreation areas . In Germany and Austria

2838-455: The extra traffic. The London-bound M40 enters with four lanes, with a lane drop for the M25 exit, leaves with three lanes, and the westbound M40 enters with lanes and gains a lane from the anti-clockwise M25. After junction 1a the motorway is four lanes, and carries on for 3 miles (4.8 km) until it reaches junction 2 for the A355 to Slough and the A40 to Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross. Junction 2

2904-420: The family Leporidae , are well-known burrowers. Some species, such as the groundhog, can construct burrows that occupy a full cubic metre, displacing about 300 kilograms (660 lb) of dirt. There is evidence that rodents may construct the most complex burrows of all vertebrate burrowing species. For example, great gerbils live in family groups in extensive burrows, which can be seen on satellite images. Even

2970-432: The ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion . Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, and can be found in nearly every biome and among various biological interactions . Many animal species are known to form burrows. These species range from small amphipods , to very large vertebrate species such as

3036-422: The hole, which represents a hazard to the person inside. Cave-ins are considered the largest risk when working within trenches. Cave-ins can be caused by a combination of pressure on soil, vibration from equipment, and excessive loads. Several techniques are used to minimize the likelihood of cave-ins, including sloping, shoring and shielding . Burrowing A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into

3102-482: The home. Different methods of digging can also result in different excavation depth and force, potentially risking exposure or damage to subsurface pipelines and wiring. In the United States and Canada, homeowners and contractors are required to notify a utility-run call center before digging to ensure they do not strike buried utilities and infrastructure. The excavatability of an earth (rock and regolith ) material

3168-401: The lakes are almost always used for fishing, since a fishery is created by law with every surface water. At some excavation lakes, beaches are added for swimming or other water sports , in particular boating, water skiing or windsurfing. To support these uses, large parking lots, changing areas, and eating areas are also set up. In some cases, the excavation lake serves as a nature reserve, as in

3234-595: The last major motorway to be built in Britain, but in 1986 the Conservative government announced a major new road-building scheme, Roads for Prosperity , much of which was cancelled in 1996 after major road protests . Beginning in 1997, the motorway was widened to dual-four-lane between J1A and J3 (High Wycombe East) under a Private Finance Initiative . It was completed by a Carillion - John Laing joint venture in October 1998 –

3300-410: The left lane to exit eastbound, eventually forming the outer lanes of the M42 via a tight-bending two lane connecting road, and the right lanes being taken eastbound. Similarly, southbound, eastbound traffic from the M42 splits off from the outer two lanes, whereas westbound traffic of the M42 has a single lane, widening to a two lane slip road, which merges with the middle lane and forms the outer lane of

3366-430: The northbound carriageway and access to the southbound M40. The junction is completed 2 miles (3.2 km) farther on at junction 14, another restricted access junction, with access to the A452 from the southbound M40, and the access on to the motorway is in a northbound direction. The slip roads join at a roundabout and carry on as the single carriageway A452 to meet with the A452 to Leamington Spa, A425 to Warwick, and

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3432-533: The organism. Actively filled burrows, on the other hand, are filled with material by the burrowing organism itself. The establishment of an invertebrate burrow often involves the soaking of surrounding sediment in mucus to prevent collapse and to seal off water flow. Examples of burrowing invertebrates are insects , spiders , sea urchins , crustaceans , clams and worms . Burrowing animals can be divided into three categories: primary excavators, secondary modifiers and simple occupants. Primary excavators are

3498-585: The original plan included widening between J3 and J4. Oxford services and Warwick Services opened in 1998. Work to separate local and long-distance traffic at J4 was completed in 2007, including a new dedicated left-turn slip lane between the A404 Marlow Bypass and the Oxford-bound M40; additional lanes on the slip roads entering the roundabout; an additional lane between the A404 Marlow Hill and

3564-455: The other direction has to use the trumpet junction, and follow the A418 past Oxford services . The M40 heads north from junction 8A. This was the temporary end of the M40 before the northern section was open. Visible either side of the junction are the embankments and remains of the overbridge which carried the Wycombe railway line. The motorway continues for 12 miles (19 km) to junction 9 for

3630-877: The practice of burial of the dead . Intentional burial, particularly with grave goods , may be one of the earliest detectable forms of religious practice since, as Philip Lieberman suggests, it may signify a "concern for the dead that transcends daily life". Evidence suggests that the Neanderthals were the first human species to practice burial behavior and intentionally bury their dead, doing so in shallow graves along with stone tools and animal bones. Exemplary sites include Shanidar in Iraq, Kebara Cave in Israel and Krapina in Croatia. Some scholars, however, argue that these bodies may have been disposed of for secular reasons. Notably, burial of

3696-492: The rest of the route, and the London-bound carriageway gains a lane. The motorway then immediately crosses the valley on a large ramp-like bridge. Junction 4 is the interchange with the A404, for High Wycombe , Marlow , Maidenhead , Reading , Windsor and the M4 . The motorway through the junction was not widened from the original two lanes when the rest of the motorway from junction 8 to London was, and so both carriageways experience

3762-490: The roundabout and provision for the London-bound M40 to skip the section of the roundabout which serves the A4010, High Wycombe , and the A404 north. Junction 5 is for the A40 and Stokenchurch , a basic diamond interchange and the fourth junction of the M40 with the A40. Within a mile there is a large road cutting known as the Stokenchurch Gap or The Canyon where the motorway enters Oxfordshire and meets junction 6 with

3828-494: The roundabout at the end of the northern carriageway. The junction fails to perform its function as an effective traffic junction. As well, the slip roads onto the motorway give little manoeuvring space as both join the motorway under (the same) bridge built for the old junction. The motorway then follows a winding route north for 10 miles (16 km) until junction 11, the A422 and A361 , serving Banbury . The motorway does not follow

3894-708: The section around Banbury starting in February 1988, and finally, the section north of Oxford in July 1989. The section between the M42 and Warwick opened in December 1989, and the remainder in January 1991. At the time of being fully opened, the original M40 had been widened, creating a dual three-lane motorway from start to finish, with the exception of the Handy Cross underpass, which remains dual two-lane. The M40 had been expected to be

3960-404: The skin of the infested animal or human. Termites and some wasps construct burrows in the soil and wood. Ants construct burrows in the soil. Some sea urchins and clams can burrow into rock. The burrows produced by invertebrate animals can be filled actively or passively. Dwelling burrows which remain open during the occupation by an organism are filled passively, by gravity rather than by

4026-543: The southbound M40. The following table only includes places situated near the motorway and those close enough to be considered 'near the motorway' (like Aylesbury ). Other places that may use the motorway (for access to the north) are not included as they have other motorway access (for example Slough ). Small villages are not included. Population figures are based on the 2001 census by the Office for National Statistics George Wimpey , RAF Air Command , Hyundai UK , Dreams ,

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4092-539: The southbound exit slip road to three lanes, and similar widening on the connecting A34 and A41 junctions between Oxford and Bicester . This was the first part of the work at this busy junction since it was built 20 years earlier. If the necessary funding becomes available, a second phase of improvement will be carried out, upgrading the northbound entrance and the A41 southbound entrance. Download coordinates as: Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where

4158-446: The straight route to the east of Middleton Cheney, meeting with the A422, as it had once been planned, due to a major landowner refusing his land to be cut in two. If built as planned, junction 11 would be east of Middleton Cheney, meeting with the A422, and probably would have fuelled major growth in the village as well as Banbury, the primary destination of the junction. As it is, the junction

4224-542: The unoccupied burrows can remain visible in the landscape for years. The burrows are distributed regularly, although the occupied burrows appear to be clustered in space. Even Carnivora like the meerkat , and marsupials , such as wombats are burrowers. Wombat burrows are large and some have been mapped using a drone. The largest burrowing animal is probably the polar bear when it makes its maternity den in snow or earth. Lizards are also known to construct and live in burrows, and may exhibit territorial behaviour over

4290-400: Was built 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west along the A422, with the motorway skirting Banbury. The junction itself is a regular roundabout interchange, and has the single carriageway A361 from Daventry the dual-carriageway A422 from Brackley and the A43 from the west, and the dual-carriageway A422 (A361) toward Banbury feeding to/from it. Another 12 miles (19 km) north-west along the motorway

4356-460: Was made. The preferred route was altered to avoid Otmoor after a vigorous road protest, which included selling over 3,000 small squares of a field to people all over the world. The field had been renamed 'Alice's field' as a reference to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll who lived in the area at the time of the book's writing. Construction began at Warwick in October 1987, with work on

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