M40 corridor
Encyclopedia
The M40 corridor is a term used to describe the area adjacent to the M40 motorway
, running through England
. It is one of the main routes between London
and Birmingham
, the other being that followed by the M1 motorway
.
The term also applies to rail, as the Chiltern Main Line
also runs in the same area between the two cities. The route taken by the railway line closely follows the motorway except for the central section where the railway does not serve Oxford
. Unlike the motorway, the Chiltern Main Line stretches deep into both cities.
The area followed by the M40 includes southern Buckinghamshire
, eastern Oxfordshire
and central/southern Warwickshire
. Despite serving London and Birmingham, the M40 does not enter either cites, instead other roads/motorways continue onwards (e.g. the A40
continues right into central London
). The motorway runs from 51.5615°N 0.4930°W to 52.3488°N 1.8097°W.
. Both road and rail travel in a north west-south east direction.
.
). 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
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls
, RAF Air Command
, Hyundai UK
, Dreams
, 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.
, Westminster group plc
, Prodrive
, Ascari Cars and Vodafone Limited all have offices or are based in Banbury
.
hometown and so tourism is a major industry. The NFU Mutual Insurance Company
is also based in the town. ConocoPhillips
, JET
(petrol), BMW
, and Volvo Group
are based in Warwick.
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
, running through England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is one of the main routes between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, the other being that followed by the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
.
The term also applies to rail, as the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
also runs in the same area between the two cities. The route taken by the railway line closely follows the motorway except for the central section where the railway does not serve Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Unlike the motorway, the Chiltern Main Line stretches deep into both cities.
Route
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, eastern Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and central/southern Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. Despite serving London and Birmingham, the M40 does not enter either cites, instead other roads/motorways continue onwards (e.g. the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
continues right into central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
). The motorway runs from 51.5615°N 0.4930°W to 52.3488°N 1.8097°W.
South
The southern end is completely within Buckinghamshire with the town served being High WycombeHigh Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
. Both road and rail travel in a north west-south east direction.
Central
The central section covers Oxfordshire and Bucks. The main population centre served is OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
Main towns/cities served
The following table only includes places situated near the motorway and those close enough to be considered 'near the motorway' (like AylesburyAylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
). Other places that may use the motorway (for access to the north) are not included as they have other motorway access (for example Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
). Small villages are not included. Population figures are based on the 2001 census by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls
| Place | Population | Ceremonial County | Main Railway station | Motorway junction |
| Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, near the border with Greater London, south of Chalfont St Peter. Gerrards Cross is also a civil parish within South Bucks district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980... /Chalfont St Peter Chalfont St Peter Chalfont St Peter is a village and civil parish in Chiltern district in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe and Rickmansworth. Chalfont St Peter is... |
19,622 | Buckinghamshire | Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross railway station Gerrards Cross railway station serves the villages of Gerrards Cross and Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire. It is in a cutting on the Chiltern Main Line between and .... |
1 |
| Beaconsfield Beaconsfield Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury... |
10,679 | Buckinghamshire | Beaconsfield Beaconsfield railway station Beaconsfield railway station is the railway station of the town of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains from Marylebone towards High Wycombe and Birmingham Snow Hill and is situated between Seer Green & Jordans and High Wycombe stations.-Background:The... |
2 |
| High Wycombe Urban Area High Wycombe Urban Area The High Wycombe Urban Area is defined by the Office for National Statistics as a conurbation is southern Buckinghamshire. It had a population of 118,229 at the 2001 census. The largest population centre is High Wycombe itself at 92,000.-Demographics:... |
118,229 | Buckinghamshire | High Wycombe High Wycombe railway station High Wycombe railway station is situated in High Wycombe in South Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains on the Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone towards Birmingham Snow Hill. It is situated between Beaconsfield and Saunderton stations.-History:The station was built... |
3,4 |
| Thame Thame Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town.... |
10,886 | Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... |
Haddenham and Thame Parkway Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station Haddenham and Thame Parkway railway station serves the village of Haddenham in Buckinghamshire and town of Thame in Oxfordshire. The station is on the western edge of Haddenham, about north east of Thame, and is served by Chiltern Railways.... |
7 |
| Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
134,248 | Oxfordshire | Oxford Oxford railway station Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via... |
8,8A |
| Bicester Bicester Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and... |
28,672 | Oxfordshire | Bicester North Bicester North railway station Bicester North is a station on the Chiltern Main Line, one of two stations serving Bicester. Services operated by Chiltern Railways run south to and north to , and .Bicester North is the larger of Bicester's two stations... |
9 |
| Aylesbury Urban Area Aylesbury Urban Area The Aylesbury Urban Area is defined by the Office for National Statistics as a conurbation in central Buckinghamshire, England. It had a population of 69,021 . The largest population centre is Aylesbury itself at 56,392.-Pre 20th Century:... |
69,021 | Buckinghamshire | Aylesbury Aylesbury railway station Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station... |
8A,9 |
| Banbury Banbury Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford... |
43,867 | Oxfordshire | Banbury Banbury railway station Banbury railway station serves the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. The station is currently operated by Chiltern Railways, on the Chiltern Main Line, and has four platforms in use.-History:... |
11 |
| Leamington Spa Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe... |
45,114 | Warwickshire | Leamington Spa Leamington Spa railway station Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre.-History:... |
15 |
| Warwick Warwick Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350... |
25,434 | Warwickshire | Warwick Warwick railway station Warwick railway station serves the town of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. The station is served by Chiltern Railways , and also occasionally by London Midland and CrossCountry. It is located one and a half miles from the town centre although it is in the inner suburbs. It was opened in 1852 by... |
15 |
| Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers... |
23,676 | Warwickshire | Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon railway station Stratford-upon-Avon railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. It was once a through station on the Great Western Railway route from Birmingham to Cheltenham, but has been the terminus of the line since 1976.There are plans for a new... |
15 |
Buckinghamshire
George WimpeyGeorge Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
, RAF Air Command
RAF Air Command
Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire....
, Hyundai UK
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
, Dreams
Dreams (bed retailer)
Dreams is a UK bed retailer and manufacturer with over 200 stores throughout the United Kingdom. Its head office is located in Loudwater, High Wycombe.-1980s:In 1985 Mike Clare opened the 'Sofa-bed' shop in Uxbridge...
, the UK base of Ariston (now owned by Indesit
Indesit
Indesit Company, an Italian multinational company based in Fabriano, Ancona province, Italy, a leading appliance manufacturer in Europe.- History :...
) and the UK headquarters of Staples are based in High Wycombe. The UK base of Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
is in Denham
Denham, Buckinghamshire
Denham is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is north west of Uxbridge and north of junction 1 of the M40 motorway. Denham contains the Buckinghamshire Golf Club.-Origin:...
, near Gerrards Cross. Pioneer UK
Pioneer Corporation
is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
is in Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, about three miles north of Slough and a mile east of Farnham Common....
and the Barracuda Group (owner of Varsity) is in Marlow
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
, both locations being near the motorway.
Oxfordshire
Kraft Foods BanburyKraft Foods Banbury
Kraft Foods in the Ruscote ward of Banbury, Oxfordshire, England is a large food and coffee producing factory in the north of the town.It was built in 1964 and was partly due to the London overspill...
, Westminster group plc
Westminster group plc
The Westminster Group plc is a worldwide security company that specialises in Fire, Safety, Security and Defence. The firms' headquarters are at Westminster House, Blacklocks Hill, Overthorpe, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom...
, Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
, Ascari Cars and Vodafone Limited all have offices or are based in Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
.
Warwickshire
Stratford-upon-Avon is world famous as ShakespearesWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
hometown and so tourism is a major industry. The NFU Mutual Insurance Company
NFU Mutual
The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited, trading as NFU Mutual, is a UK registered mutual insurance composite. It underwrites more than £1 billion in annual premium in life and general insurance lines for rural communities within the UK. NFU Mutual is based in...
is also based in the town. ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
, JET
Jet (brand)
Jet is the filling station brand of ConocoPhillips, used in Europe.Jet filling stations are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom....
(petrol), BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, and Volvo Group
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
are based in Warwick.