Vale of Holmesdale

The Vale of Holmesdale is a comparatively narrow valley lying at the foot of the North Downs in Surrey and Kent, England. It stretches from Folkestone on the Kent coast through Ashford, Harrietsham, Maidstone, Riverhead/Sevenoaks, Oxted, Godstone, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Gomshall, Chilworth, Shalford and ending in Guildford.

Looking south from Blue Bell Hill across the Medway Valley a deep part of the valley, with the village of Eccles in the foreground, the Aylesford Newsprint plant in the middle ground, Ditton and Maidstone beyond.
Geology of the South East, The vale is the thin lime green belt
View from North downs towards Reigate.
A cross-section, showing the Wealden Dome, and relating it to the towns of Kent
the view from Newlands Corner near to Guildford showing the richness of this undeveloped part of the valley's agriculture and natural habitat

Geology

Its composition is mainly Gault Clay and Upper Greensand, although the Lower Chalk area at the foot of the Downs is included in the area. The vale gently ascends and descends several times along its length, with higher elevations near Lenham and Westerham (in Kent), and Wotton (in Surrey) acting as drainage divides for the valley's several drainage basins and rivers. Geologically it makes sense to study the whole as a unit.

Rivers

The headwaters of the River Great Stour flows along the vale as does the River Medway for part of its length, further to the west,[1] then do the River Darent, River Mole and River Tillingbourne.

Transport

The M25 runs along the Vale of Holmesdale from its descent into the vale just before Sevenoaks at Junction 5 clockwise, running past Clacket Lane services, before ascending up the downs at Reigate however the A25 road continues on to Guildford in the vale itself.

The Guildford-Redhill railway line runs along the Vale of Holmesdale between Gomshall and Reigate.

Usage of the term

Local businesses, schools, and clubs use the valley's name, for example the Holmesdale Building Society in Reigate; The Holmesdale School in Snodland; and the Holmesdale Natural History Club, founded in 1857, which runs a museum of the same name in Reigate.[2]

Alternative terms used are simply the gault clay belt mixed with (eroded) upper greensand, or the separate river valleys.

See also

References
  1. Britain's Structure and Scenery, L.Dudley Stamp, Pub Sept 1946, Collins New Naturalist Series.
  2. website of Holmesdale Natural History Club (HNHC). information on the Holmesdale Natural History Club Museum.

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