Crossing the Thames in an area of outstanding natural beauty

            On a September morning in 2012, an empty steel train crosses the river Thames on the edge of the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

The designation of an area of outstanding natural beauty was adopted by the UK government in 1949 for areas of naturally beautiful landscapes that were too small and lacked the wildness of national parks.

The North Wessex Downs AONB was created in 1972 to conserve and enhance the countryside in and around the chalk downs running from Wiltshire to Oxfordshire.

AONBs have specific planning controls to ensure the character of the landscape is not changed. 

Unfortunately since I took this photograph a loophole has changed the view considerably.

The railway line has since been electrified with overhead electrification. This particular scheme used significant amounts of steelwork to support the overhead wires. Although the AONB lobbied Network Rail to consider using less visually intrusive overhead masts, this has overruled. 

Today the same view is blighted by a less than sympathetic array of steel stanchions that blight this area of outstanding natural beauty.

Taken in: UK / England / Basildon / Lower Basildon (show map)

Taken on: September 13, 2012

Sets appears in: • From 2012: trains in the British Landscape

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Camera: Nikon D7000, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec, 122mm (=183mm), ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7000
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	122mm (35mm equivalent: 183mm)
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Shutter speed priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 14.0 (Windows)
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