North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent.
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11 Facts About North Downs
2.
The North Downs cuesta has a steep south-facing scarp slope and a more gentle north-facing dip slope.
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3.
East of the Medway Valley the North Downs become broader and flatter, extending as far as the Isle of Thanet.
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4.
Ridge of the North Downs is intersected by the valleys of a series of rivers: the Wey, Mole, Darent, Medway and Stour.
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5.
One notable species characteristic of calcaerous woodland is the nationally scarce lady orchid, which is found in more than 100 sites on the Kent stretch of the North Downs, but is confined to just two sites elsewhere in the UK.
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6.
The predominant type of farming on the North Downs is arable farming; this increased greatly during the 20th century.
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7.
Human settlements within the North Downs have generally formed in sheltered valleys and at the foot of the scarp slope .
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8.
The east to west ridge of the North Downs has provided a natural transport route for centuries.
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9.
Many beauty spots on the North Downs are owned by the National Trust, for instance Box Hill and Langdon Cliffs.
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10.
Much chalk grassland and ancient woodland on the North Downs is open-access, and there are many historic sites such as Kit's Coty House and Dover Castle.
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11.
Topography of the North Downs means there are relatively few summits with topographic prominence.
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