The Avon Gorge () is a small wooded
gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
in
Falkirk
Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
Biology
An area of of the gorge is a
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
;
it was
notified in 1986. The steep wooded banks constitute one of the few remaining
ancient, semi-natural woodland sites in Falkirk District.
Plants found here which are rare in Falkirk District include
alternate-leaved golden saxifrage (''chrysosplenium alternifolium''),
moschatel
''Adoxa moschatellina'', moschatel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae which has a highly distinctive inflorescence. This herbaceous perennial grows in relatively sunny places in old woodland, such as the edges of streams, an ...
(''adoxa moschatellina'') and
hemp agrimony (''eupatorium cannabinum''). The site also contains
pendulous sedge
''Carex pendula'' (pendulous sedge, also known as hanging, drooping or weeping sedge) is a large sedge of the genus ''Carex''. It occurs in woodland, scrubland, hedges and beside streams, preferring damp, heavy clay soils. It is sometimes grown ...
(''carex pendula'') and
lily of the valley
Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' ), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...
(''convallaria majalis'') both of which are uncommon in
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
The Avon Gorge is one of the few remaining oak-dominated woodlands in the central belt of Scotland, others include the nearby
Callendar wood.
History
After defeat at the
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk (; ), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by Edward I of England, King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scottish people, Scots, led by William Wal ...
,
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...
reportedly took refuge in a cave in the Avon Gorge. The cave is signposted from a nearby road as 'Wallace's Cave'.
Transport
The
A801 road
The A801 is a road in Scotland which runs from east of Polmont to the A705 near Whitburn that heads towards Livingston in the other direction.
The A801 provides a link from Junction 4 of the M8 to Junction 4 of the M9, creating easy acces ...
cuts through the Avon Gorge and has a small crossing point accompanied by steep dips. This has been recognised as an accident blackspot particularly in bad weather conditions. There have been numerous calls from local politicians for upgrades to take place and for a new bridge crossing to be built over the gorge. However there have been no firm commitments from local authorities or national government for such a scheme.
See also
*
Avon Aqueduct
The Avon Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal (Scotland), Union Canal over the River Avon, Falkirk, River Avon, near Linlithgow, Scotland.
History
The aqueduct was built to a design by Hugh Baird (engineer), Hugh Bair ...
*
River Avon
References
{{coord, 55.99444, N, 3.66890, W, region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(NS960792), display=title
Landforms of Falkirk (council area)
Canyons and gorges of Scotland
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Falkirk and Clackmannan
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1986