Watford Gap - Focal Point

Focal Point

An easy route between the London and Birmingham areas passes through or close to the small village of Watford, Northamptonshire, located near Daventry and Long Buckby. In the era of Roman Britain, the Watling Street Roman road, an important route from SE to NW, utilised the gap. This road developed into the A5 trunk route.

Later the road was joined by the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal. Just to the north of the Gap, this canal passes through the Watford Locks.

The historical geographic importance of the area led to many modern communication routes passing through this narrow gap: the coming of the railways brought the London and Birmingham Railway linking London to Birmingham and later on to Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. This is known today as the West Coast Main Line. The most recent addition, in 1959, was the M1, Britain's first inter-urban motorway which links London and Yorkshire; together with the first motorway service station.

Notwithstanding, the proposed route of the HS2 high speed railway line does not pass through the Watford Gap.

Although the Watford Gap is traditionally recognised as division separating north and south, topographically it is a division between east and west. A tributary of the River Nene rises at Watford and flows east to the Wash, whereas at Kilsby a tributary of the River Leam rises and flows west. At Royal Leamington Spa it joins the River Avon which flows to the Bristol Channel.