Welcome to the MedLibrary.org Wikipedia Supplement on Sunken lane -- Please Click to Return to Front Page

A hollow way (chemin creux) at Saint Bomer Les Forges, Orne, France

The aptly-named Hollow Lane, Canterbury, UK, joins the city to the Roman road, Stone Street

A sunken lane, also called a hollow way or holloway, is a road which has over time fallen significantly lower than the land on either side. They are created by erosion, by water and traffic. Some are very ancient indeed with evidence of Roman, Iron Age or even earlier examples. The earth banks on either side, sometimes topped with hedges and trees, give the impression of a tunnel enclosing the traveller.

Because the roadway is restricted by the banks on either side, sunken lanes typically admit the passage of only one vehicle; that is, they are single track roads. Occasional passing places may be provided, but a meeting of vehicles in a sunken lane often requires one party to reverse to a suitable passing place. The banks also restrict visibility. When metalled, sunken lanes are unlikely to erode any further down.

In the UK

Sunken lanes are a characteristic feature of the landscape of southern England, especially in greensand areas of the North and South Downs, and the Weald.

While many sunken lanes are now metalled, some are still unsurfaced green lanes, typically now designated as bridleways. A few sunken lanes are open to vehicular traffic as Byways Open to All Traffic, although the severe potential for increased erosion means that such usage is increasingly restricted.^{citation needed}

In Germany

One of the largest networks of such routes in Germany is to be found in the municipalities of Alsheim and Mettenheim in the Sauerland area of Rhineland-Palatinate, where there they make up over 30 km of hiking trails. Some of these sunken lanes can be up to 5 metres deep.

External links

• Hohlweg German Wikipedia, 2008-02-28 (in German)

This road-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 18 July 2008, at 14:50.

Wikipedia Authorship and Review

Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.

Wikipedia Usage Guidelines

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Sunken lane".

The URL for this specific entry is:

• http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Sunken_lane

All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.