Anyone know what this is?! (in Bedfordshire)

[Donkmeister]

Whilst looking at Google Maps the other day, I noticed this clearing, several miles long between the M1 (near Milbrook) and the A1 (near Sandy) in Bedfordshire. On the link below, it's yellow-earth coloured, and runs along about half a mile east of the Milbrook test track.

I've asked around and checked the web, but no-one has a clue what it is. My first thought was a link between the M1 and A1, others have suggested a new rail link.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h...1118,-0.470695&spn=0.041223,0.143852&t=h&z=14

Looks too windy to be a motorway or railway. A pipeline perhaps?

 

[libby lou lou]

Definetly a pipeline, notice how it nips to the buildings? Definetly not motorway/ bypass/rail,


I have been wrong before

 

[mattylad]

Could it be this ?

Willington to Steppingley. Proposed Gas Pipeline. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment
Report No.:165
Network Archaeology Ltd Lincoln : Network Archaeology Ltd, 2001, 99pp, figs, tabs, refs
Work undertaken by: Network Archaeology Ltd
An archaeological desk-based assessment was undertaken of the proposed 20km pipeline between
Willington Above Ground Installation and Steppingley AGI. There were three broad zones of
archaeological potential within the study corridor. The most important of these lay at the north end of
the route. It largely consisted of an extensive series of cropmarks lying immediately south of Willinton
AGI, and represented probable prehistoric and/or Romano-British settlements. These cropmarks
represented the largest complex in Bedfordshire, and they were of considerable significance. The two
other zones of potential were in the central part of the proposed route, south of Houghton Conquest
village, where medieval settlement remains were likely, and in the south part of the route, between
Millbrook and Steppingley, where the suggested courses of Roman roads, as well as cropmark
enclosures, reflected the former presence of Roman and prehistoric settlements and related features.
[Au(abr)]
Archaeological periods represented: MD, ME, PM, PR, RO, UD

 

[Donkmeister]

YES! That must be it!

Thanks Matty.

EDIT: http://www.bpa.co.uk/projects/details.php?id=64 backs it up. As ever, Google Maps data is about 5 years out of date, it's all finished and buried now!