The countryside is devastated around here. We used to have a lovely wooded cycleway between 2 small towns. Half of that is now a building site. I'll drop a photo later if I get a chance, it is quite unrecognisable from what it used to be.
HS2 is being built less than a mile from my house and I follow the route for it on the way to work. In short, it is a royal pain in the arse. I may some personal bias but I've never worked out the benefit. The quickest train to Cov from London - Well used to be before the Avanti Shitshow came to...