Milton Keynes... The Roundabout Centre of the Planet?

[VanDriver99]

I have just landed a new job.

This involves me travelling from Calderdale to the Milton Keynes Area(Im not joking ....its true).


I have two new drops there.MK FASCINATES ME.


I'm not sure but in the 70s when this type of development was conceived this was going to be the concept for suburbs of other large cities.Straight streets....countless roundabouts....split into many different districts with corny placenames.


It hasnt seemed to happen elsewhere.


Obviously MKs proximity to London must make the Properies there cost a small fortune....and to be honest there are some really pretty estates.



But driving through it seems like you are on a virtual Wurly Waltzer ride??

[hammo19]

We lived just outside of MK for 7 years and when we were travelling South we took the M1. There were 17 roundabouts between our house and the motorway.

Be ready to replace tyres and brakes more frequently and watch out for the myriad of drivers who have no idea about lane discipline nor the capability to use indicators. Never take anything for granted.

[VanDriver99]

hammo19 said:

We lived just outside of MK for 7 years and when we were travelling South we took the M1. There were 17 roundabouts between our house and the motorway.

Be ready to replace tyres and brakes more frequently and watch out for the myriad of drivers who have no idea about lane discipline nor the capability to use indicators. Never take anything for granted.

Some good points......its a works van and they are maintained to a very high standard.

[Tycho]

Skelmersdale is another example of this type of planning. Bloody depressing place.

[eliot]

It's "70mph" speed limit between roundabouts - bit like the "70mph" speed limit on motorways....iyswim

Just be careful being in the right hand lane going straight on - because many drivers in the left lane will cut the roundabout.

[VanDriver99]

I have seen some dreadfful behaviour on roundabouts....I may have been guilty of some??



I guess it was Waltzer Dizziness ???

[blue_haddock]

Telford is just as bad for roundabouts.

We even have roundabouts on straight roads with no other exits on them, put there for future development just in case.

[VanDriver99]

blue_haddock said:

Telford is just as bad for roundabouts.

We even have roundabouts on straight roads with no other exits on them, put there for future development just in case.

Is this another of the Faceless New Towns ??

[Notch 8]

VanDriver99 said:

blue_haddock said:

Telford is just as bad for roundabouts.

We even have roundabouts on straight roads with no other exits on them, put there for future development just in case.

Is this another of the Faceless New Towns ??

Yes, I think so. Driving around Telford feels just like driving around my home town - Redditch in the west Mids.

MK seems a touch more sophisticated though. There’s never an overgrown grass verge for example.

[48k]

I've lived in a village just north of MK for about 12 years. It's always fun going to "the City". One thing that seems to catch people out is the lane markings changing between roundabouts on the same road so for example the first roundabout left hand lane is left or straight ahead, vehicles go over and stay in the left lane, then the next roundabout left lane is left turn only.

[juggsy]

If you want to see the extent of some of the driving in MK, join the ‘Milton Keynes Moan’ Facebook group - as depressing as the city.

I’ve lived about 30 mins from MK a lot of my life, and is our main destination for shopping, cinema etc etc. It’s the kind of place that has everything you need in terms of shopping and facilities, without any charm or character.

[phil-sti]

I was asked about 10 minutes ago to check an address in the Conniburrow area of MK.....

[Radec]

The only good thing about MK was the Sanctuary arena that held all those Dreamscape etc raves back in the 90'/00's.
I haven't been back since.

Driving around it to get back up north after an all nighter was a mission in itself.

[Earthdweller]

Another good thing is the cows in Milton Keynes don’t fart because they’re made of concrete

Saving the planet one concrete block at a time !

[surveyor]

New Towns...

New Towns
Key facts about each of the New Towns (with year designated in brackets) are provided below.

England
Basildon (1949) Bracknell (1949) Central Lancashire (1970)
Corby (1950) Crawley (1947) Harlow (1947)
Hatfield (1948) Hemel Hempstead (1947) Letchworth Garden City (1903)
Milton Keynes (1967) Newton Aycliffe (1947) Northampton (1968)
Peterborough (1967) Peterlee (1948) Redditch (1964)
Runcorn (1964) Skelmersdale (1961) Stevenage (1946)
Telford (formerly Dawley) (1963) Warrington (1968) Washington (1964)
Welwyn Garden City (1948)
Northern Ireland
Antrim (1966) Ballymena (1967) Craigavon (1965)
Derry/Londonderry (1969)
Scotland
Cumbernauld (1955) East Kilbride (1947) Glenrothes (1948)
Irvine (1966) Livingston (1962)
Wales
Cwmbran (1949) Newtown (1967)

https://www.tcpa.org.uk/resources/tcpa-new-towns-n...

[Sixpackpert]

Radec said:

The only good thing about MK was the Sanctuary arena that held all those Dreamscape etc raves back in the 90'/00's.
I haven't been back since.

Driving around it to get back up north after an all nighter was a mission in itself.

Happy days indeed.

Grew up in the area and MK was always the place to be. The Point was the usual meeting place for the yoot.

[ArmaghMan]

Our version in N.I is Craigavon.

Take all of the "attributes"of Milton Keynes and add in "the troubles", being the Northern HQ of the Kinahan Group and you'll get the picture.

[dudleybloke]

Sixpackpert said:

Radec said:

The only good thing about MK was the Sanctuary arena that held all those Dreamscape etc raves back in the 90'/00's.
I haven't been back since.

Driving around it to get back up north after an all nighter was a mission in itself.

Happy days indeed.

Grew up in the area and MK was always the place to be. The Point was the usual meeting place for the yoot.

It's back!

[TheBinarySheep]

I travel down to MK from the North East regularly, and when I first started doing it, the number of roundabouts was always a talking point. Until going to MK, I'd never experienced anything like it.

The people I know down there love it though, they say it forms some kind of grid system that makes places easier to find and get to.

[Radec]

dudleybloke said:

Sixpackpert said:

Radec said:

The only good thing about MK was the Sanctuary arena that held all those Dreamscape etc raves back in the 90'/00's.
I haven't been back since.

Driving around it to get back up north after an all nighter was a mission in itself.

Happy days indeed.

Grew up in the area and MK was always the place to be. The Point was the usual meeting place for the yoot.

It's back!

Horns massive blow, whistle posse blow.

Unfortunately like Danny Glover, I'm too old for this st now.

Prefer to be tucked up in bed now rather than be out till 6 in the morning and drive 100 odd miles home, but still a part of me wouldn't mind checking it out tbh.