Milton Keynes
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225465983
2008-07-13T21:02:28Z
Nate1481
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225417436 by [[Special:Contributions/88.111.21.174|88.111.21.174]] ([[User talk:88.111.21.174|talk]]) in acurate
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England
|population= [[List of English cities by population|184,506]]
|latitude= 52.036
|longitude= -0.770
|official_name= Milton Keynes
| unitary_england= [[Milton Keynes (borough)|Milton Keynes]]
| lieutenancy_england= [[Buckinghamshire]]
|neighbouring authorities [[South Northamptonshire]]
[[Aylesbury Vale]]
|region= South East England
|constituency_westminster= [[North East Milton Keynes (UK Parliament constituency)|North East Milton Keynes]]
|constituency_westminster1=[[Milton Keynes South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Milton Keynes South West]]
|post_town= MILTON KEYNES
|postcode_area= MK
|postcode_district= MK1 - 15
|dial_code= 01908
|os_grid_reference= SP841386
|london_distance= 54.4 m
|static_image=[[Image:CMK.jpg|240px]]
|static_image_caption=<small>Central Milton Keynes skyline.</small>
}}
'''Milton Keynes''' ({{Audio|en-uk-MiltonKeynes.ogg|pronunciation}}; {{IPAEng|ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz}}) is a large town <!-- legally, still a town, so article can't say "city" here until it gets City status --> in [[South East England]], about {{convert|45|mi|km}} north-west of [[London]]. It is also the principal town of the [[Milton Keynes (borough)|Borough of Milton Keynes]], itself part of [[Buckinghamshire#Divisions and environs|ceremonial Buckinghamshire]]. It was formally designated as a [[new towns in the United Kingdom|new town]] on [[23 January]] [[1967]]. Its {{convert|89|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} area incorporated the existing towns of [[Bletchley]], [[Wolverton, Milton Keynes|Wolverton]] and [[Stony Stratford]] along with another fifteen villages and farmland in between. It took its name from the existing [[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)|village of Milton Keynes]], a few miles east of [[Central Milton Keynes|the planned city centre]]. Uniquely for the [[United Kingdom]], the urban form uses a 1 km grid for the top level of [[street hierarchy]]: the local form of most districts is more conventional.
At the 2001 census the population of the Milton Keynes urban area, including the adjacent town of [[Newport Pagnell]], was 184,506, and that of the wider Borough, which has been a [[unitary authority]] independent of Buckinghamshire County Council since 1997, was 207,063 (compared with a population of around 53,000 for the same area in 1961<ref name="vision">[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10100215&c_id=10001043&add=N Vision of Britain: historic census populations for modern Milton Keynes UA] Accessed [[October 11]] [[2006]]</ref>).
==History==
{{main|History of Milton Keynes}}
===Birth of a "New City"===
In the 1960s, the Government decided that a further generation of [[new towns in the United Kingdom|new towns]] in the South East was needed to relieve housing congestion in [[London]], where thousands of people were still living in dilapidated [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] terraces which lacked many basic amenities.
[[Image:BofMiltonKeynesUA-popn.png|thumb|right|Population trend of Borough and Urban Area 1801-2001]]
Since the 1950s, [[London overspill|overspill]] housing for several [[London borough]]s <ref name="clutch1">[http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/eaton-overspill00/begining.html] Accessed [[October 10]] [[2006]]</ref><ref name="clutch2">[http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/eaton-overspill00/housing.html] Accessed [[October 10]] [[2006]]</ref><ref name="times1">''Need for more planned towns in the South-East.''The Times. December 2, 1964 Accessed [[2006-09-21]]</ref> had been constructed in [[Bletchley, Milton Keynes|Bletchley]]. Further studies <ref name="ses1">South East Study 1961-1981 HMSO 1964, cited in The Plan for Milton Keynes. Accessed [[September 25]] [[2006]]</ref><ref name="times2">Urgent action to meet London housing needs. [[The Times]]. February 4, 1965. Accessed [[2006-09-21]]</ref> in the 1960s identified north Buckinghamshire as a possible site for a large new town, a new city,<ref name="planformk"> Volume 1 of ''The Plan for Milton Keynes'' ([[Milton Keynes Development Corporation]] March, 1970 ISBN 0-903379-00-7 begins (in the Foreword by Lord ("Jock") Campbell of Eskan): "This plan for building the new city of Milton Keynes ..." (page xi) Accessed [[September 25]] [[2006]]</ref> encompassing the existing towns of Bletchley, [[Stony Stratford]] and [[Wolverton, Buckinghamshire|Wolverton]]. The New Town (informally, "New City") was to be the biggest yet, with a target population of 250,000,<ref name="times3">Area of New Town Increased by 6000 acres (24 km²). The Times. [[January 14]], [[1966]]. Accessed [[September 21]] [[2006]]</ref> in a 'designated area' of {{convert|21850|acre|sqmi km2|1|lk=on|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/statistics/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=11407|title=MK Council General Statistics. |publisher=Milton Keynes Council|accessdate=2008-04-10}}</ref> The name "Milton Keynes" was taken from the existing [[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)|village of Milton Keynes]] on the site.<ref name="llewelyn-david"> Llewelyn-David et al ''The Plan for Milton Keynes 1968''. Accessed [[2007-01-11]]</ref>
The site was deliberately located equidistant from London, [[Birmingham]], [[Leicester]], [[Oxford]] and [[Cambridge]] with the intention<ref name="ses2">''The South East Study 1961-1981'' HMSO London, 1964: "A big change in the economic balance within the south east is needed to modify the dominance of London and to get a more even distribution of growth". Accessed [[2006-11-27]]</ref> that it would be self-sustaining and eventually become a major [[regional centre]] in its own right.
Planning control was taken from elected [[Local government|local authorities]] and delegated to the [[Milton Keynes Development Corporation]] (MKDC).
The Corporation's strongly [[Modern architecture|modernist]] designs featured regularly in the magazines [[Architectural Design]] and the [[Architects' Journal]]. MKDC was determined to learn from the mistakes made in the earlier [[New Towns]] and revisit the [[Garden city movement|Garden City ideals]]. They set in place the characteristic grid roads that run between districts and the intensive planting, lakes and parkland that are so evident today. Central Milton Keynes was not intended to be a traditional [[town centre]] but a business and shopping district that supplemented the Local Centres in most of the Grid Squares.<ref name="llewelyn-david"> Llewelyn-David et al ''The Plan for Milton Keynes 1968''. Accessed [[2007-01-11]]</ref> This non-hierarchical devolved city plan was a departure from the English New Towns tradition and envisaged a wide range of industry and diversity of housing styles and tenures across the city. The largest and almost the last of the British New Towns, Milton Keynes has stood the test of time far better than most, and has proved flexible and adaptable.<ref name="bishop1">Jeff Bishop ''Milton Keynes – the Best of Both Worlds? Public and professional views of a new city.'' [[University of Bristol]] School for Advanced [[List of urban studies topics|Urban Studies]] 1981. Accessed [[2007-02-13]]</ref> The radical grid plan was inspired by the work of Californian urban theorist [[Melvin M Webber]] (1921-2006), described by the founding architect of Milton Keynes, Derek Walker, as the "father of the city".<ref name="walker1">Walker ''The Architecture and Planning of Milton Keynes'', Architectural Press, London 1981. Accessed [[2007-02-13]]</ref> Webber thought that telecommunications meant that the old idea of a city as a concentric cluster was out of date and that cities which enabled people to travel around them readily would be the thing of the future achieving "community without propinquity" for residents.<ref name="webber">M Webber (1963) 'Order in Diversity: Community Without Propinquity'', in L Wingo (ed.) 'Cities and Spaces'' Hopkins, Baltimore. Accessed [[2007-02-13]]</ref> With both [[Automobile ownership|car ownership]] and ever more emphasis on [[Electronic commerce|e-commerce]], his ideas, launched in the 1960s, have proved far-sighted, rarely more so than in Milton Keynes.
===Moving to maturity===
The Government wound up MKDC in 1992, transferring control to the Commission for New Towns (CNT) and then finally to [[English Partnerships]], with the planning function returning to local authority control (since 1974 and the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the [[Milton Keynes (borough)|Milton Keynes Borough Council]], which was subsequently made a [[unitary authority]] in the 1990s). Most recently, the Government has assigned significant planning control to [[English Partnerships]], charging it with increasing the population beyond to 300,000 by 2030. The [[Milton Keynes Partnership]] has also been formed, charged with co-ordinating the necessary and sometimes conflicting interests across the community as Milton Keynes enters its next phase.
Along with many other towns and boroughs, Milton Keynes competed for formal [[city status in the United Kingdom|city status]] in the 2000 and 2002 competitions, but was not successful.
===Prior history===
[[Image:MiltonKeynesHoard.JPG|thumb|Reproductions of the [[History of Milton Keynes#Early human settlement|Milton Keynes Hoard]] (Milton Keynes Museum)]]
The area that was to become Milton Keynes encompassed a landscape that has a rich historic legacy. The area to be developed was largely farmland and undeveloped villages, but with evidence of permanent settlement dating back to the [[Bronze Age]]. Before construction began, every area was subject to detailed archaeological investigation: doing so has provided a unique insight into the history of a large sample of the landscape of south-central England. There is evidence of [[Iron Age]], [[Romano-British]], [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]], [[Anglo-Norman]], [[Medieval]] and [[Industrial revolution]] settlements. Collections[http://clutch.open.ac.uk] of [[oral history]] covering the 20th century completes a picture that is described in detail at the [[History of Milton Keynes|main article]].
When the boundary of Milton Keynes was defined, some 40,000 people<ref name="population">http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Milton_Keynes_General/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=285. Subsequent census data is 1971:46,500; 1981:95,800; 1991:144,700; 2001:177,500. Accessed [[May 21]] [[2006]]</ref> lived in three towns and seven villages in the "designated area" of 21,833 acre (88.4 km²).
==Urban design==
:''The concepts that heavily influenced the design of the town are described in detail in article [[urban planning]] - see 'cells' under [[Urban planning#Planning and aesthetics|Planning and aesthetics]] (referring to grid squares).See also article [[single-use zoning]].''
Since the radical plan form and large scale of Milton Keynes attracted international attention, early phases of the town include work by celebrated architects, including (Sir) Richard MacCormac, (Lord) [[Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank|Norman Foster]], [[Henning Larsen]], [[Ralph Erskine]], [[John Winter]], and Martin Richardson.<ref name="bishop2">Jef Bishop ''Milton Keynes – the Best of Both Worlds? Public and professional views of a new city.'' University of Bristol School for Advanced Urban Studies. Accessed [[2007-02-13]].</ref> The Corporation itself attracted talented young architects led by the young and charismatic Derek Walker. Though strongly committed to sleek "Miesian" [[minimalism]] inspired by the German/ American architect [[Mies van der Rohe]] they also developed a strand of [[contextualism]] in advance of the wider adoption of commercial [[Postmodernism|Post-Modernism]] as an [[architectural style]] in the 1980s. In the Miesian tradition were the Pineham Sewage Works, which Derek Walker regarded as his finest achievement, and the Shopping Building designed by Stuart Mosscrop and Christopher Woodward, which is widely regarded{{Who|date=July 2007}} as the finest twentieth century retail building in Britain (due for major redevelopment in 2007, following the failure of attempts to have it protected as a [[Listed building]]). The contextual tradition that ran alongside it is best exemplified by the Corporation's infill scheme at Cofferidge Close, Stony Stratford, designed by Wayland Tunley, which carefully inserts into a historic stretch of High Street a modern retail facility, offices and [[Parking lot|car park]]. The [[Development Corporation]] also led an ambitious [[Art in Milton Keynes#Public art|Public art]] programme.
===Grid squares===
Milton Keynes Development Corporation planned the major road layout according to [[street hierarchy]] principles, using a [[Grid plan|grid pattern]] of approximately 1 km interval, rather than on the more conventional [[radial]] pattern found in older settlements. Major roads within the town run between communities, rather than through them: the major roads are known locally as ''grid roads'' and the spaces between them are known as ''grid squares''.<ref>{{cite book|first=Derek |last=Walker |title=The Architecture and Planning of Milton Keynes |publisher=Architectural Press |year=1982 |pages=p. 8 |location=London}} cited in {{cite book|first=Mark |last=Clapson |title=A Social History of Milton Keynes: Middle England/Edge City |pages=p. 40 |publisher=Frank Cass |location=London |year=2004 |accessdate=2007-05-06}}</ref> Intervals of 1 km were chosen so that people would always be within walking distance of a [[bus stop]]. Consequently each grid square is a semi-autonomous community, making a unique collective of 100 clearly identifiable neighbourhoods within the overall [[urban area|urban]] environment. The grid squares have a variety of development styles, ranging from conventional urban development and industrial parks to original [[rural]] and modern urban and pseudo-rural developments. Most grid squares have Local Centres, intended as local retail hubs and most with community facilities as well. Originally intended under the Master Plan to sit alongside the Grid Roads, the Local Centres were mostly in fact built embedded in the communities and some are becoming unviable as a result of this and pressure from the new hypermarkets.
===Roads and cycleways===
{{main|Milton Keynes grid road system|Milton Keynes redway system|Segregated cycle facilities}}
[[Roundabout]] junctions were built at intersections since the grid roads were intended to carry large volumes of traffic: this type of junction is efficient at dealing with these volumes. The major roads are [[dual carriageway]], the others are single carriageway. Along one side of each single-carriageway grid road, there is a (grassed) reservation to permit dualling or additional transport infrastructure at a later date. The edges of each grid square are landscaped and densely planted, some additionally have [[berm]]s. The purpose of the berms is to reduce traffic noise for adjacent residents but traffic noise can be significant at many locations, even some distance from the grid lanes. Traffic movements are fast, with little congestion since there are many alternative routes to a particular destination.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} The [[national speed limit]] applies on duelled sections of the grid roads (70 mph) and most single carriageway grid roads (60 mph), although some single carriageway [[speed limit]]s have now been reduced to 40 mph. Consequently the risk to unwary pedestrians and turning traffic is significant, although pedestrians rarely need to cross grid roads [[At-grade intersection|at grade]], as [[underpass]]es exist in several places along each stretch of all of the grid roads. Some pedestrians avoid some of the underpasses through fear or inconvenience, though this is not typical.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} Monitoring station data<ref name="localair">http://www.mkweb.co.uk/environmental-health/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=17335 Accessed [[August 16]] [[2006]]</ref> shows that pollution is lower than in other settlements of a similar size. This can be partially attributed to the large number of trees, particularly to the fact that trees line grid roads in most places.
There is a separate [[cycleway]] network (the "[[Milton Keynes redway system|redways]]") that runs through the grid-squares and sometimes runs alongside the grid-road network. These were designed to segregate slow moving cycle and pedestrian traffic from fast moving motor traffic. In practice, they are mainly used for leisure cycling rather than commuting, mainly because they need to duck under the grid-roads regularly at the underpasses and because they take meandering scenic routes rather than straight lines. Despite what appears to be a desirable facility, rates of cycle commuting in Milton Keynes are well below the national average for urban areas. The [[Milton Keynes redway system|detailed article]] includes a critical appraisal.
===Height===
[[Image:CMK.jpg|thumb|400px|Modern skyline of [[Central Milton Keynes]] ]]
The original design guidance declared that "no building [be] taller than the tallest tree". However, the [[English Partnerships#Milton Keynes Partnership|Milton Keynes Partnership]], in its [[expansion plans for Milton Keynes]], believes that [[Central Milton Keynes]] (and elsewhere) needs "landmark buildings" and has recently lifted the height restriction for the area. As a result, 14-[[storey]] buildings are now being built in the town centre. Some of the pedestrian underpasses are being closed in order to 'normalise' the townscape of Central Milton Keynes and the character of the area is set to change under government pressure to increase densities of development.
===Linear parks===
[[Image:Caldecotte Lake.jpg|thumb|Caldecotte Lake, Milton Keynes]]
The [[flood plain]]s of the [[River Great Ouse|Great Ouse]] and of its tributaries (the [[River Ouzel|Ouzel]] and some brooks) have been protected as linear parks that run right through the town. The [[Grand Union Canal]] is another green route (and demonstrates the level topology of the town - there is just one minor lock in its entire 10 mile route through from [[Fenny Stratford]] to the "Iron Trunk" [[Aqueduct]] over the Ouse at [[Wolverton, Milton Keynes|Wolverton]]. The [[Milton Keynes redway system]] of cycleways and footpaths uses these and other routes. The [[Park system]] was designed by [[landscape architect]] Peter Youngman, who also developed landscape precepts for the whole town; groups of grid squares were to be planted with different selections of trees and shrubs in order to give them distinct identities. However, the landscaping of parks and of the grid roads was evolved under the leadership of Neil Higson, who from 1977 took over as Chief Landscape Architect and made the original grand but not entirely practical landscape plan more subtle. A policy of creating "settings, strings, beads" for landscape features was introduced: 'settings' for historic villages and landscape features, 'strings' of landscape to make the linear parks hang together and 'beads' of [[public space]] where residents might linger. Higson also made the landscaping of the Grid Roads, one of the glories of Milton Keynes, more subtle, with 'windows' cut into the roadside planting so that motorists travelling through had a sense of the major town they were in; early critics had said of Milton Keynes 'there is no there there', as the town could not be seen by the motorist just passing through. The skill and lavish scale of the Grid Road planting makes, now that the trees and shrubs have matured, a dramatic and welcome change from the monotony of many British towns.
==="City in the forest"===
The original Development Corporation design concept aimed<ref name="walker2">Walker ''The Architecture and Planning of Milton Keynes'', Architectural Press, London 1981. Accessed [[2007-02-13]]</ref> for a "forest city" and its foresters planted millions of trees from its own nursery in Newlands in the following years. As of 2006, the urban area has 20 million trees. Following the [[Liquidation|winding up]] of the Development Corporation the lavish landscapes of the Grid Roads and of the major parks were transferred to The Parks Trust, a [[Foundation (charity)|charity]] which is independent from the municipal authority and which was intended to resist pressures to build on the parks over time. The Parks Trust is endowed with a portfolio of commercial properties, the income of which pay for the upkeep of the green spaces, a town-wide maintenance model which has attracted international attention.<ref name="parkstrust1">http://www.theparkstrust.com/parks-trust/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=33214 Accessed [[October 30]] [[2006]]</ref>
===Further development plans===
{{main|Expansion plans for Milton Keynes}}
In January 2004, [[Deputy Prime Minister]] [[John Prescott]] announced<ref name="guardian1">http://society.guardian.co.uk/urbandesign/story/0,11200,1116879,00.html?=rss Accessed [[March 27]] [[2006]]</ref> the Government's plan to double the population of Milton Keynes by 2025. He appointed [[English Partnerships]] to do so, taking planning controls away from [[Milton Keynes (borough)|Milton Keynes Borough Council]] and making EP the statutory planning authority. Their proposal for the next phase of expansion moves away from grid squares to large scale, mixed use, higher density development. The [[Expansion plans for Milton Keynes|more detailed article]] expands on the details of their proposals. As the first stage in that plan, the Government expanded<ref name="opsi1">http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/uksi_20040932_en.pdf Accessed [[2006-12-08]]</ref> the boundaries of the designated area, adding large green-field expansion sites to the east and west that are to be developed by 2015.
As might be anticipated, these plans are controversial – especially as planning control has been removed again from elected local authorities and placed in a central-government appointed body. Changes to Central Milton Keynes have been especially controversial and include the redevelopment of the shopping building, the finest monument of the "new city".
Milton Keynes is at the centre of the [[South Midlands]] area identified by the government for growth.<ref name="bbc1">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4358065.stm Accessed [[2006-10-12]]</ref>
==Culture==
[[Image:MK Bowl Concert.jpg|thumb|65,000 capacity [[National Bowl]]]]
The open air [[National Bowl]] is a 65,000 capacity venue for large scale concerts. It is situated off the A5 near Furzton.
The 1,400 seat [[Milton Keynes Theatre]] [http://www.theambassadors.com/miltonkeynes/info/index.html] (Blonski-Heard) opened in 1999. Its high booking rate allows it to lay claim to the title "Britain's most popular theatre".{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The theatre has an unusual feature: the ceiling can be lowered closing off the third tier (gallery) to create a more intimate space for smaller scale productions. There are further performance spaces in Bletchley, Wolverton, [[Woughton#Leadenhall|Leadenhall]], [[Shenley Church End]], [[Stantonbury]] and [[Walton Hall, Milton Keynes|Walton Hall]].
[[Image:Milton Keynes Gallery.JPG|thumb|left|Milton Keynes Gallery, surface by [[Michael Craig-Martin]] ]]
[http://www.mk-g.org The municipal (art) gallery] (Milton Keynes Gallery, next to the main theatre) hosts various exhibitions.
In [[Wavendon]], on the southeast edge of the town, [http://www.stables.org/ The Stables] provides a venue for [[jazz]], [[blues]], [[folk music|folk]], [[rock music|rock]], [[European classical music|classical]], [[pop music|pop]] and [[world music]]. It is closely associated with jazz artists [[Cleo Laine]] and [[John Dankworth]]. The venue also hosts an annual [[summer camp]] for young musicians.
Another [[music venue]] is [http://www.myspace.com/thepitzclub The Pitz Club] in the [[Woughton]] Centre, Leadenhall. It usually features a mixture of [[punk music|punk]], [[alternative rock]], and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]].
There are two [[museum]]s, the [[Bletchley Park]] museum of wartime cryptography, and the [http://www.mkmuseum.org.uk/ Milton Keynes Museum], which includes the Stacey Hill Collection of rural life that existed before the foundation of the new town.
The town also has a [[literature]] scene, with groups like [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Speakeasy/home.asp Speakeasy] meeting regularly and hosting performance events, and the town's only [[poetry]] magazine, [[Monkey Kettle]] coming out three times a year.
==Education==
The [[Open University]]'s headquarters are based in the [[Walton Hall]] district, though as this is a [[distance learning]] institution, the only students resident on campus are approximately 200 [[postgraduate]]s. [[Cranfield University]], another postgraduate school, is located just outside the town, in [[Cranfield]], [[Bedfordshire]]. [[Milton Keynes College]] provides [[further education]] to [[Foundation Degree]] level.
In the early-1990s a purpose built [[Polytechnic]] was opened at Kents Hill in Milton Keynes, opposite the Open University's Walton Hall site. At around the time the existing Polytechnics converted to [[University|Universities]], "MK Poly" merged with the former Leicester Polytechnic, [[De Montfort University]] and the site was rebranded the DMU MK site. However in recent years, DMU closed the MK site and the Open University has expanded to take over the buildings.
Milton Keynes Council has identified the lack of a conventional local university as a problem.<ref name="memorandum">{{cite web | url= http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmtlgr/603/603m22.htm | title= Memorandum by Milton Keynes Council (NT 20) | work= Select Committee on Transport, Local Government and the Regions | date= [[16 April]] [[2002]] | accessdate= 2007-10-23}}</ref>
As an attempt to rectify this situation, a consortium of surrounding universities including [[De Montfort]] and [[Northampton]], plus the [[Open University]] and [[Milton Keynes College]] have formed [[Universities for Milton Keynes]].<ref name="umk">{{cite web | url= http://www.unis4mk.ac.uk/about/ | title= About Universities for Milton Keynes | work= Universities for Milton Keynes | accessdate= 2007-10-23}}</ref>
Like many parts of the UK, the state secondary schools in Milton Keynes are [[Comprehensive school]]s, although schools in the rest of Buckinghamshire still use the [[Tripartite System]]. Results are above the national average, though below that of the rest of Buckinghamshire – but the [[demography]] of Milton Keynes is also far closer to the national average than is the latter. However 3 of the schools in Milton Keynes (Sir Frank Markham Community School, Leon School and Sports College and The Radcliffe School) were amongst the worse 190 schools in England for GCSE results. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7180202.stm BBC article about GCSE results</ref>
==Communications and media==
Milton Keynes has one major [[Commercial broadcasting|commercial radio]] station dedicated to the area, [[Horizon Radio (UK)|Horizon Radio]], a member of the G-Cap Media Group. The local [[BBC Radio|BBC radio]] station is [[BBC Three Counties Radio]], which covers Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, but has different programming from the [[Bow Brickhill]] transmitter at breakfast and lunchtime. [http://www.crmk.co.uk Cable Radio Milton Keynes - 89.8fm](CRMK) is a voluntary [[cable radio]] station broadcasting on the Virgin Media Cable Network for Milton Keynes and on the Internet.
For television, the area is in the overlap between the [[Oxford]] and the [[Sandy, Bedfordshire|Sandy]] transmitters and so receives [[BBC]] South and BBC East, and ITV [[Central Television|Central]] and [[Anglia Television|Anglia]]. Signal quality is weak in many areas due to distance and "terrain shadow". It was for this reason among others that Milton Keynes has one of the first [[Cable television|Cable TV]] networks in the UK. However, the cable network is now ageing and in need of modernisation to cope with the imminent digital TV switchover due by 2012; many residents have already opted for roof-top aerials and satellite dishes.
Milton Keynes has two free-to-residents local newspapers, the Milton Keynes Citizen[http://www.mkcitizen.co.uk], which is twice-weekly, and the MK News[http://www.mk-news.co.uk], a weekly.
==Sport==
{{imagestack|
[[Image:MiltonKeynesXScape01.jpg|thumb|right|The Milton Keynes [[Xscape (building)|Xscape]] seen from across Secklow Gate]]
[[Image:Denbigh stadium east stand 16 May 07.JPG|thumb|The East Stand of the new 32,000 [[Stadium:mk]]]]
|right}}
{{main|Sport in Milton Keynes}}
Milton Keynes has professional teams in [[Association Football|football]] ([[Milton Keynes Dons F.C.]]), [[ice hockey]] ([[Milton Keynes Lightning]]) and in [[basketball]] ([[Milton Keynes Lions]]). It is represented at amateur level in many sports, some at national level. For details see [[Sport in Milton Keynes]]. Milton Keynes is also home to the [[Xscape (building)|Xscape]] indoor ski slope.
<!-- Advice to editors: this article is already too long. If you want to add material on sport, please consider doing so at "Sport in Milton Keynes" -->
Senior football was a relatively late arrival in Milton Keynes. There had been several non-league teams based in the area over the years, but it wasn't until the late 1990s that it looked as though Milton Keynes would have a senior side. Local Businessman [[Pete Winkelman]] approached several clubs in and near [[London]] about a move to Milton Keynes, as it was by now the largest town or city in England to be without a professional club. He got his wish in May 2002 when [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon FC]] were given permission to relocate to Milton Keynes - 62 miles away from their home borough of [[Merton]]. Wimbledon moved into the [[National Hockey Stadium]] in September 2003 as a temporary home until a new, larger stadium could be built. A year later, Wimbledon FC became Milton Keynes Dons, and three years after that they moved into a new 22,000-seat [[stadium:mk]] in the [[Denbigh, Milton Keynes|Denbigh]] district of south Milton Keynes. They hope to have a 32,000 capacity by 2009.
==Centre==
[[Image:Miltonkeynespoint.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Point, Milton Keynes|The Point]] in CMK]]
{{main|Central Milton Keynes|Milton Keynes Shopping Centre|Milton Keynes Central railway station}}
As a key element of the "New City" vision, Milton Keynes has a purpose built centre, with a very large "covered high street" [[Shopping mall|shopping centre]], theatre, [[art gallery]], two multiplex cinemas, hotels, business district, ecumenical church, [[Milton Keynes (borough)|Borough Council offices]] and [[Milton Keynes Central railway station|central railway station]].
==Other amenities==
{{imagestack|
[[Image:ConcreteCows.jpg|thumb|right|Liz Leyh's iconic "[[Concrete Cows]]"]]
[[Image:Gnarled Tree.jpg|thumb|right|Part of the Blue Lagoon]]
|right}}
*Milton Keynes has a 125 mile (200 km) network of [[segregated cycle facilities|cycleways/footpaths]] for pedestrians and [[cyclist]]s called [[Milton Keynes redway system|the Redway system]], generally surfaced with red tarmac, which criss-cross most of town. The national [http://www.sustrans.org SUSTRANS] cycle network runs to and through the town. The [[Swans Way]] [[Long-distance trail|long distance path]] does the same.
*Central Milton Keynes is home to the National [[Badminton]] Centre and the [[National Hockey Stadium]]. There is a [[Stadium:mk|new football stadium]] in the [[Denbigh, Milton Keynes|Denbigh district]] near [[Bletchley, Milton Keynes|Bletchley]], home of [[Milton Keynes Dons F.C.]]
*Near the station, the "Planet Ice" [[ice rink]] is used for professional and amateur [[ice hockey]] plus leisure skating and amateur [[figure skating]]. See [[Sport in Milton Keynes#Ice hockey|Sport in Milton Keynes Ice hockey]] for details.
*Also near the station there is a covered "urban [[skateboard]]ing" arena known as the Buszy, but the wide expanses and slopes of the station plaza remain very popular among boarders.
*There is a high security [[prison]], [[Woodhill (HM Prison)|HMP Woodhill]], on the western boundary of the town.
*[[Willen#Willen Lake|Willen Lakeside Park]] hosts [[watersports]], and the [[North Lake]] is a [[bird sanctuary]].
*The [[Blue Lagoon Local Nature Reserve]] in Bletchley.
*Milton Keynes is covered by a high speed [[WiMax]] network<ref name="wimax1">{{cite news |title=Milton Keynes to get blanket WiMax coverage |url=http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=4384 WiMax in MK |accessdate=2007-04-03 |date=[[2006-08-18]] |work=Pocket-lint.co.uk |first=Stuart |last=Miles}}</ref> and the central area additionally has a free [[WiFi]].<ref name="wimax2">{{cite news |title=Milton Keynes sets Wi-Fi free |url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2166772/free-wi-milton-keynes |date=[[2006-10-19]] |accessdate=2007-04-03 |work=vnunet.com |first=Will |last=Head}}</ref>.
==Original towns and villages==
{{imagestack|
[[Image:Bletchley Park.jpg|thumb|During World War II, British, Polish and American cryptographers at [[Bletchley Park]] broke a large number of [[Axis Powers|Axis]] codes and ciphers, including the German [[Enigma machine]].]]
[[Image:Bradwell-windmill.JPG|thumb|right|The 1815 windmill near [[Bradwell]] village, beside the playing fields]]
[[Image:StonyStratford HighStreet01.jpg|thumb|right|Stony Stratford high street in festive mood]]
[[Image:MiltonKeynesPeacePagoda01.JPG|thumb|right|The Peace Pagoda]]
|right}}
The historical settlements have been focal points for the modern development of the new city. Every grid square has historical antecedents, if only in the field names. The more obvious ones are listed below and most have more detailed articles.
'''[[Bletchley, Milton Keynes|Bletchley]]''' was first recorded in the 12th century as ''Blechelai''. [[Bletchley railway station|Its station]] was a major [[Victorian era|Victorian]] junction (the [[London and North Western Railway]] with the Oxford-Cambridge [[Varsity Line]]), leading to the substantial urban growth in the town in that period. It expanded to absorb the villages of [[Water Eaton, Milton Keynes|Water Eaton]] and [[Fenny Stratford]].
* [[Bletchley Park]] was home to the [[Government Code and Cypher School]] during the [[Second World War]]. The famous [[Enigma code]] was cracked here, and the building housed what was arguably the world's first programmable [[computer]], [[History of computing hardware|Colossus]]. The house is now a [[museum]] of war memorabilia, cryptography and computing.
The [[Benedictine]] [[Priory]] at '''[[Bradwell, Milton Keynes|Bradwell]]''' was of major economic importance in this area of north Buckinghamshire before the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]]. The routes of the medieval trackways converge on the site from some distance (many of which are now Redways or bridleways). Nowadays, there is only a small medieval chapel and a manor house occupying the site.
'''[[New Bradwell]]''', to the north of the medieval Bradwell (Abbey) and just across the canal and the railway to the east of Wolverton, was built specifically for railway workers. It has a working [[windmill]]. The level bed of the old railway from [[Newport Pagnell]] to [[Wolverton, Milton Keynes|Wolverton]] ends here and has been converted to a redway, making it a favourite route for cycling.
'''[[Great Linford]]''' appears in the [[Domesday Book]] as ''Linforde'', and features a [[church]] to [[Saint Andrew]] dating from 1215. Today, the outer buildings of the [[17th century|seventeenth-century]] [[manor house]] form an [[Arts centre|Arts Centre]], and [[Linford Manor]] is a prestigious [[recording studio]].
'''[[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)|Milton Keynes Village]]''' is the original village to which the New "City" owes its name. The original village is still evident, with a pleasant [[thatch]]ed [[pub]], [[village hall]], church and traditional housing. The area around the village has reverted to its original name of '''[[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)|Middleton]]''', as shown on old maps of the 1700s. The oldest<ref name="pastpresentfuture">http://www.mkweb.co.uk/statistics/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=11415 Accessed [[March 11]] [[2006]]</ref> surviving domestic building in the area, a fourteenth century manor house, is here.
There has been a market in '''[[Stony Stratford]]''' since 1194 (by charter of [[Richard I of England|King Richard I]]). The ''Rose and Crown Inn'' at Stratford is reputedly the last place the [[Princes in the Tower]] were seen alive.
The manor house of '''[[Walton, Milton Keynes|Walton]]''' village, '''[[Walton Hall, Milton Keynes|Walton Hall]]''', is the headquarters of the [[Open University]] and the tiny [[parish church]] (deconsecrated) is in its grounds.
The tiny Parish Church (1680) at '''[[Willen]]''' contains the only unaltered building by the architect and physicist [[Robert Hooke]]. Nearby, there is a [[Buddhist]] Temple and a [[Peace Pagoda]]. The district borders the [[River Ouzel]]: there is a large [[balancing lake]] here, to capture [[flash flood]]s before they cause problems down stream on the [[River Great Ouse]]. The north basin is a wild-life sanctuary and a favourite of migrating aquatic birds. The south basin is for leisure use, favoured by wind surfers and dinghy sailors. The circuit of the lakes is a favoured "fun run". <!-- This is just a summary. Please add any new content to the main Willen article -->
The original '''[[Wolverton, Milton Keynes|Wolverton]]''' was a medieval settlement just north and west of today's town. The [[Ridge and Furrow]] pattern of agriculture can still be seen in the nearby fields and the Saxon (rebuilt in 1819) '''Church of the Holy Trinity''' still sits next to the Norman [[Motte and Bailey]] site. Modern Wolverton was a 19th century New Town built to house the workers at the [[Wolverton railway works]] (which built engines and carriages for the [[London and North Western Railway]]).
==Economy, Demographics, Geography, Politics==
{{NSEW|[[Olney, Milton Keynes|Olney]]|[[Leighton Buzzard]]|[[Cambridge]]|[[Buckingham]]|[[Northampton]]|[[Bedford]]|[[Aylesbury]], [[Oxford]]|[[Luton]], [[London]]|}}
Data on the economy, demographics and politics of Milton Keynes is collected at the Borough level and can be found at [[Milton Keynes (borough)#Economy|Economy of the Borough]] and [[Milton Keynes (borough)#Demographics|Demographics of the Borough]]. However, since the urban area is predominant in the Borough, it is reasonable to assume that the figures are broadly the same. Milton Keynes is one of the most successful (per capita) economies in the South East, itself the economic powerhouse of the United Kingdom. The population is significantly younger than the national averages. As of 2008, there is effective [[full employment]].
===Modern parishes and districts===
The Borough of Milton Keynes is fully [[civil parish|parished]]. These are the parishes, and the districts they contain, within Milton Keynes itself. For a list of parishes in the Borough, see [[Milton Keynes (borough)#Rest of the borough|Borough of Milton Keynes (Rest of the borough)]]
* [[Bletchley and Fenny Stratford]]: Central [[Bletchley, Milton Keynes|Bletchley]], [[Denbigh North]], Denbigh East, Denbigh West, Eaton Manor, [[Fenny Stratford]], [[Water Eaton, Milton Keynes|Water Eaton]]
* [[Bradwell, Milton Keynes|Bradwell]]: Bradwell, Bradwell Common, Bradwell village, Heelands, Rooksley
* [[Bradwell Abbey]]: Bradwell Abbey, Kiln Farm, Stacey Bushes, Two Mile Ash, Wymbush
* [[Broughton and Milton Keynes]]: Atterbury, Brook Furlong, [[Broughton, Milton Keynes|Broughton]], Fox Milne, [[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)]], Northfield, Oakgrove, Pineham
* [[Campbell Park]]: Campbell Park, Fishermead, Newlands, Oldbrook, Springfield, [[Willen|Willen and Willen Lake]], Winterhill, [[Woolstone, Milton Keynes|Woolstone]]
* [[Central Milton Keynes]]
* [[Great Linford]]: Great Linford, Neath Hill, Pennyland, Tongwell, Willen Park, Giffard Park
* [[Kents Hill, Monkston and Brinklow]]: Brinklow, [[Kents Hill]], Kingston, Monkston
* [[Loughton, Milton Keynes|Loughton]]: Loughton, Loughton Lodge, Great Holm, [[Knowlhill]] including [[National Bowl|the Bowl]]
* [[New Bradwell]]
* [[Shenley Brook End]]: Emerson Valley, Furzton, Kingsmead, Shenley Brook End, Snelshall, [[Tattenhoe]], Tattenhoe Park, [[Westcroft]]
* [[Shenley Church End]]: Crownhill, Grange Farm, Hazeley, Medbourne, Oakhill, Oxley, Shenley Church End, Woodhill
* [[Simpson, Milton Keynes|Simpson]]: Ashland, Simpson, West Ashland
* [[Stantonbury]]: [[Bancroft]]/Bancroft Park, [[Blue Bridge]], Bradville, Linford Wood, Stantonbury, Stantonbury Fields
* [[Stony Stratford]]: Fullers Slade, Galley Hill, Stony Stratford
* [[Walton, Milton Keynes|Walton]]: Brown's Wood, [[Caldecotte, Milton Keynes|Caldecotte]], Old Farm Park, Tilbrook, Tower Gate, Walnut Tree, Walton, [[Walton Hall, Milton Keynes|Walton Hall]], Walton Park, Wavendon Gate
* [[West Bletchley]]: [[Bletchley Park]], Church Green, Far Bletchley, Old Bletchley, West Bletchley, Whaddon (ward)
* [[Wolverton and Greenleys]]: Greenleys, Stonebridge, [[Wolverton, Milton Keynes|Wolverton]], [[Wolverton#Old Wolverton|Old Wolverton]]
* [[Woughton]]: Beanhill, Bleak Hall, Coffee Hall, Eaglestone, [[National Bowl#Elfield Park|Elfield Park]], Leadenhall, Netherfield, Peartree Bridge, Redmoor, Tinkers Bridge, [[Woughton on the Green]], Woughton Park, Woughton village.
== Notable people ==
<!-- PLEASE DON'T ADD PEOPLE TO THIS LIST UNLESS THERE IS ALREADY AN ARTICLE ABOUT THEM -->
* [[Errol Barnett]], who is an anchor and reporter for [[Channel One News]] in the [[United States]], is from Milton Keynes. He lived in Crownhill and attended Holmwood First School and Two Mile Ash [[Middle school|Middle School]] before moving to the [[United States|U.S.]].
* [[James Hildreth]], cricketer who plays for [[Somerset]] and has played for [[England]].
* [[Gordon Moakes]], the bassist for the London-based rock band [[Bloc Party]].
* [[Clare Nasir]], the meteorologist, TV and [[radio personality]], was born in Milton Keynes in 1970.
* [[Craig Pickering]], English sprinter
* [[Sarah Pinborough]], English Horror Writer
* [[Mark Randall (footballer)|Mark Randall]], professional footballer for [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]].
* [[Christopher Clarke (athlete)|Chris Clarke]] English sprinter.
* [[Kevin Whately]], actor, is a resident of Milton Keynes
* [[Lee Hasdell]], Professional [[Mixed Martial Artist]], teaches at ssj studio in Milton Keynes.
* ''[[Capdown]]'', the [[ska punk]] band, come from and formed in Milton Keynes in 1997
* ''Nemisis'', a dance troupe who competed in the final of [[Britain's Got Talent]] in 2008.
* [[Greg Rutherford]], English Triple Jumper
== Transport ==
[[Image:BradwellAqueduct-GUC.JPG|thumb|the [[Grand Union Canal]] passes over Grafton Street at Bradwell via the modern Bradwell Aqueduct]]
The [[Grand Union Canal]] between London and Birmingham provides a major axis in the design of Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes is situated on the [[West Coast Main Line]], which served [[Bletchley railway station]] and [[Wolverton railway station]] before the development of Milton Keynes. These stations are now only served by local services, and the [[Milton Keynes Central]] station has been developed between these and serves the town centre. The [[Marston Vale Line]] branches from the WCML at Bletchley, and has two stations : [[Fenny Stratford railway station]] and [[Bow Brickhill railway station]].
The [[M1 motorway]] runs to the east of the town, and is served by junctions 13, 14, and 15A. The [[A5 road]] runs through the west of the town. Other main roads include the [[A509 road|A509]], which links Milton Keynes with Wellingborough and Kettering, and the [[A421 road|A421]] which goes west to [[Buckingham]] and east to [[Bedford]].
Many coaches stop at the Milton Keynes Coachway, beside M1 Junction 14, near a [[park and ride]] car park, about 3 miles (5 km) from the centre (3.5 miles from Milton Keynes Central station).
The main bus operator is [[MK Metro]], providing a number of routes which mainly pass through or serve [[Central Milton Keynes]].
Milton Keynes [[Milton Keynes redway system#National cycle network|is served by]] routes 6 and 51 on the [[National Cycle Network]].
The nearest [[international airport]] is [[London Luton Airport]] which is accessible by route VT99 from MK Central station, this service runs with wheelchair accessible coaches. There is a direct rail connection to [[Birmingham International Airport (UK)|Birmingham International Airport]]. There is [[Cranfield Airport|an aerodrome at Cranfield]], 6 miles (10 km) from the centre.
== See also ==
* [[Central Milton Keynes]]
* [[Middleton (Milton Keynes Village)]]
* Articles in the [[:Category:Milton Keynes|Category Milton Keynes]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
== External links ==
{{Commonscat}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Milton_Keynes/|Milton Keynes}}
* [http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/ Milton Keynes Council]
* [http://www.mkcdc.org.uk/ City Discovery Centre]
* [http://www.leegarlandphotography.co.uk/Architecture/112%20Architecture.pdf Milton Keynes Article in Concept For Living Magazine, by Lee Garland Mar 08]
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