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Milton Keynes 40th Birthday

The Point
The Point in Milton Keynes

40 years - 40 fascinating facts!

As Milton Keynes celebrates it's 40th birthday, we've been trawling the reference books to bring you 40 fascinating facts about the new city!

Did you know:

1.    Milton Keynes has at least 40 million trees?

2.    On average, one hundred trees a day are planted by the Parks Trust?

3.    At least 17 ponds in Milton Keynes contain the scarce and protected Great Crested Newt?

4.    The Enigma code was cracked in Milton Keynes – Bletchley, in fact - during the Second World War?

5.    Around 45% of the population in Milton Keynes is married?

6.    There are over 71,000 dwellings in Milton Keynes?

7.     It’s the fastest growing urban area in Europe?

8.     Milton Keynes has over 180 miles  of dedicated bridleways, footpaths and  cycletracks, known better as Redways?

The centre:mk fountain
Get your inspiration from anywhere in MK

9.     Central Milton Keynes’s shopping centre is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the LONGEST in the World?

10.    MK has THREE ancient woodlands, 4000 acres of parks and 400 acres of lakes?

11.    At the last count, there were nearly 37000 pupils in Milton Keynes’ schools?

12.    The average house price in Milton Keynes is £175,337?

13.    On average, people in Milton Keynes earn around £400 a week?

14.    It’s a growing city – there are twice as many births as there are deaths?

15.    Milton Keynes has applied for official city status in 2000 and 2002 – but wasn’t successful…  Perhaps this year?

16.    The city’s grid squares are, on the whole, one kilometre squared?

17.    Pollution is lower in Milton Keynes compared to other settlements of its size?

18.    By 2025, Milton Keynes will have DOUBLED its population?

19.    Milton Keynes RARELY floods, down to the design of the balancing lakes, which absorb water from the drains and help to prevent flooding?
Did You Know…

20.    Milton Keynes had the first 'real' snow slope at the Snowdome?

Robbie Williams in concert at the MK Bowl
Robbie Williams at the Bowl

21.    David Bowie, Queen, U2, Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson have all played the National Bowl?

22.    Milton Keynes Theatre is the most popular theatre in the UK?

23.    The National Bowl is one of the biggest open air concert venues in the UK?

24.    An apprentice of the Stony Stratford boat builder Edward Hayes went on to help design the Titanic?

25.    There’s been a market in Stony Stratford since 1194?

26.    There are over 17,000 detached houses in Milton Keynes?

27.    Over twenty 5,000 houses in Milton Keynes are terraced?

28.    Jewellery from the Bronze Age has been found in excavations in Milton Keynes?

29.    Around 13 people a DAY move to Milton Keynes?

30.    Milton Keynes is an anagram of silent monkey?

31.    The concrete cows are not actually made of concrete. They were assembled from bits and scraps, and skinned with fibre glass reinforced cement mixture.

32.    In 1979, one of the small cows was stolen, never to be seen again?

33.    There is a Roman villa at Bancroft?

Denbeigh Stadium
The stadium goes up at Denbeigh

33.    Wimbledon nearly ended up in Dublin, before settling down in the New City and becoming the MK Dons?  Their new stadium is due to open later this year.

34.    The Dons mascots are Donnie and Mooey?

35.    The Royal Train is kept in the shed in Wolverton?

36.    Wolverton Football Ground is said to have the oldest football stand in the WORLD!?

37.    Bouadicca is rumoured to have fought her famous last battle in MK?

38.    Milton Keynes was the first place in the UK with a cable TV network?

39.    The Crownhill estate’s streets are all named after dead celebrities?

40.    With 2,800 pupils, Stantonbury Campus is one of the biggest schools in Europe?

We've spent hours (well a few minutes at least) researching these fascinating facts, and we're pretty sure they're accurate - unless of course, you know differently!

last updated: 18/01/07
 
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M Norman
My family and I have recently moved to Milton Keynes and thoroughly enjoy it there. We have found that the people seem to be friendlier. We wouldn't change it for the world. The 40 interesting facts were just that.

Marc Warne
Although Milton Keynes may have had the first Cable TV network, it's incredibly out of date now and impractical to update. Hence it's an analogue only network (to my knowledge anyway) and with few channels. Another fact is that Milton Keynes's snow slope is (or at least was) the largest real snow slope in Europe.

Barbara Hibbert
We came to M.K.in 1979 with the promise of a wonderful life.It's been that and more and gets better every year.Our children have grown up here and are happy now our grandchilren can look forward to their fantastic future. The dream that the planners had way back has come true so thankyou to them.

Martin
Well Milton Keynes may have been the first with a Cable TV network, but there are still very few channels available. When NTL took it over from BT, lots of residents expected a change. Result, the sprouting of TV Aeriels and Satellite Dishes.

Andy
London Barbican had Cable TV before MK. I understood Boudicca's last battle was at Whittlebury in Northants, to tghe northwest, not in MK.

mmm
"Milton Keynes had the first 'real' snow slope at the Snowdome?" Tamworth indoor ski centre existed before xcape

Carol
Wow , what interesting facts. I have learnt a lot about MK that I never knew, and I have lived here for 8 years... This will also be sent to my relatives in SA And Auzzie to read so we can really tell the world how Great MK IS !!

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