Milton Keynes

Most people’s perception of this modern town is of a concrete jungle, but the reality of Milton Keynes could not be more different. The development corporation that was charged, in 1967, with organising the new town has provided a place of tree-lined boulevards, uncongested roads, spacious surroundings, and acres of parkland. It is of course a modern town, with new housing, high-tech industries, modern leisure facilities, and a large covered shopping centre. One of the town’s most notable buildings is Christ Church, built in the style of Christopher Wren; the first purpose-built ecumenical city church in Britain, it was opened in March 1992 by the Queen. While Milton Keynes is certainly a place of the late 20th century, it has not altogether forgotten the rural past of the villages, which are now incorporated into the suburbs of the town. Housed in a beautiful Victorian farmstead, Milton Keynes Museum is run by a large and active group of volunteers. Its displays include a large collection of industrial, domestic and agricultural bygones illustrating the lives of the people who lived in the area in the 200 years leading up to the creation of the new town. A Victorian house features a working kitchen and laundry, and among other eye-catching exhibits are a local tramcar and an impressive collection of working telephones.