Here's the history behind some of the weird and wonderful street names in Milton Keynes

When the new city ofMilton Keyneswas being built all those decades, planners were faced with the task of dreaming up names for the plethora of new estates.

The former Milton Keynes Development Corporation knew it was important to keep a sense of history among all the modern housing areas that were swallowing up the countryside. And they wanted each estate to be a ‘mini village’, with its own character and community.

因此当地历史学家咨询和几个月were spent poring over ancient maps, showing the names of fields and farmsteads that were about to be filled with new homes and roads.

Wherever possible, the new estates were named after these historic features. It may have a been a field, a farm, some woodland, an old building , a bridge, the name of hill or even an historic happening.

One of the grimmest names was Galley Hill, chosen because the site had, up until the 17th century, housed a gallows on which local criminals were hanged.

Meanwhile Stacey Bushes was named after the common land, from the Old English ‘stumpy bushes’ that adorned the area. An existing farm, now the site of Milton Keynes Museum, had already coined the name Stacey Bushes Farm.

Giffard Park’s name dates way back to the time of William the Conquerer. The estate was named after Walter Giffard, a Norman who was a cousin of William the Conquerer and was with him at the Battle of Hastings. His son Walter was Tenant-in-Chief of Great Linford when the Domesday Book was written in1086.

Despite what some people may chose to think, Springfield was named after a patch of land called Spring Field – and not from the famous Simpsons TV show!

Once planners had selected the name of each estate, they had to dream up more names for the dozens of individual streets – and all of these had to slot in to a special theme chosen from history books to give the area a unique identity. These names range from Roman streets and railways to composers and coffee houses, but perhaps the prettiest themes were on Conniburrow (wild flowers) and Hazeley (butterflies).

For a list of street name themes, see below. Some of the newer estates are missing from official naming documents.

Ashland - English vineyards

Atterbury – Steam railways

Bancroft – Roman Britain

Bancroft Park – Roman Britain

Beanhill – Food and grasses

Blakelands – Industrial Revolution

Blue Bridge – The game of bridge

Bolbeck Park – Norman conquest

Bradville – Local history

Bradwell - Local history

Bradwell Abbey – Local history

Bradwell Common – British commons

Brinklow – Local history

Brooklands – Oceans, shipping and ocean liners

Broughton – Steam railways

Browns Wood – Composers

Caldecotte – Water Mills/Local History

Campbell Park – Named after Lord Jock Campbell, the first chairman of Milton Keynes Development Corporation

Central Milton Keynes – Ancient monuments

Coffee Hall – Coffee Houses

Conniburrow – Wild flowers

Crownhill – Music industry

Downhead Park – Cotswolds

Downs Barn – Horses

Eaglestone – Birds of prey and fields

Emerson Valley – Valleys

Fishermead – Cornish villages

Fox Milne – Gemstones

Fullers Slade – Sheep and Wool

Furzton – Moorlands

Furzton Lake – Moorlands

Giffard Park – Thames and Chilterns

Grange Farm – British painters

Great Holm – Great houses

Great Linford – Local history

Greenleys – Manorial occupations

Hazeley – Butterflies

Heelands – NW Yorkshire Highlands

Hodge Lea – Scottish clearances

Kents Hill – Areas in the weald of Kent

Kents Hill Park – Areas in the weald of Kent

Kiln Farm – Brick making

Kingsmead – Castles of England and Wales

Kingston – Kings

Knowlhill – Energy and Inventors

Leadenhall – Coffee Houses

Linford Wood – Woodlands

Loughton – Local history

Loughton Lodge – Local history

Medbourne – Scientists

Middleton – Local history

Milton Keynes Village – Local history

Monkston – Monasteries and abbeys

Monkston Park – London Underground stations

Neath Hill – Craft Guilds/Tower of London

Newton Leys – Islands of the World

尼日斐花园——庄园的土地

New Bradwel – lLocal history

Newlands – Explorers explorers of new lands

Oakgrove – Computers/Technology

Oakhill – British Battlefields

Oakridge Park – Wool and wool industry

Oldbrook – English Cricket

Old Farm Park – Composers

Old Wolverton – Local history

Oxley Park – Stars of the silver screen

Peartree Bridge – Local history

Pennyland – Coinage

Redmoor – Fens

Redhouse Park – Local history, possibly connected to Red House pub in nearby Newport Pagnell

Rooksley – Locomotives

Shenley Brook End – Local history/ Farm breeds

Shenley教堂结束- Local history

Shenley Lodge – Energy and Inventors

Shenley Wood – British Woodlands

Simpson – Local history

Snelshall East – Coastal headlands

Snelshall West – Famous authors

Springfield – Rivers of London

Stacey Bushes – Heathers and shrubs

Stantonbury Local – Local history/ Wool industry

Stantonbury Campus – Local history/ Wool industry

Stantonbury Fields – Local history/ Wool industry

Stonebridge – Stone bridges

Tattenhoe – Coastal headlands

Tattenhoe Park – Famous authors

Tinkers Bridge – Grand Union Canal

Tongwell – American stat

Two Mile Ash -Old English names and golf

Walnut Tree – Flowers and shrubs

Walton – Walton Manor

Walton Hall – Open University

Walton Park – Local history

Wavendon Gate – Local history/ Lace/ Greek Goddesses

Westcroft – Famous Gardens

Willen – Local History

Willen Park – Local History

Winterhill – British mountains

Wolverton Mill -Local history

Wolverton Mill South – Local field names

Woodhill – Local history

Woolstone – Local history/ Farming

Woughton on the Green – Local history

Woughton Park – Local history

Wymbush – Printing