Central Milton Keynes
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Central Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, England and a civil parish in its own right.
The district is approximately 2.5km long by 1km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes. Historically, the it was also the site of Secklow Hundred, the moot hill of the Anglo-Saxon settlers in the area. It contains the central retail, business, law enforcement and governmental districts and Milton Keynes Central railway station.
(Campbell Park, stretching from Marlborough Street down to the Grand Union Canal, is sometimes included in mental maps of the centre, though in fact it is part of a separate civil parish).
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[edit] Topology
The area lies between Portway (H5, A509) to the north, the West Coast Main Line and A5 to the west, Childs Way (H6) to the south and Marlborough Street (V8, B4034) to the east. It is crossed from north to south by (in west to east order, major roads only) Grafton Gate (V6), Witan Gate, Saxon Gate (V7) and Secklow Gate. It is crossed from west to east (in north to south order, major roads only) by Silbury Boulevard, Avebury Boulevard and Midsummer Boulevard. Avebury is the primary spine.
[edit] East of Saxon Gate: the main retail/service/entertainment district
This area is almost the highest[1] point of Milton Keynes and has the site of the Anglo-Saxon Secklow Hundred[1] moot mound (meeting place) just behind the library.
The area is defined by Marlborough Street (V8, B4034) to the north-east, the Saxon Gate (Saxon Street, V7) to the south-west, Portway (H5, A509) to the north-west and Childs Way (H6) to the south-east. The core retail district is further delimited by Silbury and Avebury Boulevards, with civic and office developments outside the Boulevards.
The retail district includes thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place (the covered high streets that are the Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre). The Library, Milton Keynes Borough Council offices and commercial offices are on the north side of the shops; the theatre, art gallery, cinemas, Xscape snowdome, pubs, sports shops and other leisure facilities are on the south side.
[edit] Xscape
Xscape is the main leisure complex in Central Milton Keynes, consisting of a real snow indoor ski slope, climbing wall and a multiscreen cinema, and a number of shops and restaurants.
[edit] Milton Keynes Theatre and Gallery
The 1,400 seat Milton Keynes theatre/concert hall lays claim to the title "Britain's most popular theatre" because of its high booking rate. 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.
Apart from the building itself (exterior surface by Michael Craig-Martin), the municipal (art) gallery (next to the main theatre) does not have a permanent collection. This allows it to host edgy shows to critical acclaim[2].
7==West of Saxon Gate, east of Grafton Gate: the main business district== This area is also delimited by Portway and Childs Way. Saxon Gate separates it from the north-east area and Grafton Gate (Grafton Street, V7) marks its south-western edge. The domed Church of Christ the Cornerstone, law courts and police station are in the business district, which has a number of notable buildings including CBX, The Hub:MK and the remarkable purpose-built Indian restaurant beside the small linear park that provides its core. The restaurant claims to be the largest purpose built Indian restaurant in Europe.
[edit] Ecumenical Church of Christ the Cornerstone
This ecumenical church, the first such in the United Kingdom, is shared by the major Christian denominations to serve the office workers and the small resident population. (There are many denominational places of worship throughout the city at large).
[edit] The Hub:MK
The Hub:MK is a 13 storey development nearing completion. The complex includes a Jury's Inn hotel and a number of residential and office towers. The site controversially involves the closure of a pedestrian underpass and is built right up to the edge of the adjacent boulevard, the first of several proposals that will change the unique character of the original design for Central Milton Keynes. The work is part of the 'densification' plan which central government through its agency English Partnerships has ordained for Milton Keynes. Its height, also a major departure from the original low-rise design, makes it the third tallest building in Milton Keynes, beaten only by the 14 storey Xscape and the 17 storey Mellish Court in Bletchley. The complex is visible from the western boundary of the city. The first part of the development was completed in August 2006 with the opening of the Jury's Inn and followed in September by the opening of a new Ramada Encore hotel.
[edit] West of Grafton Gate: the station district
This district is defined by Saxon Gate (Saxon Street, V7) to the north-east, the West Coast Main Line (and the adjacent A5) to the south-west, Portway (H5, A509) to the north-west and Childs Way (H6) to the south-east. The core retail district is further delimited by Silbury and Avebury Boulevards, with civic and office developments outside the Boulevards.
The main feature of the district is the Milton Keynes Central railway station (an inter-city stop on the West Coast Main Line), one of the five[3] stations serving Milton Keynes. Coach services also operate from here, including the Stagecoach X5 service that replaces the Varsity Line, which links Milton Keynes with Oxford in the west (for connections to the west and Wales) and Cambridge in the east. The station building houses commercial office lets and the Station Square development includes further office lets and retail outlets.
The central bus station is located opposite the station. This is used primarily by local services run by Arriva as MK Metro, although most services additionally call at the railway station. The upstairs level of the bus station accommodates a nightclub. There is a covered "urban" skate-boarding space, SK8MK, beside the bus station.
The (former) National Hockey Stadium is to the north of the station, surrounded by a number of important retail units. To its south there is another leisure and retail area, notably the Planet Ice Arena (home of Milton Keynes Lightning) and another ten-pin bowling alley.
[edit] Civil parish
Central Milton Keynes is a civil parish, bordering (clockwise from north) Great Linford, Campbell Park, Loughton, and Bradwell. The parish was created in 2001, and had a population of 1,272 according to the 2001 census[4].
[edit] Trivia
Locations around Central Milton Keynes were used for the movie Superman IV, where it played the part of the United Nations building. Recognisable locations include Milton Keynes Central, CBX and the Argos building.[5]
[edit] See also
- Milton Keynes for a more general description of the amenities of the wider area.
- Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre
- Milton Keynes Central railway station
- Milton Keynes Village
[edit] References
- ^ Oakhill, at the western border with Aylesbury Vale, is slightly higher.
- ^ Guardian Unlimited | Search |"Milton keynes gallery"
- ^ Bletchley, Bow Brickhill, Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes Central, and Wolverton
- ^ http://www.mkweb.co.uk/statistics/documents/Profiles%5FA%2DL%281%29%2Epdf 1.6MB PDF Parishes A-L
- ^ Filming Locations for Superman IV
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