The Ultimate Guide to Milton Keynes

Are you staying in one of our serviced apartments sometime soon? Here’s everything you need to know about your stay in Milton Keynes.

 Known today as the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes was founded on the 23rd of January 1967 and was officially named a city last month! With a population of around 230,000, the city is well known for its urban design with grid roads and square blocks.

But it’s not all concrete cows and roundabouts!

What’s to love about Milton Keynes?

In MK, you’ll find a plethora of parks, lakes, and greenery, from Campbell Park and Linford Wood to the Cathedral of Trees and Ouzel Valley Park. For a nice summer’s day activity, The Parks Trust has a list of self-guided walks to take in the area.

Looking for more than just a wander? At Willen Lake, you can try your hand at a variety of watersports or Ariel extreme. And if you’re visiting during summer with kids, the yearly fun fair is a firm favourite for family days out!

Up for a challenge? Hikers will love the 25 Mile Challenge – a 25-mile route through the parkland of Milton Keynes, spanning across the Tattenhoe Valley, Furzton Lake, Loughton Valley, Lodge Lake, the North Loughton Valley, Linford Lakes Nature Reserve and more.

On rainy days, you can learn to fly, snowboard, or both at local recreation centre, Xscape, which boasts an indoor snow slope and indoor skydiving, as well as a cinema, rock climbing wall, escape room, Aspers casino, and multiple restaurants! If shopping is more your thing, just a short walk across from Xscape is the Centre:MK – boasting over 190 stores!

Alternatively, head to the theatre district for theatre shows and the art gallery, or to The Hub for even more restaurants and bars.

Milton Keynes is also home to many independent businesses, including shops and restaurants, – you’ll never be short of things to do here!

What’s the best way to explore Milton Keynes?

 MK is home to three train stations and various bus routes, with links to London and easy access to the M1 and A5. There are also around 170 miles of cycle routes, with the opportunity to rent electric scooters. But if roads and railways aren’t your thing, the Grand Union Canal runs through the city and stretches to Northamptonshire, offering picturesque waterside walks and boat trips available in some areas.

 Looking to travel a bit further afield during your stay? Here are just some of the easily-accessible surrounding areas:

 Central London:

1 hour by car

31 minutes by fast train (Milton Keynes Central – London Euston)

Northampton

30 minutes by car

20 minutes by train (Bletchley – Northampton)

Bedford

30 minutes by car

45 minutes by train (Bletchley – Bedford)

Oxford

1 hour by car

1 hr 25 mins by coach

Fun facts about Milton Keynes

  •  MK is well known for its concrete cow statues – an iconic sculpture created by artist Liz Leyh in 1978. They now reside at Milton Keynes Museum, although you can spot replicas in Bancroft!
  • There are over 20,000 parking spaces in Central Milton Keynes.
  • It was home to the significant Homeworld ’81, an expo showcasing innovative and cost-efficient housing. You can still see many of the quirky houses in Bradwell Common today.
  • Willen Lake has its own mystery: Goat Island. In the middle of the lake, there is an island that was once home to six goats – introduced there to help with vegetation. In 2007, three of them disappeared! Whether the remaining three still reside there is unknown.
  • There are 130 roundabouts in the city – a number that continues to grow!
  • Milton Keynes was the first area where Starship Robots were officially launched – a service that offers food & grocery delivery in mini, driverless robots!