Magic Roundabout

The Magic Roundabout stands in Swindon, a large town in southern England. It is a ring junction built in 1972 with five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle around a central island. The design comes from Frank Blackmore of the British Transport and Road Research Laboratory. Traffic on the inner circle moves anticlockwise, while the outer loop carries traffic clockwise. The junction sits near the County Ground, home of Swindon Town F.C. The roundabout is famous for its unusual layout and has been called one of Britain’s scariest junctions. In 2009, it was voted the fourth-scariest in the country. Despite its reputation, it handles traffic efficiently and has a strong safety record. The original name was County Islands, but it was renamed in the early 1980s after a campaign by Councillor David Glaholm. The site once covered part of the old Wilts & Berks Canal, including a stone bridge from around 1810. Visitors see a complex of small roundabouts linked by feeder roads. Drivers can choose to stay on the outer loop or take the inner paths for faster movement. A Grade II listed stone bridge from the early 19th century once crossed the canal nearby. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust hopes to restore part of the canal through the town centre in future plans. The roundabout remains a well-known landmark, often featured in local calendars and motoring surveys.