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Helvellyn wrote:The Cock Pitt roundabout in Derby.
It would have been Cockpit (spellings vary) Island before it was flattened into traffic lights due to the Riverside development. THe dialiect round here is to call roundabouts 'islands', although most people use both interchangably. Leading off of it is St Alkmund's Way, built over the site of St Alkmund's church.
There's also the A38/A6 junction, which is sometimes called Palm Court Island after the hotel that used to be there. It's now housing. Five Lamps doesn't count as the council put a replica of the five lamps up when they remodelled the junction.
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Mark, Derby, UK.
Doing sums for a living since 2009...
Just to add another A406 junction (the list of junctions named after features that still exist is probably shorter for the NCR) the waterworks at Waterworks Corner are no more...
And what is the Clockhouse (A105) Interchange named after? I have no idea, despite living withing yards of the A105 for my entire life.
The last incarnation of The Angel, Edmonton, went to make room for the NCR, too, despite the NCR being named Angel Road at this point. The next junction east is Cook's Ferry - I used to go to gigs and discos at the Cook's Ferry Inn, but (you guessed it) that's gone, too. I guess the eponymous Ferry was over the Lea, and vanished a century or too ago...
(Incidentally, there is also a Stewpony Lock on the Staffs and Worcs canal at Stewpony)
Andyf wrote:Its not shown on any of the proper road signs is it, either roadside or on a gantry?
I'm confused... I don't want to make a big deal of it but what do you mean by a "proper" road sign? The photo I posted above is a "proper" sign... see Schedule 7 Part I Diagram 2013 (and several others) in the TSRGD: "...junction whose name is indicated at the top of the sign."
Sorry, I had not seen the picture when i posted my last message. Of course that is a proper road sign and I must have seen it dozens of times, and not noticed the junction name. Apologies.
steveway wrote:
And what is the Clockhouse (A105) Interchange named after? I have no idea, despite living withing yards of the A105 for my entire life.
I think the Clock House refers to the building on the corner with the clock on it... the one with the ClockHouse Cafe in.
More logically is that the A105 once led past Forty Hall which has a Clock House opposite the entrance.
steveway wrote:
And what is the Clockhouse (A105) Interchange named after? I have no idea, despite living withing yards of the A105 for my entire life.
I think the Clock House refers to the building on the corner with the clock on it... the one with the ClockHouse Cafe in.
More logically is that the A105 once led past Forty Hall which has a Clock House opposite the entrance.
I lived within feet of that particular Clockhouse... I've always known the A406/A105 interchange as the Cock (with it's sign Cock Music Nightly) - I knew about the clock, hadn't spotted the Clockhouse Cafe...
The roundabout at the end of the Dorchester By-pass, on the A35, is still known as the Monkey Jump – possibly by not all that many people now, and no idea if official – although many years ago the Monkey Jump Café was turned into the McDonalds which is there today.
Having said that, the café may have been named after the junction, as I've no idea which was there first.
TS wrote:The roundabout at the end of the Dorchester By-pass, on the A35, is still known as the Monkey Jump – possibly by not all that many people now, and no idea if official – although many years ago the Monkey Jump Café was turned into the McDonalds which is there today.
Having said that, the café may have been named after the junction, as I've no idea which was there first.
I think the junction came before the cafe. As far as I am aware anyway. I an sure it was just a farmhouse before the roundabout was built in the late 1980's. So perhaps it comes from the junction/area prior to the building of the bypass? Or perhaps the farm/house that was there previously. Lost in the mists of time no doubt. Seems an odd name for the location in any event.
Danno B10M wrote:I'm surprised that Indian Queens has yet to be mentioned. Because the that was a pub that's long gone, right?
Rightish! The pub gave its name to the village but has been gone since the sixties. I believe the original pub sign is in the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro. But the village still exists so it's not necessarily named after a defunct landmark.
wrinkly wrote:What is the Testos junction (A19/A184) named after?
Is whatever it's named after still there?
Should it be Testo's with an apostrophe?
Is it pronounced like Tesco's but with a different consonant?
This is a bit old isn't it? Anyway I emailed the BBC about this and got the following:
"Hi John
The programme went out last year.
But to put you out of your misery….
Testo was the name of a travelling family that had rides/shows that would be seen at fairs like the Town Moor Hoppings. One of the family eventually settled down and owned a garage. It was close to where Testo’s roundabout is today and it seems that the crossing as it would have been known then was naturally enough named after the local landmark – the garage – hence Testo’s roundabout.
wrinkly wrote:What is the Testos junction (A19/A184) named after?
Is whatever it's named after still there?
Should it be Testo's with an apostrophe?
Is it pronounced like Tesco's but with a different consonant?
This is a bit old isn't it? Anyway I emailed the BBC about this and got the following:
"Hi John
The programme went out last year.
But to put you out of your misery….
Testo was the name of a travelling family that had rides/shows that would be seen at fairs like the Town Moor Hoppings. One of the family eventually settled down and owned a garage. It was close to where Testo’s roundabout is today and it seems that the crossing as it would have been known then was naturally enough named after the local landmark – the garage – hence Testo’s roundabout.
Best Wishes
Chris Jackson
Senior Producer
BBC TV Newcastle"
Thanks for the info but how do the BBC come into it? What programme is he referring to?
One more for the list: Caxton Gibbet (A1198/A428 roundabout). The gibbet has been gone 200 years, but there was a pub there with the same name until relatively recently (about 2000 I think).
Crewe Toll in Edinburgh. Double points; it seems to have been named after a local farm or estate (possibly originally 'Crow') on the site, dating back to at least the 17th century. The farm is long gone, as is the tollhouse which gives it the second part of its name. See also any junction or roundabout with 'Toll' as part of its name.
I'm surprised my learned friend from Fareham hasn't included the wonderful J&J Roundabout.
Named after the Johnson & Johnson building (that doesn't exist any more) at the roundabout (that doesn't exist any more) for the M275/A27/A3
Ambosc79 wrote:Always remember the old lady I picked up when I used to drive taxis- "Now go down so-and-so, and turn by the old school, my house is just behind it"
Me: "I know that road, but there's never been a school there?"
"Yes there has dear, you'll know it when you see it"
Get to the road. "There, that school" (now a house). Me: "When was that a school"?
She says earnestly "Oh, BEFORE THE WAR, don't you remember"
"About 40 years before I was born, love. That's £4.80" You had to love the old dears....
It reminds me of the link I posted a few weeks ago of London street names which were changed by the LCC.
Even years later people were still using the old names when reporting fires in the blitz.
wrinkly wrote:What is the Testos junction (A19/A184) named after?
Is whatever it's named after still there?
Should it be Testo's with an apostrophe?
Is it pronounced like Tesco's but with a different consonant?
This is a bit old isn't it? Anyway I emailed the BBC about this and got the following:
"Hi John
The programme went out last year.
But to put you out of your misery….
Testo was the name of a travelling family that had rides/shows that would be seen at fairs like the Town Moor Hoppings. One of the family eventually settled down and owned a garage. It was close to where Testo’s roundabout is today and it seems that the crossing as it would have been known then was naturally enough named after the local landmark – the garage – hence Testo’s roundabout.
Best Wishes
Chris Jackson
Senior Producer
BBC TV Newcastle"
Thanks for the info but how do the BBC come into it? What programme is he referring to?
I came across an interview with Chris Jackson on the Living North website, about his new series of the Northeast and Cumbria edition of Inside Out. One of the planned items was on this very topic. Of course I'd missed it...