The old M1 jct2

[DavidNW9]

I walked a short part of the old M1 offramp in Mill Hill some years ago, and revisited it today in case there were any road signs as it was totally untouched since closure, but it's now locked up and unable to access. Does anyone know if there were any left behind, and better still any photos of them? I am guessing as it was a very early junction it may even have had some pre-1964

[Steven]

I walked a short part of the old M1 offramp in Mill Hill some years ago, and revisited it today in case there were any road signs as it was totally untouched since closure, but it's now locked up and unable to access. Does anyone know if there were any left behind, and better still any photos of them? I am guessing as it was a very early junction it may even have had some pre-1964

If you mean Junction 2, then I was that way a few years ago. There was no signage left then, just the odd barrier.

[wrinkly]

I am guessing as it was a very early junction it may even have had some pre-1964

And the M1 didn't reach J2 until 1967. It ended at J5 until 1966.

[c2R]

Do I remember correctly that the sliproad was reopened temporarily in 92 after the Staples Corner bombing?

[si404]

If you mean Junction 2, then I was that way a few years ago. There was no signage left then, just the odd barrier.

It was weird, but mostly in the lack of obviously being a former motorway - it harked more to its earlier past as a disused railway alignment rather than a motorway slip road most of the time (ie when there was the odd catseye or barrier bit or white line), IIRC (was it 2005 we did it or 2006?).

Except, of course, when you end up with just a barrier separating you from the M1 here.

[Big Nick]

I wandered along this in May 2011 with quite easy access, the huge security fence that appears on Streetview wasn't there then. There are no signs visible in my photos, just lots of overgrown trees and graffiti on the walls.

Rubbish lay everywhere but white lines, rumble strips and some catseyes had survived. Very weird to be standing on a road connected to a motorway with only a crash barrier between you and 80mph cars.

[Fahad]

In June 2013 I recall there being a few cones, but definitely no signs

[rhyds]

I'd imagine that the signs would be the first thing taken down when the junction was taken out of use

[samxool]

the streetlights are still standing (and rusting away)

[DavidNW9]

I walked a short part of the old M1 offramp in Mill Hill some years ago, and revisited it today in case there were any road signs as it was totally untouched since closure, but it's now locked up and unable to access. Does anyone know if there were any left behind, and better still any photos of them? I am guessing as it was a very early junction it may even have had some pre-1964

If you mean Junction 2, then I was that way a few years ago. There was no signage left then, just the odd barrier.

Thanks Steven, that will save me thinking I'd missed something. I walked a short way that time, and didn't see any, but being the end of the line you'd have expected an 'end of motorway' and a direction sign to the A roads and as it was left totally as it was and derelict ever since normally if nothing was touched the signs would have been left like the Marie Celeste.

I forgot the junction number detail, but was it assigned J2 specially at the time as they planned to extend it to Staples Corner, although that took many years after the original part was created? That would have been fairly presumptuous, looking at how many other motorways have never been extended, some even after work began like the dire M23. Normally adding an A after the old junction is sufficient, although the M4 at Maidenhead just removed one number entirely leaving a gap (I used to remember most exactly but life's too short...).

[DavidNW9]

I am guessing as it was a very early junction it may even have had some pre-1964

And the M1 didn't reach J2 until 1967. It ended at J5 until 1966.

I forgot that, I thought the M1 was one of the first run before 1965. If not then all the signs would be the current style so nothing there of note regardless. At least they clearly intended to build to Mill Hill in 1967, they just took a little time to finish it so opened it in two stages. Leaving what, two decades, between 2 and the new 1 though seems a bit cheeky to me.

[Bryn666]

All Anderson era motorway signs are gone now. Sadly.

[Steven]

I forgot the junction number detail, but was it assigned J2 specially at the time as they planned to extend it to Staples Corner, although that took many years after the original part was created?

Well, the M1 has actually been slowly chopped back over time. The original planned terminus was near Marble Arch at the "A" Ring, then pared back to the North Cross Route (Ringway 1). Staples Corner itself has stubs for the M1 to continue south - bizarre in itself as Ringway 1 was already dead by the time construction on that section of M1 started.

<insert obligatory joke here>
PM article
CBRD article

[Chris5156]

<insert obligatory joke here>

Sheesh, does nobody make the obligatory joke any more?

[DavidNW9]

Had Flickr kept the search the date feature I'd have added this earlier

[Patrick Harper]

Staples Corner itself has stubs for the M1 to continue south - bizarre in itself as Ringway 1 was already dead by the time construction on that section of M1 started.

They probably forgot to alter the Staples Corner plans after Ringway 1 was cancelled, so when the M1 was built, it was to the original spec.

[Fahad]

More likely it wasn't worth the expense of doing any more design work at that stage.

[c2R]

More likely it wasn't worth the expense of doing any more design work at that stage.

I think more likely is that there was an assumption that further road construction would continue southwards in some format a future stage, irrespective of the cancellation of plans at the time; so it would seem reasonable to leave provision for that to occur..

[Fahad]

Indeed or that! I just doubt that it was purely an accident that the stubs were left in

[DavidNW9]

I think I posted this before but if there's a competition for the worst roundabout stub in the world I'd offer this one in Cobham, the Sainsbury's roundabout apparently with the second car park idea being abandoned after the event.