Furzton Lake

You won’t find Furzton Lake on the old maps of the area – because it was built as part of the development of Milton Keynes. Our planners knew that building upon fields (in which water is absorbed into the soil) can lead to occasional flooding problems. The water runs off houses and roads and reaches streams quickly. Flash floods are more likely. Willen; Caldecotte ; Furzton and the teardrop lakes are designed to slow the rush of water into Milton Keynes’ streams and rivers.

Three streams flowed and met close to the low bridge which takes Watling Street across the valley. Loughton Brook is the main stream flowing through Tattenhoe; Emerson Valley and divides Furzton into South and North Furzton. The lake narrows but extends for some distance upstream. The Brook which rises close to the site of Snelshall Priory and flows through Shenley Brook End is the second stream. Another stream flowed through Howe Park through Emerson Valley.

The lake was built during the 1980s. It is now the home to much birdlife – and is popular with walkers; cyclists and anglers.

October 17, 2013

in Emerson Valley, Furzton, Loughton Brook, River Ouse, Uncategorized
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Loughton Brook

Loughton Brook dominates “West of Watling Street” – even though it’s main course is to the East after the low bridge by Furzton. Its tributaries have shaped the estates to the West.

The brook rises in the fields around Whaddon Road, to the south of the Buckingham Road, and just north of the village of Mursley. It enters the Borough of Milton Keynes at the Bottle Dump roundabout where Standing Way begins. Although “Emerson Valley” suggests that there might have been an alternative name for the brook, that name combined the names of two farms in the Shenley area – Emerson Farm and Valley Farm. (Anne Baker – Street Names of Milton Keynes West, 2006).

The brook flows into Furzton Lake, which was built to reduce the risk of flooding further downstream and into the Great Ouse valley. Two streams joined the brook at the bridge. A stream also flowed in from what is now Oldbrook (no prizes for guessing where the name for that estate originated).

The old Loughton village was built just above where streams flowed in from both the western and eastern slopes of the valley. Another important tributary flowed in from what is now the Abbey Hill golf course.

The brook finally joins the Great Ouse near New Bradwell.

Two of Milton Keynes’ most important historical sites lie close to the brook – Bradwell Abbey and the Roman villa at Bancroft.

October 15, 2013

The Geography of Milton Keynes

Central Milton Keynes is built on a plateau between the Loughton Brook and the River Ouzel. Both are tributaries of the Ouse which flows from West to East.

Watling Street runs alongside the Loughton Brook Valley from the point where the stream flows out of Furzton Lake. Two streams used to met near that Watling Street crossing – the most northerly is the ‘brook’ from which Shenley Brook End gets its name. Loughton Brook heads in a northerly direction, which Watling Street is aligned to the North West.

The map above show the original pattern of streams. (Click on the picture to zoom in) An Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map shows the contours and the remaining streams. The OS website is a useful one to visit. http://www.getamap.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/

Geography has played an important part in our history. The original settlements were close to streams or other sources of water. The roads; canal and railways followed either the river valleys or ran across the top of the ridge.

In future posts I will explore some of the settlements that were here, long before we arrived.

June 3, 2012