History of Milton Keynes - Overview

Overview

Further information: New towns in the United Kingdom

On 23 January 1967 when the formal new town designation order was made, the 21,870 acres (8,850 ha), area to be developed was largely farmland and undeveloped villages. Before construction began, every area was subject to detailed archaeological investigation: doing so has exposed a rich history of human settlement since Neolithic times and has provided a unique insight into the history of a large sample of the landscape of north Buckinghamshire.

From its establishment in 1967 to its abolition in 1992, the Milton Keynes Development Corporation created by far the largest and most ambitious of the British new towns: indeed its objective was to build a new city. Many of Britain's most acclaimed building and landscape architects contributed to what was to be a show-piece of British design. Unlike previous new towns, Milton Keynes has a preponderance of privately funded development but these developments were subject to an exacting design brief in line with the design principles laid out in The Plan for Milton Keynes.