Glimpse history through old images of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.
Old Photos of Milton Keynes
Pictorial view of Milton Keynes Past to Present – Aroundabout MK on YouTube
50 Years
Plans to develop the small Buckinghamshire village of Milton Keynes into a large town covering 34sq miles (88sq km) were formally designated on 23 January 1967.
Milton Keynes: Then and Now – BBC Three Counties on YouTube
Milton Keynes In The 1960s
Silent footage recorded in 1968 shows semi-detached housing, road signs to local facilities, a large secondary school, and housing estates.
Milton Keynes (1968) – British Pathé on YouTube
Milton Keynes In The 1970s
Milton Keynes – A Village City (1973) | Britain on Film – BFI on YouTube
Clips from the 1970s & 80s
1970s, 1980s Timelapse Milton Keynes Park and Fountain – Thekinolibrary on YouTube
Milton Keynes In The 1980s
New Town, Home Town. (Milton Keynes Edit) – Nik Bull on YouTube
1980
1980s Adverts
In the 1980s, the Milton Keynes Development Corporation commissioned adverts hoping to encourage Londoners to move to Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes in 1985
Aerial footage recorded in 1985 for the Open University production ‘Goodbye Baby Jane’ shows the Midsummer Boulevard from the shopping centre down to the railway station.
Milton Keynes from the Air 1980’s – Shawer83 on YouTube
Railway Station 1985
A clip from the Open University production ‘Goodbye Baby Jane’ shows the railway station in 1985.
Milton Keynes Railway Station 1980’s – Shawer83 on YouTube
The Point in 1980s Milton Keynes
Britain’s first multiplex cinema was opened in Milton Keynes on 3rd November 1985.
It closed thirty years later, on 26th February 2015.
The first short video shows a short history of the Point. The second video shows a big event held at The Point on 28th January 1986, recorded for Film 86.
The Point held the Inner Space Premiere in aid of Children in Need in 1987.
The Point @ Milton Keynes – Inner Space Premiere for Children In Need 1987 – Steve Martin on YouTube
Superman IV (1987)
In the 1987 feature film Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, Superman prepares to make a speech outside the United Nations. However, Hollywood superstar Christopher Reeve was actually placed in front of MK’s railway station.
Superman at the United Nations? No, it’s Milton Keynes – Almost witty on YouTube
1990s View of 2020
Written and produced by Roger Kitchen in 1995, this project considered what MK might look like in the year 2020.
2020 vision for Milton Keynes – MKComFoundation on YouTube
1990’s TV Commercial
Milton Keynes 1990’s TV commercial – Mackenzie Rough on YouTube
Normski (1991)
Dance Energy’s Normski in Milton Keynes 1991 – Martin Payne on YouTube
The Empire (2001)
In 2001, an episode of Clublife was filmed at The Empire.
Clublife at The Empire Milton Keynes – One2 Watch on YouTube
Heavy Snow (2010)
November 2010 brought heavy snows not seen in England for many years. Even more suprisingly, the cold weather continued, bringing repeated days and weeks of snow over the next couple of months.
Here is footage of Milton Keynes’ snow on 18th December 2010.
Milton Keynes Heavy Snow 18th Dec 2010 – Pennylanevideo1 on YouTube
Flooding (2012)
The summer of 2012 brought unexpectedly heavy rainfall and flooding across the nation. The water even managed to get inside the central MK shopping centre on 5th August 2012.
Central Milton Keynes flash flood, 5th August 2012 – Andy Stray on YouTube
More about Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Buckinghamshire, England
- Old Images of Wolverton, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Olney, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Chesham, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Amersham, Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes: Old Photos & Film
- Old Images of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
- Old Images of Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- High Wycombe History: Old Photos & Film
- Buckinghamshire, England: Local History Resources
.
Frequently Asked Questions
What area is Milton Keynes in?
Milton Keynes is in the county of Buckinghamshire, which is part of the region called the South East England. It’s also in an area referred to as the ‘Home Counties’ which surround London.
What is Milton Keynes famous for?
Milton Keynes officially became a new town on January 23, 1967, turning it from a small Buckinghamshire village into a large, modern town. Good homes and facilities for families, businesses, transport, and the retail and leisure sectors were the planners’ aim at a time when historic buildings were distinctly out of fashion.
Milton Keynes continues to be famous for its rapid expansion during the 1970s and 1980s, along with the concrete cows created in 1978 by artist Liz Leyh and local school children.
Why is Milton Keynes called Milton Keynes?
Under Norman rule, the village of Middeltone was controlled by the de Cahaines family from 1166 to the 13th century, by which time it was known as Middelton Kaynes/Caynes. The name Milton Keynes was established by the 15th century although Milton or Middleton Gaynes continued to be used for a while. In the 1960s, this village found itself expanded into a large town of the same name, under the New Towns Act of Parliament.
Back to Buckinghamshire page
Back to Local History Videos Home page
Thanks to daniel james for use of the image of Church of Christ the Cornerstone in Milton Keynes, shown at the top of this page.
