please empty your brain below
There was a DFS advert on Carlton/LWT when I was a teenager which ended with the overagitated spokespeople shouting the locations of their stores. "Shannon Corner New Malden" was the last one, and for some reason, it's lodged in my head forever. It's good to discover, after all these years, that Shannon Corner New Malden is... a big roundabout.

Scott | Homepage | 11.02.21 - 7:32 a.m. | #

here, as requested, kittens for nerds!

Has the Cherry Blossom roundabout had its name changed. It's used to be great landmark on our way to granny, the start of the M4 and the real journey.

oapski | 11.02.21 - 7:35 a.m. | #

You might find a few more by scouring the inner ring road - Vauxhall Cross and Caledonian Market (A201/B202) spring to mind. Also St George's Circus at the south end of Blackfriars Bridge Road, and Parliament Square.

Ted | 11.02.21 - 7:43 a.m. | #

I've always known the Hook roundabout on the A3 as the Ace of Spades

H SE18 | 11.02.21 - 7:57 a.m. | #

Yorkshire Grey junction isn't the A205/A2, as its absence from the A2's list hints. It's the A205/A210 junction fractionally south of that, named for a former pub which perhaps inevitably is now a McDonald's.

The A205/A2 junction is a charmless and hopelessly inadequate affair which is quite unworthy of a name of its own.

Klepsie | 11.02.21 - 8:03 a.m. | #

A couple of names haven't been adopted or fallen out of use.

» North Circular/A1000 was Fallow(s) Corner (area name).
» Neasden tends to be referred to as Iron Bridge - although this refers to the one over the railway.
» A11/A13 was Gardiners Corner (long gone department store, also it morphed into the Aldgate one way system).
» A12/A13 was (also) Iron Bridge (Iron Bridge Tavern of Queenie Watts fame, survived until fairly recently as a hostel).
» Barnes/Red Rover - the pub was renamed Red Rover in 1972, so was the pub renamed to match the location, or did the junction adopt the pub name.

Still Anon | 11.02.21 - 8:09 a.m. | #

Chalkers Corner was named after a monumental mason who, until a few years ago, occupied the corner premises in the row of shops opposite the crematorium - a good location for such a business. Now that’s a vet’s premises, and in time the memory of the name’s meaning will fade, like a bus stop named after a now-closed pub - e.g the Three Pigeons stop in Richmond, which was eventually renamed Robins Court after a residential development.

David | 11.02.21 - 8:09 a.m. | #

Great.

When does a gyratory (e.g. Tulse Hill) become a Gyratory (e.g. Catford).
Why does Brixton not qualify on the A23, whereas Streatham does?

Bryn Davies | 11.02.21 - 8:10 a.m. | #

Another error in the A4 list - Henlys Corner is the A30, not the A40.

It seems perverse to give junctions distinctive names to aid navigation and traffic reports, and then duplicate some of them. There are two Apex Corners (A1/A41 and A316/A312), two Henlys (A4/A30 and A1/A406), and two Crooked Billets (A30/A308, withinthe M25 but just outside Greater London so not on your list, and A406/A112)

An oddity is the London Road junction on the A316 in Twickenham, as London Road itself (the A310) ceased to be the main road to London as soon as the A316 was built in 1933.

timbo | 11.02.21 - 8:19 a.m. | #

'The Roundabout' was the name of Charlie Brown's pub, demolished in 1972/73 to make way for what became the gyratory system known as Charlie Brown's Roundabout. So we've gone full circle here, with the roundabout taking its name from 'The Roundabout'. The pub sign was a wooden model of a fairground carousel atop a tall pole.

Alan S | 11.02.21 - 8:21 a.m. | #

I'll attempt an update this afternoon.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 11.02.21 - 8:38 a.m. | #

Ace of Spades is indeed the name of the roundabout on the A3 at Hook, you’re also missing the Toby Jug, which is the next one east (towards London). Named after a pub where David Bowie played his first gig as Ziggy Stardust.

Matt Smith | 11.02.21 - 8:42 a.m. | #

I looked, in vain, for my favourite, the Scilly Isles on the A309, formerly the A3 in Surrey.

dg writes: not in London.

Petras409 | 11.02.21 - 8:51 a.m. | #

Nice to see Gallows Corner get a mention. Not far away in Romford is (was?) Roneo corner, named after a big supplier of office equipment.

And, you know, 'If you ever 'ave to go to Shoeburyness...' :-)

mark addy | 11.02.21 - 8:52 a.m. | #

When I read the names in the first list it gave me the sort of pleasure as I get when listening to the shipping forecast. Familiar names, or maybe, yes, the poetry.
Charlie Browns has an even deeper history as you probably know and likely already blogged. It was once where the trolley buses circled at Limehouse. He moved it to the present location of that N Circular roundabout.
Many thanks for such varied blogs, including yesterday’s thinkyblog.

Herbof | 11.02.21 - 8:56 a.m. | #

The A3/A2043 junction is signed as Malden Junction - I’ve never heard it called Malden Corner.

Paul | 11.02.21 - 8:58 a.m. | #

Ah Herbof, you best me to it with your shipping forecast comment, and much more eloquently than I could.

One suggestion...SABRE suggests that it is the Woodford Interchange which connects to the M11, while Charlie Brown's only links to the A roads underneath.

Michael T | 11.02.21 - 9:02 a.m. | #

Ace Cafe, A406 N Circular. Apparently a legendary “ton up” location in the 50s, according to my dad, although why they got so excited about 100km/h I can’t see...

Adam D | 11.02.21 - 9:04 a.m. | #

Interesting to recall just how many of these junctions once had an adjacent pub, from when combining driving and drinking was still a common thing. I guess many of these junction pubs may originally have been hotels too, like the long-gone 'The Cambridge' (A10/A406) which I recall as an attractive bright white building, with a green tiled roof.

Frank F | 11.02.21 - 9:12 a.m. | #

The only significant triple-digit junction I can think of around these parts is Rose Hill. Which has always bugged me, as it's clearly named after one of the six roads feeding into it (Rose Hill) but there are quite a number of places around there named "Rosehill" instead. Even the hospital at St.Helier calls the area Rosehill.

Chz | 11.02.21 - 9:13 a.m. | #

My morning tuppence worth ... I grew-up on the stretch of the North Circ' between A105 and A109, and back then (late 70s/early 80s) it was always 'meet you at the Cock' (no sniggering please) as the pub was called the Cock Tavern - but by time I was interested in drinking it was 'Manhattans' - though the main interest was the 24 hour snooker hall behind there. I had never heard the term 'Clockhouse Junction' until this morning!

PJS | 11.02.21 - 9:22 a.m. | #

Adam D - 100mph was quite something in the 50s

oapski | 11.02.21 - 9:29 a.m. | #

Minor, I know - but the A41 entry has two arrows between Fiveways Corner and Apex Corner.

dg writes: deliberate

Rob Healy | Homepage | 11.02.21 - 9:49 a.m. | #

It always pleased me that there was a branch of Staples (the office stationery shop) at Staples Corner, and that some people might have thought the junction was named after the shop!

Sadly that chain is no more.

Mikey C | 11.02.21 - 9:52 a.m. | #

A subject that fascinates me is how names live on when the original thing has gone. Crystal Palace is a particularly dramatic example as it superseded a quite satisfactory existing name (Sydenham Hill) but the new name stuck even though the Crystal Palace is now gone.

It is a pity you restricted yourself to London and not just inside the M25. I love the fact that Wapses Lodge roundabout (official name) was named after an insignificant building - now gone - and it is almost universally referred to nowadays as the Ann Summers roundabout. Ironically it was named after the factory there is also gone though there is still a small factory outlet at the location.

The Fantail was well known because of the restaurant of that name there (now renamed) but is arguably still valid because the road layout could be said to look like a fantail.

In your last line you refer to Keston Mark named after a closed pub. As far as I can tell this is a name that refers to nothing that is current so, like other examples, the junction name merely tautologically refers to the junction.

Pedantic of Purley | 11.02.21 - 10:24 a.m. | #

Can you do an article on Named Flyovers? I was always fascinated by the Canning Town flyover I heard on the radio which always seemed to be blocked in the morning and I was excited to go over it once!
I live near the Coombe Lane Flyover over the A3

Cornish Monkey | 11.02.21 - 10:25 a.m. | #

Names can be so enjoyable as today's post shows. I like the idea of reading it as poetry. Old signal boxes are another fruitful field.

Alan | 11.02.21 - 10:38 a.m. | #

Is this some sort of official scheme ?

I've noticed around the country over the last couple of years or so that whenever a sign at a junction between A-class roads is replaced, the new sign almost invariably has a junction name regardless of whether a common local name had been used in the past or not.

Alex M. | 11.02.21 - 10:44 a.m. | #

As Klepsie mentions, the Yorkshire Grey was a pub.
On the A20, Cliftons was a petrol station, and Crittalls was a windows factory.
I'm also pretty sure the Fantail on the A21 was also a pub, now a restaurant called Chapter One... though I can't say I have any recollection of it having a roundabout. Hewitts, on the same road, is a farm.

RogerW | 11.02.21 - 11:09 a.m. | #

The Fantail was an upmarket restaurant rather than a pub. I remember being taken there in the 1970s by a boyfriend who wanted to impress me. Definitely no roundabout there but it's a fairly major road junction. Happy memories of fruit picking at Hewitts Farm to earn pocket money in the summer holidays. The farm is still known for pick-your-own and a small farm shop near the roundabout.

WendyF | 11.02.21 - 11:47 a.m. | #

Camden Town - junction of A400/A503 has a name, but I can't remember it! Visible on direction signs northbound on Camden High Street and the Parkway approach to the same point.

But - three figure numbers so don't qualify. Same for Kenninghall Roundabout (two of those - 'mine' is in Clapton).

Ta for a fascinating new diversion!

Joel | 11.02.21 - 12:07 p.m. | #

Joel - it's Britannia Junction. A name no one who lives there, works there or passes through there has ever used.

Graham | 11.02.21 - 1:09 p.m. | #

Not that universally PoP. I’ve also seen it as Wapses Lodge on a 407 bus blind. But outside London so off topic.

There’s Leabon’s Corner in Dalston/Hackney. Corner of Dalston Lane and Graham Road. Named after a long gone coal merchant.

ROBERT Butlin | 11.02.21 - 1:31 p.m. | #

Many memories of the jams at the old junctions along the North Circular. The Crooked Billet was a nightmare before the pub was replaced by the roundabout and the underpass. Same for Waterworks Corner and for Charlie Brown's.

But different memories of Cooks Ferry before it was demolished and the junction was changed. The original pub had a club in the basement, with great bands in the 60s & 70s.

thanks for a good read as always

g.chingford | 11.02.21 - 1:40 p.m. | #

Of those, the one that strikes fear into my heart is Clifton’s Roundabout. That was on my driving test route and I must have done it 100 times, and it never got less terrifying...

Chris D | 11.02.21 - 2:44 p.m. | #

The original roundabout at Charlie Brown's Roundabout pre-dates 'The Roundabout' pub, having been constructed by the Ministry of Transport in 1935. 'The Roundabout' pub and Charlie Brown came to the location in 1937/38.

Alan S | 11.02.21 - 2:46 p.m. | #

It's all bringing back memories of Capital's "Flying Eye" and "Bob at the Yard on GLR". He always went on about the "Southern roundabout" at Shepherds but I see from Sabre that's only a local name.

I've never heard Scotch Corner at Knightsbridge called Scotch House. I always thought that was the name of the shop on the corner.

In the late 1960's I used to change buses at Barnes Common Red Rover. The Railway Hotel name went long before then. There are 1950's bus timetables saying Red Rover.

ap | 11.02.21 - 3:11 p.m. | #

The A40 list incorrectly includes Ealing Common which is now part of the A4020 (as correctly noted under the North Circular) . Western Avenue took the A40 number many years ago to take traffic away from the historic Uxbridge Road through Acton and Ealing.

James C | 11.02.21 - 3:17 p.m. | #

Added: Roneo Corner, Britannia Junction, Vauxhall Cross, Old Street
Amended: Yorkshire Grey, Henlys Roundabout, Malden Junction, Woodford
Removed: Ealing Common

Thanks!

n.b. Yes, the Cherry Blossom roundabout had its name changed (to the Hogarth Roundabout).

n.b. Signs at the Ace of Spades roundabout use the official name - Hook Junction.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 11.02.21 - 3:38 p.m. | #

I know it’s outside the M25, but one roundabout name that has always intrigued me, is the Four Wantz. Its in Ongar in Essex on the A414 very close to Ongar Station.

IanD | 11.02.21 - 4:17 p.m. | #

Four Wantz - also one in Dagenham, but there is a Wantz stream nearby.

Meanwhile, from bus timetables...
May 1953 its Barnes, Railway Hotel
April 1958 its Barnes Common, Red Rover

Still Anon | 11.02.21 - 5:10 p.m. | #

Outside London (by quite some distance) but a regular on the traffic news, hated by all trying to get away North for the weekend and the queue often feels like it goes all the way back to the Capital ... The Black Cat Roundabout.

Putters | 11.02.21 - 5:11 p.m. | #

Another thing I find interesting as well as confusing is the common practice of road name changes. For example: You are heading east, travelling along New Oxford Street (A40). As one travels along the roads designation changes to Theobalds Road (A401). Proceed along a while without any change of direction, and you'll find yourself on Clerkenwell Road (A5201). A little bit up the road, it changes to Old Street (still A5201).
Confusing, at least to me.

dg writes: It's four different roads, built at four different times.

Scott Denny | 11.02.21 - 7:52 p.m. | #

Shame that the Funny Roundabout, aka the Magic Roundabout does not qualify for inclusion on the list because it is in Hertfordshire.

strawbrick | 11.02.21 - 8:28 p.m. | #

At Henlys Corner, my boss told me its the Naked Lady - and there is a statue of a Naked Lady there!

John O'Sullivan | 11.02.21 - 9:07 p.m. | #

This needs a little map diagram

Wolf | 11.02.21 - 11:01 p.m. | #

I used to drink at The Yorkshire Grey many years ago

Rachel | 12.02.21 - 8:28 a.m. | #

John - the Naked Lady at Henlys Cornet
The official name is La Deliverance and is a naked woman holding a sword in her right hand with her arms raised . She is standing on a globe and the statue commemorates the defeat of the Germans in WWI. It is a copy of the original in Paris and the sculptor was Emile Guillame. Lord Rothermere presented the statue to Finchley Council and chose this location so that he could see it when he travelled to Totteridge to visit his mother!

Sara | 12.02.21 - 8:43 a.m. | #

Clifton’s Roundabout is known as the "killer roundabout" in our household, although we've survived every time so far :O

CG | 12.02.21 - 8:49 a.m. | #

Slightly unhelpful I know but I'm sure someone has posted an underground map style map of these major roads with the junctions as stations within the last couple of years - not you I guess! Unfortunately I have failed to find it by searching

John Styles | 12.02.21 - 9:21 a.m. | #

The Hook Junction on the A3 used to be signposted as the Ace of Spades, but the signs have been replaced since the pub changed its name and then closed.

Peter | 12.02.21 - 2:10 p.m. | #

Tally ho! corner deserves a mention

dg writes: added, thanks.

Herned | 13.02.21 - 12:46 a.m. | #

what about Marget's Corner on Dalston Lane?

the other eric | 13.02.21 - 9:47 a.m. | #

Late to the party, but (confirming with a decrepit 1977 bus map) what is now Clockhouse Junction on the North Circular used to be named The Cock after the pub (now a supermarket).

Bob L-S | 13.02.21 - 11:53 a.m. | #

'Margets Corner' at Dalston Lane / Wayland Avenue is "Margetts Corner": behind those houses was Margetts jam factory. My junior school, Sigdon Road is beside the site of the factory - we had the smell of jam in bulk round the clock. This was never a roundabout; the houses in front of which the metal blue lettering stands may have been the factory owners' properties.

'Leabons Corner' (Dalston Lane / Graham Road / Queensbridge Road) has no 'a' in it and was never a roundabout either.

Joel | 14.02.21 - 4:57 p.m. | #











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