please empty your brain below
"Also between 1965 and 1995 the triple point involved Bucks rather than Berks because Slough "

After 1974, rather, as Slough was firmly in Bucks until then. At least I presume that applies to this point: in any case the Thames formed most of Berkshire's northern borders until it was greatly reduced in size in '74

Ackshley | 03.10.23 - 7:24 a.m. | #

Excellent research, as ever. But please add one to your M25 junction numbers up in the Lea Valley: J25 for the A10, and J26 for Epping Forest.

dg writes: added, thanks.

Phil SW11 | 03.10.23 - 8:07 a.m. | #

Unusually for this kind of post, I've actually been to one of these - but didn't realise it until now.

martin | 03.10.23 - 8:23 a.m. | #

I have for some time realised Berkshire is rather a "thin" county, but this map really brings it home! My mental map of the London area has certainly been re-drawn today.

cau1khead | 03.10.23 - 9:43 a.m. | #

By coincidence I passed within about 300m of the London/Essex/Kent triple point on Sunday. I was on a boat trip down the Thames from Tower Bridge to Southend.

David @DTL | Homepage | 03.10.23 - 9:43 a.m. | #

By coincidence, I have inadvertantly been at or as close as you got, to 5 of these on bike rides or walks!
Only the southern one missed.

MikeK | 03.10.23 - 9:52 a.m. | #

What have the Romans done for us? Well, that straight boundary-line down from Surry/Kent and into Bromley. You must have referenced that somewhere in the past.

Local Lad | 03.10.23 - 10:34 a.m. | #

Thanks to the M25, I've driven through four of them without realising, but not the one in the Thames and the HS2 one. The Kent/Surrey one was literally by accident - driven through that point by a kind stranger en route to Orpington Hospital to attend to an ankle broken on the North Downs Way

Timbo | 03.10.23 - 10:44 a.m. | #

The M25 was quite inconsistent in its ability to shift boundaries, often because shire county residents couldn't bear to be described as living in London, objected strongly and had the influence to get what they wanted. They now generally enjoy poorer services for higher council tax than if they'd accepted the move.

Andrew S | 03.10.23 - 11:33 a.m. | #

Interesting stuff. I had no idea I lived close to half of the 6 points!

Thanks to the river's direction stopping at the London boundary it makes Surrey appear to extend north of the river! Most disconcerting!
I had to check that yes, the river bends upwards at that point!

Cornish Cockney | 03.10.23 - 2:08 p.m. | #

The minor adjustment of the Enfield/Herts boundary to run along the M25 made sense, but I can understand why this wasn't done elsewhere where the land transfer would have been much larger.

Mikey C | 03.10.23 - 2:33 p.m. | #

Cornish Cockney - since 1965 part of Surrey has indeed been north of the Thames. That's why the London/ Surrey / Berks triple is at M25 Junction 14 and not at Runnymede

Timbo | 03.10.23 - 2:44 p.m. | #

I remember a treasure hunt my dad and sister did in the 60's: the clue was "Herts met Bucks". Nothing else... I'm not sure how/whether they worked it out, but the answer was on the station notice board of the Chorleywood Metropolitain line station, 200m from the Herts/Bucks border!!!

Nick K | 03.10.23 - 4:40 p.m. | #

I do love a border stone. Great stuff.

Jack31439 | 04.10.23 - 6:35 p.m. | #











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