Black Cat Roundabout
Encyclopedia
Black Cat Roundabout is the name of the roundabout on the junction between the A1 and A421
(formerly A428
) Bedford
road just south of St Neots
. It was reconstructed in 2005-6 as part of the Great Barford
bypass works to allow access to the new dual carriageway bypass.
It takes its name from the garage and car repair workshop which opened in the 1920s at the junction called the Black Cat Garage. In later years the garage was converted to a nightclub and then a restaurant, before becoming derelict for many years. In the 1980s, the current large covered petrol station was opened on the site.
A metal black cat sign was installed on the roundabout in January 2004, taking its shape from the cat on the original garage clock tower. During construction of the Great Barford
bypass the black cat was temporarily relocated to the construction site office, before being returned to the roundabout upon completion in 2006. However, this sign has been stolen as of the summer of 2007. On 12 August 2008, it was announced that a replacement Black Cat had been installed on the roundabout.
In April 2009, the original sign was returned (albeit to a different location), accompanied by a note saying it had been found in a ditch.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7986195.stm
The roundabout can regularly be heard being referred to on traffic reports because of the major traffic jams that it causes on the A1.
bypass works to allow access to the new dual carriageway bypass. The roundabout was made much larger to incorporate the extra junction but no measures were taken to improve general traffic flow which is particularly hazardous for those accessing the roundabout from Bedford Road, Roxton (The former A421
). The roundabout is considered to be one of the most dangerous junctions on the A1
.
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
(formerly A428
A428 road
The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It connects the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford.-Coventry - Northampton:...
) Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
road just south of St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
. It was reconstructed in 2005-6 as part of the Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
bypass works to allow access to the new dual carriageway bypass.
It takes its name from the garage and car repair workshop which opened in the 1920s at the junction called the Black Cat Garage. In later years the garage was converted to a nightclub and then a restaurant, before becoming derelict for many years. In the 1980s, the current large covered petrol station was opened on the site.
A metal black cat sign was installed on the roundabout in January 2004, taking its shape from the cat on the original garage clock tower. During construction of the Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
bypass the black cat was temporarily relocated to the construction site office, before being returned to the roundabout upon completion in 2006. However, this sign has been stolen as of the summer of 2007. On 12 August 2008, it was announced that a replacement Black Cat had been installed on the roundabout.
In April 2009, the original sign was returned (albeit to a different location), accompanied by a note saying it had been found in a ditch.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7986195.stm
The roundabout can regularly be heard being referred to on traffic reports because of the major traffic jams that it causes on the A1.
2005-6 Reconstruction
The roundabout was reconstructed in 2005-6 as part of the Great BarfordGreat Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
bypass works to allow access to the new dual carriageway bypass. The roundabout was made much larger to incorporate the extra junction but no measures were taken to improve general traffic flow which is particularly hazardous for those accessing the roundabout from Bedford Road, Roxton (The former A421
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
). The roundabout is considered to be one of the most dangerous junctions on the A1
Popular References
The Black Cat Roundabout is mentioned briefly in The Oxford Murders (film)The Oxford Murders (film)
The Oxford Murders is a 2008 film directed by Álex de la Iglesia. This thriller film is adapted from the novel of the same name by the Argentine mathematician and writer Guillermo Martínez. The film stars Elijah Wood, John Hurt and the Spanish actress Leonor Watling.-Plot:It is 1993...
.