The Story of Swindon's Magic Roundabout - The First In the UK - What's So Magical About It? 

"My RU-vid demographic data tells me I don't need to tell you lot what the Magic Roundabout is." I have never felt more seen - thank you.

I used to work just up the road from the Magic Roundabout for the European Division of a US company. US visitors often picked up hire cars from the office, so we had drivers who were in a manual (stick shift) for the first time, driving on the left hand side, and in those days had no concept of even a simple roundabout, let alone a Magic one. Always looked forward to hearing what happened after they left the office!

Very similar design in my hometown of Hemel Hempstead too. No issues with using it, even as a learner driver. Great traffic flow and I can't ever remember any accidents.

I live a few streets away from it. It's great. People who remember the old roundabout tell me it had a bad accident record because people would try to take it too fast while they were on it, while people who'd got frustrated queuing to get onto it would try to dart out into non-existent gaps. What really helps the Magic Roundabout avoid accidents is that very few people are confident that they fully understand it and everyone knows the chances of meeting someone who's confused and terrified are quite high, so everyone slows down. Even the boy racers. The trick is simple - just treat it as a series of mini-roundabouts and ignore the fact there's a circle thing in the middle.

"There's always one dickhead who spoils it for the rest of us" - so true, so funny. I love your humour Jon, it never fails to crack me up!

That bloody roundabout! When I was a small kid we passed through Swindon on our holiday one year. On the approach to it, my neighbour who was driving told me to look out for The Magic Roundabout. Me, not having a clue what he meant, thought it was going to be a fun-fair style ride in the middle of a huge grassy roundabout. Imagine my massive disappointment... On another trip, he told me to look out for a White Lion (A chalk one on a hillside somewhere). Me, not realising that, thought he'd said a 'White Line', so I spent a good hour with my eyes glued to the road surface, looking for a really long White Line in the middle of the road!! I really was so naive!

"some very good drugs involved in it's creation." frankly sounds like it could be applied to the junction as well

I see the council needs to invest in some white dulux, the road markings show some signs of wear...

See you in High Wycombe or Hemel Hempstead for the next exciting episode of "All the Magic Roundabouts" 😀

The British version of the Magic Roundabout was created by Eric Thompson, father of the actresses Sophie and (more famously) Emma Thompson. Apparently he watched the original French (Serge Danot) creation of the show with the sound turned down and wrote his own stories to fit what he saw as being correct for the images. Like you, I suspect some serious hallucinogens were involved and I want them :)

That truck at 2:54 pulling up in front of the blue car is the content I keep coming back for! Thanks Jon 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Truly one of the most terrifying experiences I had on English roads during my 2010 UK visit was when I was driving through Swindon and mistakenly encountered this traffic oddity. When I arrived in the city, I was praying to myself, driving these unknown streets muttering, "Please don't take me to the Magic Roundabout...please don't take me to the Magic Roundabout...please don't take me to the Magic-- *CRAP."* I somehow made it half-way around until I saw the M5 sign and promptly exited that morass of circling cars, heading back to the motorway to try my Swindon entrance again. I am a North American driver who was having a hard enough time driving on the left side of the road, let alone trying to do that _and_ steering madly around a moving parking lot. I have never been back to Swindon.

Love this junction. People are so scared but locals gave me great advice, JUST LOOK RIGHT. I like taking passengers "backwards" round it

The theme tune from "The Magic Roundabout" was my first encounter with an earworm - when I was a boy I was tormented by the idea that it MIGHT NEVER EVER STOP. Thanks, Jon. 😒

There is a distinct lack of Jasper Carrott in this video. Otherwise, brilliant as always.

The Magic Roundabout music at the end is like travelling back in time.

Thanks for filming this, from my hometown. It is one of the few tourist attractions!

The one at Greenstead Roundabout in Colchester massively improved traffic flow in the 90s over the traffic light controlled roundabout. Based on the time my school bus got in anyway.

I went round that in 74, ever since I have never been back to Swindon.

Watching traffic on that roundabout is quite hypnotic! Very clever design.

As the person who always comments on the railway content in your videos. I feel a mini series called “200 reasons dr beeching is a cu*t” would be interesting. Genuine suggestion btw.

For a while it was also known as the Silly[sic]Isles but the Magic Roundabout stuck with the locals and when the council started to put nameplates on roundabout signs, lo and behold, it became official.

You had me at Bob Fleming. 😂

The Bob Fleming reference wasn’t lost Jon!

If you grew up in Swindon, the Magic Roundabout is almost certainly part of your driving test because hey, you're gonna need to know how to take it! It's funny, it looks super complicated if you've never dealt with it before but if you basically just point in the right direction and give way to the right it just sort of... works.

I love how the paths of clear road made in the road grime and grit shows the most used routes through the roundabout. Kinda interesting to see.

That gave me a flashback to Chevy Chase in European vacation (look kids there's Parliament). Over here in America we only have small roundabouts, so I like to take a few laps just to see the looks on peoples faces. Priceless! Thanks for another wicked sweet awesome video.

As a fresh faced airman in the RAF I was picked out by my Flight Sargent to be his driver, which meant driving the lead Land Rover of a convoy. We were to drive from RAF Brize Norton to Salisbury Plain, and if you know the area you'll know that the optimum route is through Swindon, and you've guessed it, right through the Magic Roundabout! I nearly shit a conker when I saw what we were approaching, I had visions of a convoy of Land Rovers lost going round and round the roundabout forever, but my Flt Sgt allayed my fears and told me we were taking the first exit off the roundabout.

The one in Hemel Hempstead is amazing, I love it! Between 2002 and 2004 I used to work as a multi drop delivery driver and my route always took me through Hemel; the magic roundabout made my journey so much easier. 😀

I love the drone shots where you can see the most common paths folks take from the colour of the tarmac.

What an excellent and informative video. Thanks, Jon.

Did my driving test across it and drove for about 15yrs over it daily, I did have 1 near miss on it, I was driving a Dynorod Red (Day glow red) with all the flashing lights on brake down truck with a van on the spec lift on the back and someone in the left hand lane tried to turn right into the gap of the spec lift, luckily we both managed to stop in time and he reversed out of the gap!

Thank you for including the clips and using the theme tune from my favourite TV show in such an appropriate way.

Your videos are the best for me man. You're one of very few people on here that can hold my attention long enough!

We used to have a 4 roundabout version just down the road called Bruce Street roundabouts. That's been replaced by a big roundabout with some lights. I prefer the new layout but lots of people don't. There's also 2, 2 roundabout junctions, 1 of with has been replaced by a set of lights. Not so sure on that one. The one that's replaced by lights is the moon raker junction. The one that's still there is between Pinehurst road, Whitworth road and crossways road. I used to call it the mickey mouse junction due to a fancy hedge that isn't there any more.

I haven't been to Swindon, but I have driven the magic roundabout in High Wycombe several times. Although, it is formed of 5 small roundabouts instead of mini roundabouts, is signed as a group of 3 roundabouts and a group of 2 roundabouts, only has 2 lanes on/off/around each, and the central island is huge and not round.

Thanks as always fella!

I love the theme tune 😊 Great video as always.

Great video, thank you

Brilliant, thanks John

first time i've seen you. glad you popped up, gained a sub. i learnt some things, had a laugh and wanted to come back. easy choice.

The Sadlers Farm roundabout in Pitsea, Essex was similar, but a bit bigger, with proper sized roundabout in the middle and the mini roundabouts were not just painted on. So many people couldn't cope with it they eventually (about 2012) made it just one big roundabout with a few extra lanes dotted here and there.

Great video John, looks a scary to me,as always brilliant 👌👍😀

Loving the Lo-Fi Magic Roundabout music - takes me back t the '70's.

Many years ago I used to commute through High Wycombe every day, and used the A40/A404 multiple roundabouts. It was fun trying to work out whether to go clockwise or anti-clockwise to get through quickest.

Grown up with Swindon being our usual shopping destination and then learning to drive in Swindon. It’s brilliant and just works so well. It always amazes me when people are confused and frightened by it!

We always used to refer to the one in Hemel Hempstead as The Magic Roundabout which has six mini roundabouts. Fascinating history. Thank you.

Love it! It was including in my driving test in 1977 and I quickly learned that there are good options for overtaking, avoiding snarl-ups etc through the roundabout. Basically a big open space with a few ignorable lines painted.

Crying when you started playing the magic roundabout theme tune at the end. It fits so well haha

Awesome video really interesting

Wow man! That's deep! And watching the vehicles using the roundabout from directly overhead is magical, in a mushroomy kind of way.🍄

Indeed there was some very good drux involved! Great to watch while on em in the raving days of the early 90's :D

I was on the edge of my chair WAITING for the the Magic Roundabout music to start up. "YOU DID NOT DISAPPOINT"😂 Just loved the vid Steve Bristol....

I have the High Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead versions of this in my local area. I had to navigate the HW example twice on my driving test!

Ah, that tune takes me back. Skipped straight to the end for the music 🎶 😀 Then watched the video...

Children’s TV programme! No one told me it was for children! 😂😂😂 I loved it.

As an 80s child I grew up on The Magic Roundabout and very nearly joined the campaign to keep the name when they tried to turn it back to the Counties thing in the early 00s. Thankfully the British sense of humour prevailed and it kept its affectionate name. I believe there are two more magic roundabouts in England so the concept is definitely proven to work when needed.

I had the misfortune one late night of coming on this roundabout on the way back from London. I sh*t myself when I realised what it was and basically just drove off to the nearest exit, probably against the traffic, but it was daunting to say the least if you are not familiar with the rules of the layout.

This is the best video I've ever seen about anything

Ah the theme tune. 👏👏 Thanks Jon for a cracking little video. Having suffered the Magic Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead I’m inclined to give Swindon’s a wide birth. But then again, perhaps it’s a duty of all drivers to attempt it. 👍😀

I came upon this unexpectedly while undertaking a self guided tour of Swindon (Actually my first go at trying to drive from the Research Councils to the M4 in the pre-satnav days) and I was already totally befuddled so this intersection totally confused me but it did show the way to the M4 so I was astounded, amused and relieved once I was safely onto the A4312. I took a phot of it for the folks back home as no-one believed me it existed.

I live close by and can vouch for the fact that the Magic Roundabout works very well. Improve on it? Well, the best way would be to reduce the traffic volumes - which will inevitably happen when the oil runs out or becomes too expensive, and it is finally realised that electric propulsion is not for the masses. It will work equally well when we all go back to horse and cart of course. Oh, and thank you for the theme tune. Wicked sweet awesome. If you had let me know I'd have invited you in for a cup of tea. Creepy? Only slightly.

I live in Basingstoke (There, I've admitted it in public!), and during the 70s and 80s this was known as 'Doughnut City'. Consequently when I first started to drive to and through Swindon in 1980, The Magic Roundabout came as a magical and most pleasant surprise. I discovered the one in Hemel Hempstead shortly after and managed to cause one heck of a traffic jam there when the engine of my company van gave up halfway around it in the centre section. At 16.50, on a Thursday, right outside what was then Kodak UK's Headquarters! As I said to the Nice Traffic Policemen who attended the resulting snarl-up, "It's a Ford with only 27000 miles on it, what did you expect?"

4:49 - the outro music that I was waiting for!

Nice to see the home town featuring .

Hello! Brilliant! Also waves goodbye and now I need to watch The World's End again. (Mark Summers. It was June the 22nd, 1990...)

Brilliant system, the roundabout was part of the route of my driving test many years ago.

Hello John, Love what you've don with the Blog, 👍The first time I met a Magic roundabout, while awake, was in Colchester, on my way with 650 other squaddies, in Trucks, heading to Harwich, for our ferry to Hamburg for a two week exercise, with BOAR, But being that I was Driving the REME recovery vehicle, I had it easy, I just followed the Green Truck in front, I was tailend charlie, anyhow it would be interesting to Know how any of these their are, I'm a retired trucky, and I don't know of many, But with 7:5 Tn limits everywhere, that's not surprising, Any hoo John mate got to dash, great work again tho,

We didn't actually get to see "The Magic Roundabout" on Australian TV so thanks for explaining :)

Thank you. Really interesting. I'm probably not very bright, but I could easily have enjoyed a bit more about how the traffic flow works.

It is Magic our Morris! I am glad you've saved many a content creator from having to produce this video, where creative minds would have run wild not on magic mushrooms. Rather of how many funny, magical references to add to the video that would not make Zebedee's head spin! You have got the comical references just about right, and it is well researched too. On that note, boing! Time for bed"! said Zebedee.

Thank you for telling me what the magic roundabout tv show was. Never knew it as I didn't grow up in Britain

Nice footage from above at the end. It looks like some of those drivers are very timid, but not really any more complicated than any other sequence of mini roundabouts (and more sensible than "double roundabouts")

I've encountered this junction once fairly early on in my articulated lorry driving career, it was a bit daunting and I was glad the road wasn't too busy at the time and I was able to straddle two lanes for most of it

If I ever make it to Swindon (just a pipedream right now!) then I'd like to drive round the middle bit in an anticlockwise direction, which definitely appears to be possible.

I knew our only landmark would appear on the channel at some point🔄hope you attempted it Jon!!

The outro is a nice touch.

Double thumbs up for the Magic Roundabout theme. I may put that on my phone as a ring tone.

Brilliant Jon

Finally....someone who actually explains how to use the thing. I'll try and remember should I ever leave the shelter of my rock and venture forth...

Localite here, the magic roundabout works very well, bit of fun and hairy at rush hour but seems relatively safe.

There’s a similar one in High Wycombe but slightly larger, it’s pretty cool and works well.

Great idea. There’s one in Colchester and it works well.

My dad was a paramedic and remembered when the magic roundabout, in Hemel’s, little round abouts, got made raised up, like bumps. Because he went over on the blues and hit the ceiling of his ambulance, wasn’t expecting them to be bumps as he was so used to them not being! .. I avoided the roundabout for years after I passed my test, only started using it when I lived close to it.. and it’s actually easy :)

This roundabout was on my commute to work once upon a time. I am a big fan of it. It may not be very responsible of me but I took the view that the traffic flow on it was so smooth and combined with it’s flexibility and options I hardly needed to slow down on approach as there were always options if one section was slower I could just switch options and take a different route through it.

It does actually avoid the congestion you would get on a one single roundabout connecting 5 roads. It's slow but generally you'll only spend seconds there and you're out! It works. Like magic!

Why am I watching a video about the magic roundabout, even though I can't drive, oh yes, it Auto Shenanigans Great video❤

3:40 may be the most polite yet savagely cutting insult I have ever been victim to.

Hi I was a new bus driver in 1974passing my test early October, and at that time NOVEMBER 74 this was still only large tyres marking out the different shapes of the small blocks between the main mini roundabouts. Many a time on very early trips you could go through from Fleming Way to Queens Drive only slowing down a little but had to be careful as if you clipped the tyres they would end up close to the FIRE STATION on Drove Road. And the NAME, that came after a reporter overhead us drivers calling it THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT, and it was some years after before the then THAMESDOWN COUNCIL renamed it

There was one in Benfleet and it's now gone. It was hilarious watching learner drivers pile down the A13/A130. It got utterly confusing when the new flyover was built as many people for a few days simply forgot which way to go around the island resulting a few dings. They do work as with the old island to get from Benfleet to the A130 was a quick turn right and right again. Now it's a mega trundle all the way around the island. The only feature of the new island is that it's near Benfleet Wimpy Bar... the joy! Failing that there are the delights of the Hemel Hempstead "Magic Roundabout".... that despite the look of complexity, it works. Even my daughter can negotiate it without having a crash.

In 1995 as Australians translocated to the area, it was a bit of a shock to come across it at night, in the rain, when the outer circles were merely slightly raised bitumen painted white!

Brilliant, it spawned many a copy, such as Hemel Hempstead and more local to me in High Wycombe, it work reasonably well, most of the time?!

A fascinating must see for all roundabout fans.

Imagine being out of town and driving through this for the first time.

When he describes the flyover and the fact that it would involve knocking down houses, at 1:10 he says. 'But it was the 60s when nobody gave a shit'. That just had us rolling with laughter, along with a few other VERY British comments. 🤣🤣🤣 Subscribed, gave a thumbs up and ended up with the theme from the Magic Roundabout going through our heads.... We both used to watch that.... Definitely no drugs involved.... MUCH!!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

It's an easy junction to navigate... just send it, everyone creeps across, drive with confidence and people stop for you :D

Madness!!! Great video, though!

We also have one in Colchester , we call it the Greenstead Roundabout and when you take your driving test and set off from the nearby Whitehall Test Centre you have a 50% chance of going on it. Luckily for me I went the other way that day.

There used to be an experimental roundabout on the Halesowen bypass, it was made out of old car tyres and would be altered every few weeks. They did the alteration over the weekends so Monday mornings used to be when I learned new and interesting profanities as the driver of the vehicle made his confusion and displeasure audible! They stopped fannying about with the experiment and made it permanent, but I still have mixed memories of those Monday mornings whenever I pass through the roundabout, which I haven't done for a long time now!