Iconic roundabout given top accolade

Swindon’s very own Magic Roundabout has been named ‘Roundabout of the year’ by the Roundabout Appreciation Society.

This means it will feature in the 'Best of British Roundabouts' calendar 2025, on the December page.

The Roundabout Appreciation Society (UKRAS), chaired by Kevin Beresford, are a group of people in the United Kingdom that discuss various aspects of traffic roundabouts. The main topic of discussion is the architecture of the roundabouts, including their general design and any specific safety features. Other topics have included the various approaches people take when driving towards and around a roundabout. 

Swindon’s famous roundabout opened in 1972 and was originally named County Islands but has always been known locally as the Magic Roundabout, in homage to the BBC children's programme of the same name.

The much-loved roundabout has become famous all across the world for its fear inducing design, and even has its own page on Tripadvisor, with an overall rating of 4 stars.

Reviews include Ian from Munich, Germany, who said: "A magical place to visit in Swindon. Such a marvellous piece of engineering and effective for keeping traffic moving smoothly. 5 stars."

Kandy from Sri Lanka said: "What a crazy, crazy experience! I felt we would be stuck in it forever!"

The infamous roundabout has always divided opinion, with some marvelling at the clever design, and others scratching their heads in despair at its complexity. In 2005 it was voted the worst roundabout in a survey by an insurance company and in September 2007 it was named as one of the world's worst junctions by a U.K motoring magazine. 

Love it or hate it, the Magic Roundabout is certainly a great talking point for the town, and something the majority of Swindonians are very proud of.