Concrete Cow directions

How to get to Concrete Cow

Milton Keynes is disturbingly easy to navigate. It's based on an almost-grid system with H (horizontal) roads running east-west, H1 in the north and H10 in the south, and V (vertical) roads running north-south, with V1 in the west and V11 in the east. At each intersection of the grid roads is a roundabout, and signs there show you which grid road you're crossing.

The bad news is that the the Old Bath House is in one of the pre-existing villages, so isn't on the grid system. The good news is that it's less than a mile from the grid roads.

You're aiming for Wolverton, which is just north of the H1 between the V4 and V6.

The full address is

The Old Bath House

205 Stratford Road

Wolverton

Milton Keynes

MK12 5RL

Maps are available on Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, and Streetmap.co.uk.

From the M1

The easiest way is up the M1 to J14. Assuming a relatively clear road, you should be able to get to Milton Keynes in about 35-45 mins from the M1/M25 junction.

At the roundabout on the junction, turn east (towards Newport Pagnell, away from MK).
At the roundabout at the end of the road, turn left onto the A422 towards MK North. Follow the dual carriageway lots: this road becomes the H3.
Stay on the H3 until you get to the V6.
Turn right onto the V6 (north).
Stay on the V6 and cross the H2.
Straight over the next roundabout (signposted Wolverton).
Left at the next roundabout, almost immediately (still to Wolverton).
Immediately left again at the mini-roundabout, past the train station then over the railway bridge.
Straight over the next mini-roundabout into Wolverton high street (Stratford Road). The Old Bath House is the first builing you'll see on the right.
Take the first right (behind the OBH). You'll find a row of parking spaces in red marked "Community Centre Parking". Park there.
Walk back up to the main road, turn left, and follow the wall of the Old Bath House until you find the glass doors round the corner on the left. Go in.
If you keep crossing over mini-roundabouts in Wolverton high street, you've gone too far. Go through Wolverton, turn round and try again.

(If you follow signs to Milton Keynes from the M1 roundabout, you'll end up on the H5. Initially head towards 'The Centre: MK', stay on the H5, and eventually you'll reach the V6. Turn right (north) and follow the V6 up to Wolverton. There are just a few more roundabouts that way.)

From the East or West (A421 or A422)

You'll probably arrive in Milton Keynes on the A421 (which becomes the H8) or the A422 (the H3). If you're on the A421 from either direction or the A422 from the east, find the V6, turn north, and follow the directions above. If you arrive on the A422 from the west, follow the directions below.

From the North (A5 or A508)

Get to the roundabout where the A5, the A508, and the A422 meet (the north-west corner of Milton Keynes).
Take the turning towards The Stratfords (one exit beyond the A5 South exit).
Go through Old Stratford (a tiny village: you'll barely notice it apart from the rare MK sight of traffic lights).
At the roundabout, take the first exit, slightly left, as the road becomes the Stony Stratford bypass (Queen Eleanor St).
At the next roundabout, turn left towards Wolverton.
Go straight over the next roundabout, still towards Wolverton.
When you enter Wolverton, drive past the car showrooms on the left, and the long brick wall that follows on the left. This'll put you in the middle of the high street (Stratford Road).
Take the first left after the long brick wall. You'll find a row of parking spaces in red marked "Community Centre Parking". Park there.
Walk back up to the main road, turn left, and follow the wall of the Old Bath House until you find the glass doors round the corner on the left. Go in.
If you go past Wolverton train station, you've gone too far. Turn round and try again.

If All Else Fails

If you get lost, just play it by ear and remember to head for H3/V6, or signs to Stony Stratford or Wolverton.

The Old Bath House is next to the large Tesco store in Wolverton. Once you get to (or near) Wolverton, just ask for directions to Tesco, park in their car park, climb the stairs by their front door, and you'll be outside the entrance to the Old Bath House. Note that there's a two-hour limit on parking at Tesco, so you'll have to move your car once you get your bearings.

Parking

The Old Bath House has some parking spaces, marked in red with "Community Centre Parking." Though they're meant to be for Old Bath House users, locals often fill them up. Tesco (next door) has a large car park, but it has a two-hour limit (though I don't know how strictly that's enforced).

The other large car park is for the Agora indoor market. Parallel to Stratford Road (the one the Old Bath House is on) is Church Street. Imagine walking out of the Old Bath House, over Stratford Road, through the shops opposite, then over Church Street: you'll end up in that car park.

Failing that, there are plenty of small residential streets around where you may be able to find the odd parking space.