The Roundabout We All Moan About – But How Well Do You Know It?
Every day, thousands of drivers tackle Hadleigh’s Victoria House Roundabout, usually with a firm opinion about everyone else’s lane discipline. But behind the honking, confusion and occasional questionable manoeuvre lies a surprisingly fascinating history. Who knew a roundabout could have so much to tell?
Thousands of vehicles pass Victoria House Roundabout in #Hadleigh every day, but how much do you know about this familiar junction?
Did you know that it was once named Four Wont Ways, it was originally a crossroads where London Road, Rayleigh Road, Benfleet Road and Kiln Road met, becoming a roundabout during major road alterations in the early 1970s.
Its name comes from Victoria House, formerly Hadleigh House, which once stood nearby.
Today, the roundabout is looked after by S. Stibbards & Sons and is home to the Bernard Braine Clock, erected in memory of our long-serving local MP following his death in 2000, and the sculpture celebrating Hadleigh’s role as the London 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike venue.
Sadly, the sculpture has aged rather better than the Olympic venue competition track itself which was allowed to deteriorate rather than becoming the proud legacy of the London 2012 games as planned,
Quite a history for a roundabout thousands of us drive around moaning about lane discipline every day!
