Purpose-built in the 1960s, Milton Keynes is a modern town famed for its concrete cow statues. Considered the birthplace of computing and home to the first peace pagoda in the west, Milton Keynes also features state-of-the-art theme parks and historic surrounding villages.

Things to do

Located at Bletchley Park where the German Enigma codes were cracked, the National Museum of Computing celebrates Milton Keynes as the home of modern computing. It displays a rebuilt Colossus Mark 2 that was used to decipher German encryptions and the world’s oldest working digital computer, as well as a hands-on display of vintage video game consoles.

Leave your messages of peace at the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda, which is situated on the shores of Willen Lake and is the first of its kind to be built in the western world. Explore the adjacent Buddhist temple and wander beneath the 1,000 cherry and cedar trees that were planted in remembrance of war victims.

Make a day trip to Stony Stratford, an ancient coaching town that lies along what was once a Roman road. It’s home to a charming high street clustered with quirky shops and traditional British pubs just a short stroll from the picturesque River Ouse.

Travelling with kids? Spend a day at the children’s theme park of Gulliver’s Land, which includes the indoor water playground of Splash Zone and the warrior-themed NERF Zone. The nearby Dinosaur and Farm Park lets you get up close to domestic farm animals and see life-size animatronic dinosaurs.

Getting around

Milton Keynes is a one-hour train ride from London, with Luton Airport around 45 minutes’ drive away. Buses connect to surrounding cities and there are plenty of designated pedestrian and cyclist paths.