Editing Milton Keynes (section)

==Geography==
===Location and nearest settlements===
Milton Keynes is in south central England, at the northern end of the [[South East England]] region,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265928/report.aspx?town=Milton%20Keynes |title=Labour Market Profile – South East |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=3 March 2016 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128013550/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265928/report.aspx?town=Milton%20Keynes |url-status=live}}</ref> about {{convert|50|mi}} north-west of [[London]].<ref name="milestone" /><ref name="chains" /><ref name="viaM1" />

The nearest larger{{efn|population over 50,000.}} towns are [[Northampton]], [[Bedford]], [[Luton]] and [[Aylesbury]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Milton%20Keynes#map=10/52.0430/-0.7590 |title=Regional scale map of region |publisher=[[OpenStreetMap]] |access-date=19 February 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043013/https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Milton%20Keynes#map=10/52.0430/-0.7590 |url-status=live}}</ref> The nearest larger{{efn|population over 100,000. [[St Albans]], a cathedral city of 57,000, is closer.}} cities are [[Coventry]], [[Leicester]], [[Cambridge]], [[London]] and [[Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Milton%20Keynes#map=9/52.0430/-0.7590 |title=National scale map of region |publisher=OpenStreetMap |access-date=2 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043013/https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Milton%20Keynes#map=9/52.0430/-0.7590 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Geology===
Its surface geology is primarily gently rolling [[Oxford clay]] or, more formally:

{{blockquote|...&nbsp;a portion of more or less dissected [[boulder clay]] plateau, with streams falling fairly steeply to the [Great] Ouse and Ouzel flood plains, across slopes cut chiefly in Oxford clay. [[Middle Jurassic]] rocks, in particular the [[Blisworth Limestone Formation|Blisworth limestone]] and [[cornbrash]], form strong features in the lands bordering the Ouse valley in the north.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/publications/pubs.cfc?method=viewRecord&publnId=19864650 |title=The geology of the new town of Milton Keynes |publisher=[[Natural Environment Research Council]] Institute of Geological Sciences |last1=Horton |first1=A. |last2=Coleman |first2=B. E. |last3=Cox |first3=B. M. |last4=Shephard-Thorn |first4=E. R. |last5=Morter |first5=A. A. |last6=Penn |first6=I. E. |last7=Thurrell |first7=R. G. |last8=Ivimey-Cook |first8=H. C. |date=1974 |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306042726/https://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/publications/pubs.cfc?method=viewRecord&publnId=19864650 |url-status=live }}</ref> }}

Its highest points are in the centre ({{convert|110|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) and at Woodhill on the western boundary ({{convert|120|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=485105&y=238957&z=115 | title=Central Milton Keynes 1:25000 (Ordnance Survey mapping) | access-date=3 March 2019 | archive-date=6 March 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044036/http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=485105&y=238957&z=115 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=481485&y=235897&z=126 | title=Woodlhill 1:25000 (Ordnance Survey mapping) | access-date=3 March 2019 | archive-date=6 March 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044359/http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=481485&y=235897&z=126 | url-status=live }}</ref> The lowest point of the urban area is in Newport Pagnell, where the [[River Ouzel|Ouzel]] joins the [[Great Ouse]] ({{convert|50|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=488035&y=244032&z=115 |title= Newport Pagnell 1:25000 (Ordnance Survey mapping) |access-date= 3 March 2019 |archive-date= 6 March 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044401/http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=488035&y=244032&z=115 |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Parks and environmental infrastructure===
Because of the (poorly drained) clay soils and the urban hard surfaces, the [[Milton Keynes Development Corporation|development corporation]] identified water runoff into the Ouzel and its tributaries as a significant risk to be managed and so put in place two large balancing lakes ([[Caldecotte Lake|Caldecotte]] and [[Willen Lake|Willen]]) and a number of smaller [[detention pond]]s.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/city-has-been-built-to-avoid-worst-flooding-1-5873959 | title= City has been built to avoid worst flooding | work= [[Milton Keynes Citizen]] | date= 13 February 2014 | access-date= 15 April 2019 | archive-date= 14 April 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190414231039/https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/city-has-been-built-to-avoid-worst-flooding-1-5873959 | url-status= live }}</ref> These provide an important leisure amenity for most of the year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theparkstrust.com/activities/ | title=Activities | publisher=[[Milton Keynes Parks Trust]] | access-date=7 May 2019 | archive-date=7 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507114336/https://www.theparkstrust.com/activities/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Building in the floodplains of the Ouse and Ouzel was precluded too, thus providing long-distance linear parks that are within easy reach of most residents.
 
The north basin of [[Willen Lake]] is a [[bird sanctuary]].<ref name="destination MK"/>

The two Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Howe Park Wood and Oxley Mead, are the most significant of a number of important wildlife sites in and around MK.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://mknhs.org.uk/wildlife-sites-2/ | title= Wildlife Sites | work= Milton Keynes Natural History Society | date= 6 September 2015 | access-date= 11 March 2019 | archive-date= 20 April 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180420190835/http://mknhs.org.uk/wildlife-sites-2/ | url-status= live }}</ref>

Just outside the Milton Keynes urban area lies [[Little Linford Wood]], a [[wildlife conservation|conservation site]] and [[nature reserve]] managed by the [[Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust]]. It is considered to be one of the best habitats for [[dormice]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/little-linford-wood|title=Little Linford Wood|publisher=Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust|access-date=31 January 2021|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126234010/https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/little-linford-wood|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Climate===
Milton Keynes experiences an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfb'') as is typical of almost all of the United Kingdom.

The nearest [[Met Office]] weather station is in [[Woburn, Bedfordshire]],<ref name="Synoptic">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-synoptic-and-climate-stations |title=Synoptic and climate stations (map) |publisher=[[Met Office]] |access-date=23 July 2022 }}</ref> just outside the south eastern fringe of Milton Keynes.{{efn|The Woburn weather station is located {{convert|7.0|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the Milton Keynes city centre. There is another station at [[Stowe, Buckinghamshire|Stowe]], just outside [[Buckingham]] about {{convert|12|miles|0}} distant. On 19 July 2022, the temperature here reached {{convert|38.7|C}}.<ref name="July 22" />}} Recorded temperature extremes range from {{convert|39.6|C}} during July 2022,<ref name="July 22">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2022/2022_03_july_heatwave.pdf |title=Unprecedented extreme heatwave, July 2022 |publisher=Metoffice.gov.uk  |access-date=23 July 2022 }}</ref> to as low as {{convert|−20.6|C}} on 25 February 1947; this is the lowest temperature ever reported in England in February.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1002/wea.66|title=1947 minimum|journal=Weather|volume=62|issue=3|pages=61–68|year=2007|last1=Booth|first1=George|s2cid=123612433}}</ref> On 20 December 2010, the temperature fell to {{convert|−16.3|C}}<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/20/winter-weather-coldest-places-britain
|title=2010 minimum
|access-date=3 March 2011
|location=London
|work=The Guardian
|first=Simon
|last=Rogers
|date=21 December 2010
|archive-date=9 January 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109144858/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/20/winter-weather-coldest-places-britain
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

{{Weather box|location = [[Woburn, Bedfordshire|Woburn]],{{efn|Weather station is located {{convert|7.0|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the city centre.}} (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 15.0 
|Feb record high C = 18.9
|Mar record high C = 22.8
|Apr record high C = 27.1
|May record high C = 29.4
|Jun record high C = 33.3
|Jul record high C = 39.6
|Aug record high C = 35.5
|Sep record high C = 32.8
|Oct record high C = 27.3
|Nov record high C = 19.4
|Dec record high C = 16.0
|Jan record low C = -20.0
|Feb record low C = -20.6
|Mar record low C = -15.0
|Apr record low C = -7.3
|May record low C = -5.6
|Jun record low C = -1.1
|Jul record low C = 1.2
|Aug record low C = 1.7
|Sep record low C = -2.8
|Oct record low C = -7.8
|Nov record low C = -13.9
|Dec record low C = -17.4
| Jan high C = 7.4
| Feb high C = 8.0
| Mar high C = 10.6
| Apr high C = 13.8
| May high C = 17.0
| Jun high C = 20.0
| Jul high C = 22.4
| Aug high C = 22.1
| Sep high C = 19.0
| Oct high C = 14.7
| Nov high C = 10.3
| Dec high C = 7.7
|year high C = 14.4
|Jan mean C = 4.5
|Feb mean C = 4.8
|Mar mean C = 6.7
|Apr mean C = 9.0
|May mean C = 11.9
|Jun mean C = 14.9
|Jul mean C = 17.2
|Aug mean C = 17.1
|Sep mean C = 14.4
|Oct mean C = 11.0
|Nov mean C = 7.2
|Dec mean C = 4.8
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 1.6
| Feb low C = 1.5
| Mar low C = 2.7
| Apr low C = 4.1
| May low C = 6.8
| Jun low C = 9.8
| Jul low C = 11.9
| Aug low C = 12.0
| Sep low C = 9.8
| Oct low C = 7.3
| Nov low C = 4.1
| Dec low C = 1.8
|year low C = 6.1
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 55.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 44.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 39.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 48.3
| May precipitation mm = 51.9
| Jun precipitation mm = 54.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 51.2
| Aug precipitation mm = 58.6
| Sep precipitation mm = 55.4
| Oct precipitation mm = 70.7
| Nov precipitation mm = 64.5
| Dec precipitation mm = 58.2
|year precipitation mm = 655.3
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 11.7
| Feb precipitation days = 10.0
| Mar precipitation days = 9.3
| Apr precipitation days = 9.7
| May precipitation days = 8.7
| Jun precipitation days = 9.2
| Jul precipitation days = 8.5
| Aug precipitation days = 9.4
| Sep precipitation days = 9.1
| Oct precipitation days = 11.0
| Nov precipitation days = 11.7
| Dec precipitation days = 11.5
| year precipitation days =119.7
| Jan sun = 53.0
| Feb sun = 72.3
| Mar sun = 114.9
| Apr sun = 152.2
| May sun = 191.5
| Jun sun = 185.7
| Jul sun = 198.4
| Aug sun = 185.3
| Sep sun = 141.6
| Oct sun = 104.5
| Nov sun = 62.0
| Dec sun = 48.3
|year sun = 1509.4
|source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcpxfm7hf| title = Woburn Climate Station, Climate period:1991–2020 | access-date = 11 February 2024 | publisher = [[Met Office]] }}</ref>
| source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather<ref>{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php 
|title= Monthly Extreme Maximum Temperature, Monthly Extreme Minimum Temperature
|publisher=Starlings Roost Weather
|access-date= 16 December 2024
}}</ref>
}}