I was driving up the A3 from Portsmouth yesterday and I saw a sign paying London 50 miles.
This made me think where in London is it 50 miles to? Is it 50 miles to the outskirts or some point in the middle.
I guess this must be the same for motorway signs to large cities, say Birmingham or Manchester from the M6 - A mileage is shown but how is this calculated and to what point is it calculated to.
Sensible answers only please.
2006-10-09 05:40:57 · 9 answers · asked by Steve C 4 in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ Other - United Kingdom
It is always the center of the city.
Most towns or cities have a designated place that has been decided as the center (even though geographically it may not be the perfect center). This place is usually marked somehow.
I grew up in Cheltenham, and if you go to the old Tesco in the High Street there is a big stone built into the wall on the first floor with the words CENTER STONE on it. All measurements to Cheltenham are from that corner. I was told this is a fairly common practice.
2006-10-09 08:53:33 · answer #1 · answered by ZCT 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's always the centre of the city, town or village that the mileage refers to. In the case of London, the centre is officially recognised as being Charing Cross. I don't know who decides, probably the Highways Department or the Ministry of Transport.
Footnote: taxi drivers in London have to know all the streets within 6 miles of Charing Cross.
2006-10-09 14:16:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All road signs for London are to Charring Cross. Right outside the station at the end of the Strand near Trafalgar square is a monument . This is deemed to be the center of London and distances are measured from there.
2006-10-09 05:58:17 · answer #3 · answered by paul t 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Distances to London are measured to Charing Cross (which is actually on the south side of Trafalgar Square, not at the station)
2006-10-09 05:52:59 · answer #4 · answered by warden 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It used to be to the main Post Office, which as we all know should be in the middle of the town, but as towns, cities etc have built up it it now just to a central point, and not necessarily to the Post Office
2006-10-09 05:50:40 · answer #5 · answered by rhodie1954 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All distances are calculated from the middle to middle of towns and cities.
2006-10-09 05:48:26 · answer #6 · answered by psychoticgenius 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Charring Cross is taken as the centre of London - not sure why though! I suppose it has to be somewhere :-)
2006-10-09 05:55:43 · answer #7 · answered by Trevor h 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Charing Cross is a sensible answer
2006-10-09 06:32:36 · answer #8 · answered by SAM M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is actually 50 miles to the beggining of the center of 'london'
This being westminster.
hope this helps
2006-10-09 05:48:04 · answer #9 · answered by webbfink1 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋