Scilly Isles, Surrey
The Scilly Isles (pronounced "silly isles") is a double roundabout between the English towns of Esher and Kingston-upon-Thames, and marks one of the boundaries of Thames Ditton.
Since the 19th century there has been a large pub at the junction, named with a popular name of the time, the Marquess of Granby. The junction acquired its name during the 1930s when the then new Kingston by-pass road rejoined the original route of the Portsmouth Road that was then the A3 road, now the A307. A series of roundabouts were produced at the busy (for the 1930s) intersection; in those days they were a novelty and in common parlance were called "traffic islands". The complexity of the layout caused them to be called the 'silly islands' which, as the name became accepted, evolved into 'the Scilly Isles'. This name is an official name, visible on all approaches to the junction and may be seen on certain local maps.
The nearby Sandown Park Racecourse hosts the annual Scilly Isles Novices' Chase.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Scilly Isles, Surrey
