Bellwether, Noon Layer Drive, Passalewe Lane, Quadrans Close and Silicon Court: these are just a few of the peculiar street names that can be found in Milton Keynes. In these charming and endlessly fascinating books the author sets out to discover what they mean and why they were chosen. Who were Cecily, Matthew and Margaret Powell? Why does Hodge Lea have Scottish place names? And what is the link between Tresham Court and Crane Court? The answers to these and many other questions are found inside the series of five books which cover the geographical areas of the town; central, south, north, east and west.

The sheer variety of muses that inspired the names of Milton Keynes' streets means that this book also acts as a work of reference, providing histories of an eclectic range of subjects: classical composers and rock stars, geographical locations, the lost rivers of London, 18th-century coffee houses, wild flowers and roses, monasteries and castles, scientists and sportsmen, race and golf courses all vie for attention here, alongside national and, of course, local history.