Latest news with #Dutch-style
Scotsman
04-07-2025
- Scotsman
Scenic Scottish coastal walk that ends at village famed for fish and chips is named among UK's best
A scenic walk has been named as the best in Scotland, according to a study by consumer body Which? Sign up to our Scotsman Rural News - A weekly of the Hay's Way tour of Scotland emailed direct to you. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It takes in twisty village streets leading to a harbour stacked with lobster pots and ends with a lively fishing town. The stunning four-mile-long Scottish coastal walk from Crail to Anstruther has been named among the best in the UK in a new study. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It comes as the best walks across the country were named in research conducted by consumer body Which?. The results were based on the experiences from 1,310 panel members, who were asked to rate the walks on everything from en-route scenery to food and drink, and peace and quiet. The routes were also rated on accessibility, parking and wildlife. The scenic walk begins in Crail. | ullstein bild via Getty Images Coming out on top to be named as Scotland's best coastal walk was the Crail to Anstruther route. The walk, which is described as 'comfortable and level', starts at the popular town Crail and leads north-east along the Fife coast, ending at Anstruther, which was once known for its herring fishing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The town is also home to the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar and Restaurant. For walkers not wanting to complete the return to Crail on foot, the journey takes 15 minutes by bus, with services running once an hour. Which? said: 'The Fife Coastal Path links its fishing villages with their stone harbours, pantile-roof cottages and Dutch-style merchants' houses – all of which remain steadfastly unspoilt. 'Between them lie rocky coves and stretches of butterscotch-coloured Blue Flag beaches.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It takes about two hours to complete the walk and it is four miles long. The route was rated five stars for 'peace and quiet', as well as four stars for its scenery. Universal Images Group via Getty The top five UK locations were the Lizard Peninsula circuit in Cornwall, the Rhossili headland in Swansea, the Buttermere circuit in the Lake District, Craster to Dunstanburgh in Northumberland, and Botallack Mine Walk in Cornwall. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: 'The UK has an amazing variety of walks and our list highlights how there is beautiful scenery to enjoy in every corner of the country. 'From historic ruins, beautiful shorelines and seal spotting, our research shows you don't have to be a seasoned hiker and many walks also include cosy cafes and charming local pubs if you do need a rest and some refreshments.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ranked the best English walk, Lizard Peninsula circuit in Cornwall has been named the place to head for a 'blow-away-the-cobwebs walk'. There are a number of caves and coves along the coastline, which has witnessed many shipwrecks. The walk starts and ends in Lizard Village then heads toward Kynance Cove. Visitors said they appreciated the dramatic scenery, the abundance of wildflowers and the possibility of spotting a red-legged chough or bobbing seals and basking sharks in the tumbling waves. Meanwhile, in Wales, the best walk has been named as the Rhossili headland Gower Peninsula. The three-mile sweep of Rhossili beach is said to be the highlight of this walk. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Starting at the National Trust car park, then circling round the headland, the walk takes in views of Worm's Head, passing the skeletal ribs of shipwrecked Helvetia.
Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
UK town opens complex £2m roundabout and it's not just for drivers
A 'Dutch-style' roundabout costing £2 million has opened in an English town, and it's so intricate it comes with a three-minute tutorial video for locals explaining how to use it An innovative roundabout costing £2 million has opened in a popular UK town, but it's clear not everyone is a fan. Located in an industrial area near the M1, in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, the Dutch-style roundabout is the fourth of its kind in the UK, following in the footsteps of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Chichester. The roundabout introduces a radical change to the typical British layout, prioritising the most vulnerable road users — pedestrians on the roundabout are given the highest priority, followed by cyclists, with motorists required to yield to both groups at both entry and exit points. Its structure is layered, with an outer ring for pedestrians, including zebra crossings at each exit, a middle ring for cyclists, as well as a central section for automobiles. This set-up, which is common in the Netherlands, aims to improve safety for all and encourage active travel. To help users adapt, Hertfordshire County Council released a comprehensive three-minute CGI tutorial walkthrough video explaining the rules of usage: Cyclists must give way to pedestrians, while cars and lorries must yield to both cyclists and pedestrians. However, the new roundabout has sparked debate among residents and commuters. David Coulson, a local driver and pedestrian, voiced skepticism. He told Bristol Live: "I wouldn't be surprised if people got killed or injured on it. I also can't believe they spent this much money. It's right off the M1 — you're not going to get many pushbikes coming off there. "I drive but I also take a walk up here. I don't see much other footfall than myself. I think they've done it because we've also got the Magic Roundabout and now they can say we've got both. At least it's colourful". Finance manager Fred Theron, who cycles to work in warmer months, welcomed the safety improvements, but was unsure whether users would fully grasp the new rules. "I'm not sure if motorists will know how the cycle aspect works with having to give way," he said. "But I do think it's a good initiative and hopefully more people will cycle to work like I do". Others were more critical, with one who preferred to remain unnamed calling the project 'a complete waste of money' and noting the lack of pedestrian and cyclist traffic in the area. They added: "There are no pedestrians up this way really to give way to. There are more important things to worry about like homeless people. There was nothing wrong with the old roundabout". Local Lib Dem councillor Adrian England, an avid cyclist, reported feeling 'perfectly safe' on the new roundabout, but stressed the importance of vigilance for all users: "With anything new – especially when you're a cyclist and all you've got is your helmet – you need to look after yourself. I felt perfectly safe today and I've come up along the cycleway". Stephen Giles-Medhurst, executive member for Highways from Hertfordshire County Council also expressed optimism, saying: "We hope to encourage more people to cycle or walk to their places of employment. It's safer, as the pedestrian crossings and cycle paths go all the way around it. "I had a go on a bike this morning and it will take a little bit of getting used to. Vehicles are slowing down, maybe because it's new, but I didn't have any near misses. You can't engineer out someone being stupid". Funded by Active Travel England, the roundabout reflects a broader push for sustainable transport and fairer road usage for all. As more Dutch-style roundabouts appear across the UK, Hemel Hempstead's latest addition will serve as another test case for the future of inclusive road design in the UK.
Daily Record
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
New roundabout opens in UK as locals get 3-minute video in how to use it
The £2m roundabout features a two-way segregated cycle track, a 3m wide footway, and a central island A 'Dutch-style' roundabout that comes with a comprehensive three-minute tutorial video has been opened in an English town, sparking debate among locals. The £2m construction in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire is now open for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Users of the innovative junction are instructed to yield to pedestrians first, followed by cyclists, before giving way to other vehicles, reports Bristol Live.. Local David Coulson, 65, expressed his concerns, saying: "I wouldn't be surprised if people got killed or injured on it. I also can't believe they spent this much money. It's right off the M1 - you're not going to get many pushbikes coming off there." He added: "I drive but I also take a walk up here. I don't see much other footfall than myself. I think they've done it because we've also got the Magic Roundabout and now they can say we've got both. At least it's colourful." Finance manager Fred Theron, 52, commutes by bike during warmer months from Luton and has reservations about driver awareness. He said: "I'm not sure if motorists will know how the cycle aspect works with having to give way. But I do think it's a good initiative and hopefully more people will cycle to work like I do." One sceptical local who chose to remain anonymous criticised the project as 'a complete waste of money', saying: "There are no pedestrians up this way really to give way to. There's more important things to worry about like homeless people. There was nothing wrong with the old roundabout." Local councillor Adrian England took the new Dutch-style roundabout in Hemel Hempstead for a spin. He said: "I cycle everywhere in Hemel Hempstead. With anything new - especially when you're a cyclist and all you've got is your helmet - you need to look after yourself. I felt perfectly safe today and I've come up along the cycle way." Stephen Giles-Medhurst of Hertfordshire County Council said: "We hope to encourage more people to cycle or walk to their places of employment. It's safer, as the pedestrian crossings and cycle path go all the way round it." Reflecting on his experience, he added: "I had a go on a bike this morning and it will take a little bit of getting used it. Vehicles are slowing down, maybe because it's new, but I didn't have any near misses. You can't engineer out someone being stupid." Local residents previously criticised the roundabout for its perceived complexity, leading Hertfordshire County Council to release an instructional CGI video. The video, lasting three minutes, educates cyclists to give way to pedestrians and stay alert of vehicles, despite having priority in their dedicated cycle track. It furthermore outlines the rule requiring cars and lorries to give way to cyclists and pedestrians both when entering and exiting the roundabout. Funding for the roundabout was provided by Active Travel England, the government's agency tasked with fostering walking, cycling and wheeling. At present, there are three Dutch-style roundabouts in use across the UK. The first was launched in Cambridge in 2020, succeeded by another in Sheffield in December 2024, and the most recent one began operation in Chichester in February 2025.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I tried the UK's newest 'Dutch' roundabout - was it really as confusing as some claim?
It was raining when I took a purple bike and helmet (borrowed from a friend) to the opening of a new £2m, "Dutch-style" roundabout built on an industrial estate in Hemel Hempstead. I had not ridden a bike since I was about 10 years old, so it was a little daunting to put myself in front of traffic on a new road layout. Cyclists similarly inexperienced might also be feel uncertain by the unfamiliar array of black, green, red and white road markings. The roundabout is funded by Active Travel England and the basic premise is that cars and lorries must give way to both cyclists and pedestrians - while cyclists must give way to pedestrians. The layout is markedly different to other roundabouts, which has prompted some criticism they are "confusing". So I had made sure to watch the three-minute CGI explainer video the local council created to help uncertain road users like me. The video warned me to keep an eye out for oncoming cars, despite having priority on my segregated cycle track. The roundabout joins three other Dutch-style ones in operation around the UK - in Cambridge, Sheffield and Chichester. They were first introduced in the Netherlands in the early 1980s and were declared the 'Holy Grail' of traffic safety, according to Dutch News. The country is famed for its cycling culture and infrastructure and, according to Urban Cycling Institute, invests €595m each year in infrastructure linked to bicycles. Since then they also become increasingly common in France, especially Paris, and have no headed over to the Channel. In the UK, council leaders say they will help make life easier for those wanting to cross these roundabouts on foot and on bike, while also helping to manage the speed and flow of traffic. The previous Conservative government cut England's cycling and walking budget by £380m in March 2023, according to Bike Radar - though the current government now announced a £291m funding package this year to create 300 miles of new footpaths and cycle tracks in a sign of the shifting momentum towards pro-cyclist transport. Nonetheless - the approach continues to receive a mixed response. In the UK, campaigners have raised concerns over people being confused by the road markings, and who has right of way, with the BBC reporting that Cambridge's Dutch-style roundabout has seen more collisions in the three years since it was built. And even in the Netherlands, concerns remain about accidents at the supposedly cycle-friendly roundabouts. Road safety advocacy group VVN pointed to research that showed 22.3% of roundabouts in the Netherlands had one or more bicycle accidents, 786 of which were the scene of serious incidents, Dutch News reports. But what's it like tackling the newly minted version on Boundary in Hertfordshire, some 30 miles north-west of London? The video warned me to keep an eye out for oncoming cars, despite having priority on my segregated cycle track. So, how easy is this to follow in practice? After a few false starts, I was off across the brightly coloured green cycle lane - which made it very easy to see where I was going. As I made my way onto the roundabout, a man zipping around it on an e-bike did look a little startled by the new configuration and shouted "it's a bit confusing" at me. The roundabout wasn't too busy when I cycled around it with a few cars and lorries who slowed down when they saw me coming. There were one or two lorries who put their foot down when they saw me on the approach - probably thinking they had the element of speed on their side to out-race me. It seemed that many of them were not too sure about the new road lay-out and being cautious of a young woman in high-vis teetering about. With my own cycle lane, it did feel a bit disorientating to be on the look-out for cars - even though I knew I had priority. But, with no pedestrians on a zebra crossing, a driver who is not familiar with Dutch-style roundabouts may believe they have a right of way – cyclist or not. Deciding not to risk it, I was quite wary of how fast I was going while constantly scanning the area ahead. One of the criticisms in Hemel Hempstead has been the location of the roundabout in an industrial estate not from the M1 turn-off and there didn't seem to be many pedestrians (or cyclists) using the snazzy roundabout when Yahoo News was giving it a test run. Even for an inexperienced cyclist like me, roundabouts like these that give priority to cyclists can ultimately only be a good thing - it quickly began to feel like second-nature and knowing motorists were slowing down ahead of time helped instil a bit more confidence. I can only imagine a more experience cyclist will be overjoyed at knowing they have their own designated lane and the traffic stopping especially for them. But putting one of these roundabouts in a location serving mainly delivery drivers in lorries... well, it does seem like it could have gone elsewhere. But what do some of the locals we met feel about it? David Coulson, 65, who regularly drives across the roundabout, told us he "couldn't believe" the cost of the works. "I wouldn't be surprised if people got killed or injured on it," he said. "I also can't believe they spent this much money. It's right off the M1 - you're not going to get many pushbikes coming off there. "I drive but I also take a walk up here. I don't see much other footfall than myself," said Coulson, originally from New Zealand. "At least it's colourful." Finance manager Fred Theron, 52, works close to the new roundabout and cycles to work from Luton in the summer. He said: "The roundabout before was more dangerous because there are a lot of trucks using the it. "Cycling, you'd have to be in the road coming from Boundary Way and that wasn't the best. Now it's going to take a bit longer having to the cycle around the whole ring but it will be safer." Theron said it would take time for motorists to get used to the new road layout, adding: "Here, when I was walking across, there was a truck coming and I wasn't sure if he was going to stop. "I'm not sure if motorists will know how the cycle aspect works with having to give way. But I do think it's a good initiative and hopefully more people will cycle to work like I do." Lib Dem councillor Adrian England, said he felt "perfectly safe" testing out the roundabout following its opening on Tuesday. "With anything new - especially when you're a cyclist and all you've got is your helmet - you need to look after yourself," he said. Meanwhile Stephen Giles-Medhurst, the executive member for Highways from Herts County Council, said he had a go on a bike and acknowledged it would take "a little bit of getting used to". "We hope to encourage more people to cycle or walk to their places of employment," Giles-Medhurst said. "It's safer, as the pedestrian crossings and cycle path go all the way round it. Vehicles are slowing down, maybe because it's new, but I didn't have any near misses. You can't engineer out someone being stupid."Read more Family pays tribute to cyclist killed in collision by Wiltshire driver (Wiltshire Times) Scared of cycling in London? Here's how to do it safely (The London Standard) World Bicycle Day: How Rome is urging more people to ditch their cars and cycle (Euronews) Click below to see the latest South and South East headlines
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
New roundabout has three-minute video to explain how to drive through it – but can you figure out how it works?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEW £2 million roundabout has a three-minute-long video explaining how to use it - can you figure it out? The Dutch-style roundabout in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, is set to welcome motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on June 6. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A new £2 million roundabout has a three-minute-long video explaining how to use it Credit: Getty 5 The system prioritises cyclists which has sparked controversy Credit: Getty 5 The tutorial reveals how cyclists must give way to pedestrians and 'keep attentive' for cars Credit: YouTube / Hertfordshire County Council But the controversial project, which prioritises cyclists, has been slammed by locals. It comes after plans for the UK's first Dutch-style roundabout were originally blasted by drivers, who called it a cyclist "killing zone". Cyclists have an outer ring on the new roundabout, with cycle crossings over each of the four approach roads in a contrasting red surface. It also features zebra crossings over each approach road for pedestrians. Read More STREETS AHEAD Inside tiny UK village where cars are BANNED & donkeys make deliveries Motorists must also give way to pedestrians and to cyclists when joining and leaving the roundabout. Reduced lane widths on the roundabout and at exit and entry points are designed to encourage drivers to slow down. As reported by the Telegraph, the upcoming Hemel Hamstead has been dubbed Britain's 'most woke' roundabout. In light of a new three-minute video released by Hertfordshire county council, to explain the system, residents have branded it "complicated' and 'confusing'. The tutorial reveals how cyclists must give way to pedestrians and 'keep attentive' for cars – despite having priority on a separate cycle track. Cars and lorries must also give way to both cyclists and pedestrians when joining or leaving the roundabout. One fuming nearby resident commented: "For cyclists heading to, or coming off of, the M1, this is money well spent.' Another added: 'That's going to be carnage at rush hour. Literally eyes needed everywhere. "Assuming anyone uses it. I don't like the idea of braking when exiting the roundabout to give way to pedestrians." Others claimed it was a 'disaster waiting to happen' and highlighted a similar roundabout in Cambridge that opened in 2020. It is one of only three Dutch-style roundabouts in the UK, with two others located in Sheffield and Chichester. A scathing local said: 'There was a perfectly usable roundabout already there. Now they've pimped it up at great cost – what a joke.' The roundabout was funded by Active Travel England, the Government's executive agency for promoting walking, wheeling and cycling. Mark Doran, executive director of growth and environment at the council, added: "Hemel residents are no strangers to an innovative roundabout, so we're pleased that work on Boundary Way is nearing completion, on time. "We're keen to support our residents in becoming familiar with the layout so that everyday journeys are as smooth and safe as possible." This comes after we reported how the UK's first Dutch-style roundabout had increased the number of accidents, according to figures. Ten crashes - three serious - were reported across three years after the £2.3 million Fendon Road roundabout was installed in 2020. The accidents involved eight cyclists and two pedestrians being struck by a car, according to figures obtained by the BBC. That's six more than the four minor accidents recorded in the three years before the Cambridge layout was wheeled out. The system gives priority to cyclists thanks to a bright red outer ring lane and gives bikes their own level crossings. Motorists must wait for cyclists - and pedestrians - to enter and exit before manoeuvring around the roundabout. It means vehicles are made to give way twice while travelling through the pedal-friendly system. The roundabout was popularised in the bike-loving Netherlands and came about in Cambridge after locals demanded better cycle and pedestrian facilities. But within a few days of its opening in 2020, it had to close temporarily after a hit-and-run driver crashed into a zebra crossing beacon. And to this day, the system still divides opinion. 5 It also features zebra crossings over each approach road for pedestrians Credit: PA
