Swindon's notorious Magic Roundabout is the work of the devil, according to one disgruntled driver.
The six mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle provide access to Fleming Way, County Road, Drove Road, Queens Drive, and the residential Shrivenham Road, and have done so for just over 50 years.
In 2009, it was voted the country's fourth scariest junction.
It has attracted global media attention, with TV shows and celebrities taking an interest.
Although Americans are fascinated with the arrangement of 'traffic circles', the roundabout is seemingly less 'magical' to others.
The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, UK was constructed in 1972 and is a ring junction consisting of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle around a sixth, central circle. Here is how it works: https://t.co/VXeHzgBEEfpic.twitter.com/31an2qxmQ1
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 3, 2023
"Satan himself designed this"
One angry driver complained about it on Tripadvisor: "Driving home after being diverted off the M4 twice at midnight, this monstrosity is one way to slap yourself silly. Totally confused me and the Tesco lorry driver. Satan himself designed this."
And he wasn't the only one that had an issue with it.
Another user said: "I came across this in the dark one night.. when I first saw the route on my sat-nav I thought the app was broken, giving me foreign inverted directions around a roundabout. It had been raining and it was very dark, the road markings were very difficult to see.
"This needs redesigning, the experiment has been attempted.. and one large regular roundabout works better, end of the case study. One large roundabout perhaps with a shrine to this old puzzle junction in the middle as a remembrance."
And just like that, Prince William has left Swindon (I hope he took the magic roundabout home).
— Sarah Dalton (@sarahjanesname) September 29, 2023
In case you missed it, you can recap the whole royal visit and see all the photos on my live blog here✍️👑https://t.co/LIhNIFkMcO
Last year the roundabout celebrated its 50th anniversary.
A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: "The roundabout has been used by millions of people and has gained notoriety across the globe.
"It fills some people with dread, some with peace, and some with downright confusion but that’s what makes it magic.
"While it may seem like a ridiculous piece of road infrastructure, Swindon wouldn’t be Swindon without its Magic Roundabout."
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