

Google UK town that only exists online - RichClaxton
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6474746/Mystery-of-Argleton-the-Google-town-that-only-exists-online.html

======
kogus
Maybe it is a town that used to exist, but does not anymore. Some map services
(i.e., Bing) report the location of "Census Designated Places" (obviously a US
term, but I'm sure there is a UK equivalent), some of which have not existed
for many years. Example: "Bartonsville" in this map
[http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP...](http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=36.475238~-76.954937&style=h&lvl=15&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1)

------
anigbrowl
_The data for the programme was provided by Dutch company Tele Atlas. A
spokesman said it would now wipe the non-existent town from the map._

I'm not sure this is a good idea. When we cross the AI event horizon our
silicon overlords will take bloody revenge for this orgy of digital
destruction.

Seriously though, this has all sorts of possibilities as a sci-fi plot device.
Even the name has a delicious sort of HP Lovecraft feel.

------
stilist
More generally, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_entry>

~~~
rglovejoy
And specifically, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblu_and_Beatosu>

------
RichClaxton
It seems that there is a “Dummy 1325” and “Dummy 1456

[http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Dummy1456,+Burton+up...](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Dummy1456,+Burton+upon+Trent,+Staffordshire+DE15+9,+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FS9sJQMduFfn_w&split=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hq=&hnear=Dummy1456,+Burton+upon+Trent,+Staffordshire,+United+Kingdom&z=14)

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dummy1325,+Rufford,+Lancashire,+UK&sll=52.784175,-1.615944&sspn=0.021803,0.068922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dummy1325,+Rufford,+Lancashire,+United+Kingdom&z=14)

------
MaysonL
Interesting blog post about visiting "Argleton":
[http://walkinghometo50.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/destination-...](http://walkinghometo50.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/destination-
argleton-visiting-an-imaginary-place/)

------
Tichy
"When Mr Bayfield reached Argleton – which appears on Google Maps between
Aughton and Aughton Park – he found just acres of green, empty fields."

Did he try midnight on a full moon?

------
NathanKP
I agree with the theory that the town was added as a trap to catch people who
are harvesting data off the maps. Either that or it was a practical joke by
some Google developer.

------
yellowbkpk
This is a way for map data providers to prove that someone is using their
data. TeleAtlas can do a search for the city and if it is found on some random
map data site, they can check to make sure that they have a license to use
that data.

------
zandorg
But Google street view would have shown empty fields!

~~~
jtbarrett
No street view, but the satellite images match the allegedly non-existant
streets shown in the article's screenshot. Curious.

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=argleton+L39,+UK&sll=40.112676,-88.235144&sspn=0.009026,0.019205&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Argleton,+Lancashire+L39+5,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.550724,-2.906957&spn=0.007012,0.02738&t=h&z=16)

~~~
NikkiA
Actually, no, the area where your red marker is, is 'Aughton Park', Argleton
is listed as being between Aughton and Aughton Park, as seen here:

<http://imgur.com/1a12H.png>

And thus google satellite view confirms it's just empty fields...

Edit: a slightly zoomed out google maps view will show the area with the
labels a little better, like this:

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=argleton+L39,+UK&sll=40.112676,-88.235144&sspn=0.009026,0.019205&ie=UTF8&t=h&hq=&hnear=Argleton,+Lancashire+L39+5,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.543317,-2.907171&spn=0.038557,0.074759&z=14)

2nd Edit:

It's _possible_ that this is all a misunderstanding, and not a 'fake entry',
there is a farm directly under the area called 'Argleton', and it wouldn't be
a first time for a farm to have it's own postal code, and then the name of the
farm being assigned to the postcode. Thus that farm MAY be 'Argleton Farm' or
such, and google picked up on it thinking it was a town name.

I've known of 3 cases of this happening in my (limited) wandering around the
UK during my life, although those cases were on OS maps, not google maps.

~~~
jtbarrett
Oh, that's a pretty small area then. When I saw the map in the article I
thought that the suggestion was that all those roads were non-existant. If
it's just a blank area of map with a stray label then it's a lot less
interesting, but makes a whole lot more sense of course. Thanks for the info.

------
radioactive21
my imaginary friend came from Argleton. He says it's a great little town, he
also mention it was hard to spot it.

