The large Black Cat blends into the distance when viewed from the side as its silhouette design permits but to most passing motorists it is there standing proud!
Wikipedia describes this famous landmark:
'Black Cat Roundabout is the name of the roundabout on the junction between the A1 and A428 Bedford road just south of St Neots. It was reconstructed in 2005-6 as part of the Great Barford bypass works to allow access to the new dual carriageway bypass.
It takes its name from the garage and car repair workshop which opened in the 1920s at the junction called the Black Cat Garage. In later years the garage was converted to a night club, and then a restaurant, before becoming derelict for many years. In the 80's the current large covered petrol station was opened on the site.
A metal black cat sign was installed on the roundabout in January 2004, taking its shape from the cat on the original garage clock tower. During construction of the Great Barford bypass the black cat was temporarily relocated to the construction site office, before being returned to the roundabout upon completion in 2006. However, this sign has been stolen as of the summer of 2007. On 12 August 2008 it was announced that a replacement Black Cat had been installed on the roundabout.
In April 2009, the original sign was returned (albeit to a different location), accompanied by a note saying it had been found in a ditch.
The roundabout can regularly be heard being referred to on traffic reports due to the major traffic jams it causes on the A1.'
This interesting story appears on the following website:
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'The Black Cat returns!
Back in 2007, mystery surrounded the disappearance of the famous Black Cat on the A1 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire. No-one knows for sure where the metal moggy went, but the good news is it's back!
Over the years the black cat, familiar to thousands of motorists as they travel on the Bedfordshire stretch of the A1, has been dressed with scarves, hats and even been painted different colours.
When the A421 Bedford southern bypass was opened a new version of the cat was installed on the roundabout. But over the summer of 2007 it disappeared, leaving just the two metal spikes on which it was standing.
Jack Pike made the original Black Cat, and has been instrumental in making sure that the famous landmark hasn't strayed for good.
Jack told the BBC:
"The design of the new cat is exactly the same as before, the design was from the original black cat painted on the side of the junction of the Bedford Road with the A1 back in the 1920's."
This time, the Highways Agency agreed to make a few changes to the design. The new cat is now sited in the middle of the roundabout and secondly, the 2008 black cat is much bigger than previous moggies, standing around 3 metres tall.
"Hopefully, the new cat is much less likely to disappear from the roundabout. It's certainly too big now for one person to be able to carry it away and it's obviously situated on a very busy road as well" explained Jack.
Local residents will also be doing their best to make sure the cat stays put this time…
"We will be keeping an eye on it and try our best to make sure that this cat stays on the roundabout" said Jack.
Jack summed it up perfectly when he told us:
"It’s known to everyone as the Black Cat Roundabout – and so it needs a black cat on it!'
In the meantime the original Black Cat returned as is described here:
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'A cat sculpture which went missing from a Bedfordshire roundabout in 2007 has reappeared on a different roundabout with a note.
The black cat was originally on the Black Cat Roundabout on the A421 junction with the A1.
It went missing in June 2007 but has now appeared on the G&M Growers roundabout near Upper Caldecote.
Attached to the cat is a note saying: "I was catnapped a long time ago by some nasty people."
It continues: "Some nice people found me in a ditch and got me this far".
The note is signed BC with a small paw print.
So far it is not clear where it went or how it was returned.'