Buckinghamshire Area Guide

Why live here?

Beautiful countryside, pretty Chiltern villages, farmhouses, grand country houses and proximity to London make Buckinghamshire a popular county.

The most popular towns are well-known for their restaurants and bistros, and these are complemented with historic gastro pubs and traditional inns throughout the villages. For those wishing a quieter life, pretty villages in the Chiltern hills are close at hand, many adjoining open countryside offering delightful views and numerous walks and rides.

History

King’s perogative
William the Conquerer took over most of the manors in Buckinghamshire for his family's personal use. Many of the ancient woodland areas became the king's property for hunting purposes.

Henry’s favours
Henry VIII took almost a third of the county as personal property during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, making Aylesbury the county town instead of Buckingham to please Thomas Boleyn in the hope of marrying his daughter Anne.

The people’s parliamentarian
During the English Civil War, Buckinghamshire was mostly Parliamentarian, with “the people's hero”, John Hampden, being from the county. There was constant conflict between Aylesbury and Royalist Oxford, and some villages to the west of the county were largely destroyed.

The seat of industry
The Industrial Revolution was a new era for the industries in Buckinghamshire. High Wycombe became chair-making capital of the world.

The famous
Buckinghamshire has had many famous inhabitants and visitors, perhaps the most notable being Oliver Cromwell, William Penn, Sir Francis Dashwood, Florence Nightingale, Benjamin Disraeli, the Rothschilds, Sir John Mills and Sir Steve Redgrave who resides here still. Buckinghamshire has also had many literary connections with, most notably, John Milton, Mary Shelley, T. S. Eliot, Roald Dahl, Kenneth Grahame and Enid Blyton.

Film and TV
Buckinghamshire also has many film connections, including Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves having parts filmed in Burnham Beeches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in High Wycombe and Bridget Jones’s Diary in Stoke Park Club. Television programmes also frequent the area with Inspector Morse and the Vicar of Dibley having filmed in the area, and Midsomer Murders who frequently still do.

Property type
Sought after properties in Buckinghamshire range from larger town houses with good access to train stations to pretty, period country cottages with beautiful views and larger manor houses.

Places of interest

A multitude of historic houses are in Buckinghamshire, including Rothchild’s Waddesdon Manor, Benjamin Disraeli's home at Hughenden Manor, the 13th century Chenies Manor and the stunning Cliveden Gardens.

Buckinghamshire is also one of the counties with the highest number of National Trust properties open to the public.

Other popular places to visit are the award-winning Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, stunning landscape gardens at Stowe, Bekonscot model village in Beaconsfield and the Chiltern Open Air Museum in Chalfont St Giles.

Getting to Buckinghamshire

Roads:

The county of Buckinghamshire is bordered to the north-east by the M1 and to the south by the M40. The M25 passes through the eastern edge of the county, providing easy access to London Heathrow.

Rail:

The Chiltern line runs through the county, providing services into London Marylebone from Denham, Gerrards Cross, Seer Green, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough.

Chiltern Railways: 08456 005 165
Services from London Marylebone to Amersham, Great Missenden & Wendover, Seer Green, Jordans, Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Haddenham & Thames Parkway

First Great Western: 08457 000 125
Services from London Paddington to Bourne End and Marlow (via Maidenhead)

London Midland: 0845 602 4277
Services to Cheddington and Milton Keynes

London Underground:

Amersham and Chesham have tube stations which provide a link to Baker Street on the Metropolitan Line.

Airports:
Heathrow

Buckinghamshire Local councils:

Aylesbury Vale District Council
High Street Office,
Customer Service Centre,
66 High Street,
Aylesbury
HP20 1SE
01296 585858

Friars Square Office,
4 Great Western Street,
Aylesbury
HP20 2TW
01296 585858

Chiltern District Council
Council Offices,
King George V Road,
Amersham
HP6 5AW
01494 729000

South Bucks District Council
Capswood Oxford Road,
Denham
UB9 4LH
01753 53333

Wycombe District Council
Queen Victoria Road,
High Wycombe
HP11 1BB
01494 461000

Where to go out in Buckinghamshire

Cliveden
Hotel, spa and restaurant
Taplow
Berkshire
SL6 0JF
Tel: 01628 668561
Fax: 01628 661837
Email: info@clivedenhouse.co.uk

The Sir Charles Napier
Award winning restaurant
Sprigg's Alley
Chinnor
Oxon
OX39 4BX
Tel: 01494 483011
Fax: 01494 485311

Stoke Park club
Country club and hotel
Park Road
Stoke Poges
Buckinghamshire
SL2 4PG
Tel: 01753 717171
Fax: 01753 717181
Email: info@stokeparkclub.com

Wycombe Swan
Theatre and Town Hall
St Mary Street
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2XE
Tel: 01494 512000
Fax: 01494 538080
Email: sales@wycombeswan.co.uk

Hartwell House
Hotel, Restaurant and Spa
Oxford Road
Nr Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP17 8NR
Tel: 01296 747444
Fax: 01296 747450

The Royal Standard of England
England’s oldest freehouse Forty Green
Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire
HP9 1XT
Tel: 01494 673382
Email: theoldestpub@btconnect.com

Schools in Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire is renowned for its schooling; the area offering a selection of both state and independent schools for children of all ages.
Grammar Schools Beaconsfield High School, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 1RR 01494 673043	Dr Challoners Grammar School for boys, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP6 5HA 01494 787500	Dr Challoners High School for girls, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP7 9QB 01494 763296
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP13 6QT 01494 524955	Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2BR 01628 816500	Aylesbury High School, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 7SX 01296 415237
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 8PE 01296 424781	John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 1SZ 01494 529589
Preparatory Schools Davenies Preparatory School, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 1AA 01494 685400	Pipers Corner School, Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire 01494 718255	Caldicott School, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire SL2 3SL 01753 649301
Dair House, Beaconsfield Road, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire SL2 3BY 01753 643964	Gayhurst School, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire SL9 8RJ 01753 882690