Buckinghamshire

Towns & Villages

AMERSHAM

Elephant and Castle Pub, Amersham - Photo: Jack Hill CCL

With a coterie of thatched cottages, Georgian houses and ancient inns lining the High Street, Amersham lies in the Chiltern Hills and dates from pre-Saxon times. A local museum housed in a 15th century half-timbered building has a number of intriguing fossils and archaeological finds, including Roman and medieval objects. A monument in the town also commemorates the so-called Lollards, religious rebels who were burned at the stake in the 15th and 16th centuries. One of the town’s most famous sons Roger Moore, the ‘James Bond’ actor who was born here in 1927 and attended a local grammar school.

ASKETT

A small village near Princes Risborough, Askett lies close to the magnificent Chiltern Hills and is the kind of splendid English village which has managed to retain its traditional nature.

Great Kimble Church, near Askett - Photo: Stephen Daglish CCL

AYLESBURY

Aylesbury Church - Photo: MYM CCL

Although now a commuter town serving the London area, Aylesbury has ancient roots pre-dating the Saxon period and grew up around the busy trade route Akeman Street.
Lying north of the Chiltern Hills, it is Buckinghamshire’s county town and has many interesting old buildings, often separated by narrow Tudor alleyways. Among them is a Victorian clocktower and the King’s Head tavern, one of only two working pubs to be owned by the National Trust. The Prebendal House was home to the 18th century satirist John Wilkes, a local MP who was twice removed from the House of Commons for lambasting King George III.

The town’s square has a statue of John Hampden (1594-1643) who helped to spark the Civil War by angrily refusing to pay Charles l’s Ship Money tax. The local church dates to the 13th century and boasts a Norman tower.

There are many reasons to visit the town’s museum but the surrounding area should not be overlooked. Here are a number of true old-world villages as well as places that have appeared in the TV detective series ‘Midsomer Murders’.

Nether Winchendon House is a medieval/Tudor manor house with a superb garden. It was altered in the 18th century but still retains many older features. Boarstall Tower is a stone gatehouse dating to the 14th century. It has fine gardens surrounded by a moat. Nearby is Boarstall Duck Decoy dating from the 17th century.

Aylesbury Market Square - Photo: Steve Cook CCL

BEACONSFIELD

Bekonscot model village - Photo: Peter Roberts CCL

A top attraction here is the Bekonscot Miniature Village, which claims to be the oldest of its kind anywhere in the world.

The British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81), otherwise known as Earl of Beaconsfield, lived at Hughenden Manor, where he is buried. The political philosopher Edmund Burke was born in Beaconsfield in 1729 and is buried at the town’s restored 15th century church. The town was also the home to the writer GK Chesterton who lived on the outskirts at Top Meadow. More famous, perhaps, was the author Enid Blyton who lived at ‘Green Hedges’.

BUCKINGHAM

CASTLETHORPE

Carrington Arms, Castlethorpe - Photo: Richard Thomas CCL

Church of St Giles and St Jude - Photo: John Salmon CCL

CHALFONT ST GILES

Chalfont St. Giles Parish Church - Photo: Jack Hill CCL

This charming village with its duck pond, cottages and evocative main street will be recognised by anyone who watched the 1970s movie ‘Dad’s Army - the town was briefly transformed into fictional Warmington-on-Sea. It is, however, more famous as the place to which the poet John Milton fled from the plague of London in 1665. The half-timbered cottage where he lived for two years is open to the public. He completed his poem ‘Paradise Lost’ here and also penned the epic sequel, ‘Paradise Regained’. Several rooms are on show, including his kitchen and living room, as well as rare first editions of his works.

The ancient parish church was built in the 12th century and has unusual painted battlements dating from the 15th century. Its churchyard contains the burial places of circus pioneer Bertram Mills and William Penn, founder of the American colony of Pennsylvania.

Chiltern Open Air Museum houses historic buildings with the aim of explaining their original uses. It includes a blacksmith’s forge, barns and stables.

CLAYDONS

There are several neighbouring villages here which were all originally manors owned by the 2nd Earl of Verney. His mid-18th century house, Claydon House at Middle Claydon, is a fine mansion with a Chinese room and rococo staterooms, one of which contains the Florence Nightingale Museum. Florence was a sister of the then Lady Verney and often stayed at Claydon.

Middle Claydon House - Photo: MYM CCL

DINTON

Westlington Lane Cottages, Dinton - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

A picturesque village in the Vale of Aylesbury, Dinton is famous for nurturing a scholarly 17th century hermit named John Brigg who lived in a local cave. The story goes that he had been implicated in the execution of Charles l in 1649. One of his shoes – now in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford – was made from over 1,000 pieces of leather. He has no connection with a six-sided ‘castle’ built as a folly in the 18th century by Sir John van Hatten to contain his collection of fossils.

GERRARDS CROSS

With a reputation for being rather up-market, this 19th century town boasts a Byzantine-style church and was the birthplace of that most British of actors, Kenneth More.

St. James Church, Gerrards Cross - Photo: David Hagwood CCL

GREAT HAMPDEN

Lodge with clock, Pond House - Photo: David Hagwood CCL

With a 13th century church, this interesting village is steeped in history and played a part causing the English Civil War. Hampden House – now a school - was the home of John Hampden (1595-1643) who became notorious after refusing to pay the Ship Money tax imposed by Charles 1. He was later wounded while fighting for the Parliamentarians at Chalgrove Field and died at Thame. He is buried in Great Hampden’s churchyard.

GREAT MISSENDEN

This interesting village lies at the heart of the glorious Chiltern Hills and has become a pilgrim centre for lovers of the late children’s author Roald Dahl who lived at ‘Gipsy House’ until his death in 1990. He is buried at St Peter & St Pauls Church where his grave is often awash with flowers left by his young fans. His memory is also kept alive at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. Curiously, the village was home for a short time to another famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson. Nearby is Little Missenden and the remains of British and Roman settlements.

Great Missenden Abbey - Photo: James Allen CCL

HADDENHAM

Haddenham Pond - Photo: David Hagwood CCL

This pretty village with its green and traditional square is famous for producing the unique building material known as witchert; this consists of a chalky marl which is mixed with water and then straw to form a natural plaster.

HAMBLEDEN

Just three miles from Henley-on-Thames, this sizeable village has Saxon origins and was recorded in the 11th century Domesday Book. Its magnificent 14th century church was used as a backdrop in the children’s movie ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ written by James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming. It has been described as a ‘miniature cathedral’. Lord Cardigan - who led the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade - was born at the Manor House. The chest he took to the Crimean War is on show at the church. South of Hambleden lies the River Thames and 14th century Hambleden Mill which featured in Jerome K Jerome’s wry novel ‘Three Men in a Boat’.

Hambledon Mill - Photo: Rick Hall CCL

HARTWELL

Bugle Horn Pub at Hartwell - Photo: Pip Rolls CCL

This old Anglo-Saxon village near Aylesbury was mentioned in the Domesday Book and boasts a magnificent Jacobean mansion, Hartwell House, which is now a well-known hotel. The French king Louis XVlll lived here for four years during his exile. Nearby is the ruin of Hartwell church, designed in the late 18th century by Henry Keene. It is one of England’s most revered early Gothic Revival churches. It has an eight-sided centre and unusual twin towers.

HIGH WYCOMBE

Set in historic Castle Hill and surrounded by attractive gardens, Wycombe Museum offers a fascinating tour of this important area and pays homage to the region’s most famous industry, the manufacture of furniture. Busy and partly industrial, High Wycombe itself boasts an 18th century town hall, 17th century market house and a 13th century church. The mansion ‘Wycombe Abbey’ was built by James Wyatt in 1795. Nearby is Hughenden Manor, the modest Georgian retreat of the Victorian British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The property is now in the hands of the National Trust.

Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe - Photo: Christine Matthews CCL

LONG CRENDON

Long Crendon Court House - Photo: David Hagwood CCL

A pretty village standing on the banks of the River Thame - which is spanned by a beautiful four-arched bridge - Long Crendon has a remarkable history. The Courthouse was once owned by Henry Vlll and now belongs to the National Trust. Other historic buildings include the 15th century Manor House and 19th century Long Crendon Manor. Notley Abbey dates from the 15th century.

MARLOW

A delightful Thames-side village, Marlow has a number of important literary connections. Mary Wollstonecroft wrote the horror classic ‘Frankenstein’ while living at Albion House in West Street in 1817-18. Her husband, the poet Shelley, penned his ‘Revolt of Islam’ here at the same time. Another poet, TS Eliot, also lived in West Street for a short time after World War ll.

The oldest building is the Old Parsonage, which dates to the 14th century, and in the Church of St Peter is a mummified hand said to have belonged to St James the Apostle. At least one local hostelry, the Crown Hotel, was a regular haunt of the highwayman Dick Turpin.

Marlow Church and Bridge - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

MENTMORE

Mentmore Towers - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

Cottages line the old village green while the gates to beautiful Mentmore Towers peer out enticingly. The house is an exemplary slice of Victoriana and the finest surviving work of the man who built the Crystal Palace, Sir Joseph Paxton. Built from stone and boasting a glass roof, the astounding property was created in 1852 for Baron Meyer de Rothschild.

MILTON KEYNES

Until the late 1960s this was just a village but then fame was thrust upon it as it was transformed into one of Britain’s so-called new towns. The place to visit is ‘Station X’, one of the country’s most inspiring tourist attractions. It was here, at Bletchley Park in Old Bletchley, that Germany’s crucial war-time secrets were unravelled by ingenious British code-breakers. The intelligence (codenamed Ultra) probably shortened World War II.

Church of Christ the Corner Stone - Photo: Stuart and Fiona Jackson CCL

NEWPORT PAGNELL

Tickford Bridge, Newport Pagnell - Photo: Alan Simkins CCL

A modern staging post on the M1 motorway, Newport Pagnell was previously a staging post for old-fashioned horse-drawn coaches. The town has an iron-built bridge spanning the River Ouze while the fine 18th century house Chicheley Hall stands nearby. The Hall – owned by the National Trust – contains a naval museum.

OLNEY

This boot-making market town on the River Ouse is renowned for its Shrove Tuesday pancake race - a tradition that dates back to the 15th century.

In Orchard Side is the former home of the poet William Cowper (1731-1800), which has been turned into the Cowper & Newton Museum because it also celebrates the life of his slave trading friend, the Rev John Newton, composer of the song ‘Amazing Grace’. The displays include dinosaur bones. The Cowper Memorial Chapel dates from 1879.

The village entrance is a stone gateway built in 1700 while thatched cottages form a secondary greeting for visitors.

Olney High Street - Photo: John Winfield CCL

PENN

Holy Trinity Church, Penn - Photo: John Salmon CCL

This interesting village in the splendid Chiltern Hills has a special association with the United States - it was the birthplace of William Penn (1644-1718), the well-to-do English Quaker who went on to found the colony of Pennsylvania and create the basis of the American constitution. The local church dates back to the 14th century and has a ‘doom’ painting which only came to light in 1938 after it had been hidden in the roof.

PRINCES RISBOROUGH

Although this is an expanding area there are still a number of timbered and thatched cottages to be found in the centre of the town. The arcaded market house has a bizarre wooden cupola while 17th century Princes Risborough Manor House is owned by the National Trust and boasts a magnificent oak and a panelled drawing room.

Princes Risborough viewed from Whiteleaf Cross - Photo: The Dewdrops CCL

QUAINTON

Quainton Wind Mill - Photo: Jon S CCL

Picturesque and atmospheric, Quainton boasts a large village green, duck pond and an old windmill. It is adorned with evocative cottages and gabled almshouses. The local church dates to the 14th century. Quainton Hill is a 600 ft hill reputedly inhabited by fairies and goblins and on an old Roman road called Gipsy Lane is the grave of a gipsy king. Railway buffs flock to the town’s station where the local railway preservation society shows off its steam locos.

STOKENCHURCH

This attrative village lies in the Chiltern Hills and dates to Saxon times. The King's Arms Hotel was reputedly where Charles ll stayed with his mistress. The area is noted for the presence of rare red kites which were reintroduced by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds with the help of the American multi-millionaire Paul Getty who allowed them to use his Wormsley estate. Beacon Hill towers over the village while far below is Chiltern Gap on the M40 motorway.

Stokenchurch Methodist Church - Photo: Alan Nixon CCL

THAME

TINGEWICK

Tingewick Church - Photo: Andrew Smith CCL

The pretty village of Tingewick lies in the Vale of Aylesbury near Buckingham and was recorded in the 11th century Domesday Book.

WADDESDON

This 19th century village is famous for its magnificent manor house built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild over a period of 15 years to display his huge collection of art treasures. Set amid 160 acres of splendid parkland, it is in the style of a French chateau with curious turrets, domes and pinnacles. Now owned by the National Trust, it is an Aladdin’s Cave of paintings, porcelain, tapestries and furniture standing atop a 600ft hill. The gardens are sublime.

Waddesdon Manor - Photo: Pam Brophy CCL

WENDOVER

Coombe Hill Boer War Memorial, Wendover - Photo: Stephen Dawson CCL

A quaint old town, Wendover boasts a half-timbered tavern, the Red Lion, where Oliver Cromwell spent a night in 1642. Nearby Coombe Hill is one of highest points in the area and affords marvellous views over the Vale of Aylesbury. The ancient Icknfield Way crosses the area.

WEST WYCOMBE

West Wycombe Park was the magnificent home of the notorious Dashwood family. Sir Francis Dashwood was a leader of the scandalous Hell Fire Club, which dabbled with occult rituals, many of which were performed at nearby Medmenham Abbey.
The Palladian mansion is set in grounds landscaped by both ‘Capability’ Brown and Sir Humphrey Repton. Dashwood is buried in a mausoleum in a local hilltop church.

Nearby is Chequers, the 16th century retreat of British Prime Ministers since 1917. It was put into the hands of a trust set up by Lord Lee of Fareham. The property was built on the site of a 13th century residence owned by Lawrence de Saccario (meaning ‘chequer’).

West Wycombe House - Photo: Jurek and Trish Sienkiewicz CCL

WHADDON

St Mary's Church, Whaddon - Photo: Angella Streluk CCL

This village lies on the spot where Roman legions once camped. Later the area known as Whaddon Chase became a hunting ground for the kings of England.

WHITCHURCH (Bucks)

Situated within the rural surrounds of the Vale of Aylesbury, Whitchurch can boast numerous half-timbered buildings and thatched cottages as well as moat to 12th century Bolebec Castle.

Creslow Manor was built around the 13th century and is one of Buckinghamshire’s oldest houses. Nearby Creslow Great Field - a royal grazing area since Tudor times - is said to be the largest single pasture in Britain.

Market Hill, Whitchurch - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

WING

Ascott House, Wing - Photo: Peter Franklin CCL

The sumptuous mansion ‘Ascott’ is a half-timbered Jacobean farmhouse that was greatly altered and enlarged by the de Rothschild family in the 19th century. It contains a wealth of paintings, Oriental porcelain and English and French furniture. The village lies in the Vale of Aylesbury and has a Saxon church featuring an unusual galleried crypt.

WINSLOW

Set within an attractive garden, Winslow Hall was probably designed by Christopher Wren before he went on to design St Paul’s Cathedral. The original structure and interiors have been beautifully preserved.

The village has many thatched cottages with overhanging gables while two local pubs need special mention: The ‘George Inn’ has an intricately worked iron balcony while ‘The Bell’ is said to have been a haunt of the highway robber Dick Turpin.

St Lawrence Parish Church, Winslow - Photo: Nigel Cox CCL