Buckingham
Old Building in Buckingham Town Centre © TAB
A pleasant little market town that retains much of its old world charm. The town centre has a number of specialist shops, restaurants and a regular Tuesday and Saturday market.
Although no longer a county town, Buckingham's setting in a loop of the River Ouse and surrounded by rich farmland, has ensured it is still the market and business centre for a wide agricultural area. Alfred the Great awarded Buckingham its shire town status in 888 but a great fire destroyed much of the town in 1725, so the county government was transferred to Aylesbury. Rebuilding after the fire of gave the town a predominantly Georgian look.
Very
few earlier buildings survive, apart from a 12th-century
chantry chapel (shown left), rebuilt in 1475 as the
Royal Latin School and now operated as a second-hand
book shop by the National Trust. Its most notable feature
is its beautifully carved Norman doorway.
The River Great Ouse slowly winds its way through the town. A pleasant riverside walk can be found just to the east of the main high street, which follows a green circular route through Chandos Park and the Heartlands meadow area.
A branch of the Grand Union canal once also ran to the northeast but sadly this was closed in the 1960s. However the Buckingham Canal Society are currently working on restoring it. The canal's former towpath now forms part of the Ouse Valley Way at Bourton Meadow.
Tourist Information Centre: |
Market Hill, Buckingham, MK18 1JX - Tel: 01280 823020 |
What to see in Buckingham
Old Gaol Museum
Dominating the Market Hill is the Old Gaol, built in 1748 on the site of a previous Norman building, and in the style of a medieval stone castle. It now houses a museum which records the history of Buckingham, its rural life and the military heritage of Buckinghamshire.
Owned and managed by Buckingham Heritage Trust.
Opening times:
Admission Charge
Location: Market Hill, Buckingham, MK18 1JX - Tel: 01280 823020
Map of Buckingham
South East England
