Things to See and Do in Buckinghamshire

Enjoy the delights of Buckinghamshire, a county over 50 miles in length
but just 10 miles wide at its narrowest point, set right in the heart of rural England.

Buckingham: Old market town with weekly market and a monthly farmers market, local pubs, restaurants, sports centre and swimming pool. Golf club nearby.
Old Gaol Museum, situated in the centre which carries information about local history & has audio visual capabilities. All set within the Gothic Gaol which was rebuilt in 1839, a tourist information centre is also housed within its confines. Tel: 01280 823020 Thornborough, off A421 east, has a marked walk 4.5 miles

For excitement look no further than Xscape Ski dome in Central Milton Keynes, Europe's largest indoor skiing complex, or Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit. And for World War 2 enthusiasts the famous Bletchley Park museum home to the Enigma machine.

Buckinghamshire is one of the loveliest of the Home Counties - some say the loveliest.
Its Chiltern hills and beechwoods, beautiful River Thames and the rolling acres of Aylesbury Vale make it a place for visitors to enjoy.

Lovers of historic houses are spoilt for choice, information follows:

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is perhaps Britains best kept secret during the war period of 1939 to 1945, it is home to the now famous Enigma machines & housed an army of military personel from all parts of the British Isles.

Encrypted German military & diplomatic traffic that was transmitted by radio during the 1939-1945 period found its way to Bletchley Park where it was decrypted and in some cases new orders were dispatched by Bletchely park to German High Command as 'real' orders.
The high-level intelligence that resulted from the decrypted intercepts was codenamed ULTRA and was a very closely guarded secret by the Allies.

Bletchley Park Ltd
The Mansion
Bletchley Park
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK3 6EB
Telephone: +44 (0) 1908 640404
Bletchley Shop: +44 (0) 1908 272671

Stowe Gardens & House

One of the first and foremost of the great English landscape gardens

Discover a garden full of mystery and hidden meanings
Explore over 40 monuments, temples and secret corners
Experience the breathtaking beauty of ornamental lakes, wooded valleys and spectacular views
Enjoy miles of walks and trails through the gardens and surrounding parkland

Waddesdon Manor.

Built for the Rothschilds in the late 19th century
World-renowned collection of French furniture, paintings and decorative arts
An extraordinary testimony to Victorian taste, technology and wealth
Landscaped park with shady walks, beautiful panoramas, fountains and grottoes
Vast rococo-style aviary, housing colourful exotic birds
Shop selling a unique range of gifts and the full range of Rothschild wines

Contact details
01296 653211 (Infoline)
01296 653226
01296 658586 (Plant sales)
01296 653242 (Restaurant)
Fax: 01296 653212
Email: waddesdonmanor@nationaltrust.org.uk

Hughenden Manor

The home of Benjamin Disraeli, Queen Victoria's favourite prime minister
Fascinating memorabilia, personal belongings, furnishings and paintings
Recreation of the colourful gardens designed by Disraeli's wife Mary Anne
Attractive riverside, park and woodland trails
Stunning views over unspoilt Chilterns countryside
Tracker Packs bring history to life for children

Contact details
01494 755565 (Infoline)
01494 755573
01494 755577 (Learning)
01494 755575 (Shop)
01494 755576 (Restaurant)
Fax: 01494 474284
Email: hughenden@nationaltrust.org.uk

Cheynes Manor

This Grade I Listed Building, known formerly as Chenies Palace, was owned by the Cheyne family who were granted the manorial rights in 1180.
The manor remained in their possession until the end of the 15th Century. The semi-fortified brick manor house which forms the core of the present day structure was built by Sir John Cheyne in approximately 1460.
Both Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I visited the house on numerous occasions accompanied by their Courts.

The original manor house was extended in the 16th century by John Russell, later 1st Earl of Bedford, to whom the property passed through marriage.

In 1627, the 4th Earl of Bedford relocated the principal family seat from Chenies to Woburn Abbey.

Cliveden Gardens

Magnificent formal gardens overlooking the River Thames, once the exclusive haunt of the rich and famous
Stunning series of formal gardens, each with its own style and character
Celebrated parterre and magnificent Italianate mansion (now let as a private hotel)
Outstanding collection of sculpture and statues from the ancient and modern world
Spectacular views and enchanting walks through woodland and along the least spoilt stretch of the River Thames
Once the glittering hub of high society, home to the 'fabulous Astors' and infamously associated with the 'Profumo Affair'

Contact details
01494 755562 (Infoline)
01628 605069
01628 665946 (Shop)
01628 661406 (Restaurant)
Fax: 01628 669461
Email: cliveden@nationaltrust.org.uk

On the Trail of Midsomer Murders

Those Midsomer murderers are at it again! Series Ten of ITV's tongue-in-cheek country classic catches yet more victims napping in sleepy villages whose Old English beauty looks too good to be true.

Filming with John Nettles.

Plots may be fantastic, but the idyllic settings of Midsomer Mallow or Magna, Wellow or Worthy are delightfully real.

The key locations that enthral viewers around the world are hidden away in Buckinghamshire's rural Vale of Aylesbury and Chiltern Hills, within easy reach of Pinewood Studios where the production team makes its base.

In true Midsomer Murders tradition, these seemingly peaceful villages with their hallmark village greens, old-world cottages, cosy pubs and jolly summer fetes conceal more than meets the eye. The following list visits a selection of them, unmasking such quirky characters as a hedgehog hospital and a duck decoy, England's oldest freehouse, the model for Enid Blyton's Toy Town or the secret resting place of a notorious spy.
Aylesbury
Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Bledlow
Brill
Chearsley
Chenies
Chesham
Cuddington
Dinton
Forty Green
Great Missenden
Haddenham
Hambleden
Little Marlow
Long Crendon
Little Missenden
Old Amersham
Penn and Penn Street
Turville
The Lee
Waddesdon Manor

Famous Buckinghamshire Inhabitants

John Hampden (1594-1643)"Championed the rights of the common people of England against the tyranical rule of King Charles I"

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)"Lord Protector of England"

William Penn (1644-1718)"A Quaker who went to America & founded the state of Pennsylvania"

Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-1781) "Sir Francis Dashwood was the eccentric & contraversial aristocrat who founded the infamous and debaucherous Hell Fire Club"

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)"The 'Lady of the Lamp' was famed for her nursing in the Crimean War"

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)"Queen Victoria's favourite Prime Minister"

Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839–1898)"An English politician & art collector, a member of the prominent Rothschild family of bankers"

Sir John Mills (1908-2005) "Sir John Mills, the highly regarded and much loved actor"

Sir Steve Redgrave (1962-)"World famous Olympian rower, who holds 5 gold medals from 5 successive Olympic Games"

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