A lock gate lies hidden in the woods of Buckingham Canal Nature Reserve; the town’s street market dates back to 1554. Buckingham combines tangible traces of its history with paths and parkland. If you’re looking for a hotel in Buckingham, you can first decide whether the market and museum or nature and walking trails will shape your stay.
Market and Local History
Buckingham Street Market takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays; check the dates before your trip. The street market has been part of Buckingham’s history since 1554. At Buckingham Old Gaol, visitors can explore the cells where poachers, drunkards and, occasionally, murderers were imprisoned. The registered museum housed there covers various aspects of Buckingham’s past, including its military history. This means the market brings together a long tradition, while the Old Gaol offers several historical themes.
Canal, Trails and Former Railway Line
The restored section of the Buckingham Canal follows the Ouse Valley Way walking trail. A lock gate is also hidden in the woods at Buckingham Canal Nature Reserve. The Buxplore app offers walking routes in Buckingham that highlight notable buildings and places where historical events took place. This gives it a different focus from the Railway Walk: the app marks historic destinations, while the Railway Walk follows a former railway line.
The Railway Walk runs in a straight line along the route of the former railway line and is about a mile long. There are ponds along the footpath, and it is also home to a variety of wildlife. At the end of the trail on Tingewick Road, you can leave the path and cross bridges and slopes to reach an orchard that you can explore. This route thus combines the former use of the railway line with the landscape features described. The Buckingham Circular Walk is another signposted option: it is clearly marked.
Rivers, Parks and Distinctive Features
In Bourton Park, the river and ponds form a diverse ecosystem with otters, kingfishers and dragonflies. Paved paths are suitable for running or a longer walk. In Chandos Park, the River Great Ouse is at the heart of the park; recreational facilities include a children’s playground. The two parks therefore have different focuses: Bourton centres on water, wildlife and paths, while Chandos features the river and recreational facilities.
Heartlands Park offers a further contrast: it contains evidence of medieval ridge-and-furrow field patterns. The park’s paved paths are wheelchair-accessible. The parks therefore complement one another without every path offering the same features: Bourton is described in terms of its ecosystem and paved paths, Chandos in terms of the Great Ouse and a playground, and Heartlands in terms of medieval field patterns and access along its paved paths. These differences can help you choose cultural and nature-related themes that suit your stay in Buckingham.
Discover more destinations: Mursley, Iver, Great Missenden, Seer Green, West Wycombe, Waddesdon, Stoke Poges, Chesham.
For the wider travel overview: Buckinghamshire.
