Buckingham Property Finders

Whilst Buckingham does not have its own mainline train station, Milton Keynes station is a short hop, and from there it is a half-hour journey into Euston.  If you need to be on the west end of London, you may choose the Chiltern Line from one of the two Bicester stations, 20mins from Buckingham town centre.

Buckingham is 13 miles from Milton Keynes & the M1, linked by both the A421 and A422; 11 miles Northeast of Bicester & the M40;  16 miles north of Aylesbury at the end of the A413; and is well-located for reaching Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire & Bedfordshire too. Bus services Buckingham with both Cambridge and Oxford via Milton Keynes, Bedford and Bicester.

Buckingham Town has a wide range of property styles, from grand town houses to workers’ cottages to new build estates, to suit all tastes and budgets.  You are always moments from beautiful countryside, and the villages around Buckingham are sought after, but other than some good pubs, most amenities will be back in Buckingham proper.

Between Buckingham and Milton Keynes, east and northeast lie the villages of Maids Moreton, Bufflers Holt, Akeley,  Lillingstone Lovell and Lillingstone Dayrell, Leckhampstead, Foscote, Nash, Beachampton, Thornborough, Thornton.  There is some beautifully rural countryside in these areas, and properties with the views fetch a premium.  For more on villages near Milton Keynes see here.

To the North and North West of Buckingham, Radclive, Chackmore, Stowe and Dadford villages are very desirable. In addition, villages which are technically in Northamptonshire are very accessible, such as Silverstone, so do ensure you are familiar with those locations as well when Househunting as you may get more for your money.  See here for more information on looking for property in Northamptonshire.

Living West towards Brackley & Southwest towards Bicester, you are more likely to use the Bicester train stations. Tingewick, Water Stratford, Finmere are north of the A421, with Newton Purcell, Barton Hartshorn, Chetwode,  Preston Bissett on the south side.  HS2 is expected to the east of Brackley, see Future note below, and care must be taken to know the detailed route before purchasing property.  However there is some extremely beautiful countryside in this direction, and some stunning properties to be had.

Coming round South & South East of  Buckingham, Gawcott, Hillesden, the Claydons, Lenborough and Padbury have some amazing views, and a wide variety of property styles.  You may look towards Winslow in this direction for your amenities.   See Waddesdon & Whitchurch for more information on villages in the southerly direction.

Educationally the town is well served by three primary schools, two secondary schools including The Royal Latin Grammar School and various nurseries and pre-school facilities. Don’t forget to be fully aware of school catchment areas!

The independent Akeley Wood, Thornton College and Stowe School are nearby and Winchester House at Brackley, Beachborough & Swanbourne House are very popular prep schools.

There is also a private university, The University of Buckingham, well-known for its 2 year degree courses.

Buckingham has a variety of restaurants, pubs and a number of local shops, both national and independent, a Waitrose in the town centre & a Tesco on the A421, a DIY store and garden centre. There is a traditional market held every Tuesday and Saturday and a monthly farmers’ market. A charter fair operates each year over two weekends in October. The town also has close links with the Silverstone Motor Racing circuit, home of the British Grand Prix.

The community is very active, with its annual Literary Festival becoming an established feature on the calendar.  There are several large green spaces, a picturesque riverside walk, a number of playgrounds, a skate park and a golf club.

Major shopping is available a short drive away in Milton Keynes, which also has every type of leisure activity possible, from badminton to parkour, theatres to fishing.

Of historic interest is Buckingham Gaol, which is open to the public and houses a museum, art gallery and Tourist Information Centre. The National Trust property of Stowe Landscape Gardens, much of which was designed by Capability Brown, is nearby and the town itself contains The Chantry Chapel, also National Trust, Buckingham’s oldest building and now a second-hand bookshop & cafe. A medieval well known as St Rumbold’s Well is situated near the dismantled railway.

• Stowe Gardens
• Gothic Temple at Stowe
• Silverstone Circuit
• Buckingham Old Gaol
• Chantry Chapel

The Proposed HS2 route goes through this area, nearer Brackley. The East West Rail between Oxford and Cambridge is being revitalised, and may have a road route to accompany it, albeit the preferred option for that is further south than these villages.

Whilst it is obviously important to understand these future developments, it is of course impossible to know for sure on any house purchase what might happen in the future. For example, the impact of HS2 will vary enormously from house to house, and sound can travel in unexpected ways rather than line of sight. Also, if and when it is built, the HS2 trains will be electric and far less nuisance than current trains. Other properties may be adversely affected during the construction phase, even a long way from the actual route. With careful research and an open mind however, you may feel that the eventual impact will not be significant for you, and you can potentially invest in a property at a good price.