Waddesdon is the home of Waddesdon Manor, a stunning Rothschilds estate. The main road through the village can be very busy, but having the Manor and its visitors means that the village has more than the usual share of cafes and things to do, including a monthly Artisan Food Market in the summer months. Houses set back from the road can have some stunning views out of the back, and those on the Manor side can benefit from the lovely woodland of the park. The hamlet of Westcott also has properties that benefit from the Rothschilds land, with its small shop on the Venture park and a primary school, on formerly MOD land. Kingswood and Woodham are hamlets on the A41 in the direction of Bicester. Some wellknown individuals reside in Wotton Underwood, a very attractive hamlet with important architecture and the Capability Brown Pleasure Grounds are open to the public.
South and east of Waddesdon, residents of Upper Winchendon (also known as Over Winchendon) and Nether Winchendon (also known as Lower Winchendon) start to look towards Thame and Aylesbury more than Waddesdon as their local centre. Eythrope is also in this direction, where the Rothschilds’ estate has its walled gardens supplying produce for the estate, now open to visitors.
North of Waddesdon lie Quainton & Quarrendon. See Future note below regarding HS2 through this area. Quainton is a friendly village for all ages, with regular events on the traditional village green, with a thriving church, many societies, a good primary school, as well as a good pub, village store and coffee shop with the most delightful homemade pastries and pies.
3 miles north of Waddesdon, Whitchurch also has a main road running right through the middle, but its myriad of small offshoots produces some hidden gems of properties that surprise property hunters in the area. The village is full of history and has a pretty high street with architectural gems and quaint cottages. The GP, the pub and garage/shop/PO are great amenities to have, and the village supports a hairdresser, beautician etc. Much of the High Street is subject to a preservation order to keep its stone-built character. There is a well-regarded Primary School in the village and it is in the catchment for the Grammar and High schools in Aylesbury. There is a bus service to Berkhamsted School.
East & north of Whitchurch, towards Winslow lie the hamlets of Creslow, Cublington & Dunton & Hoggeston can be found. Many of the houses have some stunning views from these locations, with access to a network of rural footpaths and bridleways of the Vale of Aylesbury. Cublington is the slightly larger village that has a friendly and yet thriving community spirit, with church, The Unicorn pub, two tennis courts, a cricket club, and a trout and coarse fishing lake. Hoggeston as a smaller hamlet is typical with its milk deliveries and two farms selling fresh produce.
On the west of Whitchurch, some more impressively long views can be found from properties in Oving, Pitchcott and North Marston. The hamlet of Oving has a new village hall, a sports field, well-established football club, tennis courts, a cricket net, a children’s playground, a public house and a church. North Marston has a cricket club with Granborough as well as a Community shop.
The whole area also benefits from many ancient footpaths and circular walks through the surrounding countryside and is on the outer Aylesbury Ring which is a popular walk with views over Aylesbury Vale.
For villages north towards Winslow, try here & Buckingham, here.
For villages towards Bicester, try here.
For more on Milton Keynes etc try here
For more on Thame and surrounding villages try here
