An 18th-century landscape garden, a country house with a political history, and museums covering a wide range of subjects: discoveries in Buckinghamshire take you through different eras and themes. Stowe Gardens showcases garden design on a grand scale; at Hughenden, a historic estate meets paths through woodland and farmland. Museums such as Bletchley Park and the Roald Dahl Museum, meanwhile, focus on history and culture.
Landscape gardens and paths
Stowe Gardens is an 18th-century landscape garden. There are 250 acres to explore. The Stowe parkland covers a further 750 acres, with walking and riding trails and opportunities for wildlife watching among avenues, woodland and monuments. One specific route is the 1.2-mile family-friendly lakeside walk, which passes the temples. The garden, parkland and lakeside path offer different ways to experience the site, from views of the landscaped grounds to a walk through the open countryside.
Hughenden also combines a well-known country house with extensive countryside. The estate was the country home of Victorian statesman Benjamin Disraeli and covers more than 600 acres of woodland and farmland in the Chiltern Hills, with wide-ranging views of the surrounding area. Several footpaths cross the grounds; it is accessible on foot from High Wycombe and several nearby villages. Three colour-coded, signposted walks range from an easy one-mile loop to a two-mile route. High Wycombe railway station is just under two miles from Hughenden. If you plan to travel by train, check the connections in advance.
Buckinghamshire’s country parks offer more ways to enjoy nature: across three sites, more than 700 acres feature year-round walking paths, trails, wildlife-watching opportunities and park events. Black Park in the south of the county combines open water with mature pines, mixed woodland and heathland; it has ten miles of well-surfaced cycling trails. If you’re planning a longer bike ride, the Chilterns Cycleway is a 170-mile route through Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Country houses and history
At Waddesdon Manor, you can explore the history of the house alongside its gardens. Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild had the Manor built between 1874 and 1885 to display his art collection and entertain friends. The gardens showcase Victorian horticulture, with formal planting, trees and walking paths. The four-kilometre Waddesdon Greenway links Aylesbury Vale Parkway, the village of Waddesdon and Waddesdon Manor for pedestrians and cyclists. Check whether the path is temporarily closed before setting out.
Bletchley Park Mansion in Milton Keynes is now a museum and a living heritage site. During the Second World War, it was the centre of British codebreaking. The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre on the edge of the small village of Quainton offers a different perspective on the history of technology: the working steam railway museum and historic railway cover 25 acres. Exhibitions, interactive displays and historic locomotives are among the things to explore. On so-called Steaming Days, visitors can take a ride behind a full-size steam locomotive on the centre’s own line; dates vary, so it’s worth checking the events calendar.
Museums with distinctive themes
The Chiltern Open Air Museum focuses on reconstructed historic buildings: more than 30 buildings and a working farm can be seen across its 45-acre site. Visitors can also learn about traditional crafts. Events include the chance to experience an elaborate re-enactment battle. As specific event dates may vary, check the calendar before your visit. The museum is a short taxi ride from Chalfont & Latimer and Chorleywood stations; check train and taxi connections in advance.
The Roald Dahl Museum is in Great Missenden, where the author lived and wrote for 36 years. Its three galleries combine hands-on activities with sounds, moving images, craft activities and original materials from the Roald Dahl Archive. The Discover Bucks Museum explores the history of Buckinghamshire’s people and landscapes from 200 million years ago to the present day. The listed building itself is also worth a look: it has a painted Tudor wall, a medieval roof and a decorated Georgian room. The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery offers an interactive, hands-on journey through Dahl’s stories and ideas. During school holidays, there are family craft activities, Halloween trails and Christmas science workshops; dates vary.
The Cowper & Newton Museum in the Market Place, in the historic centre of Olney, offers another perspective on literature and local history. Its collections relating to William Cowper and John Newton include manuscripts, books, lacework and objects connected with Olney’s history. Visitors can explore the world of lacemakers, local crafts and local history, or follow in the footsteps of the two men. In Beaconsfield, Bekonscot Model Village & Railway offers something quite different: the attraction is considered the world’s oldest surviving model village and comprises six model villages and ten miles of model railway across 0.8 hectares. It is about a five-minute walk from Beaconsfield railway station; check current train services before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Stone, Stoke Poges, Stokenchurch, Saunderton, Marlow, Ibstone, High Wycombe, Denham, Chesham, Chalfont Saint Peter, Buckingham, Botley, Beaconsfield, Aylesbury, Amersham, Gerrards Cross, Drayton Parslow, Chilton, Grendon Underwood, Waddesdon, West Wycombe, Great Missenden, Penn, Taplow, Little Horwood, Winslow, St Leonards, Burnham, Wing, Chalfont St Giles, Wendover, Aston Clinton, Fulmer, Seer Green, Flackwell Heath, Hazlemere, Iver, Weston Turville, Loudwater, Slough, Princes Risborough, Cheddington, Pitstone, Worminghall, Long Crendon, Wooburn Green, Adstock, Ivinghoe, Little Missenden, Mursley, Middle Claydon, Easington, Farnham Royal
For the wider travel overview: South East England.
