Welcome to Buckingham

Buckingham is located within a loop of the River Ouse, in the county of Buckinghamshire, approximately 52 miles north-west of London and 18 miles south of Northampton.

The town has a population of around 10,300. Administratively it is within the local government district of Aylesbury Vale which covers an area of approximately 900 sq kms.

Surrounded by rich farmland it is a thriving market town. Having lost its county town status in 1725, because of extensive damage caused by fire, the town was largely rebuilt and so consequently has a predominantly Georgian feel, although buildings from an earlier period survive. Buckingham is the home of Britain's only independent university. There are good shopping and leisure facilities and numerous visitor attractions in the area.

Buckingham was declared county town in 888 by Alfred the Great, however Aylesbury took over this role in the 16th century. Buckingham played an important military role in 914 and was heavily fortified by Bucca, and is outlined in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle which was created or altered during this period. It was vital at that time for all other Southern towns to fortify themselves against the Danes and it was likely that Buckingham was created with the fortification. By the time of the Norman Conquest, Buckingham had become a royal borough. The Doomsday Book suggests that the town's population exceeded 500 during this time. The town 's Charter was granted by King Charles I in 1684; he described it as "The Loyal and Ancient Borough of Buckingham".  The infamous Buckingham fire of 1724 seems inevitable now. Most of the houses were made from timber with plaster, and sometimes brick panels, and most of them were also thatched and uninsured. However, the wealthier residents or tradesmen were able to insure their houses against fire with firms such as the Sun Fire Office. The fire began in the Unicorn Inn in the Market Square and spread down both sides of Castle Street as well as part of Well Street. More than 500 people became homeless when well over 100 houses were destroyed. Houses built of brick were built in Cow Fair for these people. There were several coaching inns built here in the 18th Century, and these survive today.

The town's economy was based upon wool in the Middle Ages. In Elizabethan times, tanning was of major importance in the town, and a bell foundry was also established; some of the bells still survive in local churches. In 1799 the canal arrived and the economy improved with the cheaper import of welsh slate and coal. Today Buckingham is a thriving market town which has grown rapidly over the last 25 years. The town has its own private university, the only one in the country, which opened in 1976.

The name Buckingham derives from the Saxon origin meaning "the land of Bucca's people in the bend of the river".