With easy access to London, the Greater South East and the Midlands, Buckinghamshire is ideally situated for tourists seeking a remarkable supply of historic homes, magnificent gardens and family attractions of all types. Accommodations can be in intimate B&Bs or luxurious country estates. Below is a sampling of some of the many appealing Buckinghamshire tourists attractions.
The King’s Head – Located in Aylesbury, the King’s Head is a historic coaching inn built in the 1300s. The public still has access to the Great Hill build in 1455, which is now a bookshop and coffee shop. Conference facilities in the 1530 Gatehouse and the My Lords Chamber. The Inn features stained glassed windows, exposed wattle and daub and the original stables as well as the Farmers’ Bar, run by Chiltern Brewery, and the Aylesbury Tourist Centre.
Waddesdon Manor – A tourist favorite with sites that boggle the mind, Waddesdon Manor was created by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874. The Rothschild banking family has a strong presence in Aylesbury and no manor exemplifies the lavish lifestyle better than Waddesdon. The design reflects the family’s European lineage and was the creation of Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur, a highly regarded French architect.
The architect was instructed to build a large hilltop house overlooking the pastoral landscape to the Chilterns. The house is of Bath stone. Behind the home are formal terraced gardens that lead to an open parkland.
The construction of Waddesdon took 15 years. Water was brought from 14 miles away and a special tramway was constructed to move the building materials. The exterior is extravagant but the interior is absolutely opulent. A nearly ¼ mile long carpet from Louis XIV and a writing table from Marie Antoinette are samples of the treasures in this manor.
The Stowe Landscape Gardens – If it is natural beauty highlighted by a series of remarkably constructed structures that you desire, Stowe Landscape Gardens will fulfill your every wish. The original gardens were designed from an earlier Baroque Garden by Steven House at the home of the Temple-Granville family. In 1718, Richard Temple collaborated with Baron Cobham to redesign the garden according to his standards. Cobham received consultancy from Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect of Blenheim Palace and Charles Bridgeman.
Vanbrugh and Bridgeman transformed the original garden into a classical landscape replete with temples, grottos, walks and dazzling vistas. Bridgeman died in 1738 and was replaced by the most famous landscape designer of all-time, Lancelot “Capability” Brown.
The Stowe Landscape Gardens features the Palladian Bridge which crosses the southwest corner of Octagon Lake. The bridge’s design is reminiscent of early Greek and Roman architecture. The Temple of British Worthies rests by the River Styx in the Elysian Fields. The Temple contains busts of British notables of the day. The notables are divided between people of action and people of intellect.
Ascott Gardens – In 1876, when Ascott was purchased by the de Rothschild family, it was a half-timbered farmhouse. Over 75 years, the house was enlarged and renovated into a showcase home filled with family treasures, art collections and fine furnishings. The house is surrounded by remarkable gardens planted with shrubs, trees and plantings. An unforgettable topiary sundial is sure to catch your attention.
Hughenden Manor – Hughenden Manor was a Georgian estate when purchased by noted politician and author, Benjamin Disraeli, in 1848. Disraeli transformed the Georgian into a Victorian with striking pinnacles., Several of the important rooms have been restored since Disraeli’s death in 1881. The gardens surrounding the home were designed by Disraeli’s wife Mary Anne. The gardens were once changed but have now been restored close to their original designs and plantings.
There is plenty to see, hear, enjoy and marvel in Buckinghamshire.
Food, Drink, Travel 