The North Bucks Way was set up by the Ramblers Association
in 1972. It is approximately 35 miles long and can be completed in two
full days walking or in a number of shorter sections connecting up with
public transport. In the south, the long distance path starts at the
Ridgeway, on the wooded scarp slope of the Chilterns, near Wendover. It
soon comes down into the Vale of Aylesbury and passes near historic houses
at Hartwell, Eythrope, and Waddesdon, each of which, with its park, has
made its own mark on the landscape. Quainton Hill, with panoramic views,
marks the approximate half way point and then attractive North Bucks
villages alternate with peaceful countryside. Finally, the new city of
Milton Keynes is entered, but the emphasis is still of walking without
traffic, first on 'Redway' paths and then beside the Grand Union Canal.
The North Bucks Way ends at the county boundary with Northamptonshire.
From here the Grafton Way runs through Northants to Greens Norton, near
Northampton and continues as the Knightley Way as far as Badby, near
Daventry. Route Map
The route is waymarked in both directions with North Bucks
Way arrows, yellow for footpaths and blue for bridleways. Many of the
paths in North Bucks can be muddy at anytime of the year therefore
waterproof footwear is recommended
This leaflet can be used in conjunction with Ordnance
Survey 1:50,000 Landranger maps Nos.165 (Aylesbury) and 152 (Northampton)
or OS Explorer Maps Nos 181 (Chiltern Hills North) and 192 (BUckingham and
MIlton Keynes)and 1:10,000 Milton Keynes City Map
The North Bucks Way leaves the Ridgeway between two nature
reserves managed by Berks, Bucks and Oxon Naturalists Trust (BBONT),
Chequers and Pulpit Hill. Both reserves contain a variety of woodland
(some with whitebeam trees), scrub (including box and juniper) and ancient
chalk grassland (with wild thyme and rock roses).
GREAT KIMBLE CHURCH is where John Hampden and others
signed a document against the payment of Ship Money in 1635 and this was
the start of a series of events that lead to the Civil War. A facsimile of
the document may be seen in the church.
GREAT KIMBLE was once larger and the remains of some of
the medieval settlement can be seen as mounds and hollows in the field
west of the A4010
The underlying stone on which Bishopstone and Stone are
located is Lower Greensand and it can be seen in houses and walls in both
villages.
HARTWELL HOUSE is a large stone mansion built in the
seventeenth century and surrounded by grounds laid out by Richard Woods in
the late 18th century. Many famous people have lived here including King
Louis XVIII of France who stayed with his Court between 1809 and 1813
during his exile. Set in the wall around Hartwell House are many ammonite
fossils and the date 1855 is knapped flint
THE EGYPTIAN WELL at Hartwell was built in 1850. The
hieroglyphics above are said to record its building in the thirteenth year
of the reign of Queen Victoria. Originally there was also an inscription
in Greek stating "water is best".
Two large mounds can be seen near Eythrope Park both of
which are natural features, however, one of them, Burn Hill seems to have
been used as an Iron Age or Saxon burial mound.
EYTHROPE PARK was created for Alice de Rothschild as the
grounds for her house, the Pavilion, which was built in 1883. The North
Bucks Way crosses a bride, which was built as a feature for the park. The
weir below possibly marks the site of a medieval water mill mentioned in
1290
Waddesdon was also greatly altered by the arrival of the
Rothschild family and the construction, by Ferdinand Rothschild, of a
French style chateau WADDESDON MANOR in 1874 - 1881. The Manor is now
owned by the National Trust and is open to the public from late March to
late October.
The Rothschilds built or altered a number of buildings in
the Waddesdon are, all of which carry the family crest of a coronet with
five arrows, representing the five brothers who left Frankfurt in the
early nineteenth century
QUAINTON WINDMILL is a tower mill built in 1830 from
locally made bricks. It was the tallest windmill in the county due to the
act that it was built in the lee of Quainton Hill. The mill was abandoned
in 1881 but is currently being renovated by volunteers. It is usually open
on Sunday mornings.
QUAINTON MARKET CROSS dates from the fifteenth century and
denotes the site of an ancient market or fair. The cross is situated at
the tope of the green and has an ancient causeway passing alongside it.
The large paving slab opposite is where funerals from outlying villages
had to wait for the vicar to conduct them to the church.
The undulations at the top of Quainton Hill are the result
o stone quarrying. The hill reaches 187 metres and panoramic views can be
seen from it.
FULBROOK was a medieval village but now all that remains
is Fulbrook Farm, which was the old manor house and some evidence on the
ground of past settlement.
The dead tree at the centre of EAST CLAYDON is one of the
huge number of elm trees that died from Dutch Elm Disease, which caused a
dramatic change in the landscape of North Buckinghamshire
Near to East Claydon is CLAYDON HOUSE an eighteenth
century mansion house of the Verney family, now open to the public (April
- end October) through the National Trust. It has some fine rococo
staterooms and a delicate wrought iron stairway. Florence Nightingale
stayed there on many occasions and her apartment can be seen at the top of
the house.
VERNEY JUNCTION is named after Sir Harry Verney of Claydon
House, who was the chairman of the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway
Company. The platforms and station masters house are all that remains of
what as once a busy connection between the Aylesbury - Buckingham line and
the Bletchley - Oxford line.
The seventeenth century manor house at ADDINGTON was
replaced by a new building in 1929, although a wing of the old one still
survives near the church. There are a large number of Dutch stained glass
panels from the 16th to 17th century in Addington Church.
The open space in the centre of GREAT HORWOOD, locally
known as "The Green" is the site of a market granted a royal charter in
1447. By 1666 it was described as long since discontinued though the site
of it still remains undeveloped. Many attractive buildings surround the
market site, including St James Church and The Crown public house.
The area between Great Horwood, Little Horwood and Whaddon
is WHADDON CHASE originally a mixture of heath, common and woodland
managed for the benefit of deer hunting. After it was finally enclosed in
1841 much of the woodland was cleared for agriculture and new farm
buildings were erected. Approaching Nash, the North Bucks Way now goes
along what was once the western limit of the forest.
The earthworks near Whaddon mark the site of the
Benedictine Priory of SNELSHALL It dates from 1166 but was in ruins when
surrendered to the Crown in 1535
WHADDON HALL is easily seen from the North Bucks Way. It
was built in around 1820 but was gutted by fire in 1976 and is now much
restored inside. It is not open to the public.
MILTON KEYNES is Britain's first new city, taking its name
from a tiny existing village. The population is planned to reach 200,000
by the end of the century. The North Bucks Way crosses the city on the 'Redway'
system - a footpath and cycleway network that keeps walkers and cyclists
away from traffic. There is a fine view of the city from the bridge
crossing the A5.
WOLVERTON owes its character to the railway works, which
have dominated the life of most of the local people since 1838, employing
more than 5,000 people at one period.
THE GRAND UNION(JUNCTION) CANAL was built between 1793 and
1805 to provide a vial link between London and the Midlands. Nowadays,
during the summer, it is as busy with leisure activities as it used to be
with commercial activities.
The North Bucks Way ends at the county boundary with
Northamptonshire. The Canal crosses the River Ouse on the IRON TRUNK, an
aqueduct which was opened in 1811. It replaced a stone structure built in
1803, which collapsed two years later. The lakes to the north east of the
Canal were formed when material was excavated for the embankments. Am
information board, on site, gives further details.
