Buckingham, the Old Capital of the English County of Buckinghamshire
Buckingham is civil parish and town in north Buckinghamshire, England. From the 10th Century, it was the county town of the newly formed shire of Buckingham but in the 18th Century, that title was given to Aylesbury. It is near the borders of Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.
Buckingham was the home of the Thomas Rickett steam car built in 1860. The car was considered an avant-garde type of car and was too advanced for its time that only two are believed to have been made. At present, the town hosts several technology parks and industrial estates with offices of high-tech companies in the food, electronics, pharmaceutical and composite material fields such as WPac, Superchips and Racelogic.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Buckingham
Retail shopping is found in the town centre where there are some independent shops, restaurants and cafes as well as national chains. The town’s historic street market has existed for over 600 years since the town was granted a charter in 1554 by Queen Mary and by Charles II in 1684.Market days are held every Saturdays and Tuesdays where market traders offer a wide selection of fresh produce such as meat, fruit, fish, vegetables and baked goods, as well as clothes, tools, household goods, and even flowers. Every Saturday at the cattle pens area of town, there is a flea market where shops offer an excellent selection of antiques, jewellery and collectables.
There are more than enough restaurants/pubs, coffee and tea houses as well as hotels or B&Bs in this town to serve the needs of the locals as well as the town’s visitors.
Things to See and Do in Buckingham
The most popular attraction in town is the Olde Gaol Museum which showcases the town’s several thousand of years of history. Another point of interest in this town is the restored Chantry Chapel, the oldest building in town.