71-726: Cowleaze Wood is a 70-acre (28 ha) woodland in the Chiltern Hills , a chalk ridge in South East England . The wood is in the civil parish of Lewknor , in Oxfordshire , about 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (2 km) southeast of the village. It is next to the county boundary with Buckinghamshire , and adjoins Lydall's Wood on the Buckinghamshire side of the boundary. The Forestry Commission owns Coweleaze Wood, and planted it between 1957 and 1966. It
142-731: A (ceremonial) Mayor of Milton Keynes. On 1 April 1997, the Borough became a self-governing unitary authority , independent of the County Council. Following award of Letters Patent in 2022, the Borough became the City of Milton Keynes , and its council became Milton Keynes City Council . The remit of the City Council extends beyond the Milton Keynes urban area , encompassing a significant rural area with villages, hamlets, and
213-476: A branch in the shape of a squirrel, make you wonder whether you are looking at a deliberate work or a natural happening." Sculptures that appeared as part of the trail included a giant picnic table by Robert Jakes and a metal "fish tree" by Paul Amey. The sculpture trail was open to the public all year round at no charge. The chairman of the Sculpture Trust estimated in 2007 that the trail had received in
284-407: A population of 840,138 at the 2021 census. Besides Milton Keynes, which is in the north-east, the largest settlements are in the southern half of the county and include Aylesbury, High Wycombe , and Chesham . For local government purposes Buckinghamshire comprises two unitary authority areas, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes . The historic county had slightly different borders, and included
355-471: A unitary authority, the Borough of Milton Keynes; for ceremonial purposes Milton Keynes remains part of Buckinghamshire. The administration of the remainder of the county continued to be called Buckinghamshire County Council. Buckinghamshire County Council was a large employer in the county and provided a variety of services, including education (schools, adult education and youth services), social services, highways, libraries, County Archives and Record Office,
426-532: Is Coombe Hill , 260 m (852 ft.) above sea level. The more gently sloping country – the dip slope – to the southeast of the Chiltern scarp is also generally referred to as part of the Chilterns; it contains much beech woodland and many villages. Enclosed fields account for almost 66% of the " Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty " (AONB) area. The next most important, and archetypal, landscape form
497-497: Is woodland , covering 21% of the Chilterns, which is thus one of the most heavily wooded areas in England. Built-up areas (settlements and industry) make up over 5% of the land area; parks and gardens nearly 4%, open land (commons, heaths and downland) is 2%, and the remaining 2% includes a variety of uses, including communications, military, open land, recreation, utilities and water. The Chilterns are almost entirely located within
568-451: Is a ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties . It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the east, Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, and Oxfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Milton Keynes , and the county town is Aylesbury . The county has an area of 1,874 km (724 sq mi) and had
639-597: Is a more prominent hill, although its altitude is only 249 m (817 ft.). It is the starting point of the Icknield Way Path and the Ridgeway long-distance path , which follows the line of the Chilterns for many miles to the west, where they merge with the Wiltshire downs and southern Cotswolds . To the east of Ivinghoe Beacon is Dunstable Downs, a steep section of the Chiltern scarp. Near Wendover
710-455: Is a principal train operating company in Buckinghamshire, providing the majority of local commuter services from the centre and south of the county, with trains running into London Marylebone . Great Western operates commuter services from Taplow and Iver into London Paddington . West Midlands Trains provides these services from Milton Keynes Central into Euston or Birmingham New Street , and Southern operates commuter services via
781-440: Is believed to be Brittonic in origin. According to Eilert Ekwall , Chiltern is possibly related to the broader ethnic name Celt ( Celtæ in early Celtic languages ); the root celto- "high" (and suffix -erno- ) could provide the origin of Chiltern . Before the 18th century, the population lived dispersed across the largely rural landscape of the Chilterns in remote villages, hamlets, farmsteads, and market towns along
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#1732793813263852-489: Is now a Grade II listed building . From 1974 (following the Local Government Act 1972 ) local administration was run on a two-tier system where public services were split between the county council and five district councils ( Aylesbury Vale , Chiltern , Milton Keynes , South Bucks and Wycombe ). In 1997, the northernmost part of Buckinghamshire, until then Milton Keynes District, was separated to form
923-472: Is particularly known for its bluebells , and walkers are also attracted to the wood by sightings of red kites . There is a large car park adjoining the wood, and a picnic area with sculptured benches designed by furniture designer Fred Baier . On 31 March 1944 a Handley Page Halifax Mk III bomber aircraft, LW579 of No. 51 Squadron RAF , was returning from the Nuremberg Raid when it crashed in
994-613: Is served by four motorways, although two are on its borders: Six important A roads also enter the county (from north to south): Also less important primary A roads enter the country: The county is poorly served with internal routes, with the A413 and A418 linking the south and north of the county. As part of the London commuter belt , Buckinghamshire is well connected to the national rail network, with both local commuter and inter-city services serving some destinations. Chiltern Railways
1065-434: Is the home of various notable people in connection with whom tourist attractions have been established: for example the author Roald Dahl who included many local features and characters in his works. Artists William Callow and Harriet Anne Smart Callow produced many paintings of the area in the late 19th century. Sports facilities in Buckinghamshire include half of the international Silverstone Circuit which straddles
1136-995: The Chiltern Hundreds . By established custom, Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom , who are prohibited from resigning their seats directly, may apply for the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds as a device to enable their departure from the House. Hills in The Chilterns more than 200 metres in elevation and with more than 30 metres of topographic prominence are listed from southwest to northeast. Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire ( / ˈ b ʌ k ɪ ŋ ə m ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / , abbreviated Bucks )
1207-735: The County Museum and the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery in Aylesbury, consumer services and some aspects of waste disposal and planning. Buckinghamshire Council is a unitary authority covering most of the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It was created in April 2020 from the areas that were previously administered by Buckinghamshire County Council and the district councils of South Bucks, Chiltern, Wycombe, and Aylesbury Vale. A local authority for North Buckinghamshire
1278-792: The Lincolnshire Wolds , finally ending as the Yorkshire Wolds in a prominent escarpment, south of the Vale of Pickering . The beds of the Chalk Group were deposited over the buried northwestern margin of the Anglo-Brabant Massif during the Late Cretaceous . During this time, sources for siliciclastic sediment had been eliminated due to the exceptionally high sea level. The formation is thinner through
1349-731: The London to Aylesbury Line via Amersham , the West Coast Main Line via Berkhamsted , and the Midland Main Line all run through the Chiltern Hills. The Great Western Main Line and its branches such as the Henley and Marlow branch lines link the southern side of the Chilterns with London Paddington . The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway is a preserved line. High Speed 2 (HS2) will pass underneath
1420-987: The River Thames drainage basin , and also drain towards several major Thames tributaries, most notably the Lea , which rises in the eastern Chilterns, the Colne to the south, and the Thame to the north and west. Other rivers arising near the Chilterns include the Mimram , the Ver , the Gade , the Bulbourne , the Chess , the Misbourne and the Wye . These are classified as chalk streams , although
1491-553: The River Thames up the gentle slopes of the Chiltern Hills to the more abrupt slopes on the northern side leading to the Vale of Aylesbury and the City of Milton Keynes UA, a large and relatively level expanse of land that is the southern catchment of the River Great Ouse . The county includes parts of two of the four longest rivers in England. The Thames forms the southern boundary with Berkshire , which has crept over
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#17327938132631562-523: The River Thames , there are no navigable rivers. The Grand Union Canal passes through the Chilterns between Berkhamsted and Marsworth following the course of the Gade and Bulbourne . Also, after crossing a watershed, the Ouzel is partly in the Chilterns. During the Iron Age , the Chiltern ridge provided a relatively safe and easily navigable route across southern Britain. The toponym , Chiltern ,
1633-660: The River Thames . The Ridgeway Path, a long-distance footpath, passes through the county. The county also has many historic houses. Some of these are opened to the public by the National Trust , such as Waddesdon Manor , West Wycombe Park and Cliveden . Other historic houses are still in use as private homes, such as the Prime Minister 's country retreat Chequers . Claydon House (near Steeple Claydon ), Hughendon Manor (near High Wycombe), Stowe Landscaped Gardens, and Waddesdon Manor (near Aylesbury) are in
1704-626: The Rothschild banking family of England in the 19th century (see Rothschild properties in England ). The county has several annual agricultural shows, with the Bucks County Show established in 1859. Manufacturing industries include furniture-making (traditionally centred at High Wycombe ), pharmaceuticals and agricultural processing. Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath is a principal centre of operations for film and TV production in
1775-518: The Weald Basin of southern England, underwent structural inversion . This phase of deformation tilted the chalk strata to the southeast in the area of the Chiltern Hills. The gently dipping beds of rock were eroded , forming an escarpment. The chalk strata are frequently interspersed with layers of flint nodules which apparently replaced chalk and infilled pore spaces early in the diagenetic history. Flint has been mined for millennia from
1846-625: The West London Line from Milton Keynes Central to East Croydon . Avanti West Coast operates inter-city services from Milton Keynes Central to Euston, North West England , the West Midlands , the Scottish Central Belt , and North Wales . Great Western operates non-stop services through the south of the county from Paddington to South West England and South Wales . There are four main lines running through
1917-462: The 1970s. The 2-mile trail featured the work of a range of artists working with different media, with pieces being commissioned and produced specifically for the woodland setting. Many of the pieces were hidden and blended with the landscape. Richard Mabey , writing in the Independent on Sunday , commented: "All along the trail, serendipitously windthrown logs, dens, a polythene bag wrapped round
1988-535: The 19th century, when a combination of cholera and famine hit the rural county, forcing many to migrate to larger towns to find work. Not only did this alter the local economic situation, it meant a lot of land was going cheap at a time when the rich were more mobile, and leafy Bucks became a popular rural idyll: an image it still has today. Buckinghamshire is a popular home for London commuters, leading to greater local affluence; however, some pockets of relative deprivation remain. The expansion of London and coming of
2059-563: The AONB. Third, to publish and promote the implementation of a management plan for the AONB. In contrast to National Parks , The Chilterns – as other AONBs – do not possess their own planning authority . The Board has an advisory role on planning and development matters and seeks to influence the actions of local government by commenting upon planning applications . The local authorities (two County Councils, three Unitary Authorities and four District and Borough Councils) are expected to respect
2130-666: The Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire border, the Adams Park Stadium in the south and Stadium MK in the north, and Dorney Lake (named 'Eton Dorney' for the event) was used as the rowing venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics . The county is covered by three overlapping TV regions Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio , BBC Radio Berkshire (covering Marlow ), Heart Thames Valley (now Heart South ), Heart Four Counties (now Heart East ), Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts (formerly Mix 96) and Wycombe Sound (covering High Wycombe ). Buckinghamshire
2201-531: The Chiltern AONB area. The Board's purposes are set out in Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 : In summary these are:- First, to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB, and increase the understanding and enjoyment by the public of the special qualities of the AONB. Second, while taking account of the first purpose, to foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities within
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2272-541: The Chiltern Forest that once covered almost half the county. Either side of the shield are a buck , for Buckingham, and a swan, the county symbol. The motto of the shield is Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum . This is Latin and means 'no stepping back' (or 'no steps backwards'). Buckinghamshire has a modern service-based economy and is part of the Berkshire , Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire NUTS-2 region, which
2343-609: The Chiltern Hills than the chalk strata to the north and south and deposition was tectonically controlled, with the Lilley Bottom structure playing a significant role at times. The Chalk Group, like the underlying Gault Clay and Upper Greensand , is diachronous . During the late stages of the Alpine Orogeny , as the African Plate collided with Eurasian Plate , Mesozoic extensional structures, such as
2414-484: The Chiltern Hills. They were first extracted for fabrication into flint axes in the Neolithic period, then for knapping into flintlocks . Nodules are to be seen everywhere in the older houses as a construction material for walls. The highest point is at 267 m (876 ft.) above sea level at Haddington Hill near Wendover in Buckinghamshire; a stone monument marks the summit . The nearby Ivinghoe Beacon
2485-403: The Chilterns are a chalk escarpment in southern England, northwest of London, covering 660 square miles (1,700 km ) across Oxfordshire , Buckinghamshire , Hertfordshire , and Bedfordshire , stretching 45 miles (72 km) from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast. The hills are 12 miles (19 km) at their widest. In 1965, almost half of the Chilterns
2556-571: The Chilterns in the Chiltern tunnel . This tunnel, the longest under construction on the HS2 route, will be 16 km (9.9 miles) in length. The Conservation Board has made clear it was opposed to the routing of HS2 through the Chilterns AONB. Bus services are provided by Arriva Shires & Essex and Carousel Buses . Air corridors from Luton Airport pass over the Chilterns. Apart from
2627-733: The Chilterns, including long-distance trackways such as the Icknield Way and The Ridgeway . The M40 motorway passes through the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire sections with a deep cutting through the Stokenchurch Gap . The M1 motorway crosses the Bedfordshire section near Luton . Other major roads include the A41 and the A413 . The Chiltern Main Line Railway via High Wycombe and Princes Risborough ,
2698-769: The Lea is degraded by water from road drains and sewage treatment works. The Thames flows through a gap between the Berkshire Downs and the Chilterns. Portions around Leighton Buzzard and Hitchin are drained by the Ouzel , the Flit and the Hiz , all of which ultimately flow into the River Great Ouse (the last two via the Ivel ). Several transport routes pass through the Chilterns in natural or human-made corridors. There are also over 2,000 km (1,200 mi) of public footpaths in
2769-539: The Milton Keynes UA, is home to Cowper and Newton Museum which celebrates the work and lives of two famous figures: William Cowper (1731–1800) a celebrated 18th-century poet; and John Newton , a prominent slave trade abolitionist who was curate in the local church. Together, Cowper and Newton wrote the Olney Hymns , including one of the world's most popular hymns, Amazing Grace . Buckinghamshire
2840-590: The UK. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Buckinghamshire at current basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of Pounds sterling (except GVA index). Buckinghamshire is notable for its open countryside and natural features, including the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , Stowe Landscaped Gardens near Buckingham , and
2911-476: The area's status as a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Examples of historical architecture in the Chiltern region are preserved at the Chiltern Open Air Museum near Chalfont St Giles . This open-air folk museum contains reconstructed buildings which might otherwise have been destroyed or demolished as a result of redevelopment or road construction. The Chilterns include
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2982-582: The border at Eton and Slough so that the river is no longer the sole boundary between the two counties. The Great Ouse rises just outside the county in Northamptonshire and flows east through Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Olney . The main branch of the Grand Union Canal passes through the county as do its arms to Slough and Aylesbury , as well as the disused arms to Wendover and Buckingham . The canal has been incorporated into
3053-659: The care of the National Trust . Mentmore Towers , a 19th-century English country house built by the Rothschilds is located the village of Mentmore . It is the largest of the English Rothschild houses and is known for its Jacobean-styled architecture designed by Joseph Paxton . Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes is the site of World War II British codebreaking and Colossus , the world's first programmable electronic digital computer . Together with
3124-486: The chalk aquifer is exploited via a network of pumping stations to provide a public supply for domestic consumption, agriculture and business uses, both within and well-beyond the Chilterns area. Over-exploitation has possibly led to the disappearance of some streams over long periods. In a region without building stone, local clay provided the raw materials for brick manufacture. Timber and flint were also used for construction. Mediaeval strip parishes reflected
3195-469: The co-located National Museum of Computing , it is a nationally important visitor attraction. Examples of historical architecture in the Chiltern region are preserved at the Chiltern Open Air Museum , an open-air folk museum near Chalfont St Giles . The 45-acre (180,000 m ) site contains reconstructed buildings which might otherwise have been destroyed or demolished as a result of redevelopment or road construction. The market town of Olney , in
3266-417: The county and two-thirds of its population, and Milton Keynes City Council , which administers the remainder. Buckinghamshire County Council was founded in 1889 with its base in new municipal buildings in Walton Street, Aylesbury (which are still there). In 1966, the council moved into new premises: a 15-storey tower block in the centre of Aylesbury (pictured) designed by county architect Fred Pooley . It
3337-514: The county's southern boundary. Notable service amenities in the county are Pinewood Film Studios , Dorney rowing lake and part of Silverstone race track on the Northamptonshire border. Many national companies have head offices or major centres in Milton Keynes. Heavy industry and quarrying is limited, with agriculture predominating after service industries. The name Buckinghamshire is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means The district (scire) of Bucca's home . Bucca's home refers to Buckingham in
3408-641: The county. The ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire consists of both unitary authority areas combined. The ceremonial county has a Lord Lieutenant and a High Sheriff . Since November 2020, the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire is The Countess Howe and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire is Dame Ann Geraldine Limb , DBE of Stony Stratford The office of Custos rotulorum has been combined with that of Lord Lieutenant since 1702. The ceremonial county has two top-level administrations – both are unitary authorities – Buckinghamshire Council , which administers about four-fifths of
3479-485: The crew of LW579. It is a stone plinth from Lincoln Cathedral, now with the men's names inscribed upon it. In 2015 BBC Radio Oxford broadcast a documentary about the crash, the crew and some of their surviving relatives. For 17 years the Chiltern Sculpture Trail was in Cowleaze Wood. The trail was created in May 1990, as a joint initiative between the Chiltern Sculpture Trust and the Forestry Commission, who had been placing sculpture in woodlands under their management since
3550-489: The diversity of land from clay farmland , through wooded slopes to downland. Their boundaries were often drawn to include a section of each type of land, resulting in an irregular county boundary. These have tended to be smoothed out by successive reorganisations. As people have come to appreciate the open country, the area has become a visitor destination and the National Trust has acquired land to preserve its character, for example at Ashridge , near Tring . In places, with
3621-444: The government confirmed that the landscape qualities of AONBs are equivalent to those of National Parks, and that the protection given to both types of area by the land use planning system should also be equivalent. The Chilterns Conservation Board was established by Parliamentary Order in July 2004. It is an independent body comprising 27 members drawn from the relevant local authorities and from those living in local communities within
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#17327938132633692-416: The greatest impact on Buckinghamshire: the geography of the rural county is largely as it was in the Anglo-Saxon period. Later, Buckinghamshire became an important political arena, with King Henry VIII intervening in local politics in the 16th century, and just a century later the English Civil War was reputedly started by John Hampden in mid-Bucks. Historically, the biggest change to the county came in
3763-403: The landscaping of Milton Keynes. The southern part of the county is dominated by the Chiltern Hills. The two highest points in Buckinghamshire are Haddington Hill in Wendover Woods (a stone marks its summit) at 267 m (876 ft) above sea level and Coombe Hill near Wendover at 260 m (850 ft). Quarrying has taken place for chalk, clay for brickmaking and gravel and sand in
3834-522: The last quarter of the 20th century, a large number of Londoners in Milton Keynes. Between 6 and 7% of the population of Aylesbury are of Asian or Asian British origin. Likewise Chesham has a similar-sized Asian community, and High Wycombe is the most ethnically diverse town in the county, with large Asian and Afro-Caribbean populations. During the Second World War there were many Polish settlements in Bucks, Czechs in Aston Abbotts and Wingrave, and Albanians in Frieth. Remnants of these communities remain in
3905-409: The main turnpike routes which coursed through the navigable valleys. The development of canals in the 18th century and railways in the 19th century encouraged settlement and the growth of High Wycombe , Tring , and Luton . Significant housing and industrial development took place in the first half of the 20th century and continued throughout the 20th century. In 1965 almost half of the Chiltern Hills
3976-413: The market town of Olney. The traditional flag of Buckinghamshire comprises a chained swan on a bicolour of red and black. The flag was registered with the Flag Institute on 20 May 2011. The coat of arms of the former Buckinghamshire County Council features a white mute swan in chains. This dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, when swans were bred in Buckinghamshire for the king's pleasure. That
4047-418: The north of the county, and is named after the Anglo-Saxon landowner, Bucca . The county has been so named since about the 12th century; however, the county has existed since it was a subdivision of the kingdom of Mercia (585–919). The history of the area predates the Anglo-Saxon period and the county has a rich history starting from the Brittonic and Roman periods, though the Anglo-Saxons perhaps had
4118-401: The railways promoted the growth of towns in the south of the county such as Aylesbury , Amersham and High Wycombe , leaving the town Buckingham itself to the north in a relative backwater. As a result, most county institutions are now based in the south of the county or Milton Keynes , rather than in Buckingham. The county can be split into two sections geographically. The south leads from
4189-721: The reduction of sheep grazing , action has been taken to maintain open downland by suppressing the natural growth of scrub and birch woodland. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Youth Hostels Association established several youth hostels for people visiting the hills. The hills have been used as a location for telecommunication relay stations such as Stokenchurch BT Tower and that at Zouches Farm . The Chilterns are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and so enjoys special protection from major developments, which should not take place in such areas except in exceptional circumstances. This protection applies to major development proposals that raise issues of national significance. In 2000
4260-453: The region of 80,000 visitors a year. It was closed in 2007 owing to a lack of funding; the maintenance costs were around £25,000 a year. At the point of closure, there were 20 sculptures in the wood, some of which were sold at auction. Within the wood is Bald Hill, the highest point of the historic county of Oxfordshire, 843 feet (257 m) above sea level. It remained the high point of the County until 1974, when boundary changes meant that it
4331-424: The river valleys. Flint, also extracted from quarries, was often used to build older local buildings. Several former quarries, now flooded, have become nature reserves. The administration of Buckinghamshire is further sub-divided into civil parishes. Today Buckinghamshire is ethnically diverse, particularly in the larger towns. At the end of the 19th century some Welsh drover families settled in north Bucks and, in
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#17327938132634402-470: The southernmost extent of the ice sheet during the Anglian glacial maximum . The Chilterns are part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England, formed between 65 and 95 million years ago, comprising rocks of the Chalk Group ; this also includes Salisbury Plain , Cranborne Chase , the Isle of Wight and the South Downs in the south. In the north, the chalk formations continue northeastwards across Hertfordshire , Norfolk and
4473-413: The swan is in chains illustrates that the swan is bound to the monarch , an ancient law that still applies to wild swans in the UK today. The arms were first borne at the Battle of Agincourt by the Duke of Buckingham . Above the swan is a gold band, in the centre of which is Whiteleaf Cross , representing the many ancient landmarks of the county. The shield is surmounted by a beech tree, representing
4544-446: The towns of Slough and Eton . The Chiltern Hills , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , occupy the south of the county and contain its highest point, Haddington Hill (267 m (876 ft)). The Chilterns are the source of the River Ouzel , which flows across the lowland Vale of Aylesbury in the north of the county and through Milton Keynes before meeting the River Great Ouse at Newport Pagnell . The Thames forms part of
4615-408: The wood, killing all seven of its crew. LW579 was based at RAF Snaith in the East Riding of Yorkshire and seems to have been at least 120 miles (190 km) off course. It was a clear, moonlit night, and it is not clear why the Halifax lost height and crashed into the hill. It was one of six aircraft that the squadron lost in the same night on the same mission. There is a monument in the wood to
4686-399: Was demoted by Whitehorse Hill which is slightly higher at 856 feet (261 m) and the current County top . The historic high point is located at SU72889577 , but is unmarked and hard to find with any certainty. The location is of interest to participants in Hill bagging who visit these high points of the historic counties of England . Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills or
4757-522: Was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The western edge of the Chilterns is notable for ancient strip parishes , elongated parishes with villages in the flatter land below the escarpment, and woodland and summer pastures in the higher land. The hills have been used for their natural resources for millennia . The chalk has been quarried for the manufacture of cement, and flint for local building material. Beechwoods supplied furniture makers with quality hardwood . The area
4828-446: Was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The northwest boundary is clearly defined by the escarpment . The dip slope is by definition more gradual, and merges with the landscape to the southeast. The southwest endpoint is the River Thames . The hills decline slowly in prominence in northeast Bedfordshire. The chalk escarpment of the Chiltern Hills overlooks the Vale of Aylesbury and roughly coincides with
4899-462: Was formed by the Local Government Act 1972, styled as the "Milton Keynes District Council" and subordinate to Buckinghamshire County Council. Its (district) council was first elected in 1973 , a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the District of Milton Keynes on 1 April 1974. The council was granted borough status on its foundation, entitling it to be known as "Milton Keynes Borough Council" and to annually appoint
4970-455: Was once (and still is to a lesser degree) renowned for its chair-making industry, centred on the towns of Chesham and High Wycombe (the nickname of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is the Chairboys). Water was and remains a scarce resource in the Chilterns. Historically it was drawn from the aquifer via ponds , deep wells , occasional springs or bournes and chalk streams and rivers. The River Chess directly supplies watercress beds. Today
5041-430: Was the seventh richest subregion in the European Union in 2002. As well as the highest GDP per capita outside Inner London, Buckinghamshire has the highest quality of life, the highest life expectancy and the best education results in the country. The southern part of the county is a prosperous section of the London commuter belt . The county has fertile agricultural lands, with many landed estates , especially those of
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