96-470: Buckinghamshire ( / ˈ b ʌ k ɪ ŋ ə m ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / , abbreviated Bucks ) 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
192-729: 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
288-534: A council to govern itself. The right to establish a council was opposed by the prominent local landowner Thomas Pakington , and it seems likely that this element of the charter was not put into effect at that time. In 1650, following the English Civil War , the town did establish a degree of self-government under the auspices of the 1554 charter. However, in 1664, in the aftermath of the Restoration ,
384-553: A lieutenant with the wider county from which they had been created. London had instead a commission of lieutenancy , headed by the Lord Mayor . The long-standing practice of appointing lieutenants jointly to the wider county and any counties corporate it contained was formalised by the Militia Act 1882. Apart from the inclusion of the counties corporate, the counties for the purposes of lieutenancy generally corresponded to
480-412: A new non-metropolitan county is created the 1997 Act is amended to redefine the existing areas of the lieutenancies in terms of the new areas. No such amendment was made in 1997 when Rutland was made a unitary authority or in 1998 when Herefordshire and Worcestershire were re-established; those three therefore have been given their own lieutenants again since the passing of the 1997 Act. The actual areas of
576-607: A railway bridge at Ledburn , about six miles (9.7 km) from the town. A notable institution is Aylesbury Grammar School which was founded in 1598. The original building is now part of the County Museum buildings in Church Street and has grade II* architecture; other grammar schools now include Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and Aylesbury High School . Other notable buildings are the King's Head Inn , (which, with
672-542: A symbol of the town of Aylesbury. Aylesbury United F.C. are nicknamed "The Ducks" and include an Aylesbury duck on their club badge, and the town's coat of arms includes an Aylesbury duck and plaited straw, representing the two historic industries of the town. The Aylesbury Brewery Company, now defunct, featured the Aylesbury duck as its logo, an example of which can still be seen at the Britannia pub . Duck Farm Court
768-470: 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,
864-520: 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
960-551: Is a shopping area of modern Aylesbury located near the historic hamlet of California , close to one of the main breeding grounds for ducks in the town, and there have been two pubs in the town with the name "The Duck" in recent years; one in Bedgrove that has since been demolished and one in Jackson Road that has recently been renamed. The town's population has grown from 28,000 in the 1960s to almost 72,000 in 2011 due in
1056-557: Is immediately southeast of the upper River Thame that flows past Thame to Dorchester on Thames and is partly sited on the two northernmost outcrops of Portland stone in England bisected by a small stream, Bear Brook which gives a relatively prominent position in relation to the terrain of all near, lower, fields and suburbs, which have largely slowly permeable Oxford Clay and Kimmeridge Clay soils . Elevations range from 72.5m above mean sea level to 95m AOD in contiguous parts of
SECTION 10
#17327649973341152-550: Is named after the king. Louis's wife, Marie Josephine of Savoy died at Hartwell in 1810 and is the only French queen to have died on English soil. After her death, her body was carried first to Westminster Abbey, and one year later to Sardinia , where the Savoy King of Sardinia had withdrawn during Napoleonic occupation of Turin and Piedmont; she is buried in the Cathedral of Cagliari . Aylesbury's heraldic crest displays
1248-488: 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
1344-640: Is provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian . Television signals are received from the Oxford transmitting station . Aylesbury Waterside Theatre , a new £42 million theatre, with 1,200-seat auditorium, opened in October 2010. In addition to this, the surrounding area has been redeveloped a £100 million project known as the 'Waterside project'. When this is completed, there will be 260,000 sq ft (24,000 m ) of new retail floor space and 1,100 new jobs created, although when this will be completed now
1440-613: 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
1536-663: Is the monarch 's representative in an area. Shrieval counties have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which high sheriffs are appointed. High sheriffs are the monarch's judicial representative in an area. The ceremonial counties are defined in the Lieutenancies Act 1997 , and the shrieval counties in the Sheriffs Act 1887 . Both are defined as groups of local government counties. The historic counties of England were originally used as areas for administering justice and organising
1632-546: 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 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
1728-432: 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
1824-623: Is unclear. A Waitrose supermarket opened opposite the theatre in August 2013, along with a Travelodge Hotel. Branches of Wagamama and Nando's restaurants opened on 'The Exchange' in February 2014, next to the Odeon cinema on Exchange Street. This included luxury and high-end studio apartments, new restaurants including Zizzi, The Grill Steakhouse and Rococo Lounge, as well as a new public square including metal statues that represent Aylesbury as
1920-720: The Aylesbury duck , which has been bred here since the birth of the Industrial Revolution , although only one breeder of true Aylesbury ducks, Richard Waller, remains today. The town also received international publicity in 1963 when the culprits responsible for the Great Train Robbery (1963) were tried at Aylesbury Rural District Council Offices in Walton Street and sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court . The robbery took place at Bridego Bridge,
2016-677: 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
SECTION 20
#17327649973342112-636: The Courts Act 1971 which abolished the quarter sessions and assizes . Sheriffs continued to be appointed for each county despite the loss of the judicial functions. Certain towns and cities were counties corporate appointing their own sheriffs. The counties corporate were all included in a wider county for lieutenancy purposes, except the City of London which had its own lieutenants. The geographical counties were relatively stable between 1889 and 1965. There were occasional boundary changes, notably following
2208-616: The English Civil War when it became a stronghold for the Parliamentarian forces, like many market towns a nursing-ground of Puritan sentiment and in 1642 the Battle of Aylesbury was fought and won by the Parliamentarians. Its proximity to Great Hampden , home of John Hampden has made of Hampden a local hero: his silhouette was used on the emblem of Aylesbury Vale District Council and his statue stands prominently in
2304-654: The Fleece Inn at Bretforton , is one of the few public houses in the country owned by the National Trust and still run as a public house) and the Queens Park Centre . James Henry Govier , the British painter and etcher , lived at Aylesbury and produced a number of works relating to the town including the church, canal, Walton, Aylesbury Gaol , the King's Head Inn and views of the town during
2400-510: The Lieutenancies Act 1997 . When Herefordshire, Rutland and Worcestershire were re-established as local government counties in 1997 and 1998 no amendment was made to the 1997 Act regarding them, allowing them to also serve as their own lieutenancy areas. The lieutenancy counties have not changed in area since 1998, although the definitions of which local government counties are included in each lieutenancy have been amended to reflect new unitary authorities being created since 1997. In legislation
2496-620: The Local Government Act 1894 which said that parishes and districts were no longer allowed to straddle county boundaries. After that most boundary changes were primarily to accommodate urban areas which were growing across county boundaries, such as when Caversham was transferred from Oxfordshire to Berkshire as a result of being absorbed into the County Borough of Reading in 1911. The lieutenancies and judicial / shrieval counties were defined as groups of administrative counties and county boroughs, and so were automatically adjusted if
2592-675: 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
2688-594: 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
2784-626: 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
2880-563: The Waterside Theatre . It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milton Keynes . Aylesbury was awarded Garden Town status in 2017. The housing target for the town is set to grow with 16,000 homes set to be built by 2033. The town name is of Old English origin. It is first recorded in the form Æglesburg in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , a text which took its present form in
2976-625: 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
Buckinghamshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-415: The constituents of Aylesbury town itself. Surrounding villages and some recent developments on the outskirts of Aylesbury like Fairford Leys & Watermead have their own parish council . In 2010 the district council decided that the new developments of Berryfields and Weedon Hill , both to the north of Aylesbury, should also join to form a new parish as of May 2011. The town council also elects
3168-445: The militia , overseen by a sheriff . From Tudor times onwards a lord-lieutenant was appointed to oversee the militia, taking some of the sheriff's functions. Certain towns and cities were counties corporate , which gave them the right to appoint their own sheriffs and hold their own courts. Whilst in theory the counties corporate could have had separate lieutenants appointed for them, in practice all of them except London shared
3264-722: The 1940s and 1950s, examples of which can be seen in the Buckinghamshire County Museum in Aylesbury. The town is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games. During the 1948 Olympics in London, German-British neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann , set up a small sporting event for World War II veterans known as the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games (WWAG) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Rehabilitation Facility in Aylesbury. This eventually led to
3360-534: 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
3456-666: 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
3552-540: 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
3648-662: The City of London, which has two sheriffs ). The Lieutenancies Act 1997 defines counties for the purposes of lieutenancies in terms of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties (created by the Local Government Act 1972 , as amended) as well as Greater London and the Isles of Scilly (which lie outside the 1972 Act's system). Although the term is not used in the act, these counties are sometimes known as "ceremonial counties". The counties are defined in Schedule 1, paragraphs 2–5 as amended (in 2009, 2019 and 2023). Generally, each time
3744-612: The English White. Since at least the 1690s ducks had been farmed in Aylesbury, and made Aylesbury known throughout England and beyond. They were bred and brought up by poor people, and sent to London by the weekly carriers. They went on to be known as the Aylesbury duck . The duck business in Aylesbury went into decline in the 19th century. By the time Beatrix Potter 's 1908 The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck —about an Aylesbury duck although set in Cumbria —caused renewed interest in
3840-539: 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
3936-807: The Roberts Bridge after a local councillor) opened in March 2009 connecting Southcourt to Aylesbury town centre. The focus of the footbridge is a central concrete pillar with four suspension cables supporting the structure. This bridge forms a central part of the Aylesbury Hub project. Bourg Walk was nominated and won the Engineering Excellence Award 2009 awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers – South East England branch. There are two tiers of local government covering
Buckinghamshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-588: 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
4128-716: The Virgin's (which has many later additions). In 1450, a religious institution called the Guild of St Mary was founded in Aylesbury by John Kemp , Archbishop of York . Known popularly as the Guild of Our Lady it became a meeting place for local dignitaries and a hotbed of political intrigue. The guild was influential in the outcome of the Wars of the Roses . Its premises at the Chantry in Church Street, Aylesbury, are still there, though today
4224-582: 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
4320-456: The boundaries of those administrative areas changed. There were two exceptions to this rule (one only briefly). The county borough of Great Yarmouth straddled Norfolk and Suffolk for judicial and lieutenancy purposes until 1891 when it was placed entirely in Norfolk for those purposes. The county borough of Stockport straddled Cheshire and Lancashire for judicial and lieutenancy purposes - it
4416-445: The breed, the Aylesbury duck was in steep decline. The duckers of Buckinghamshire had generally failed to introduce technological improvements such as the incubator , and inbreeding had dangerously weakened the breed. Meanwhile, the cost of duck food had risen fourfold over the 19th century, and from 1873 onwards competition from Pekin and Pekin cross ducks was undercutting Aylesbury ducks at the marketplace. The First World War devastated
4512-673: The burial place of Saint Osgyth , whose shrine attracted pilgrims . Aylesbury was a royal manor with eight attached hundreds in 1086, and some historians have supposed that it was already a royal manor before the Norman conquest . Some lands here were granted by William the Conqueror to citizens upon the tenure that the owners should provide straw for the monarch's bed, sweet herbs for his chamber and two green geese and three eels for his table, whenever he should visit Aylesbury. The town includes an Early English parish church, St. Mary
4608-658: 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
4704-433: The ceremonial counties have not changed since 1998. These are the 48 counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies in England, as currently defined: After the creation of county councils in 1889, there were counties for judicial and shrieval purposes, counties for lieutenancy purposes, and administrative counties and county boroughs for the purposes of local government. The 1888 Act used the term 'entire county' to refer to
4800-598: 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
4896-417: 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
SECTION 50
#17327649973344992-482: The county councils. In counties where the quarter sessions had been held separately for different parts of the county, such as the Parts of Lincolnshire , each part was given its own county council. The area administered by a county council was called an administrative county . As such, some of the judicial or lieutenancy counties comprised several administrative counties and county boroughs. The Ordnance Survey adopted
5088-581: 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
5184-483: The county. Aylesbury is home to one college of general further education ( Aylesbury College on Oxford Road), three grammar schools , two community upper schools , an academy , a university technical college and a host of primary schools . The secondary schools are: There are also the following special schools : The Aylesbury Vale Secondary Support Centre is a Pupil referral unit (PRU), which caters for permanently excluded pupils. Aylesbury Music Centre
5280-763: 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
5376-449: The county: There are the following additional lines: Ceremonial counties of England Ceremonial counties , formally known as counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies , are areas of England to which lord-lieutenants are appointed. They are one of the two main legal definitions of the counties of England in modern usage, the other being the counties for the purposes of local government legislation. A lord-lieutenant
5472-428: The creation of the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London and of the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdon and Peterborough . Aylesbury 51°49′00″N 0°48′45″W / 51.8168°N 0.8124°W / 51.8168; -0.8124 Aylesbury ( / ˈ eɪ l z b ər i / AYLZ -bər-ee ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire , South East England . It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and
5568-412: The early 4th century BCE. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle portrays Aylesbury as being captured from the Britons by one Cuthwulf following the Battle of Bedcanford ; the historicity of this event is doubtful, but the portrayal at least indicates that in the early Middle Ages the settlement was thought to be of some strategic importance. During the early medieval period, Aylesbury became a major market town ,
5664-418: The end of the 1950s the last significant farms had closed, other than a single flock in Chesham owned by Mr L. T. Waller, and by 1966 there were no duck breeders remaining in Aylesbury. As of 2021 the Waller family's farm in Chesham remains in business, the last surviving flock of pure Aylesbury meat ducks in the country. Although, there are still many hobbyists who keep the breed. The Aylesbury duck remains
5760-415: 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
5856-432: The group of administrative counties and county boroughs created within each judicial county. The Ordnance Survey used the term 'geographical county' to refer to this wider definition of the county. Yorkshire had three lieutenancies, one for each riding, but was a single judicial county with one sheriff, and was counted as one geographical county by Ordnance Survey. The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972 under
SECTION 60
#17327649973345952-472: The growth of the phenomenon of the modern Paralympic Games that has been held immediately after every Summer Olympic Games since 1988, and the WWAG was held most years at Stoke Mandeville until 1997, when it has been held in other countries and cities ever since. During the 2012 Paralympics , the official mascot was called 'Mandeville' after Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The Rothschild Family acquired many large country estates and stately homes around and near
6048-408: The home of the Paralympics, as well as poetry covering the ground. Prior to this a Wagamama restaurant and a Nando's restaurant have also opened on the site of the new square at the Exchange, known officially as 'Festival Square'. Also, a new campus of the [Bucks New University] opened on the Waterside site next to the Waterside Theatre. The Bourg Walk Bridge (also called the Southcourt Bridge or
6144-435: The judicial counties. The exception was Yorkshire, which was one judicial county, having a single Sheriff of Yorkshire , but from 1660 onwards each of Yorkshire's three ridings had its own lieutenant. In 1889 elected county councils were established under the Local Government Act 1888 , taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions . Certain towns and cities were made county boroughs , independent from
6240-402: 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
6336-518: 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
6432-460: The later ninth century. The word Ægles is a personal name in the genitive case , meaning "Ægel's" and burg means "fortification". Thus the name once meant "Fort of Ægel" — though who Ægel was is not recorded. Nineteenth-century speculation that that the name contained the Welsh word eglwys meaning "a church" (from Latin ecclesia ) has been discredited. Excavations in the town centre in 1985 found an Iron Age hill fort dating from
6528-414: The lieutenancy areas are described as 'counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'; the informal term 'ceremonial county' has come into usage for such areas, appearing in parliamentary debates as early as 1996. The shrieval counties are defined by the Sheriffs Act 1887 as amended, in a similar way to the lieutenancies defined by the Lieutenancies Act 1997. Each has a high sheriff appointed (except
6624-403: The lieutenants were appointed to the new versions of the counties. The counties of Avon , Cleveland and Humberside , each of which had only been created in 1974, were all abolished in 1996. They were divided into unitary authorities ; legally these are also non-metropolitan counties. As part of these reforms, it was decided to define counties for the purposes of lieutenancy differently from
6720-533: The local government counties in some cases, effectively reverting to the pre-1974 arrangements for lieutenancies. Whereas the lieutenancies had been defined slightly differently from the shrieval counties prior to 1974, it was decided in 1996 that the high sheriffs and lieutenants should be appointed to the same areas. Regulations amending the Sheriffs Act 1887 and specifying the areas for the appointment of lieutenants were accordingly brought in with effect from 1 April 1996. The regulations were then consolidated into
6816-428: The main functions of the counties were the administrative functions of local government. Despite the loss of their functions, sheriffs continued to be appointed to the former judicial counties up until 1974. In 1974, administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished, and a new system of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties was introduced instead. Sheriffs were renamed 'high sheriffs' and both they and
6912-417: The main to new housing developments, including many London overspill housing estates, built to ease pressure on the capital. Indeed, Aylesbury, to a greater extent than many English market towns, saw substantial areas of its own heart demolished in the 1950s/1960s as 16th–18th century houses (many in good repair) were demolished to make way for new, particularly retail, development. Aylesbury's population in
7008-536: 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
7104-494: The modern Aylesbury include: Distinct whole areas that have a notably high property price in the town are Bedgrove , the conservation area around St. Mary's Church and Queens Park , particularly facing onto the canal. Aylesbury has also been extended to completely surround the hamlets and former farms at: Anticipated developments are expected to raise the urban population of Aylesbury from its current approximation of 75,000 to over 100,000 between 2018 and 2023. Aylesbury
7200-466: The more prominent buildings in Aylesbury is the "Blue Leanie" office block, home to Lloyds Bank . When first built it was thought to be a potential hazard to passing motorists, due to the sun reflecting off its large mirrored surface. As a result, a line of mature trees was planted alongside the main road to prevent dazzling. BBC local radio station that broadcast to the town is BBC Three Counties Radio on 94.7 FM. Local news and television programmes
7296-534: 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
7392-766: The northern half of Buckinghamshire, succeeded continuously by younger rocks to the south of the Chilterns. The town centre is home to many pubs and bars. The Queens Park Centre , which is the UK's largest independent arts centre is also based in the town centre. The local newspaper is the Bucks Herald , which started publishing in January 1832. Local radio stations was named Mix 96 , which first broadcast in April 1994, and eventually ceased operations in September 2020, being replaced by Greatest Hits Radio . One of
7488-459: 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
7584-566: The remaining duckers of Buckinghamshire. By the end of the war small-scale duck rearing in the Aylesbury Vale had vanished, with duck raising dominated by a few large duck farms. Shortages of duck food in the Second World War caused further disruption to the industry, and almost all duck farming in the Aylesbury Vale ended. A 1950 "Aylesbury Duckling Day" campaign to boost the reputation of the Aylesbury duck had little effect; by
7680-423: 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
7776-461: The site is used mainly for retail. Aylesbury was declared the new county town of Buckinghamshire in 1529 by King Henry VIII : Aylesbury Manor was among the many properties belonging to Thomas Boleyn , the father of Anne Boleyn , and it is rumoured that the change was made by the King to curry favour with the family. The plague decimated the population in 1603/4. The town played a large part in
7872-463: 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
7968-595: The ten-year period since 2001 has grown by two thousand primarily related to the development of new housing estates which will eventually cater for eight thousand people on the north side, between the A41 ( Akeman Street ) and the A413 and the expansion of Fairford Leys estate. According to the 2011 Census, the religious groupings in Aylesbury were: Christianity (55.7%), no religion (26.9%), Islam (8.3%), Hinduism (1.4%), other (0.4%). 6.7% of respondents did not state their religion. Housing estates in or neighbourhoods of
8064-580: The term 'geographical county' to describe the widest definition of the county. In most cases this was the lieutenancy county; the exceptions were Yorkshire, where the judicial county was larger on account of it being split into its three ridings for lieutenancy purposes, and the County of London where the administrative county was larger on account of the City of London and the rest of the county being separate for both judicial and lieutenancy purposes. The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972, after which
8160-531: The town centre. Aylesbury-born composer, Rutland Boughton (1878–1960), possibly inspired by the statue of John Hampden, created a symphony based on Oliver Cromwell . On 18 March 1664, Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin in the Peerage of Scotland was created 1st Earl of Ailesbury . The grade II* listed Jacobean mansion of Hartwell adjoining the southwest of the town was the residence of Louis XVIII during his exile (1810–1814). Bourbon Street in Aylesbury
8256-457: The town mayor from the serving town councillors every year. The process culminates in a formal "Mayor Making" ceremony where the new mayor takes over from the preceding mayor. The role of mayor is mainly a ceremonial role representing the town at various events and acting as an ambassador for the town. Aylesbury was made a borough by a charter from Mary I in 1554, which gave the town the right to elect two members of parliament and to establish
8352-497: The town's short-lived council was abolished and the rights it had held reverted to the Pakington family which had exercised them prior to the civil war. Thereafter the town was governed by its vestry in the same way as most rural areas, although it remained a parliamentary constituency . In 1849 a local board of health was established to govern the town. This board was replaced by Aylesbury Urban District Council in 1894, which
8448-438: The town, at parish and unitary authority level: Aylesbury Town Council, based at Aylesbury Town Hall at 5 Church Street, and Buckinghamshire Council , which is also based in Aylesbury, having its headquarters at The Gateway on Gatehouse Road. Aylesbury Town Council is the parish council for the town. As at May 2021 it comprises 25 councillors , 20 of whom are Liberal Democrats and 5 Conservative . The council represents only
8544-460: The town, however nearest villages range from 85m-90m to the north or from 85m to 115m on a narrow ridge to the southwest at Stone and towards the Chilterns to the southeast (Weston Turville, Stoke Mandeville and North Lee). The town centre's higher terrain is accurately described by Samuel Lewis in 1848 as a "gentle eminence". The county's oldest rocks of Jurassic age cover the whole of
8640-540: The town, including Waddesdon Manor in nearby Waddesdon Village, Halton House near Wendover and Tring Park in Tring across the border in Hertfordshire , although today most of these properties belong to the National Trust . They have brought in increased tourism to the town and the surrounding areas. In the 18th century selective breeding of white common ducks led to a white domestic duck, generally known as
8736-505: 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
8832-589: 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
8928-575: Was placed entirely in Lancashire for judicial purposes in 1956 but continued to straddle the two counties for lieutenancy purposes until 1974. More significant changes to the geographical counties were made in 1965 with the creation of Greater London and of Huntingdon and Peterborough , which resulted in the abolition of the offices of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex , Lord Lieutenant of the County of London , and Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire and
9024-565: Was re-established in 2001, with its parish council taking the name Aylesbury Town Council. From 2001 to 2020 there were therefore three tiers of local government covering the town, at parish, district, and county level. Aylesbury Vale District Council was abolished in 2020, merging with Buckinghamshire County Council and other district councils to become a unitary authority called Buckinghamshire Council . Since 1 April 2020, when Buckinghamshire Council came into being, it has been responsible for almost all statutory local government functions across
9120-455: Was subsequently given municipal borough status on 1 January 1917, becoming Aylesbury Borough Council. The borough council was awarded a coat of arms in 1964. In 1974 Aylesbury Borough Council merged with several neighbouring districts to become Aylesbury Vale . No successor parish was initially created for Aylesbury, and it became an unparished area , directly administered by Aylesbury Vale District Council . The civil parish of Aylesbury
9216-491: 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
#333666