Buckinghamshire
The County of Buckinghamshire extends from the London outskirts towards the Midlands and is set right in the heart of rural England. It is home to the meandering River Thames and the rolling Chiltern Hills with the beautiful Vale of Aylesbury stretching beyond. The county is partly commuter belt for London.
Bounded by Northamptonshire to the north, by Oxfordshire to the west, by Berkshire to the south and by Greater-London, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire to the east, the county of Buckinghamshire covers an area of approximately 1,565 square kilometres (roughly 600 square miles). It has a population of approximately 600,000 inhabitants and its main towns comprise the city of High Wycombe, Chesham, Aylesbury, Buckingham, Beaconsfield, Olney and Milton Keynes.
Buckinghamshire is well served by the motorway network, with the M40 and M1 running parallel to the county and the M25 London orbital motorway passing through the south of the county. The A41 trunk road links the heart of the county to central London in under an hour.
The county is also characterised by a variety of landscapes; soft rolling hills and lush wooded valleys, wide, open vales, the majestic meandering river and dark dense forests. Over a third of the county is covered by the Chilterns Area, which stretches right across the southern part of Buckinghamshire. The northern half of the county is equally rural, with quiet lanes that meander through pretty villages and farmsteads; a landscape rich in history and heritage.
There are over 2,500 miles of public rights of way, including footpaths, bridleways and National Trails, throughout Buckinghamshire. Whilst exploring, people can absorb the stunning views and admire the fantastic array of flora and fauna, from the distinctive beech trees that dot the hills, to the majestic red kites that swirl overhead.
