Best places to live in Buckinghamshire

Published Dec 5, 2022

6 mins read

Looking for the best places to live in Buckinghamshire? This region of southeast England, attracts a wide variety of buyers.

As well as being close to London, it has an abundance of picturesque villages, outstanding schools and friendly supportive communities.

All of the towns featured in this blog are considered to be among the best places to live in Buckinghamshire, with properties ideal for families, retirement cottages, or commuters needing to reach London.

1. Marlow

Marlow is a vibrant Georgian market town set in the river Thames valley with a population of around 15,000. Made up of historic streets, restaurants, cafes and bistros, Marlow is an enviable place to reside. The town’s popularity is certainly reflected in its property prices.

As well as a unique charm, there are an array of great amenities and an abundance of boutique shops.

Recreational options include Higginson Park which is packed with play facilities for children, and it has a connection to the Thames Path and rural walks.

Marlow offers excellent schooling options at both the primary and secondary level, including the outstanding Sir William Borlase’s co-educational grammar school, so it’s extremely attractive for families with school age children.

From Marlow it’s around a 90 minute journey by train into London.

2. Amersham

Amersham is an ancient market town around thirty miles northwest of central London. Nearby are the Chiltern Hills, Aylesbury and High Wycombe.

Residents have the best of both worlds in Amersham. As well as the ancient part of the town, with its local pubs and 13th-century parish church, residents also have access to Amersham-on-the-Hill, which offers modern amenities, services and shops.

Amersham has some very sought-after schools, several rated “Outstanding” and the majority rated “Good” by Ofsted.

The town is in prime commuter territory, and with a speedy 30 minute travel time to London, it’s not surprising properties are in high demand.

3. Gerrards Cross

Gerrards Cross, or ‘GX’ as it’s known locally, has been dubbed ‘mini Hollywood’ due to the influx of celebrities who have moved here.

They’re onto a good thing. The town is set in a rural green belt and offers the benefits of countryside living, as well as a vibrant High Street with a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants.

Gerrards Cross Common is well used for leisure activities and has a children’s play area and football pitch. Black Park Country Park offers over 500 acres of woodland, heathland and open space for cycling and walks. The town also has two excellent tennis clubs.

In terms of schooling, the town offers several options for independent schools, including girls’ day schools, a co-ed day prep school and boys’ day school. Ofsted rates Gerrards Cross C of E Primary School “Outstanding”.

Easy access to London in 20 minutes on a direct Chilterns Railway line (or under an hour by car), makes the town a drawcard for commuters.

4. Haddenham

Haddenham is a large village with a population of 5,000 and good facilities for families, as well as a quick commute to London.

The village is praised for its community vibe and strong family feel and there’s always something happening to get involved in.

Amenities include a village dentist, doctor’s surgery and small supermarket, with a good selection of pubs, restaurants and cafes.

Ofsted rates Haddenham Community Infant School and Haddenham St Mary’s C of E Primary School as “Outstanding”, and these are one of the big draws of the village.

Haddenham is ideal for commuters with a direct train link to London Marylebone and a journey time of around 40 minutes. Oxford is half an hour away, Bicester 15 minutes and Birminghham 90 minutes.

5. Waddesdon

Waddesdon is situated six miles from Aylesbury and offers a quintessential English village vibe.

On the edge of the village is Waddesdon Manor, an architectural gem and one of the National Trust’s most visited properties.

The manor offers a lively calendar of local events, but residents also enjoy the strong community spirit, gastro scene and excellent schools, which add to the village’s appeal.

The village primary school is well respected and Waddesdon School for children 11-18 years is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Aylesbury, a 13 minute drive away, has the closest train station and the fastest train to London Marylebone will get you there in just under an hour. The journey by car takes around 90 minutes.

6. Hambleden

In Hambledon, you’ll find all that you need for village life including pretty stone cottages, a charming Village Store and rural vistas.

The Village Store is the heart of the community and where you can pick up fresh produce, locally sourced meat, game and pies, fresh cakes and pastries, and quality wine. It also includes an in-house chef and a post office.

The larger villages of Marlow and Henley are just a 10 minute drive away and offer more shops and amenities. Reading is a 30 minute drive and Bicester Village, a 40 minute drive, has designer outlet shopping.

The neighbouring village of Freith, a 10 minute drive away, has a C of E Primary School rated “Good” by Ofsted. There are also two schools in nearby Marlow rated “Outstanding”: Danesfield School and Sir William Borlase’s Grammar; primary and secondary respectively.

Hambledon doesn’t have a train station but you can catch a train to London in either Marlow or Henley in under an hour.

7. Long Crendon

Long Crendon is surrounded by countryside and is a typical English village with picturesque cottages and period architecture.

It’s rural but not remote, and although it’s small, it’s big on community spirit.

There’s a wide range of amenities and recreation activities for every age group.

Families are attracted to Long Crendon because of the laid back village life, plenty of good schools in close proximity and the easy commute to London and Oxford.

Just a 5 to 10 minute drive from the village is Haddenham & Thame Parkway, which has fast trains to Marylebone in 30 minutes.

8. Olney

Olney is a beautifully preserved market town with a literary history, riverside location and Georgian architecture.

This underrated gem of a town is hidden in the North Bucks countryside and offers residents a bustling high street with independent shops, a farmers’ market every first Sunday of the month and a stellar food and drink scene.

If you’re looking for old-fashioned village charm, then you’ll find it in spades here: there’s even quirky celebration events such as duck and pancake races.

Milton Keynes is the closest station, about 15 minutes away, and you can get to London in 30 minutes by fast train, or in an hour and 25 minutes by car.

9. Iver

For a blend of countryside calm and urban connectivity, Iver should be on your radar.

Iver and the neighbouring village of Iver Heath both have primary schools, local shops, restaurants and pubs.

A number of grammar secondary schools, including Langley, Upton Court and Burnham, are in close proximity to the village.

Black Park has a number of family friendly attractions, including the popular Go Ape high ropes activity centre. There is also a lake and cafe, woodland tracks and wildlife spotting.

Located on the edge of Greater London, Iver offers an excellent rail service to Ealing Broadway on the Elizabeth line in around 15 minutes and Paddington in half an hour. Heathrow is under six miles away.

10. Burnham

Burnham is a large village and home to period and Victorian properties, as well as contemporary houses.

A weekly market takes place every Wednesday, and there are regular Concerts and community cinema evenings.

The Burnham Village Fete is held every summer and brings together local musicians and performers of all ages.

The town is well served for green spaces, including Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve, an area of protected ancient woodland just north of the village, and popular for walking.

Three golf courses – Huntswood, Lambourne, Burnham Beeches – are to the north and west of the village.

Burnham offers good access to the M25 and M40 and rail links connect residents to London Paddington in 35 minutes and also to Maidenhead, Slough and Reading.

11. Aylesbury

Aylesbury, once a major market town in Anglo-Saxon times, has grown substantially in recent years.

Thanks to a number of new housing estates surrounding the attractive town centre, the population is now around 75,000.

This means Aylesbury offers plenty in the way of amenities and retail options – Friars Square and Hale Leys are the most popular shopping spots – and there’s no time to be bored with an annual calendar of events.

Further options for recreation include two theatres, a fitness centre and swimming pool, an Odeon cinema and two local golf courses.

Aylesbury Grammar School and Aylesbury High School are both rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

In terms of transport connections, Aylesbury offers easy rail access to London and the rest of the county.

12. Beaconsfield

Beaconsfield is a drawcard for well-heeled commuters and this is reflected in its property prices.

Consistently named one of Britain’s prettiest towns.

Beaconsfield offers an Old Town village feel combined with the conveniences of modern life.

The town is chock full of high-end restaurants, cosy pubs, independent boutiques and big name shops and is adjacent to the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a paradise for walkers and cyclists.

This sought after location scores highly in the desirability stakes with families due to its good schools and commuters with a speedy 25 minute rail journey to London (Heathrow is also just 15 miles away).