Aylesbury Travel Guide

The Buckinghamshire County Museum is based in some old buildings (part dating from 15th century) in the old part of Aylesbury town. There are permanent displays about the history and culture of Buckinghamshire (including furniture-making and the famous Aylesbury ducks) as well as temporary exhibitions.

There is also the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery (not to be confused with the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in nearby Great Missenden) - this is a general children's museum gallery with a Roald Dahl theme, rather than a gallery about Roald Dahl. There is a Great Glass Elevator and a Giant Peach etc.

Admission to the main museum is free. Admission to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is £4.00 for children and £4.50 for adults.

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There are lots of good walks in the Chilterns. One option is to walk along the scarp of the Chilterns, with great views over Aylesbury vale. You can take a train from Aylesbury to Wendover (2 stops), then walk up Bacombe Hill, Coombe Hill (the highest point of the Chilterns) and Cymbeline's mount, crossing the Chequers estate (the country estate of the Prime Minister). Part of this route follows the Ridgeway path. Walking maps are available from the Chiltern Society.

This walk takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes if you stop to enjoy the view. There are several pubs, restaurants and tea-shops in Wendover for well-earned refreshment when you get back.

Waddesdon Manor looks like a 16th century French chateau. This is no accident, as it was built by Ferdinand de Rothschild (in the late 19th century) to provide a fitting setting for his collection of French furniture, porcelain and carpets. There are also paintings by Gainsborough and Reynolds and Dutch and Flemish masters. The house is simply full of treasures (my favourite is the mechanical elephant clock).

There are also landscaped grounds, and (more attractive for children than priceless ceramics) an aviary with exotic birds.

Adults may also be interested in the wine cellars which contain thousands of bottles of Rothschild wines dating back to 1868 - there are free tours on Wednesday afternoons at 3.00 p.m.

Waddesdon Manor is owned by the National Trust. The grounds are open 10.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. and the house itself (admission by timed ticket only) is open 12.00 to 4.00 Wednesdays to Sundays 1 April -1 November. See the website for admission prices as it varies according to the time of year and day of the week.

The one problem with Waddesdon is that it is so popular that the catering cannot always cope on busy weekends. I have (on different visits) been served a semi-frozen sandwich and had to queue for half an hour for an ice-cream. There are however some pubs in Waddesdon village.

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The former Quainton Road railway station is now a fascinating railway museum. There are lots of special events - you can take a ride on a steam train, or even meet Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends.

Another station building has been relocated from Oxford to make a visitor centre with a couple of indoor displays (VIP carriages etc.), a 'cinema coach', cafe and gift shop. There is also a secondhand bookshop on the site.

Admission (Summer 2008) is £7 for adults on a steam day (every Sunday and Wednesdays during summer) and £9 for special events. It is open on other days for static viewing (£5).

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St Tiggywinkles is a wildlife hospital, specialising in hedgehogs, though they look after all sorts of wildlife. If you come on your own you may not see any of their hedgehog residents, but you can learn how to make a hedgehog-friendly garden, see baby birds being fed, and visit the hedgehog museum, a shrine to all things hedgehog.

I organised a group trip, which meant that we had a talk by one of the staff and did see some of their prickly patients.

Just about 5miles north of Aylesbury, this National Trust property (built 1874-89) is a magnificent French Renaissance-style chateau housing the Rothschild collection of art treasures including Sevres porcelain and works by Gainsborough and Reynolds. It has one of the finest Victorian gardens, a Parterre, rose and children's garden and a fully-stocked Rococo-style aviary. There are gift and wine shops and licensed restaurants. It is beautiful inside and out. We try to visit this wonderful place every time we are anywhere near.