Near Oxfordshire

If you’re looking for a fantastic day out near Oxford or Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire hosts many attractions and places to visit all within an hour by car from Oxford and Bicester.  With so much to see and do, why not stay for a few days at one of the many high quality hotels or B&Bs?

Boarstall Duck Decoy
Distance from Oxford -  24mins by car, 10miles
Distance from Bicester – 15mins by car, 7.5miles

The Duck Decoy and Nature Reserve offers a rare opportunity to see real living history as the decoy man and his dog provide demonstrations of how ducks were decoyed in the 18th Century.

Boarstall Tower
Distance from Oxford –23mins by car, 9.7miles
Distance from Bicester -15mins by car, 7.9miles

Boarstall Tower is the oldest medieval military building still standing in Buckinghamshire. 

Long Crendon Courthouse
Distance from Oxford –31mins by car, 15.5miles
Distance from Bicester -26mins by car, 13.6miles

Long Crendon Courthouse was the first National Trust property acquired in Buckinghamshire, bought in 1900. Its primary use was as a courthouse, where yearly courts were held on Whitsun Thursday to solve local disputes within the Parish, nowadays it houses a local history exhibition.

Tiggiwinkles Wildlife Centre
Distance from Oxford –31mins by car, 16.5miles
Distance from Bicester –34mins by car, 17.6miles 

Set in the peaceful grounds of Tiggywinkles Hospital, an outdoor educational trail has been developed with a chance to meet some of the Centre’s permanent residents. These include foxes, hedgehogs, water birds, deer, tortoises and occasionally badgers!

Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway
Distance from Oxford – 38mins by car, 22.9miles
Distance from Bicester – 41mins by car, 29.7miles

The railway is a friendly country branch line providing heritage train rides for both families and enthusiasts alike. The line runs along the foot of the Chiltern Hills, parallel to the Icknield Way, passing through attractive countryside.

Waddesdon Manor
Distance from Oxford – 40mins by car, 25.6miles
Distance from Bicester - 21mins by car, 12.3miles

Waddesdon Manor was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to display his superb collection of art treasures and entertain the fashionable world. The Victorian garden is considered one of the finest in Britain with an aviary, parterre, statuary, fountains and woodland playground

Claydon
Distance from Oxford – 45mins by car, 27miles
Distance from Bicester – 25mins by car, 12.1miles

For nearly 400 years Claydon has been the home of the Verney family. Today the historic house, gardens, parkland, church and courtyard businesses are open to the public.

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Distance from Oxford – 40mins by car, 25.3miles
Distance from Bicester – 21mins by car, 12miles

Revisit the golden age of steam at one of the largest railway collections in the UK at the Bucks Railway Centre. Ride the steam hauled passenger train and miniature railway, and stop into the Visitor Centre which offers historic exhibits of locomotives, a gift shop and a restaurant.

Buckingham Chantry Chapel
Distance from Oxford –  46mins by car, 25.8miles
Distance from Bicester – 21mins by car,  10.9miles

The Chantry Chapel in Buckingham is believed to be the oldest building in Buckinghamshire, probably built as a hospital in the 13th Century. Throughout its long life it had many uses before being transformed by the National Trust into a thriving second-hand book and coffee shop.

Buckingham Old Gaol Museum
Distance from Oxford – 45mins by car, 25.8miles
Distance from Bicester – 20mins by car,  10.9miles

The Old Gaol, town's landmark building houses Buckingham's museum, the Tourist Information Centre and the souvenir shop. Discover the fascinating story of the building of Buckingham's past and the county's military history.

Swan Pool and Leisure Centre
Distance from Oxford – 45mins by car, 24.6miles
Distance from Bicester – 21mins by car,  11.5miles

The Swan Pool and Leisure Centre provides the perfect setting for both leisure and relaxation and has facilities and activities to suit all ages and abilities.

Stowe House
Distance from Oxford – 47mins by car, 30miles
Distance from Bicester – 25mins by car, 11.5miles 

Complete your day at Stowe by visiting the magnificent Stowe House, the principle temple in the Landscape Gardens. A political power house throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, it is an excellent example of neo-classical art and architecture.

Stowe
Distance from Oxford – 44mins by car, 29miles
Distance from Bicester – 22mins by car, 10.6miles 

When Stowe, one of the leading landscape gardens in Europe was built during the 18th Century, the family living there were more interested in planting temples than flowers. Today over forty temples and monuments remain, laid out against an inspiring backdrop of lakes and valleys.

The Horses Trust
Distance from Oxford – 42mins by car, 27.6miles
Distance from Bicester – 45mins by car, 34.3miles

The Horse Trust, founded in 1886 is the world’s oldest horse charity. Set in the rolling Chiltern Hills, it provides sanctuary at its Home of Rest for Horses to around 100 retired working horses, ponies and donkeys.

Lacey Green Windmill
Distance from Oxford – 43mins by car, 27.9miles
Distance from Bicester - 46mins by car, 34.7miles 

Lacey Green Windmill is England's oldest smock mill, with wooden machinery dating from around 1650. Since 1971 it has been restored to working order by members of the Chiltern Society.

The Hell-Fire Caves
Distance from Oxford – 35mins by car, 23.1miles
Distance from Bicester – 38mins by car, 29.8miles 

Excavated by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1750s, the extraordinary Hell-Fire Caves were reputed to have hosted the Hell-Fire Club whose membership included some of Britain’s most senior aristocrats and statesmen. A tour of the caves takes you past various small chambers to the Banqueting Hall, down over the River Styx to the Inner Temple, which is about 300 feet beneath the church at the top of the hill.

The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Distance from Oxford – around 27mins by car, 19miles
Distance from Bicester - around 30mins by car, 25miles 

Over a third of the Bucks is covered by the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Get outdoors and discover the thousands of miles of public rights of way including National Trails such as the ancient Ridgeway National Trail, which is part of the ‘oldest road in Britain’. 

Midsomer Murders
Distance from Oxford – around 30mins by car, 13miles
Distance from Bicester – around 18mins by car, 9miles 

The Midsomer Murder plots may be whimsical, but the idyllic settings of Midsomer Mallow or Magna, Wellow or Worthy are delightfully real. The key locations that enthral viewers around the world are hidden away in Buckinghamshire's rural Vale of Aylesbury and Chiltern Hills. Our trail visits a selection of them, unmasking quirky unknown gems along the way; a hedgehog hospital, a duck decoy, England's oldest freehouse, the model for Enid Blyton's Toy Town or the secret resting place of a notorious spy.

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Suggested Days Out

Not sure which fantastic attractions to visit? Her are a few suggested itineraries to help with your planning.

Day 1 ~ History and Mystery

Morning – Visit historical Long Crendon Courthouse

Lunch – stop off at The Bell pub in Chearsley, a 14th Century traditional inn

Afternoon – start the Midsomer Murders trail at Chearsley and do as much or as little as you like!

Day 2 ~ Beautiful Countryside

Morning- Lacey Green Windmill, followed by a walk over to the Horses Trust.

Lunch – Have a picnic at the Horses Trust

Afternoon – set off for an afternoon cycle or bike ride into the Chiltern Hills –visit Whiteleaf Cross, Butlers Hanging Nature Reserve or Naphill Common.

Day 3 ~ Magnificent Stowe

Morning – Visit the glorious Stowe House.

Lunch – Spend lunch at the Crown Pub in Tingewick , a grade 2 listed inn with a  relaxed family atmosphere

Afternoon – Have an afternoon at Stowe and admire its landscape gardens and many temples.

Day  4 ~ Traditional Town

Morning – Visit the Buckingham Old Gaol Museum followed by a trip to the Chantry Chapel.

Lunch – Have a quick lunch at a coffee shop and do a spot of shopping in Cornwall Place, at the market and the many independent traders.

Afternoon – spend your afternoon at the Swan Pool Leisure Centre.

Day 5 ~ History and Wildlife

Morning – A visit to Boarstall Duck Decoy and Boarstall Tower

Lunch – Stop off at the Chandos Arms Pub in Oakley, a traditional village pub offering quality home cooked food.

Afternoon – Spend the afternoon at the Haddenham Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital.

Day  6 ~ Vintage Grandeur

Morning – Be enchanted by the Bucks Railway Centre

Afternoon – Spend the afternoon at the beautiful Waddesdon Manor, have lunch at the house or in the Old Dairy and walk the estate’s grounds.

Day 7 ~ Steam and Statesmen

Morning -  Have a ride on a steam train from the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Station.

Afternoon – Go underground and visit the Hell-Fire Caves

Day 8 ~ The Chilterns

Spend the day exploring the Chilterns, following the miles of footpaths, bridal ways or National Trails. Stop for lunch at one of the many pubs scattered around this area of natural beauty. There are many nature reserves, animal parks, picnic sites, Red Kite spotting areas, bluebell woods and attractions to visit.

Day 9 ~ History Explored

Morning – Explore Claydon and stay for a spot of lunch.

Afternoon – Take a short drive to Buckingham  to learn about the military history or writer Flora Thompson, at the Buckingham Old Gaol Museum.