Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire has a population or around 620,000, and covers 727 square miles The county town is Aylesbury. The county name is commonly abbreviated to Bucks.

Geography

The county is very wooded on the hills and the countryside is rolling and very beautiful The Thames River forms the southern boundary of the county. In Southern Buckinghamshire are the chalky Chiltern Hills with their lovely beech forests.

Industry

Industries, including high tech products, have developed in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and Wolverton, however the area is largely agricultural due to the fertile Vale of Aylesbury in North Buckinghamshire. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry (including the famous Aylesbury Duck) are raised farther south. and Furniture made from beech wood is still one of the county's most notable products.

History

There are extensive pre-Roman and Roman remains. The Kings of Wessex raised a new castle at Buckingham to defend against the invading Danes in the 10th century and more than 200 communities and estates were grouped together to create a county measuring 50 miles long and 10 miles wide. After the Danes were driven out of the area, the castle in Buckingham became disused and to day you can hardly tell it ever existed. In the early 17th century, the heavily forested woodland surrounding the Chiltern Hills was cleared - mainly for access to London. Lace making