A Guide to Living in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a county in the southeast of England. The largest and most populous town in Buckinghamshire is Milton Keynes with over 200,000 residents. Other large towns include Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Slough. There are lots of villages to explore as well such as Stoke Mandeville near Aylesbury (the home of the famous Stoke Mandeville Games), Anstee near Bletchley (which has an ancient church) and East Claydon near Leighton Buzzard (famous for its cherry orchards).

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Best places to live in Buckinghamshire

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

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Where is Buckinghamshire?

With an area of 3,467 kilometres squared, Buckinghamshire shares borders with Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire. The principal town is Aylesbury. Buckinghamshire was historically divided into four divisions: Chiltern Hundreds (the northern section), Great (or Eastern) Divisions (the eastern and central sections), and South or Western Divisions (the south-western section).

Areas in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is famous for its countryside, which is popular with walkers and cyclists. The county’s most notable beauty spot is the Thames Valley through which it runs north to south. It contains some of England’s finest countryside areas and small towns and villages. Some of the more popular areas in Buckinghamshire include Aylesbury, Wycombe, Chiltern Hills and Leighton Buzzard

Aylesbury

The town of Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire. It is a market town and also home to the Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is well known for its rolling hills and quaint villages.

Wycombe

The district of Wycombe is located in the northwest of Buckinghamshire. The most notable towns in the district are High Wycombe and Marlow. The area is known for its natural beauty as well as its proximity to London.

Chiltern Hills

The Chilterns are a range of chalk hills that run through several counties in southern England, including Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. The area has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty because of its beautiful countryside. It is also home to the famous prehistoric monument known as Wayland’s Smithy.

Leighton Buzzard

The town of Leighton Buzzard is located in central Buckinghamshire just south of the Chiltern Hills and northwest of Luton, Bedfordshire. The settlement dates back to Roman times and is hugely popular because of its close proximity to London.

Universities in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire’s primary universities include the University of Buckinghamshire and Buckinghamshire New University.

University of Buckinghamshire

With a campus located in High Wycombe, the University of Buckinghamshire is a non-profit private research university with over 5000 students. It is the oldest of the UK’s five private Universities and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a variety of subjects from law and healthcare to education, humanities and design.

Buckinghamshire New University

Also known as Bucks New University, this public institution has two campuses in High Wycombe and one campus in Uxbridge. It enrols around 14000 students from across the globe every year to study on its various undergraduate courses. Buckinghamshire New University specialises in teacher training, nursing and business courses.

Top Schools in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire has a range of excellent schools to offer to prospective students. There are over 100 state primary schools and 35 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire, ranking it as one of the best education systems on a local level in England.

Some of the standout schools include:

Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School – for boys aged between 11-18, the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School has a comprehensive academic programme that is a great preparation for higher education, includes advanced level courses and an extensive range of after school clubs.

St Bernard’s Catholic College – has been awarded Specialist Science status by the Department of Education to provide excellence in science teaching. It offers high-quality education from Year Seven all the way through secondary school until GCSE exams at 16.

Dr Challoner’s Grammar School – Founded in 1561, Dr Challoner’s is the oldest grammar school in Buckinghamshire and one of the most prestigious schools in the country with a long history of academic excellence.

Population of Buckinghamshire

The county is home to over half a million people and Buckinghamshire’s population has been growing steadily since the last census. However, it does have significant rural areas which still attract many new families looking for somewhere quieter than city living but with good transport links. The majority of residents live in urban or suburban settings and there are plenty of amenities available within close proximity such as public transportation services, hospitals, shops and restaurants.

Reviews in Buckinghamshire

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Big Thanks to The Almere Team!

Verified Resident

Review Date Jan 2024

The Almere building is located at the heart of the city, right next door to a hub of dining restaurants as well as Sainsbury’s supermarket. This makes it very convenient to do your weekly shopping as well as go out with friends. Despite the close proximity to the hub, the building is well soundproofed in addition to security available at concierge, therefore, it’s a very safe environment with no disturbances. The train station as well as Milton Keynes shopping center are a 10 minutes walk away, making this the ideal choice for those who do not drive. Having said that, there are easily accessible parking spaces available for those who prefer driving or friends visiting.

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The building design has been well thought out. There are modern communal areas including ground floor lounge (& free coffee and breakfast for residents), cinema/ entertainment room (table tennis), fitness space (incl free classes), quiet work/study floor (with desks and pods), an entertainment lounge (arcade, board games), as well as rooftop terrace with BBQ facilities & a fully equipped kitchen (& cooking masterclasses). This creates a great atmosphere and community spirit between the residents.

The building and property management are always very responsive and friendly. They have helped support us in various ways and are always understanding of our circumstances. (Big thanks to Mustafa Dar & the entire Almere Team!)

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Before we moved in, The Almere Team (Mustafa) showed us around a number available apartments so that we can carefully consider and choose the best fit for us. The apartments and facilities are all top notch, and the management team are always supportive. Occasionally a lift is out of service which is negligible given there are six of them. Honestly I can only say after moving in and getting to know the team, community and having lived in the flat, everything is extremely convenient and has surpassed my initial expectations. Having lived in a number of apartments in Central Milton Keynes with different landlords – I would definitely recommend the Almere as the best place to live in!

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

The Almere Team respond immediately to any issues raised and resolve them very promptly. There is always someone to turn to for help!

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Manager Response

Thank you very much for leaving us such a great review!

Best place to stay in Milton Keynes

Verified Resident

Review Date Jan 2024

The local area is really good. The location is perfect, it is close to the mall, also different types of restaurants, station and bus stops

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In my opinion, It is the best place to stay in Milton Keynes. It got everything! The design of the flat is very modern with nice furniture and view, suspicious, the management of the building are very supportive and friendly, application for all my needs.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I could not find a near by children playground. However, the activities and space they have in the common area is good for me and my family to hangout with other neighbors.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Very quick and the application they have is very easy to use and useful. I didn’t see anything like it before which made my life much easier

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Manager Response

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. We are so happy to hear you are enjoying living at The Almere!

Couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

Verified Resident

Review Date Jan 2024

Right next to the hub, with loads of restaurant and bar options. Across the road from a supermarket and a short walk to the main shopping centre. Couldn’t think of a better area to live in Milton Keynes.

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If anyone is considering moving to Milton Keynes then I couldn’t recommend The Almere highly enough. I have lived in a different apartment building in Milton Keynes and it is not even comparable how much more I have enjoyed living in The Almere. Firstly, the reception area is beautiful, it looks like what you would find in a lovely hotel and it’s always nice to come back to it after a long day. There are so many working spaces available, whether this be downstairs in reception or upstairs in the various communal spaces and the WiFi is reliable throughout. The staff members at reception are all so lovely and helpful, and it shows how much they really get to know all the residents throughout their time living in The Almere. Pets are allowed/encouraged in the building which works great for me because I have a dog, there is such a nice little pet owner community within The Almere too which is really unusual for an apartment building anywhere. The flats are great, modern and spacious with up to date appliances, and should you experience any issues they have a really efficient maintenance team on hand. All the residents that I have met have been sociable and really nice, it’s such a great place to live and I really couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How much it feels like you are a part of a little community in the centre of Milton Keynes. I wish I had moved here when I lived in MK before!

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

We had a problem with the side of the bath and maintenance responded and resolved the issue on the same day. No other issues

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Manager Response

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a fantastic review Maude! We are so happy to hear you are enjoying your time here at The Almere.

Amazing place to live

Review Date Jan 2024

The location is perfect for commuting. Very close to shopping, city center and good restaurants on the hub. There is also a big supermarket one block alway. The only thing could be a little bit bigger and cheaper is the car parking inside the building. All the rest is 100% awesome

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The Almere is a very cozy place with nice areas to work, relax, read and have fun playing board games for example. It has friendly employees who are always 100% willing to help at any time. Mustafa and Natalie are always in good mood and aware of everything that is happening around.