•  Buckinghamshire, England

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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Buckinghamshire like this:

Buckinghamshire, or Bucks, an inland co. of England, bounded N. by Northamptonshire, E. by Bedfordshire, Herts, and Middlesex, S. by Surrey (for the distance of about 1 mile) and Berks, and W. by Oxfordshire; greatestlength, N. and S., 50 miles; greatest breadth, E. and W., 24 miles; average breadth, 17 miles; area 477,151 ac., pop. ...

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176,323. It is intersected by the chalk range of the Chiltern Hills, which extend NE. from Oxfordshire to Bedfordshire, the highest point being Wendover Hill, 905 ft. The country here is beautifully wooded, chiefly with oak and beech. To the S. there is much excellent grazing land. The fertile "Vale of Aylesbury," lies in the centre of the co., verdant with rich meadows and pasturage. Further N. the heavy arable land is now being brought under steam cultivation, and excellent crops of wheat, beans, &c., are produced. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Farms are generally of small size, and are leased on a yearly tenure. Pigs and calves are largely reared on the numerous dairy-farms, and great numbers of ducks are sent yearly to the metropolis from the neighbourhood of Aylesbury. The quantity of butter, besides cream cheese, &c., sent annually to the London market, averages between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 lbs. The making of wooden spades, brush-handles, bowls, &c., from beech is a considerable industry. Numbers of the female population are employed in the mfr. of thread-lace and straw-plaiting. The co. is traversed by the London and North-Western Ry. and its branches; the Grand Junction Canal extends about 24 miles through the NE. B. comprises 8 hundreds, -- those of Stoke, Burnham, and Desborough being called the "Chiltern Hundreds"; -- 224 pars.; and the mun. bors. of Buckingham and Chipping Wycombe. It is almost entirely in the diocese of Oxford. For parl. purposes it is divided into 3 divisions, viz., Northern or Buckingham, Mid or Aylesbury, and Southern or Wycombe, 1 member for each division.

Buckinghamshire through time

Buckinghamshire is now part of Buckinghamshire county. Click here for graphs and data of how Buckinghamshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Buckinghamshire itself, go to Units and Statistics.

Buckinghamshire -- but you should check this covers the area you are interested in.

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