Chackmore

Chackmore is a small hamlet in north Buckinghamshire, tucked into the rolling farmland two miles north of the market town of Buckingham and just south of the great gated entrance to Stowe. It sits within the parish of Radclive-cum-Chackmore, a name that hints at how many tiny settlements have been folded together over the centuries in this quiet corner of the county. Main Street still carries a run of listed cottages dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, along with a village pub and parish hall, giving Chackmore the feel of a place that has changed remarkably little while one of England's grandest gardens grew up next door.

The village's fortunes have always been tied to Stowe. The wide avenue linking Buckingham to Stowe House runs close by, and Chackmore effectively grew as the service village for the estate, housing the gardeners, masons and estate workers who built and maintained Capability Brown and William Kent's landscape. Two earlier settlements, Old Stowe and Lamport, were cleared away entirely in the 18th century as Lord Cobham reshaped the grounds to his taste, and Chackmore is one of the few reminders that ordinary village life once existed right up to the edge of the gardens. Today it makes a peaceful, low-key base for exploring Stowe, Buckingham and the wider Vale of Aylesbury countryside.

Top things to do in Chackmore

Chackmore's own charms are modest, but it is superbly placed for some of Buckinghamshire's best days out, with Stowe's landscape gardens on the doorstep and Buckingham, Silverstone and Bletchley Park all within easy reach.

• Stowe Gardens and House — the National Trust's landscape gardens are one of the great set-pieces of English garden design, laid out by Charles Bridgeman, William Kent and Lancelot "Capability" Brown, and scattered with more than thirty temples, monuments and follies around lakes and sweeping lawns. The main entrance avenue runs right past Chackmore.
• Buckingham town centre — a compact market town two miles south, worth an hour or two on foot for its handsome Georgian streetscape, the domed Old Gaol museum and the Buckingham town trail.
• Silverstone Circuit — the home of British motor racing and the British Grand Prix is a short drive away, with its interactive museum charting the history of motorsport.
• Bletchley Park — the wartime home of the Enigma codebreakers is within reach for a day trip, with exhibitions on the codebreaking huts and the machines that helped shorten the Second World War.
• Bicester Village — a popular designer outlet shopping centre lying to the south west, a good option for a change of pace from countryside walking.
• Walking around Stowe and Chackmore — several waymarked circular routes start in the village, linking Chackmore, Stowe Park, Akeley and Maids Moreton across quiet farmland and parkland paths.
• Stowe School grounds — the house itself is now home to Stowe School, and parts of the grounds and gardens are open to visitors alongside the National Trust land.

Getting to Chackmore

Chackmore lies just off the A422 Buckingham to Banbury road, roughly two miles north west of Buckingham along the avenue leading to Stowe. Buckingham itself sits close to the A421 and A413, giving reasonably quick links to Milton Keynes, Bicester and Oxford, and the M40 is within easy reach to the west for journeys towards London or Birmingham. There is no railway station in Buckingham or Chackmore; the nearest mainline stations are at Bicester North and Milton Keynes Central, both around twenty minutes away by car, with onward services to London Marylebone and London Euston respectively. Local bus routes connect Buckingham with Milton Keynes and surrounding villages, though a car is the most practical way to explore the area, particularly for reaching Stowe's car parks and the surrounding countryside.

Once in the area, Chackmore itself is easy to navigate on foot, with Main Street forming the spine of the hamlet and quiet lanes leading out towards the Stowe avenue and the surrounding farmland. Cyclists are well served too, with relatively flat, low-traffic roads linking Chackmore, Buckingham and the villages of Maids Moreton, Akeley and Radclive, making the area a pleasant base for exploring by bike as well as on foot or by car. Parking in the village itself is limited, so visitors heading to Stowe usually use the National Trust's own car parks at the main entrance rather than trying to park in Chackmore and walk in.

Best time to visit Chackmore

Late spring through early autumn is the most rewarding time to visit, when Stowe's gardens are at their fullest and the surrounding footpaths are at their driest underfoot. May and June bring fresh growth and blossom to the parkland, July and August suit long walks and picnics among the temples and lakes, and September and October add a rich show of autumn colour to the tree-lined avenues. Winter has its own quieter appeal, with crisp walks around the gardens and low footfall, though some facilities at Stowe run reduced hours outside the main season, so it is worth checking opening times before visiting in the colder months.

The wider Buckingham area also runs a calendar of small local events worth timing a visit around, from Buckingham's own markets and seasonal fairs to open days at Stowe School during school holidays, when parts of the house not normally open to visitors can sometimes be seen. Motorsport fans may prefer to plan around race weekends at nearby Silverstone, though it is worth noting that major events there bring significant extra traffic to the surrounding roads, including those through Buckingham, so a visit timed slightly outside a big race weekend often makes for calmer roads and easier parking around Chackmore and Stowe.

Where to stay in Chackmore

Chackmore itself is tiny and has no hotels, but its rural setting makes it well suited to countryside stays, from bed and breakfasts in converted farm buildings to self-catering cottages dotted around Radclive-cum-Chackmore parish. Buckingham, two miles away, offers a wider choice of pubs with rooms, guesthouses and small hotels within walking distance of the town centre, while Milton Keynes provides a larger selection of chain hotels for those wanting more facilities. Camping and glamping options in the surrounding countryside allow visitors to make the most of the quiet lanes and footpaths around Stowe, waking up close to the gardens rather than driving in for the day.

Food and drink in Chackmore

The village's own Queens Head is Chackmore's social hub, a traditional pub serving food and drink to locals, walkers and visitors heading to or from Stowe. Buckingham's town centre, a short drive or a good walk away, has a broader spread of cafes, pubs and restaurants along Market Hill and the surrounding streets, ranging from casual coffee shops to more formal dining. For something more special, the area around Stowe and Buckingham has a handful of country pubs and restaurants making the most of local Buckinghamshire produce, worth seeking out after a day spent exploring the gardens and footpaths nearby.