Florence Nightingale and Claydon House

Florence Nightingale was a frequent visitor to Claydon House following the marriage of her sister Frances Parthenope to Sir Henry Verney in 1858. She loved the peace and tranquillity afforded by the house, which is surrounded by beautiful parkland. Florence's bedroom on the second floor contains many of her mementoes and personal effects, including letters, clothing and photographs, which show how thin and frail she became following her return from the Crimean War. More information is available by following the link below for the National Trust website

Claydon is one of England's most extraordinary country houses, and you can see examples of remarkable 18th Century rococo and chinoiserie decoration. It has been in the continuous occupation of the Verney family for over 350 years.

Some believe that the ghosts of Sir Edmund Verney, who died at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642, and Florence Nightingale still haunt the house. Find further details by following the link below for the Fright Nights website

Stowe School

Stowe School is a famous independent boarding school situated just outside Buckingham. It is set within a world-famous magnificent landscape garden and parkland, containing work by Sir John Vanbrugh, Capability Brown and William Kent amongst others. You can visit the school on certain days, and the parkland is now maintained by the National Trust. Further details are available by following the link below for the National Trust website

Famous alumni of Stowe School include Sir Richard Branson (business entrepreneur), Lord Cheshire (V.C. and philanthropist), Christopher Robin Milne (made famous in Winnie the Pooh), David Niven (actor), and Bernard Gadney (captain of a victorious England rugby team).

Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Stadium

The Second World War was responsible for the setting up of a hospital at Stoke Mandeville, just outside Aylesbury. It was built originally under the wartime Emergency Medical Services arrangements. The world-renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre was established there in 1944 by Dr Ludwig Guttman. Stoke Mandeville stadium nearby has been a leading venue for paralympic sports since the first paraplegic games was held there in 1954.

Silverstone

The site of this world famous racing circuit is split between Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. It was the scene of the first ever World Championship Grand Prix in 1948, and since then has played host to a long list of exciting races, involving all of the big names in Formula 1 racing - amongst others James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and more recently Jenson Button. The track has been changed and developed over the years, but controversy dogged Silverstone in 2004 throwing into doubt its future use for the British Grand Prix. It was recently announced, however, that it will continue to be a Grand Prix venue for the 2005/06 season.

Date Updated: 14/03/08