Buckingham Old Gaol
Buckingham Old Gaol
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  • More
    • Home
    • Tourist Information
    • Crime & Punishment
    • Featured Exhibitions
    • New Stuff
    • Venue Hire
    • Contact us
    • Blog
    • Our 2019 Appeal
    • 2019 in review
  • Home
  • Tourist Information
  • Crime & Punishment
  • Featured Exhibitions
  • New Stuff
  • Venue Hire
  • Contact us
  • Blog
  • Our 2019 Appeal
  • 2019 in review

What's on at the Old Gaol Museum?

Because  Buckingham is  under LOCKDOWN

the Museum  is currently CLOSED.

***********

Watch this Space:

We anticipate that the Archaeologists' Report on the West End Farm's 

Skeletons will be published, we hope, later

  • We hear that c. 50 skeletons have been exhumed.
  • We believe that 'Trauma Tests' have been performed.
  • Were their deaths natural, in battle, or after torture!
  • AVAILABLE NOW : MYINITIALREPORT ON WENDY SCOTT'S BRILLIANT WEBINAR "INSIGHTS INTO THE LENBOROUGH HOARD": PLEASE GOTO NEW STUFF!


No Live Events : Pandemic Rules!

No Live Events : Pandemic Rules!

Buckingham Old Gaol Museum

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The Old Gaol

Welcome to  272 years of  dank, dark, despairing prison life in what  was, originally,  Buckingham's Castle Gaol.

Explore the cells that housed murderers, counterfeiters, poachers and thieves.  Find out who attempted risky escapes, and who didn’t survive to tell the tale.

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The Museum

Walk through thousands of years of  local  history from  

ancient days  to the 20th century.

See how the  last Ice Age shaped local geology and reflect on the brave servicemen from  Buckingham and surrounding villages who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War.

Arts Council of England Accredited Museum  # 188

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The Tourist Information Centre

Everything you need for an exciting visit to the historic  town of  

Buckingham and its  surrounding area.

Visit our shop for maps, books, tickets, postcards and locally-sourced gifts. 

Pop to the  T.I.C.to  book your Old Gaol Event, or Party.

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IMAGE OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY 2021

NAST END

North End Square was formerly called NAST END, a contraction of NORTH EAST END.


ADDINGTON ROAD 

This former Council Estate is a tribute to Buckingham's first and, probably, only 'LORD MAYOR': the 3rd Baron Addington (John Gellibrand), a distinguishe soldier in the first World War, and an international entrepreneur who spentsix years in China during the 1920s. He returned to North Bucks and the 3rd Addington House. Luckily for Buckingham and North Bucks, he developed an interest in  local government. He was  elected as a Buckingham Councillor and became its Mayor in 1932-3. He drove through the scheme for Council Housing that we know as Addington Road.  This enlightened development featured large gardens to the rear of its properties;  growing your own vegetables was a popular hobby during  and after the Recession.


THIS PAGE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FORMED!

Learn More

You will notice that land behind the Workhouse. i.e. under its red caption,  looks hollowed out. This was to provide material during the building of the Workhouse in 1837 and later, hard work for its inmates.  The hole that the builders excavated  caused an accident. To discover the sad details please press the button below and scroll  down to he Black Section called the Black Hole.

Find out more

The History of the Old Gaol

The Old Gaol was built in 1748  for Richard Grenville Temple, Lord Viscount of Cobham.  (Sir ) George Gilbert Scott, born in Gawcott, added Cells and  a  Gaoler’s house in 1839.

Prisoners were incarcerated in damp cells with no heating, lights or toilets and fed  with bread, water, soup, and gruel, with meat on high days, only. They exercised in the roofless yard and  spent  hard times in the punishment cell for misdemeanours.

People died in the gaol, others prisoner escaped over the wall and another walked out when the gaoler went home and forgot to lock the  door.  It is  said to be haunted and paranormal investigators are regular visitors.

The building has been a police station, a fire station, an air-raid shelter and an ammunition store.  In 1984, after several threats of  demolition, the building was bought for a song  by a charitable trust and saved for the  town. 

It is now run and maintained by volunteers.


How to Find Us

Come and Visit!

Pay us a visit and learn more about this historic town  and  its  surroundings  


Adults - £3.50, Children - £2.00 (under 5s  free)

Family Ticket (2 adults & 3 Children) - £9.00

Buckingham Old Gaol

Market Hill, Buckingham, MK18 1JX

01280 823020

Opening Hours

Thursday - Saturday: 10am - 4pm*


*please note: last admissions to museum at 3.30pm

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Copyright © 2019 Buckingham Old Gaol Trust - All Rights Reserved

Registered Charity No. 292807