Princes Risborough - town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England

Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire.

Understand

It's on the A4010 about halfway between High Wycombe and Aylesbury. The population is around 10,000. Why "Princes"? Because Edward the Black Prince apparently had a palace near St Mary's Church. (The site is now, in the finest British tradition, a car park.) Before then, it was "Great Risborough" on the same pattern as Great Missenden, and there was a Little Risborough, which changed its name to Monks Risborough as it had a monastery (no longer extant).

Getting information about Princes Risborough ("Risborough" for short) is very easy. No emigrants to other parts of the world seem to have called anywhere else by the same name, so a Google search for "Princes Risborough" (with the quotes) will get useful results. Unless you want to look a chump, don't say or write "Princess Risborough".

Get in

By road

A4010 from Junction 4 of the M40 south of High Wycombe, or B4009 from J6 - both about 10 miles of driving from the motorway junction.

By rail

• Princes Risborough Railway Station, Station Approach, Princes Risborough HP27 9DN , 51.718°, -0.844°. Chiltern Main Line trains from London (Marylebone) or Birmingham (Moor Street or Snow Hill). There's a branch line from Risborough to Aylesbury, but trains are not frequent. Station managed and services operated by Chiltern Railways. 2017-06-20

By bus

• Ariva 300 bus route runs from High Wycombe to Aylesbury and both stop in Risborough.
• Redline Service 320 (dead link: January 2023) runs between Princes Risborough and Chinor.
• Redline Service 321 (dead link: January 2023) runs between Princes Risborough and High Wycombe.

By bicycle

• National Cycle Route 57. Passes through the town. Runs Farmington, Gloucestershire near Northleach to Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. 2017-06-18
• The Chiltern Cycleway. A 170-mile (274-km) circular cycle trial running through Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire, runs through the town 2017-06-18

Get around

For the town, you can just use your feet. For the local countryside, you need a car or bike unless the bus routes or railway lines suit.

See

• The High Street and Duke Street - some old buildings and good local shops among the vast number of estate agents. Note the Trumpton-style market square.
• Manor Park Avenue and Church Lane are worth walking along for some nice private houses, and one cottage in Church Lane has a plaque commemorating Amy Johnson the aviator.
• St Mary's Church, Church Ln, Princes Risborough HP27 9AW , 51.7244°, -0.8346°. The spire is visible from almost anywhere in town and parts of the church are quite old, though there are no particular features that would get it into a list of churches to visit. Outside the church by the Mount car park is a sign about the Black Prince's Palace. 2017-06-20
• Whiteleaf Cross, 51.728689°, -0.811561°. A large chalk engraving in the side of a hill can be seen from nearly anywhere in the town. A steep uphill walk (or drive) to the top will give you views of the entire town and beyond as far as Didcot to the west and Aylesbury and Milton Keynes to the north.
• Red kites: the population started from a breeding programme to the west has reached Risborough, and you can quite often count six or more kites soaring above the town.
• Cymbeline's Castle, 51.7499°, -0.7955°. A motte and bailey castle. 2017-06-20
• Kop Hill Climb (Annual Motorsport Hill Climb Event), 51.7200°, -0.8225°. ½ mile hill climb event with a gradient of 1 in 4 at its steepest. Event originally started in 1910 but ended in 1925 following a minor accident involving a spectator. The RAC then banned all motorsport on public roads. In 1999 the event was revived as a non-competitive charity event. 2017-06-21

Do

Get into local countryside for walks - the Ridgeway National Trail and Icknield way pass close by.

Nightlife: for anything other than pubs and eateries, you need to go to High Wycombe or Aylesbury.

Visit the Tourist Information Centre in Horns Lane opposite Marks & Spencers to find out whats on in and around Princes Risborough. Walking & cycling leaflets available.

• Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve, 51.724677°, -0.813506°. 15-ha nature reserve owned by Wycombe District Council. 2017-06-20
• Chinor & Princes Risborough Railway, Station Approach, Station Rd, Chinnor OX39 4ER, 51.698°, -0.9063°, +44 7979 055366 (mobile), enquiries@chinnorrailway.co.uk. Car parking at Chinnor station. 2017-06-20
• Whiteleaf Golf Club, Upper Icknield Way, Princes Risborough HP27 0LY , 51.7347°, -0.8126°, +44 1844 274058, info@whiteleafgolfclub.co.uk. 2017-06-21
• Princes Risborough Festival (Annual Festival). Early summer for 1 week. Wide variety of events including concerts, sports events, open days, street fair. 2017-06-21

Buy

Food: Clark's is an excellent butcher. Tesco and Marks and Spencers Simply Food supermarkets are just what you'd expect, though anyone used to modern Tesco stores should be aware that this one is tiny. There's a deli in the High Street as well as the usual shops you would expect in a small town. Thursday sees a street market with some stalls selling some more exotic items. There are about four charity shops with the usual range of stuff - reasonable quality as Risborough has plenty of wealthy people.

• Princes Risborough Weekly Market, 51.7232°, -0.8302°, +44 1844 275912, towncouncil@princesrisborough.com. Th 8AM-3PM. 2021-01-28
• M&S Simply Food (Supermarket), 2 Horns Lane, Princes Risborough HP27 0AN , 51.72316°, -0.83001°, +44 1844 275910. M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM. 2017-06-21
• Tesco (Supermarket), Longwick Rd, Princes Risborough HP27 9TS , 51.72572°, -0.83356°, +44 345 677 9553. M-Sa 6AM-11PM, Su 10AM-4PM. 2017-06-21

Eat

Three curry houses of which Radhuni, which replaced a Chinese in the helf-timbered old library building, is the most ambitious, and an expensive one, Coco Tamarind, on the road to Aylesbury. Snacks/sandwiches at the deli and a sandwich bar. Many pubs in and around town will serve you food.

• Radhuni (Indian Restaurant & Take-away), The Old Library, Church St, Princes Risborough HP27 9AA , 51.7243°, -0.8330°, +44 1844 273741, info@radhunihp27.co.uk. M-Sa 6-11PM, Su 6-10PM. 2017-06-20
• Bella Vita (Italian Restaurant & Take-away), 1 Bell St, Princes Risborough HP27 0DE , 51.72178°, -0.83291°, +44 1844 345777, info@bellavitarestaurant.co.uk. M-Sa noon-2:30PM & 6-10:30PM, Su noon-10:30PM. 2017-06-20
• The Plough at Casden (Pub, Restaurant & Rooms), Cadsden Rd, Princes Risborough HP27 0NB (2½ miles NE of Princes Risborough), 51.7331°, -0.8050°, +44 1844 343302. M-F 11AM-2:30PM & 5-11PM, Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-10PM; food: M-Sa noon-2PM & 6:30-9:30PM, Su noon-2:30PM & 6:30-8:30PM. 2017-06-20
• Coco Tamarind (Indian Restaurant & Take-away), Aylesbury Rd, Askett Princes Risborough HP27 9LY (2 miles NE from Princes Risborough), 51.7391°, -0.8155°, +44 1844 343111, cocotamarindhp27@gmail.com. Daily noon-2PM & 5:30-11PM. 2017-06-20
• The Three Crowns (Restaurant & Bar), Askett, Princes Risborough HP27 9LT (2 miles NE of Princes Risborough), 51.7396°, -0.8196°, +44 1844 347166, bookings@thethreecrownsaskett.co.uk. 2017-06-20

Drink

About four pubs.

• Dukes Wine Bar, 19 Duke St, Princes Risborough HP27 0AT , 51.7251°, -0.8326°, +44 1844 274060, dukeswinebar@mail.com. M 5-10PM, Tu-F 10AM-11PM, Sa 10AM-midnight, Su 10AM-8PM. 2017-06-20
• The Bell (Cocktail & Food Bar), 21-23 Bell St, Princes Risborough HP27 0AA , 51.72219°, -0.83173°, +44 1844 274702. 2017-06-20
• The George & Dragon (Pub, Food & Accommodation), 74 High St, Princes Risborough HP27 0AX , 51.7242°, -0.8320°, +44 1844 346785, georgeanddragonrisborough@gmail.com. Bar: M Tu W 11AM-11:30PM, Th 9AM-11PM, F Sa 9AM-1AM, Su 11:30AM-9:30PM; Food: M Tu noon-2:30PM, W noon-2:30PM & 6-9PM, Th F 9AM-2:30PM & 6-9PM, Sa 9AM-3PM & 6-9PM, Su noon-4PM. 2017-06-20
• The Red Lion (Pub, Food & Accommodation), Upper Icknield Way, Princes Risborough HP27 0LL , 51.7307°, -0.8153°, +44 1844 344476. 2017-06-20
• Pink & Lily (Pub & Food), Pink Road, Lacey Green HP27 0RJ (2 miles SE of Princes Risborough), 51.7098°, -0.8045°, +44 1494 489857, thepinkandlily@outlook.com. 2017-06-21

Sleep

There are no longer any hotels in the town, but a number of B&Bs and inns in the surrounding area.

• Ridgeway Lodge B&B, Upper Icknield Way, Saunderton, Princes Risborough Bcks HP27 9NL , 51.7075°, -0.8391°, +44 1844 345438. Twin from £98 (single occupancy from £78) 2017-06-20
• The Peacock Country Inn, Henton, Nr Chinnor, OX39 4AH (toward Thame 5 miles (by road) W of town), 51.7170°, -0.8973°, +44 1844 353519, escape@peacockcountryinn.co.uk. 2017-06-20
• The Red Lion at Longwick (Pub, Hotel & Restaurant), Thame Rd, Longwick Princes Risborough HP27 9SG , 51.7359°, -0.8574°, +44 1844 344980, rlbookings@tiscali.co.uk. M 3:30-11PM, Tu-F noon-2PM & 5:30-11PM, Sa noon-2PM & 6:30-11PM, Su noon-2PM & 7-11PM. Single from £53; Double from £68 2017-06-21
• Manor Farm Cottage (B&B), Henton, Chinnor OX39 4AE (4 miles W of Princes Risborough), 51.7156°, -0.8963°, +44 1844 353301. Single occupancy £50; double £65 2017-06-21
• Chadwell Hill Farm (B&B), Lower Icknield Way, Longwick Princes Risborough HP27 9RL , 51.7332°, -0.8540°, +44 7414 984599 (mobile). from £50/person/night 2017-06-21

Connect

• Post Office, Tower Court, Horn Lane, Princes Risborough HP27 0AJ , 51.72338°, -0.82964°. M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM. 2017-06-21

Go next

• Wendover 5½ miles to NE
• Aylesbury 8 miles to N
• Thame 7 miles to E
• High Wycombe 9 miles S
• Great Missenden 7½ miles E
• Oxford 25 miles to W
• Bicester 22 miles to NW
• Leighton Buzzard 19 miles to NE