You are standing in the heart of 21st century Buckingham. Look around you and notice the busy streets, motor traffic, shops, cafes, pubs and market (Tuesday and Saturday). Now take yourself back 300 years. What would the town have been like in 1725? The layout of the streets has not changed hugely, but it was a lot smaller then. The population was about 1500 people, compared to around 14,000 at the last census in 2021. All the houses were crowded together, and mostly made from wood, wattle and daub, with thatched roofs. The streets were narrow and crooked. There were outbuildings behind many of the homes and businesses, where animals were kept. There were lots of inns and taverns – at least 15.
Image 1 shows the layout of the town in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Image 2 is an artist’s impression of how the south side of the Market Square might have looked in the early 18th century – notice the number of inns!
Compare it with what it looks like today (third gallery image) – these fine Georgian buildings were built later in the 18th century, long after the fire.