Discover Middle Claydon

All Saints Church, a medieval and post-medieval parish church with building phases dating to around 1300, around 1500 and 1519, stands in Middle Claydon. Another highlight for planning your trip is Claydon, with its park, house, courtyard and trails. The themes are distinct: church and memorial history, a designed landscape, and activities on foot, by bicycle or on horseback.

All Saints Church and the wall monument

A building phase dating to around 1300 can be seen in the nave of All Saints Church; the west tower was built around 1500, and the chancel in 1519. The parish church thus brings together medieval and post-medieval architecture. If you are interested in the history of the building, these three dates can help you identify its different parts.

A wall monument dating from 1653 is located on the south wall of the chancel. It commemorates Edmund, Margaret, Ralph and Mary Verney and was created by Edward Marshall. Four white marble busts stand within a classical surround of coloured marble and gilding. The monument connects the names of the four people with a specific place inside the church and striking materials.

Claydon: Park, House and Courtyard

Claydon is a Grade II listed park or garden. The landscape park includes woodland around Claydon House and a walled kitchen garden 150 metres to the southeast. At its centre is a circular pool. The parkland also includes a lake; James Sanderson of Reading began creating it in 1763.

The west terrace offers far-reaching views across the lake and park and out into the wider landscape. The view extends to low hills in the west and southwest. Water, wooded areas, gardens and a distant horizon all feature in the landscape. Claydon House contains some of England’s most significant Rococo interiors—a distinctive architectural highlight alongside the grounds.

Florence Nightingale’s Crimean Carriage is permanently on display in the Claydon Courtyard. There is also a restaurant, independent shops, a spa and hairdressers. Phoenix Kitchen, run by the Claydon Estate, serves fresh, nutritious food in the courtyard. Menus and service arrangements may change; individual shops and facilities may also vary.

Walking, cycling and horse-riding trails

“The Claydons & Claydon Wood Walk” passes through the parishes of Steeple Claydon, Middle Claydon and East Claydon. The Bernwood Jubilee Way offers routes of 8 or 10 miles. The two distances give you a practical choice between different walks. As route details may change, check the latest route map before setting out.

Claydon can be reached by bicycle via National Cycle Route 51. Conditions and diversions on cycle routes can change, so check them before your ride. Public, signposted bridleways run through the Claydon Estate. These are different ways of getting around on trails; they do not describe a single shared route.

When planning your stay, the clear differences between the themes may help: All Saints Church focuses on building and memorial history, while Claydon brings together a park, gardens, views and Rococo interiors. If you want to include a walk in your trip, the two stated distances provide a practical point of comparison. Cycling and horse riding offer separate ways to use the respective trail networks.

Discover more destinations: Stoke Poges, Iver, Long Crendon, Aston Clinton, Wing, Buckingham, Saunderton, Great Missenden

For the broader travel overview: Buckinghamshire.