Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-nbsp">WHY?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Positioned equidistant (circa 11 miles) from Bedford, Northampton and Milton Keynes, you&#8217;d be forgiven for thinking that Olney might blend in with the New Town feel of the region. But you&#8217;d be wrong. It&#8217;s a beautifully preserved Georgian market town that boasts an indie-loving high street, a farmers&#8217; market every first Sunday of the month and a stellar food and drink offering.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eat">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/CherryTree18OpeningWebCT_C053.jpg" alt="The Cherry Tree pub seating area with books" class="wp-image-138119" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/CherryTree18OpeningWebCT_C053.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/CherryTree18OpeningWebCT_C053-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/CherryTree18OpeningWebCT_C053-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/CherryTree18OpeningWebCT_C053-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cherry Tree </figcaption></figure>



<p>First up, bread! There&#8217;s the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/olneybakery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Bakery</a> for your morning pitstop before heading to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gabriellasolney.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gabriella&#8217;s</a>, an Italian deli and coffee bar voted best bakery in Bucks 2019. Then wander down to the highly rated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecherrytreeolney.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cherry Tree</a>&nbsp;pub and restaurant, which boasts its own wood-fired pizza oven and serves beautiful Mediterranean-inspired food, or head to <a href="https://www.bullhotelolney.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Bull Hotel</a>, a C17 century coaching inn turned pub/restaurant with rooms.&nbsp;Finish off with a well-deserved afternoon tea in the award-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.olneypancakeparlour.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Pancake Parlour</a>&nbsp;&#8211; named in honour of the town&#8217;s yearly pancake race every February.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shop">SHOP</h2>



<p>If you&#8217;re in the market for quirky, one-of-a-kind items, you&#8217;re in the right place. Check out <a href="https://thenestatno9.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nest at No 9</a> for gifts, <a href="https://www.toadhallinteriors.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toad Hall Interiors</a> for homeware, <a href="https://thewinecellar.wine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Wine Cellar</a> for excellent wine (it doubles up as a wine bar too), <a href="https://www.boojewellery.co.uk/">Boo Jewellery</a> for beautiful contemporary pieces, and vintage bits at <a href="https://www.olney-antiques.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Antiques Centre </a>and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/leoantiquesolney/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leo Antiques &amp; Interiors</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-amp-wellbeing">HEALTH &amp; WELLBEING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.trifitness-healthhub.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tri Fitness Health Hub</a> is a great local gym in Olney proper, with a variety of personal programmes to meet individual goals such as weight loss, body toning or even improving immunity. There&#8217;s local cricket, netball, rugby, running and tennis clubs, so you&#8217;ve got your sports covered too. The <a href="https://www.horwoodhouse.co.uk/h-spa.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">H Spa at Horwood House</a> is half an hour in the car (just south of MK) and it got <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing-lifestyle/spa-review-h-spa-at-horwood-house-milton-keynes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top marks</a> from Muddy following its £6m renovations in 2022, so certainly worth the drive if you can make it. <a href="https://www.scottbrownhair.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scott Brown&#8217;s</a> hairdressers is popular with locals, as is <a href="https://www.browns-hair.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown&#8217;s</a> (not to be confused), but there&#8217;s a swathe of salons in MK if you don&#8217;t find what you&#8217;re looking for locally.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community">COMMUNITY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Olney_dickens-1000x666.jpeg" alt="Dickens of a Christmas Olney" class="wp-image-171569" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Olney_dickens-1000x666.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Olney_dickens-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Olney_dickens-400x266.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Olney_dickens.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dickens of a Christmas</figcaption></figure>



<p>The Olney Christmas Fayre is a wild tradition, and you&#8217;ll have to see it to believe it. Christmas market, check; streets full of your neighbours, check; but why&#8217;s everyone dressed like it&#8217;s 1850? Yep, it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.olneytowncouncil.gov.uk/meetings/dickens-of-a-christmas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dickens of a Christmas</a>, one of Olney&#8217;s little quirks. This sporty community sent 5 different running groups to the London Marathon in 2024 &#8211; neighbours who run together, stay together (as long as we keep it nice and slow!).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nearby-attractions">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.castleashbygardens.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Castle Ashby</a> is the ancestral home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton and its grounds are open year-round. Bring a picnic and enjoy the elegant Italianate gardens and orangery, then walk it off in the arboretum. Fancy something a little more remote?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/salcey-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salcey Forest</a>&nbsp;is an ancient woodland managed by the Forestry Commission and great for family walks and bike rides. <a href="https://www.willenlake.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Willen Lake</a> &#8211; an amazing recreational park with acres and acres of walking, watersports, tree top adventuring and a trendy new café is nearby, as is new indoor adventure park <a href="https://ninjawarrioruk.co.uk/mk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ninja Warrior</a> in Bletchley, It&#8217;s only a 24-minute drive away and an ideal place for kids to burn off some energy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture">CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="663" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/the-arches-theatre.png" alt="" class="wp-image-93743" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/the-arches-theatre.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/the-arches-theatre-150x99.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/the-arches-theatre-300x199.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/the-arches-theatre-720x477.png 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Arches Theatre </figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.thearchestheatre.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Arches Theatre</a> in Olney – staged under four disused railway arches &#8211; hosts live outdoor theatre and music shows in the summer (don&#8217;t forget to bring your own picnic). There&#8217;s also Olney&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cowper and Newton museum</a>, which celebrates the Rev. John Newton who wrote the hymn &#8216;Amazing Grace&#8217; while living in the parish in the 1700s. In nearby Milton Keynes there&#8217;s the contemporary <a aria-label="MK Gallery (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.mkgallery.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MK Gallery</a> which offers interesting exhibitions as well as its own cinema. Plus <a href="https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milton Keynes Theatre</a> is open all year &#8211; it&#8217;s often the first stop-off for touring London productions, and it has a particularly brilliant Christmas panto. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-prices-nbsp">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Expect to pay on average £440,335. Detached houses are around £587,271, followed by semi-detached at £330,499, and terraced at £365,438.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-property">HOT PROPERTY </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="686" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney-1000x686.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-167260" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney-1000x686.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney-800x549.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney-400x274.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/olney.jpg 1868w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A 6 bed Grade II listed character home steeped in local history in Olney, <a href="https://www.margaretjames.co.uk/properties/dartmouth-house-dartmouth-road-olney/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On the market for £1.375m</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nurseries">NURSERIES</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.olneynursery.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Nursery School</a> is a small 24-child nursery in Olney Church Hall with a Gruffalo-inspired outside play area. <a href="https://www.olneypreschool.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Pre-School </a>is rated Outstanding by Ofsted and has a large and secure garden with a bike path.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schools">SCHOOLS</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.ousedale.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ousedale School</a> was opened in 2007 as a secondary satellite school for the town and is rated &#8216;Good&#8217; by Ofsted, with Outstanding features. <a href="https://www.olneyinfantacademy.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Infant Academy</a> and <a href="http://www.olneymiddle.milton-keynes.sch.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olney Middle School</a> look after younger children. Good senior independents nearby include <a aria-label="Thornton College (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/thornton-college-milton-keynes-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thornton College</a>, a lovely through-school for girls in rural MK, plus <a href="https://herts.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/bedford-girls-school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bedford School</a> for boys and <a href="https://www.bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bedford Girls&#8217; School</a> to the east of the town. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commute">COMMUTE</h2>



<p>The closest station is Milton Keynes (about 15 mins) and the fastest train to London takes 32 mins (to Euston). Annual five-day season tickets from £6,536. By car it&#8217;s 1 hr 25 mins.</p>



<p><em>View the full <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 300 Places to Live</a>.</em></p>


Olney

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