Things you didn't know about... Buckinghamshire

Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is nicknamed "England's Beverley Hills"

Thanks to a sudden influx of celebrity residents, including Tess Daly and Vernon Kaye, the Osbournes, Barry Gibb, Jay Kay and Richard Hammond, the Buckinghamshire commuter-belt town is increasingly coming under the tabloid media spotlight.

Enid Blyton was inspired by Buckinghamshire

Bekinscot Model Village—the oldest in the world—in Buckinghamshire was the inspiration for Blyton's Noddy and Toy Town books.

Frankenstein came from Buckinghamshire

Mary Shelley penned her terrifying tome while living in West Street, Marlow.

Goldfinger was filmed in Buckinghamshire

Stoke Park stately home in the Buckinghamshire village of Stoke Poges was one of the locations for the James Bond film.

The Prime Minister lives here

The official country residence of the Prime Minister is Chequers, a Tudor mansion near the Buckinghamshire village of Ellesborough.

Shakespeare was inspired by Buckinghamshire

There are various records of the Bard of Avon visiting the village of Grendon Underwood in Buckinghamshire. It's thought that the character of Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing was inspired by the village constable.

Hugh Grant got together with Andie McDowell in Buckinghamshire

The famous scene from Four Weddings and a Funeral was filmed at the Crown Hotel in Amersham.

Buckinghamshire is where red kites fly free

With dwindling numbers of red kites in the British Isles, a large number were released into the wild in Buckinghamshire, between the towns of Aylesbury and High Wycombe. The best place to see them is circling above the M40, where they wait for prey to be run over.

The Great Train Robbery happened here

The robbery, as captured on screen in the film Buster, took place at Bridego Railway Bridge, near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, in 1963. The robbers then hid out at a farm near Aylesbury—where the police operation was headquartered and, later, the robbers' trials were held.

High Wycombe makes New York look tame

The Buckinghamshire town has a higher crime rate per square mile—and also more CCTV cameras than any other place in Britain.

Buckinghamshire is home to the Hellfire Caves

Excavated by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1750s, the caves played host to the Hellfire Club—a private members' group said to include some of the most prominent society figures of the day, including Lord Sandwich and Benjamin Franklin. The caves run for more than half a mile underground.