The Slow Sunday
Gardens, a good lunch and nowhere to be.
Stowe's landscape gardens · Sunday roast at The Grand Junction, Buckingham · Sauna, then the spa bath
AROUND US
A quiet village. Good places nearby. Nowhere you have to be.
The Folly Retreat sits on the edge of Wicken, between Milton Keynes and Buckingham. Just over an hour from London, and a world away from your inbox.
20 min
Central Milton Keynes, by car
15 min
Milton Keynes Central station, by taxi
30 min
London Euston to MK Central, by train
20 min
The village pub, on foot across the fields
On the doorstep.
Our local. The Old White Lion, Wicken: cracking home-cooked food. A 20-minute walk across the fields by the bridleway (wellies; it gets very muddy), or three minutes in the car.
For coffee. The Coffee Stop, a little café at the end of the lane. 15 minutes on foot.
Eight easy days, all ending back at Sloe.
Ideas, not plans. Take what you fancy and leave the rest.
The Coffee & Cake Trail
For those who take their coffee seriously.
Mile Zero, Stony Stratford · Brunch at Stony's Bistro · Willen Lake · Canal Street Coffee, Campbell Wharf
A Little Luxury
Designer shopping, a good dinner and a night under the stars.
Bicester Village · Sauna and spa bath · Dinner in Stony Stratford: Vero, French Affaire or Chapel Chophouse
The Great Outdoors
Fresh air, gardens and a slower pace.
Ascott House and Gardens (mid-March to mid-September; Stowe otherwise) · The Pavilion Tea Room · Supper in
The Art of Doing Nothing
Sometimes the best plans are no plans.
No alarm · A walk across the fields · Absolutely nothing. Bored? Good. · The wood burner
Into the Woods
Woodland paths, a historic village, a slow ending.
Aspley Woods · Lunch in Woburn · The deer park footpaths · Paris House, if you're celebrating
A Taste of Buckinghamshire
Independent finds and a glass of something local.
Cornwall Place Kitchen · Buckingham's shops and river · Chafor Wine Estate (weekends, April to early September)
The Folly Supper Trail
A little food shopping and an evening entirely your own.
The Cheese Room at Manor Farm Bourton · Smith & Clay · Waitrose, Buckingham · Supper at Sloe
Opening times change, so check before you go.
Further afield.
Silverstone, Bletchley Park and Stowe are all within easy reach, and Bicester Village is an easy morning. Or stay put and watch the light change over the fields.
Getting here.
By car. Wicken is about a mile north of the A422, between Milton Keynes and Buckingham. Free parking on site.
By train. Milton Keynes Central is the easiest station: trains every 10 to 15 minutes, about 30 minutes from Euston. It's around 15 minutes by taxi from there. Book a cab ahead on Friday and Saturday evenings.
EV charging. Not yet, sorry. It's on our list.