yes, prime minister

Once a traditional market town, Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire is possibly best-known as the location of Chequers, country residence of the Prime Minister since the 1920s. Now a popular commuter town, a £100m canal regeneration project is under way and a new £42m Waterside theatre has been completed.

First-time visitors who want to discover the town’s rich heritage should start at The Buckinghamshire County Museum. Based in 15th-century buildings in the old part of town, it features a variety of exhibitions and old historic photographs detailing everything from gardens to railways.

Visitors can revisit the golden age of steam at the Railway Centre, a working steam railway museum. More than 30 locomotives and carriages can be seen, and you can take a ride on a steam train from April to October.

A number of National Trust buildings can be explored nearby, including Waddesdon Manor — a glorious, renaissance-style chateau built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to display his art treasures, French furniture, porcelain and carpets. Highlights include paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Dutch and Flemish masters, while the wine cellars contains thousands of bottles of Rothschild wines dating back to 1868.

The Victorian garden is considered one of Britain’s finest and houses an aviary of exotic birds. Other National Trust attractions include Wotton House, the timber-framed Long Credon Courthouse and the 14th-century Boarstall Tower.