Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard is a market town in Bedfordshire between the Chiltern Hills and the Grand Union Canal, with more than 70 historic buildings along its High Street. The main street connects wide pavements with brick frontages from different centuries and forms the center of daily life in the town.

The town name changed from Lestone in 1086 and later gained Buzzard from Theobald de Busar, a medieval cathedral official. The settlement grew as a market town along the old trade routes linking London with the Midlands.

All Saints Church displays a tower rising 190 feet and holds one of the earliest eagle lecterns in England from the 13th century. This medieval reading desk ranks among the oldest of its type in the country and draws visitors interested in ecclesiastical craftsmanship.

The railway station offers direct links to London Euston while regular bus lines run to Milton Keynes and Luton. Most points of interest sit within walking distance of the town center and can be reached comfortably on foot.

The narrow-gauge Leighton Buzzard Railway was built in 1919 for sand transport and now runs the largest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives in Britain. The railway still travels on the original tracks through fields and patches of woodland outside the town.

Location: Leighton–Linslade

Shares border with: Bletchley

GPS coordinates: 51.91650,-0.66170

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:30