'''Princes Risborough''' is a small town in Buckinghamshire. It's on the A4010 about halfway between High Wycombe and Aylesbury. The population is around 10,000. Why "Princes"? Because Edward the Black Prince apparently had a palace near St Mary's Church. (The site is now, in the finest British tradition, a car park.) Before then, it was "Great Risborough" on the same pattern as Great Missenden, and there was a Little Risborough, which changed its name to Monks Risborough as it had a monastery (no longer extant).
Getting information about Princes Risborough ("Risborough" for short) is very easy. No emigrants to other parts of the world seem to have called anywhere else by the same name, so a Google search for "Princes Risborough" (with the quotes) will get useful results. Unless you want to look a chump, '''don't''' say or write "Princess Risborough".
Get in
By road: A4010 from Junction 4 of the M40 south of High Wycombe, or B4009 from J6 - both about 10 miles of driving from the motorway junction.
By rail: Chiltern Line trains from London (Marylebone) or Birmingham (Moor Street or Snow Hill). There's a branch line from Risborough to Aylesbury, but trains are not frequent.
By bus: the local 300 bus route runs from High Wycombe to Aylesbury and both stop in Risborough.
Get around
For the town itself, you can just use your feet. For the local countryside, you need a car or bike unless the bus routes or railway lines suit.
See
The High Street and Duke Street - some old buildings and good local shops among the vast number of estate agents. Note the Trumpton-style market square.
The Manor House - National Trust property, open by prior arrangement.
St Mary's church - the spire is visible from almost anywhere in town and parts of the church are quite old, though there are no particular features that would get it into a list of churches to visit. Outside the church by the Mount car park is a sign about the Black Prince's Palace.
Manor Park Avenue and Church Lane are worth walking along for some nice private houses, and one cottage in Church Lane has a plaque commemorating Amy Johnson the aviator.
Red kites: the population started from a breeding programme to the west has reached Risborough, and you can quite often count six or more kites soaring above the town.
Do
Get into local countryside for walks - the Ridgeway National Trail and Icknield way pass close by.
Nightlife: for anything other than pubs and eateries, you need to go to High Wycombe or Aylesbury.
Buy
Food: Clark's is an excellent butcher. Tesco and Marks and Spencers Simply Food supermarkets are just what you'd expect, though anyone used to modern Tesco stores should be aware that this one is tiny. There's a deli in the High Street. Thursday sees a street market with some stalls selling some more exotic items. There are about four charity shops with the usual range of stuff - reasonable quality as Risborough has plenty of wealthy people.
Books: good local bookshop.
Gifts: 3 or 4 shops offering cards and/or gifts.
Stationery: 2 shops at present.
Aga stoves(!): there's a shop ready to sell you one.
"Granny scooters": ditto.
Chemists: 3 to choose from.
Newspapers etc.: McCalls as well as the supermarkets.
China/glass: at David Shuttle.
Bikes (push-): Boltons.
Off-licence: two, one by the station.
Garden Railways: specialist shop by the station.
Haircuts: at least 2 choices each for ladies and gents.
Dentist/Doctor/Optician: all available in the High Street.
Garden Centre : Askett Nurseries. On the A4010 towards Aylesbury, 2 miles out of town.
Eat
Pretty much what you'd expect: Two chinese restaurants - one take-away only. A couple of curry houses, and an expensive one, '''Coco Tamarind''', on the road to Aylesbury. One Turkish restaurant. Snacks/sandwiches at the deli and a sandwich bar. Many pubs in and around town will serve you food.
The one chinese restaurant closed in 2009 and is to re-open as yet another curry house - so if you want a choice of fare, perhaps this is not the town for you.
Drink
About four pubs.
Sleep
No hotel in town, or even a B&B at the time of writing. You can stay at the Black Prince pub,
or there is a B&B down the road in Longwick.
Get out
Its B&B on Pics lane, as soon as you pass Chairmakers close.