Buckingham. Located in a market town between Oxford and Milton Keynes, this free house is one of the oldest pubs in town, dating back to 1610. The pub is visible on John Speed's 1610 map of Buckingham and is associated with the neighboring Mitre Cottage, circa 1420. In its early days The Mitre stood in an area known as Prebend Bend, a district that has a priest but no church. The local economy was supported by nearby farms, businesses, and religious pilgrims visiting St. Rumbolds Well - a sacred spring said to have emerged upon the saints death. More can be learned about this at the Chandry Chapel, a National Trust site located in town. The original structure was described as a half timber and brick house of two stories and an attic. In the late 17th century it served as a coaching inn with links to the Lord of the Manor of Gawcott and Lenborough. In the late 18th century the bar was laid out with multiple rooms with doors between them and a central off-sales counter. The bar was further forward with beer being served using jugs from barrels on stillages in the room located directly behind the bar. In the 1970s the cellar was excavated, the barrels moved downstairs, and the bar relocated back to its previous position. The garden and patio area out back were added in 2007-2008. There are now three semi-separated rooms and a small snug area between the bar and the front window. I sat at the bar and enjoyed an English Best Bitter from Arbor Brewing Company (Bristol) and had a long conversation about Buckingham and it's pubs with bartender Victor and handyman Lee. Lee then took me on a tour of the pub (including the cellar) and pointed out the various historical parts of the building. Such a lovely way to begin my pub crawl in Buckingham.