The Market Square, Lipscombe 1840
The rounded front was added in 1839, to provide a home for the first Chief Constable of Buckingham Borough Police Force, William Giles, and his wife who acted as Matron. Mr Giles was paid 15 shillings a week. The front was planned by a young local architect, George Gilbert Scott, who later designed the Albert Memorial and St Pancras Station in London. The 4 rooms were replaced by two rows of cells, which are still there today.

The Gaol's most famous prisoner was William "Coiner" Varney, who was held in a cell awaiting his trial for making false money in February 1884. By using tools he had found, he managed to force open the door to his cell. He then climbed onto the roof up a ladder that had been used when whitewashing the walls, and finally let himself down into the dark street. He was found 2 weeks later working in Rugby and brought back to Buckingham on March 15th. By now he was a local hero. The Bench committed him for trial and, on the same afternoon, held securely by 3 "stalwart members of the Bucks Constabulary", he was sent to Aylesbury. Crowds cheered him as he was taken in a "fly" along Chandos Road and put on the 5 o'clock train.

For 60 years the Old Gaol acted as Buckingham's police station, but when the force was integrated with the County Police in 1892, the new station on Moreton Road took over. The Old Gaol stood empty.