The change in Buckden’s fortunes over the last two centuries is reflected in the figures for its population. In 1801 (the first National Census) it was 869. The number rose to 1095 by 1831 and to 1209 by 1841, but fell to around a thousand in 1871 where it remained for the next 90 years or so. It was only in the 1960s that the population started to increase dramatically. (2)
Today, Buckden is once again thriving with a population of nearly 3000 people. It has a number of excellent facilities. The Village Hall was built in 1974 and considerably extended in 1999 at a cost of £700,000 to become The Buckden Millennium Community Hall and Sports Centre. The original Village Hall replaced the Rifle Range in Church Street which had provided the previous central venue for social gatherings and meetings. The recreation ground where the Centre is situated was purchased by public subscription as a memorial to those killed in the Second World War and a monument recording this is to be found nearby.