Finmere is three miles from Stowe. The Temple family and the Dukes owned much of Finmere from 1602. The links below are to Finmere and Little Tingewick Historical Society Newsletters that outline the story of the Dukes' involvement in Finmere.

The Dukes of Buckingham and their Finmere Estates: Part 1. First Finmere Purchases.
The Dukes of Buckingham and their Finmere Estates: Part 2. The Ascent to the Dukedom.
The Dukes of Buckingham and their Finmere Estates: Part 3. The Fall of a Dukedom.

The extent of the Dukes' landowning in Finmere is shown on this map:

http://www.finmere.org.uk/history/archive/maps/tithe/landowners.htm