In 1825 Professor Buckland was presented by his College to the living of Stoke Charity, Hants. In July of the same year he was appointed by Lord Liverpool to a canonry at Christ Church, Oxford, and received the degree of D.D. The appointment necessitated a change of residence. He writes to the Rev. W. Vernon Harcourt on September 10th, 1825: “Many thanks for your congratulations on my appointment to Christ Church, where I find the hunting of bricklayers and carpenters for the present entirely supersedes that of crocodiles and hyenas.”

He carried with him to his new home an enthusiasm for science which was not shared by many of his colleagues. It was not long before he discovered that among the benefactions of Christ Church was one which was available for the promotion of scientific study. Dr. Lee had left a considerable property to the College for a variety of purposes, including the erection and maintenance of an Anatomical Museum. The property came into the hands of Christ Church in 1766, and in the following year the Museum was built. In the accounts of the Trust entries from time to time occur of purchases of subjects for dissection. But in 1828 Buckland discovered that a considerable sum had accumulated which might be claimed for the benefit of the Museum. In July 1828 he writes to Sir R. Murchison in great delight at his discovery.