Bekonscot review

REVIEW OF BEKONSCOT MODEL VILLAGE

Review written by Gordon

WHAT IS IT?

Bekonscot is a fantastic model village that first opened way back in 1929 and was revamped in the nineties. It features a wide range of model houses, complete with miniature people and every mode of transport from the thirties era - buses, cars, boats, planes and a fully working railway with over 400 metres of track. Between 7 and 10 locomotives run on the computerised tracks every day.

There are 7 distinct areas making up the village, plus a zoo and 2 lakes. There is a one-way path around the village, which ensures you can take a slow walk around and not miss anything.

THE ZOO

The zoo comes first, and includes elephants, giraffes, penguins and a host of other animals. The zoo is named Chesnade - an amalgam of Chessington and Whipsnade.

GREENHAILY

As you leave the zoo, you enter Greenhaily. This is set on a hill that gives a splendid view of the rest of the village and glimpses of treats in store.This area also gives the first close up encounter with the working railways. Watch as the trains stop at Greenhaily Station. Observe the cricket match in place on the green beside the Grantley Arms pub. Take a look at the grandeur of Bekonbury Castle or builders A Jerry working on a new house, accompanied by no other than Bob the Builder!!

BEKONSCOT

Following the path past a nunnery and the very impressive Clark College brings you to Bekonscot. Here you will find all the trappings of a bustling small town. Modelled on nearby Beaconsfield, you will find a cinema, 2 railway stations, a bus terminus, a fire station, market squares and many small shops. On the path out of this oldest part of the village, there is a very quaint church and some almshouses which are modelled on those in nearby Amersham.

MARYLOO STATION

As you head away from Bekonscot and on to Southpool, you encounter the very impressive Maryloo station with it’s 5 lines and 4 platforms. Behind the station is the full size replica Signal Box, which houses all the computerised systems to run the trains.

SOUTHPOOL

Southpool is a lovely fishing village built on the larger of the 2 lakes. Here you will find old fishing boats unloading their fresh fish. Southpool is also home to a model of the Beaconsfield home of Enid Blyton, who loved Bekonscot so much, she wrote “The Enchanted Village” all about it. In the picture to the left, you can see the model of Enid Blyton’s house in the top right hand corner.

HANTON

The next step along the way is Hanton - a pretty little hamlet with thatched cottages nestling amongst more modern housing. Towering above is a large church, where a wedding is in full throw. Hanton is also home to a maze and a country club. The local fire brigade can be seen tackling a fire in a thatched cottage.

SPLASHYNG

After Hanton comes the furthest away part of the model village, Splashyng, which is built around the smaller of the 2 lakes. An airport here is well equiped with planes of the thirties era. This area also boasts a harbour, beaches and even a castle complete with moat.

EVENLODE

At Evenlode, the path drops down to the canal. Here a fairground is in full swing and a pair of narrowboats negotiate the lock. The path then meanders round Bekonscot lake, past the infamous Bekonscot windmill and on to the Evenlode colliery.

EPWOOD

Epwood, the final district, is home to a racecourse, polo pitch and ruins of an old castle. It also houses a furniture factory. Nearby High Wycombe was once a producer of quality furniture.

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

Our 3 kids (aged 8 to 11) thoroughly enjoyed their day out at Bekonscot. This is a very brief guide to what is on offer. It is only an hour’s drive from the Blackwater Valley. We only had 2 complaints:

1 - lack of parking. We arrived around 12 ish on a weekday. The car park was full, as was the nearby Pay and Display.

2 - we were a family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 children. The cashier did not point out that it was cheaper for us to get a family ticket (2 adults plus 2 children) plus a child’s ticket, so we paid £4 more than was necessary because we had not properly studied the price guide.

Overall, however, I would thoroughly recommend Bekonscot as a good day out