Exploring Bekonscot Model Village: A Timeless Buckinghamshire Day Out Filled With Charm and Nostalgia

Wychwood Castle, complete with minitaure soldiers, stands guard over a lake

Turn off a leafy street in Beaconsfield, down a fir-lined path, through an arch in the hedge and you are transported back to the 1930s. A zoo lies at your feet, beyond it rolling hills stretch into the distance, picturesque houses, farms and castles cling to the hillside surrounded by lush planting and giants stride across the landscape. Where else could you be, but the world's oldest model village?

Time has stood still here for 90 years: this is a place where milk is delivered in churns, corn is ground by the windmill and the miniature inhabitants travel by steam train.

Bekonscot was started by an accountant called Roland Callingham at his country home in Beaconsfield. In 1927 he had a swimming pool dug in his garden and started building model houses on the mounds of earth created by the excavated soil. The following year, Mrs Callingham, fed up with Roland’s train set, which was taking over their house, demanded that either the trains went or she would. The trains were duly moved outside, and with the help of the Bassett-Lowke model railway company, one of Britain's finest model railways was created. More and more buildings were added until it started to grow into a whole model town.

Roland would invite friends to visit and after playing tennis, they would go for a swim in the pool and then play with the trains. Visitors were so impressed with what they saw that they urged Roland to open the village to the public, which he did for the first time on 4^th August 1929 to raise money for charity. It proved a huge success and soon Bekonscot featured in newspapers and newsreels around the world.

A real duck towers over the model rowers

In 1932 a charitable association was set up to administer the village and distribute the income to charity. Roland’s household staff were all enlisted to help, including his chauffeur, gardeners, housemaid and even his cook! The village was constantly being expanded and soon the tennis court was taken over and the swimming pool became a lake, complete with pleasure pier. Visitor numbers continued to grow and Bekonscot received the ultimate seal of approval in 1934 when Queen Mary visited with her grandchildren Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose.

During the second world war the village became neglected and maintenance ceased as most of the staff were called up and materials were difficult to acquire, but in 1948 an ambitious programme of rebuilding and restoration began.

Roland Callingham died in 1961 but his staff kept his dream alive, until in 1976, a new management company was set up the operate the village. To this day it is still run as a charity, helping many other local organisations.

The Gauge 1 Model Railway

Throughout this period Bekonscot had been moving with the times: in the 1970s diesel trains ran around the village and Concorde stood on the runway at the airport, but in 1992 the decision was taken to turn the clock back to its 1930s heyday. Steam locomotives were brought back and models were rebuilt or restored to their original 1930s styling.

The village has continued to expand with a whole new town opening in 2018. It features a model of the iconic Hoover Building, a funicular railway and even Bekonscot's first tube station, where visitors can see down to the platform through a glass panel.

Modern technology means the models are more realistic and animated than ever, with a cutting-edge computer system running the model railway from a full-size signal box, a thatched cottage catches fire and is quickly extinguished by the fire brigade and there are even tiny details like a man waving from the coal mine.

A visit to Bekonscot is a nostalgic journey away from the stresses of modern life and it remains a tribute to English eccentricity, humour and craftsmanship.

The 'Burning' House

Famous visitors

Nearly 16 million people have visited Bekonscot including 5 generations of the royal family. Enid Blyton lived locally and was a big fan, she even wrote a book about it called The Enchanted Village. A model of Blyton’s house was built at Bekonscot in 1997 and you can also see her old sundial in the picnic area.

It is not surprising that the village is a popular filming location, most famously for an episode of Midsomer Murders in 2008.

How to get there

Bekonscot is situated just a 5 minute walk from Beaconsfield Railway Station, meaning it can be reached in about half an hour from London Marylebone. It is also just off junction 2 on the M40 and there is a small free car park for visitors at the Church opposite.

The best time to go

The model village is closed for maintenance during the winter, although special Christmas openings are usually announced. It's beautiful at any time of year although my favourite is the autumn when the sunlight is softer and the miniature acers glow red and orang hues.

For more information, visit www.bekonscot.co.uk

This article was originally published in This England Magazine (Summer 2019)

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