Good attraction for small children (Bekonscot Model Village (Beaconsfield ))

Member Name: Deb_C

Product:	Bekonscot Model Village (Beaconsfield )
Date:	17/10/09 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very quaint and charming

Disadvantages: Not so suitable for adults without children

Bekonscot Model Village is a tourist attraction in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, & is the oldest model village in the world.

When you first arrive, make sure you go in the model village's own car park (on the other side of the road from the model village entrance), which is free, as opposed to the Pay & Display car park next to the model village.

When you first enter, you will see that the ticket office & gift shop are housed in a refurbished old train carriage, which I thought was very charming. You then walk in to the model village itself, & will be pleasantly surprised at how big it is. The village has been maintained in a mostly 1930s style (it was first opened to the public in 1929) & has many different miniature buildings & other features to see, such as the zoo, fairground, churches, college and so on. Look out for the smoke billowing out of one building & the firemen in attendance! (only a pretend fire of course!) A lot of the buildings are originals from the 1920s, when they were built by the founder (Roland Callingham) as a hobby in his back garden.

The model village actually grew up around Mr Callingham's model railway, which he built in his garden, & the village still has model trains running through it; every so often one will appear through a tunnel or you'll see one stopping at a station. You can look through windows into the room from where they control these trains & all the levers look very interesting and complicated!

There is also a larger train which children (or adults!) can ride on & which goes around the edge of the village. This currently costs an extra 90p.

One of my favourite parts of the model village was the landscaping of the garden, for example trees that are kept small & trimmed to look like large trees but in the scale of the village, & also some nice rockeries. There are also pools with koi carp swimming around in them (giants compared to the village's residents!).

I visited the model village with my boyfriend, & although it was very sweet & interesting to see, I'd say it was much more suitable for visiting with small children, & we wouldn't go again just as a couple. There were plenty of young children there & you could tell that they loved it. You also shouldn't go if you don't like visiting somewhere that's full of small children!

It cost us £8 each to visit the model village, which I felt was quite expensive for what it is, although their profits do all go to charity (distributed to various causes via the Church Army). A child's ticket is currently £4.50 & a family ticket is £23.

The model village is open from 10am-5pm until 1st November, then opens again in February.

There's a small shop with some nice things for children, a small cafe & a picnic area.

Summary: A charming model village, great for children