Find this gem of a day out
CHARMING MODEL VILLAGE IS JUST A SHORT DRIVE FROM WEST LONDON
A GREAT day out with the kids, or for the child inside you, what’s more quaint that a model village?
Bekonscot Model Village and Railway is not just a pretty place, but is the world’s oldest original model village, celebrating it’s 90th birthday this year.
With a huge model railway, 1.5 acres of well kept gardens and finely detailed model buildings, the tiny village will help you escape the hustle and bustle of London life, instead transporting you back in time to 1930s England.
The Gauge One Bekonscot Model Railway features almost 10 scale miles of signalled main line, branch line and off shoots to sidings – if you don’t know what that means you can just stand on the bridges and watch them speed right under you.
For those of you less interested in trains, the model village is sight to behold. Made up of seven little towns stuck in a 30s timewarp, each has its own character, villagers and features – from coal mines to great castles, aerodromes to farms, docks to cable cars, and racecourses to escaped convicts!
When we say it’s big we’re not kidding. There are more than 200 buildings, 3,000 inhabitants, 1,000 animals, hundreds of vehicles and many models that move right before your eyes.
The village is surrounded by a miniature garden, and with well over 3,000 shrubs and trees the gardeners must be kept busy. One of the stars of the garden is the ‘Hanton Court Maze,’ based off the outline of the famous Hampton Court Maze.
When the kids need to let off a bit of steam you can take them to the playground, which has not only the classic climbing frame and slides, but remote controlled boats and pirate blast water cannons as well.
Bekonscot is open seven days a week, between 10am and 5.30pm – but closed in the coldest months. This year the model village closes on Monday, November 4 and normally opens again in mid-February.
■ Adult tickets are £12, children £7.80 and under twos go free. There are also a number of family tickets available.
The model village is in the town centre of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. The M25 is 10 minutes away, the M40 five minutes, with Beaconsfield train station just a child-friendly walk away.
For more information and to see current events, visit Bekonscot’s website .