We’ve enjoyed a couple of days out recently at Bekonscot – a beautiful model village in Beaconsfield where 1930s Britain is recreated in miniature. We first visited Bekonscot last year and the girls loved it so much that I included it on our summer activities list. It is such a wonderful place for a day out – there is so much to look at. We had a wonderful time there. Here are 10 things that we loved about Bekonscot.
1. Riding on the Bekonscot Light Railway
We started and finished both our days out with a ride on the light railway, which costs £1 per person and takes you on a short trip behind the model village, around a pretty garden and a pond. Both the girls loved the train ride and enjoyed spotting the butterflies on the fence and waving to the people walking past.
2. The miniature railway
There are miniature train tracks running all across the model village, several stations to look at and trains running past the path at regular intervals. “Look, Mummy, look! A train! A train!” was a frequent cry throughout our visits. Hubby was also quite fascinated with the signal box which controls the network of trains.
3. Attention to detail
The attention to detail at Bekonscot is amazing – from the tiny wares in the shop windows, to the backyard scene with a lady hanging out her washing. I especially loved seeing Noddy in his tiny car outside Enid Blyon’s house. Jessica was quite excited to spot a Girls Brigade company outside one of the model churches: “Which one is me, Mummy?”
4. Shop names
I loved reading all the little shop names in the various tiny villages that make up the Bekonscot landscape. The puns might be awful but they made me smile all the same. The “Mark Owney” wireless shop was my favourite.
5. Moving models
One area of the village was particularly memorable for Jessica from her first visit here last year – the man falling off the ladder in Splashyng village green and the lady cleaning her windows. She was very excited when she got to this part of the village this year – “Mummy! I was here with Nanny!” The girls also loved standing and waving back at the man waving at the window of the coal mine. The colourful circus and the fairground with all the different rides were also big hits with the girls.
6. The children’s play area
No visit to Bekonscot would be complete without a visit to the children’s play area! Jessica loved the pirate ship play area with a spiral slide whereas Sophie preferred the smaller toddler play area. The play area was just the right size to be able to watch both girls easily and was a safe space for them – there were no areas where I was particularly worried about them falling.
7. The little coin-operated rides
The girls loved the Noddy car ride and the Postman Pat ride which cost £1 for 1 ride or £2 for 3 rides. I have to admit their enthusiasm for these little rides was considerably greater than Mummy and Daddy’s supply of change for them though!
8. The café and ice-cream stall
The café has a good selection of hot and cold food at reasonable prices and the ice-cream stall outside the café sells lots of different flavours of ice-cream – I can definitely recommend the salted caramel and pistachio flavours! The food is freshly made and good quality and there is a good selection of items for the children.
9. The pretty flowers and shrubs surrounding the models
I loved all the pretty colours of the flowers surrounding the models in the different parts of the village. The shrubs and plants are clearly looked after beautifully.
10. There’s always something new to see
The fabulous level of detail on the models means that there’s always something you might not have noticed previously. As well as this, there are new models still being added to the village – and a new area currently being created. I loved the miniature Hoover building that is part of the new area and will look forward to seeing this area properly when it is fully open.
Looks like a fab day out! Yours girls look like they are having a lot of fun x
Thanks Karen – it was a great day out and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it (as did I!) 🙂
I can see why this is a favourite place to visit. I remember your posts from here before and it always looks like a lovely day out. Jessica’s comment on the Girls Brigade made me smile, just goes to how how life like the models are! The little train always reminds me of here, I hope one day the girls get to ride our one too.
Thank you for sharing some great reasons to visit on #CountryKids
Thanks Fiona – I hope we get to ride the Coombe Mill train one day too! 🙂
This is brilliant, so charming, we would absolutely love to go there one day. The detail is amazing. Impressed with the Hoover building. Sounds like you all had a super day and thank you for telling us all about it as I’m now adding it to my Pinterest board of places to go.
Thanks Sam – hope you enjoy it if you do go. I do love the attention to detail 🙂
You’ve reminded me we must go and explore Bekonscot again soon. It is lovely and it’s so contained and with so many new things added it really is a great day out. Looks like you had a really lovely time
x
#countrykids
Thanks Tracey – I do love the fact that its so contained and it’s such a great place for the kids to explore. Hope you manage to visit it again soon! 🙂
I do love a good model village and miniature railway and looks like this one is lovely. Love the format for your post too, makes it a bit different 🙂 xx
Thanks Caroline – it is a lovely place to visit and having posted about it before, I thought it was a good idea to approach it from a different angle this time! 🙂
This looks like such a wonderful place. I love all those details in the model village.
#countrykids
Thanks Karen – it is a lovely place to visit and I love all the details too 🙂
I always meant to take N back to Bekonscot because we loved it as kids too. I think model villages are generally brilliant for children. Our nearest (in bourton on the water) is a bit run down and shabby but there’s still plenty to see for a relatively cheap day out. Love the photos. #countrykids
Thanks Emma – it was hubby’s first visit there since he was a kid and he enjoyed it as much as the girls did! I’m sure N would love it 🙂
This is great! remember going to a model village in Cornwall when I was little, and it really fascinated me. . #countrykids
They are such fascinating places to visit – I’ve visited a couple and loved them 🙂
What a fantastic place to visit. I love the attention to detail and what the shops are called – brilliant #countrykids
I do love the shop names – some of them are really quite funny 🙂
Wow this looks a great day out! I would love to go there! 😀 Defiantly something to pop on the to do one day list 😀 #countrykids
It is a lovely day out – we really enjoyed it there 🙂
Wow! The detail in all of those miniatures is amazing. Looks like y’all had a wonderful visit. #countrykids
Thanks Keitha – we really enjoyed it. I do love all the little details 🙂
We love it there too, every time we visit we see some new detail we’ve not spotted before. It’s a classic family day out #CountryKids
It is a great day out – I love places like this where there is so much to look at that there will always be something you didn’t notice before 🙂
Looks like a brilliant place for a day out and so pretty. The shop names are fab and I love your girls’ back packs 🙂 #countrykids
Thanks Kate – I love those backpacks too – they’re the perfect size for little ones! 🙂
Aww this is in my bucket list as my son loves to see those mini houses (his term) and now you gave me 10 more reasons why we need to see this lovely place! #countrykids
Thanks Merlinda – hopefully one day you and your son will get to visit 🙂
I love Bekonscot – your post has reminded me that I must visit again. It’s such a perfect place for little ones – we can easily spend a day exploring the incredible detail, chasing the trains and enjoying ice cream! I hadn’t noticed the comedy shop names before – will keep an eye out next time! #CountryKids
Thank you – hope you have fun looking out for the shop names next time you visit! 🙂
Looks like the girls had fun. #countrykids
They did, thank you Helena 🙂
This looks like an absolute perfect day out with kids! I love all the little details. #countrykids
Thanks Elizabeth – it was a lovely day out and we enjoyed spotting all the little details 🙂
We visited here when my kids were little, and they just loved it. In fact, 5 years on they still mention the model village. It is such a special place and utterly original!
Oh how lovely that your kids remember it five years on! 🙂
Oh wow looks like a lovely day out 🙂 I never heard of this place before but love the idea of it, my girls would love looking around the miniature villages and the pirate ship play area looks good too, I am not surprised you all love it here! x #countrykids
It is such a lovely day out and the play area is fab too 🙂
Such a cute place to visit. We have a model village close to us but I’ve never been, I think the children would love it
Thanks Sarah – model villages are such lovely places to visit, the girls really enjoyed their visit to this one 🙂
Oh wow! Olivia would love it there. I will keep this in mind. Looks like you all had a wonderful time especially the mini explorers.
#countrykids
Thanks Melody – I’m sure Olivia would love it! 🙂
This looks like such a fun day out! I remember going to the model village in Babbacombe, Devon when I was 10 and the excitement has stayed with me. We are about an hour away from Beaconsfield so will have to give it a go!