Where is miniature village

The most satisfying story begins with a housebound miniature railway that grew so big, a wife reached for the rolling pin: either it went or she did. The husband, a man named Roland Robert Callingham, a successful accountant, found a third way, and in laid tracks outside to colonise the garden. The village grew around the railway, but soon became an obsession: after the standard railway buildings came a castle and a church and miniature lawns, followed by the shops, and the population to inhabit them.

Callingham did some construction himself, and some with assistance from his gardener and other local modellers. But it was a private pastime, and it only became an attraction after friends suggested that on occasional weekends the public should be allowed in, too. And so Bekonscot opened to all in , and what was a quaint local novelty attracted national press coverage, and then royalty. Its name is a composite of Beaconsfield and Ascot.

The figures are hand-carved from limewood or moulded in resin. There is an agreeable amateurishness about them, but they seem to have an attitude. The caricatures are keen: many of the women have huge busts; many of the men look like bores. The railway runs to more than 1, feet, with 20, feet of subterranean electrical cable powering the trains and boats that run through or around the village. There are thousands of conifers, and every few years when they grow too big they are replaced by smaller ones.

The total area measures about 40, sq ft, roughly the size of a football pitch. A visitor to Bekonscot today may believe that little has changed in 90 years. The architecture has drawn inspiration from quaint suburbia and urban grandeur, from architects George Gilbert Scott, Edwin Lutyens and Berthold Lubetkin. There are clothes on washing lines in back gardens. But things have changed. It is not really the s we see, but a vision of what we hope the s were like the early s, before the nervousness.

For several decades, Bekonscot tried to keep pace with modern life; there were some brutalist constructions placed among the mock-Tudor semis, diesel railways replaced steam, and on the airfield modern jets including Concorde made an appearance.

But then, with the pace of life accelerating, and the historical integrity of Bekonscot looking increasingly confusing, the people who ran the place decided that the model should go back to its roots. So the modern world was banished, or at least repainted.

Most people come to Bekonscot for containment and trimmed privets, for a place forever amber. But the rough-hewn figures also suggest unease. When the World of Interiors visited in , it photographed a stark row of topless male sunbathers on loungers, with one of them fallen face-down submissively on a stone floor. Viewed at an angle, the s may indeed resemble a claustrophobic and deceptive decade. What was the Bekonscot butcher stamping on? Who was being buried in the cemetery, and could we possibly intervene before a bride married a man with red lips and a cold, pinched stare?

So much analytical potential here: neither the youngest child nor the wizened social psychologist will ever leave Bekonscot disappointed. We are drawn to the apparent integrity of the vision, and instead of helping the tiny wooden figures to escape, sometimes we may just want in.

A hopeful fielder runs to catch a ball in mid-air. Perhaps only a true work of art could withstand this level of scrutiny for almost a century. For the moment, Bekonscot really does look like the full English Brexit: idyllic in its imagination, disillusioned in its present, unfathomable to the outside world.

M odel villages were once a disproportionately British obsession. On those mythical golden holidays of the early s, it was difficult not to trip over one en route to the crazy golf. But then the Costa del Sol and the permissive society arrived, and miniature innocence seemed to go the way of the girdle and the trouser press. Site Search. About Bekonscot Model Village and Railway is the world's oldest and original model village, opening for the first time in At Bekonscot all profits are donated to charities.

Book Tickets. Adequate seating, much under cover. What's Nearby. Eating Out. Guaranteed to give you the Ahhhh factor, there's stacks of animal fun and indoor play at…. To build your own Itinerary, click to add an item to your Itinerary basket. Visit Website. Built of Cotswold stone it is a one-ninth scale model of the actual village, complete with model village within the model village!

The River Windrush flows under Bourton's famous bridges providing a beautiful backdrop to the miniature beeches, cherries and chestnut trees. You'll also hear music in the tiny model church and can wander the lanes peering into all the different buildings. Due to narrow paths and steps there is limited access for wheelchairs, and pushchairs, walking frames, rollators and mobility scooters will not be able to access the Model Village. Contactless preferred, but we will sadly not be accepting cash payments.

Nearest major road is M5. Follow signs for A40 Cheltenham from jct 11 and from jct 11a take the A, then the A to Bourton. Located in the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water. View Map and Whats Nearby. The Old New Inn , Cotswold 9 bedroom Bed and Breakfast, with superior accommodation, using locally and ethically sourced food for the breakfast table.

We only accept card payments. If you cannot pay by card please contact us to discuss alternatives. Your email. Bekonscot Model Village actually comprises of seven little towns stuck in a s timewarp. Each with its own individual character! Visit the Ed Shed to learn more about the history of Bekonscot and how our model village is created and maintained.

We have a lovely childrens play area. Skip to content. Facebook page opens in new window Instagram page opens in new window. Bekonscot is open 7 days a week until Sunday 12th December. We are then closed until the start of our season on Saturday 19th February. Please note: Only assistance dogs are allowed in the village. Bekonscot is a no-smoking site.

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