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View over Bekonscot model village

Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is the oldest model village (or miniature park) in the world.

It portrays aspects of England mostly dating from the 1930s. Bekonscot has been run by the Church Army since 1978 and donates large amounts of money to charity. It has raised the equivalent of £4,000,000 so far and has hosted 14,000,000 visitors.

Bekonscot is acknowledged to be the inspiration for many other model villages and miniature parks across the world, including Babbacombe, Madurodam, and Legoland Windsor. As such, it is regarded as the "grandfather" of the model village and miniature park movement.

The site is approximately two acres of which just over half is a miniature 1:12 landscape. Buildings are constructed in natural materials, concrete, or dense foamboard; many are originals from 1929.

There are six model villages set within the miniature landscape. These are entirely fictional towns, but many buildings within them are based on UK prototypes. Successive generations of modelmakers, gardeners and craftsmen have left their mark on their subjects, which display a wide range of vernacular architectural styles.

Notable features include:

• Model railway
• Coal mine
• Yacht Race
• Castles
• Windmills

Model of burning house at Bekonscot

• Trams
• Pier
• Cable car (disambiguation)
• Fishing Port
• Bonsai

Bekonscot is famed for its complex outdoor model railway, possibly the largest public garden railway in the UK, at ten scale miles. A custom-built PC-based interface controls the block signalling system, directing up to 12 trains at any one time on prototypical routes. In addition there are two manual lever frames, one ex-BR and the other London Underground. The British rail lever frame is still in use as a manual override for the trains. Some original Bassett-Lowke stock from the 1930s is still in daily use, albeit with new running gear. New locomotives and stock are added annually.

A miniature railway giving passenger rides was built along the perimeter of the site in 2001. Of 7¼-inch gauge this was extended in 2004 to a new terminus. Three battery electric locos haul trains: one a Bo-Bo tram, one a Pfeifferbahn-based engine and another large 0-4-0 built by Maxitrak. The latter was named "Sprocket" in 2004; the third birthday of the railway and the 75th of the Model Village.

Currently there are 12 full time staff who maintain the village throughout the year; during the open season a further 20 or so seasonal staff are employed.

Bekonscot features prominently in the Will Self short story Scale, was the setting of Enid Blyton's short story The Enchanted Village and is thought to have inspired the series of Borrowers books by Mary Norton.

The non-fiction bestseller 'Forever England' by Liam Bailey is a photographic study of the village's miniature characters, whilst Bollocks to Alton Towers by Hazely et al celebrates the quirkiness and eccentricity of Bekonscot.

Due to its proximity to London and its media industry, Bekonscot features frequently on television and radio. Television appearances include:

• Blue Peter (multiple times)
• Treasure Hunt
• Various television news items
• BBC Working Lunch
• McDonald's advertisement
• One Foot in the Past introductory sequence
• Muffin the Mule
• BBC sitcom 'Dad'
• Discovery Home and Leisure's 'Garden Railway' series

(English) Official website