CHEAP-ish! Bekonscot Model Village
I was about 8 when I last visited this lovely model village in Beaconsfield...and I still remember my visit, so it was lovely to return there and take my kids today. It's apparently the world's oldest model village and has been opened since 1929. It's a very novel and interesting place to take the kids and there is certainly a lot for them to see with many buildings including a cathedrals, castles, shops and hotels; different scenes including a football match, horse racing, mining village, maypole dancing, morris dancing, cricket match; a miniature railway running along tracks throughout the village and other mechanical elements such as the waltzers in the fairground, the miniature cable cars and miniature boats in the lake. In fact there is so much to see that my eldest daughter said she wished she was mini for the day so she could live in the village! There is a huge amount of attention to detail so its worth spending time to take it all in however you can go around as many times as you like as there is no limit to how much you can wander round. There's also plenty to keep the adults amused including spotting some of the playful shop names such as 'Lee-Key' the plumbers merchant and 'Argue and Twist' solicitors! We got a 1 adult and 2 children family ticket which cost £20 but there are other entry price options and if you travel by train it's part of their 2 for 1 deals. There are areas to sit for a picnic or a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, a small playground and a ride-on mini railway that does a little circuit for an extra £1 per person so check out the size of the circuit before you decide whether you want to go on!
