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Beaconsfield is the town in Buckinghamshire that has been ranked as England's richest town. With a historic old town, it is well worth visiting for a number of other sites and attractions too. The town is easy for visitors to reach, since it is found only twenty-five miles to the northwest of London.
History and Architecture
Beaconsfield is mentioned in writings going back to 1185. Its name means the clearing in the beech trees. The town has a charter for a fair that goes back to 1269. This permitted the annual gathering to trade livestock and goods. It is still held today, and is centered on the roads of the old town of Beaconsfield. The fair has been ongoing for more than 735 years.
There is the parish church St. Mary that goes back centuries. The Victorians rebuilt it from bath stone and flint in the year 1869. The Untied Reformist Church is also old and interesting, dating back to the forming of the non conforming worship group in 1704. Visitors to the town will be delighted by the several old coach inns that are found on a street lined by small shops and red brick homes. This coaching stop proved to be the first one on the road from London to Oxford.
As the first years of the 1900's approached, the railroad reached the town. The New Town was then built a mile north of the original old town. Even as Old Beaconsfield expanded to welcome the coach traffic, the New Beaconsfield grew up surrounding the train station.
Attractions
Beaconsfield sits in an area of gorgeous natural scenery. The Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds it. Visitors come to see the dramatic scenery as well as the other interesting attractions here.
The annual fair that goes back to the 1200's is still held in the old town. Today it is hosted on May 10th. This fun fair of today draws crowds and tourists from all over the region.
The first model village ever built is also found in Beaconsfield. The Beckonscot Model Village is worth a visit for people who enjoy these types of displays.
Culture
Beaconsfield boasts several interesting cultural attractions that visitors can see. The old Beaconsfield Film Studio has become the National Film and Television school that trained a number of film directors. The Chiltern Shakespeare Company puts on annual amateur Shakespeare plays. There is also the Beaconsfield Theatre Group that is more than sixty years old. On top of this, the Young Theatre is a theatre company that young people run for other young people. They won the 2004 competition of the All British Festival of One Act Plays. Besides this, Beaconsfield hosts the Beaconsfield Operatic Society that is now over one hundred years old.
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