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The town of Beaconsfield is situated in the north west of the District to the north of the M40 and consists of three main areas: the Old Town, which is astride and along the A40; the New Town, centred around the railway; and Holtspur, a post-war residential development on the town's western edge.Although much of the town appears modern, it has in fact had a long history. Its name aptly enough on the Chiltern fringe is a corruption of Bekensfield, meaning a "clearing in the Beeches". In coaching days, Beaconsfield became an important staging point on the London to Oxford Road and many inns were built to serve travellers. Some still survive. On adjacent fields Cromwell encamped with his "Ironsides" in the Civil War.
In 1269 the right to hold a fair at Beaconsfield on the Vigil of the Ascension and for six days afterwards was granted to Burnham Manor and Henry V renewed this grant in 1414. In 1551 Sir John Williams was given the right to hold a fair on the Vigil and on the next day. By the end of the eighteenth century, fairs were held on Holy Thursday and on 13th February when a cattle market was also held. (An annual one-day fair is still held each May on the original site of the Crossroads in the Old Town.)
The majority of houses and cottages in the Old Town, which flank the four ends (Aylesbury End, London End, Windsor End and Wycombe End) date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Prominent at the crossroads is the parish Church, a flint and Bath stone building. The earliest part - the pinnacled tower - is of the 15th century but most of the rest of the church was restored in 1879. In the churchyard is the box-like tomb of Edward Waller, the poet, who died in 1687.
London End is especially rich in old buildings and is still a delightful thoroughfare with a village atmosphere, despite modern traffic. Of note here is the King's Head dating from 1713, the White Hart, the 17th-century Burke House and London End House, a former inn dating back, in part, to the 16th century.
In the wooded country around Beaconsfield were two estates - Wilton Park and Hall Barn - and a number of important farms, including Seeleys, Davenies, Hyde, Overs and Holloways. The great house at Wilton Park was demolished and the entire estate is now occupied by a government department.
Hall Barn, whose estate extends south from the Old Town, was built for Edmund Waller, the poet, on his return from France in 1680 and is a fine example of a manor house of the period. The Oak Lodge which stands at the main gateway is a brick-built cottage clad with a variety of wooden carved panels, some of which date from the 17th century.
The newer part of Beaconsfield grew up around the railway and originally the land between it and the Old Town area was open country. Now modern and well-planned houses fill this area. The town's main shopping centre with a number of car parks is adjacent to the railway station and it is here that St Michael's Church can be found. Begun in 1914, it was only finally completed in 1955 with the building of the east end. Also in this part of the town is the branch library.
A notable feature is located in Warwick Road on the north side of the railway. This is the oldest model village in the world, Bekonscot. Bekonscot is known throughout the world and draws visitors of all ages, including many past and present members of the Royal Family. Bekonscot has been created in a 10,000 square yard rock garden and portrays rural England in the 1930s - a perfect haven from the harsh outside world. The village includes churches, shops, hotels, an airport, a zoo and a racecourse. A 1-gauge model railway, complete with five stations winds its way around the village.
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