Beaconsfield
Encyclopedia
Beaconsfield is a market town
and civil parish operating as a town council
within the South Bucks
district in Buckinghamshire
, England
. It lies 23.6 miles (38 km) northwest of Charing Cross
in Central London
, and 17 miles (27 km) south-east of the county town of Aylesbury
. Other nearby towns include Amersham
to the north northeast and High Wycombe
to the west.
The town sits in the Chiltern Hills
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and is part of the London commuter belt
, thus the average cost of housing in the town is very high. It is in the South Bucks
local government district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980.
comprises Beaconsfield town and land mainly given over arable land
though some beech
forest
remains from that planted to supply the furniture
industry of High Wycombe
.
The first written reference to Beaconsfield dates from 1185 where it is spelt Bekenesfeld. Although this is mistakenly thought to mean ¨field by the beacon,¨ actually it is derived from "clearing in the beeches" (beech trees).
The parish church
at the crossroads of Old Beaconsfield is dedicated to St Mary, it was rebuilt of flint
and bath stone
by the Victorians in 1869. The United Reformed Church in Beaconsfield can trace its roots of non-conformist
worship in the town back to 1704. Old Beaconsfield has a number of old coaching inn
s along a wide street of red brick houses and small shops. It was the first (coach) stopping point on the road between London and Oxford
.
An annual fair
is traditionally held on 10 May. Its charter
, dating from 1269 ,originally allowed for a yearly market for the trading of goods and livestock, but it has now developed into a funfair
, erected for one day only on the main roads of the "Old Town". In recent years some residents have opposed the fair as a hindrance to the Old Town, and have called for it to be scrapped even though the fair has been going for over 735 years.
In the Victorian era
the town was the home constituency of Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
in 1868 and then again from 1874 until 1880 (in fact his home, Hughenden Manor
is in the nearby town of High Wycombe). In 1876 he was made the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria
with whom he was very popular. It was due to this, that Beaconsfield became a popular road name in industrial cities across the country in the late Victorian era
.
It is the burial place of the author G. K. Chesterton
, Edmund Burke
and the poet Edmund Waller
, for whom a tall stone obelisk
was erected over the tomb chest in St Mary and All Saints churchyard
.
The Waller family originated at Groombridge Place
, Kent
, and later lived at Coleshill, Hertfordshire
. In 1624, the family acquired Wilton Manor and Hall Barn in Beaconsfield. "The Wallers, who came from Speldhurst, Kent," says the Victoria County history of Buckinghamshire, "were settled at Beaconsfield as early as the 14th century." (A branch of this family was seated later at Newport Pagnell
, Buckingham
, from whence they removed in the 17th century to Virginia
, where they became prominent in early Virginia affairs. See Benjamin Waller
, Littleton Waller Tazewell
and Edwin Waller
.)
Dominic Grieve
is the Member of Parliament
for Beaconsfield, first elected in 1997, and now the Attorney General
. Tony Blair
, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
famously contested the seat in a by-election in 1982
and lost. He was defeated by Tim Smith
, who stood down in disgrace fifteen years later after admitting that he had taken Cash for Questions from Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Today the town is very prosperous and quite picturesque. It is the home of Bekonscot
model village, which was the first model village in the world; and Beaconsfield Film Studios
becoming the National Film and Television School
, where many film directors and technicians have learned their craft. It is the birthplace of Terry Pratchett
, author of the Discworld
series of fantasy novels. Some scenes in Brief Encounter
, a classic film about a woman in a dull middle class
marriage who almost undertakes an affair, were filmed in the town. The exterior of the Royal Saracens Head Inn can be seen in the James Bond
film Thunderball
, and the interior shots for the pub in Hot Fuzz
were filmed in the Royal Standard pub. The New Town also features in two other postwar colour films, John & Julie and The Fast Lady. Many other parts of the town have been used in films due to the old film studio and nearby Pinewood Studios
. More recently it has often been used as a "location" for the TV murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders
.
The New Town
was built 1 mile further to the north, when the railway arrived, at the turn of the 20th century. The railway station
is on the Chiltern Main Line
out of Marylebone
towards High Wycombe
it then branches to Aylesbury, and Birmingham Snow Hill
. Old Beaconsfield which grew up on the Oxford Road in part to serve the coach traffic, is mirrored by New Beaconsfield which has grown up round the station.
Beaconsfield is also home to the Chiltern Shakespeare Company
, which annually holds amateur performances of Shakespeare plays, Beaconsfield Theatre Group, now over 60 years old, Beaconsfield Operatic Society that has just celebrated its centenary, and to The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield), a theatre company "run by young people for young people" and winners of the All British Festival of One Act Plays in 2004.
Dr Liam Fox
, the former Defence Secretary, was a GP
here before being elected to Parliament.
Beaconsfield was named 'Britain's richest town' by The Telegraph in 2008. The ranking was based on average house prices, calculated to be £684,474 in Beaconsfield. The neighbouring towns of Gerrards Cross
and Chalfont St Peter
were listed as second.
runs very close to the town (Beaconsfield is M40 Junction 2) and is 4 lanes wide in either direction from the M40/M25 Junction to M40 Junction 3. The motorway leads to London
towards the east and Oxford
and Birmingham
to west. Junction 2 is home to the Beaconsfield motorway services. Local roads include the A355 which connects Amersham
and Slough
via Beaconsfield, although this has very heavy traffic in peak times. The A40
parallels the M40 from London to Oxford and for years was the main road between the two cities. With the building of the M40 in the 60s and 70s the road has been relieved, but it still gets heavily congested. The B474 connects the town to Hazlemere
.
Rail links generally run close to the motorway. Beaconsfield railway station
sees services to Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street, and London Marylebone. Services are provided by Chiltern Railways
who provide regular fast and slow services, the faster ones being able to reach London in around twenty five minutes. Beaconsfield is also a popular park and ride
station for commuters who drive towards the capital along the M40
and M4
corridors who don't want to take their cars into London's congestion charge and parking problems.
operates a selective
secondary education system, rather than a comprehensive
system. Pupils can take the 11+ test at the beginning of year 6, when they are age 10 or 11. Approximately 30% attain a score that makes them eligible to go to grammar schools, as well as to the county's upper schools.
Beaconsfield is also home to the Defence School of Languages. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/TrainingandExercises/DSL/
, Heathrow Airport and the M25
/M40
, as well as having large, expensive estates and houses, Beaconsfield is a popular choice of location for many 'celebrities', personalities and high-flyers. Just some of these include or have included in the past:
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish operating as a town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
within the South Bucks
South Bucks
South Bucks is one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beaconsfield Urban District with part of Eton Rural District...
district in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies 23.6 miles (38 km) northwest of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, and 17 miles (27 km) south-east of the county town of Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
. Other nearby towns include Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
to the north northeast and High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
to the west.
The town sits in the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
and is part of the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
, thus the average cost of housing in the town is very high. It is in the South Bucks
South Bucks
South Bucks is one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beaconsfield Urban District with part of Eton Rural District...
local government district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980.
History and description
The parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
comprises Beaconsfield town and land mainly given over arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
though some beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
remains from that planted to supply the furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
industry of High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
.
The first written reference to Beaconsfield dates from 1185 where it is spelt Bekenesfeld. Although this is mistakenly thought to mean ¨field by the beacon,¨ actually it is derived from "clearing in the beeches" (beech trees).
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
at the crossroads of Old Beaconsfield is dedicated to St Mary, it was rebuilt of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
by the Victorians in 1869. The United Reformed Church in Beaconsfield can trace its roots of non-conformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
worship in the town back to 1704. Old Beaconsfield has a number of old coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s along a wide street of red brick houses and small shops. It was the first (coach) stopping point on the road between London and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
An annual fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
is traditionally held on 10 May. Its charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
, dating from 1269 ,originally allowed for a yearly market for the trading of goods and livestock, but it has now developed into a funfair
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
, erected for one day only on the main roads of the "Old Town". In recent years some residents have opposed the fair as a hindrance to the Old Town, and have called for it to be scrapped even though the fair has been going for over 735 years.
In the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
the town was the home constituency of Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
in 1868 and then again from 1874 until 1880 (in fact his home, Hughenden Manor
Hughenden Manor
Hughenden Manor is a red brick Victorian mansion, located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. In the 19th century, it was the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli...
is in the nearby town of High Wycombe). In 1876 he was made the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
with whom he was very popular. It was due to this, that Beaconsfield became a popular road name in industrial cities across the country in the late Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
It is the burial place of the author G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
, Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
and the poet Edmund Waller
Edmund Waller
Edmund Waller, FRS was an English poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1679.- Early life :...
, for whom a tall stone obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
was erected over the tomb chest in St Mary and All Saints churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
.
Groombridge Place
Groombridge Place is a moated Manor house in the village of Groombridge near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. It has become a tourist attraction, noted for its formal gardens, vineyards and a bird of prey sanctuary. -History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and later lived at Coleshill, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. In 1624, the family acquired Wilton Manor and Hall Barn in Beaconsfield. "The Wallers, who came from Speldhurst, Kent," says the Victoria County history of Buckinghamshire, "were settled at Beaconsfield as early as the 14th century." (A branch of this family was seated later at Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
, Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
, from whence they removed in the 17th century to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where they became prominent in early Virginia affairs. See Benjamin Waller
Benjamin Waller
Benjamin Waller was descended from a Virginia family established in the state since the 17th century. He was born in King William County, Virginia, the son of Col. John and Dorothy Waller, and was trained as a lawyer utilizing the legal library of Sir John Randolph...
, Littleton Waller Tazewell
Littleton Waller Tazewell
Littleton Waller Tazewell was a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator from and the 26th Governor of Virginia.Tazewell, son of Henry Tazewell, was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, where his grandfather Benjamin Waller was a lawyer who taught him Latin...
and Edwin Waller
Edwin Waller
Judge Edwin Waller was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas, and the designer of its downtown grid plan....
.)
Dominic Grieve
Dominic Grieve
Dominic Charles Roberts Grieve, QC MP is a British Conservative politician, barrister and Queen's Counsel.He is the Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield and the Attorney General for England and Wales and the Advocate General for Northern Ireland.-Early life:Grieve was born in Lambeth, the son of...
is the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Beaconsfield, first elected in 1997, and now the Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
. Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
famously contested the seat in a by-election in 1982
Beaconsfield by-election, 1982
The Beaconsfield by-election, 1982 was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 May 1982 for the British House of Commons constituency of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire...
and lost. He was defeated by Tim Smith
Tim Smith (UK politician)
Timothy John Smith, known as Tim Smith, is a former British Conservative politician.-Politics:...
, who stood down in disgrace fifteen years later after admitting that he had taken Cash for Questions from Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Today the town is very prosperous and quite picturesque. It is the home of Bekonscot
Bekonscot
Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is the oldest original model village 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...
model village, which was the first model village in the world; and Beaconsfield Film Studios
Beaconsfield Film Studios
Beaconsfield Film Studios is a British TV and film studio in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. The studios were operational as a production site for films from the 1930's and continued producing films - and, later, TV shows - until the 1960's. Britain's first talking movie was recorded there, as were...
becoming the National Film and Television School
National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and it is located close to Pinewood Studios.-History:...
, where many film directors and technicians have learned their craft. It is the birthplace of Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
, author of the Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series of fantasy novels. Some scenes in Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British film directed by David Lean about the conventions of British suburban life, centring on a housewife for whom real love brings unexpectedly violent emotions. The film stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway and Joyce Carey...
, a classic film about a woman in a dull middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
marriage who almost undertakes an affair, were filmed in the town. The exterior of the Royal Saracens Head Inn can be seen in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
, and the interior shots for the pub in Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action dark comedy film written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three had previously worked together on the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead as well as the television series Spaced...
were filmed in the Royal Standard pub. The New Town also features in two other postwar colour films, John & Julie and The Fast Lady. Many other parts of the town have been used in films due to the old film studio and nearby Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
. More recently it has often been used as a "location" for the TV murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
.
The New Town
New Town
New Town may refer to:*New town, a generic name for a planned city development or expansion*In the United Kingdom, any of a specific set of towns created under various Acts of Parliament for population moved out of overcrowded conurbations-Places:...
was built 1 mile further to the north, when the railway arrived, at the turn of the 20th century. The railway station
Beaconsfield railway station
Beaconsfield railway station is the railway station of the town of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains from Marylebone towards High Wycombe and Birmingham Snow Hill and is situated between Seer Green & Jordans and High Wycombe stations.-Background:The...
is on the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
out of Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
towards High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
it then branches to Aylesbury, and Birmingham Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
. Old Beaconsfield which grew up on the Oxford Road in part to serve the coach traffic, is mirrored by New Beaconsfield which has grown up round the station.
Beaconsfield is also home to the Chiltern Shakespeare Company
Chiltern Shakespeare Company
The Chiltern Shakespeare Company is a Shakespearean theatre company founded in 1989 that produces Shakespearean plays annually in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire...
, which annually holds amateur performances of Shakespeare plays, Beaconsfield Theatre Group, now over 60 years old, Beaconsfield Operatic Society that has just celebrated its centenary, and to The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield), a theatre company "run by young people for young people" and winners of the All British Festival of One Act Plays in 2004.
Dr Liam Fox
Liam Fox
Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
, the former Defence Secretary, was a GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
here before being elected to Parliament.
Beaconsfield was named 'Britain's richest town' by The Telegraph in 2008. The ranking was based on average house prices, calculated to be £684,474 in Beaconsfield. The neighbouring towns of Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, near the border with Greater London, south of Chalfont St Peter. Gerrards Cross is also a civil parish within South Bucks district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980...
and Chalfont St Peter
Chalfont St Peter
Chalfont St Peter is a village and civil parish in Chiltern district in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe and Rickmansworth. Chalfont St Peter is...
were listed as second.
Transport
The town is very well served by road and rail. The M40M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
runs very close to the town (Beaconsfield is M40 Junction 2) and is 4 lanes wide in either direction from the M40/M25 Junction to M40 Junction 3. The motorway leads to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
towards the east and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to west. Junction 2 is home to the Beaconsfield motorway services. Local roads include the A355 which connects Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
and Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
via Beaconsfield, although this has very heavy traffic in peak times. The A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
parallels the M40 from London to Oxford and for years was the main road between the two cities. With the building of the M40 in the 60s and 70s the road has been relieved, but it still gets heavily congested. The B474 connects the town to Hazlemere
Hazlemere
Hazlemere is a suburb of High Wycombe and a civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is to the north east of the town along the A404 in the direction of Amersham....
.
Rail links generally run close to the motorway. Beaconsfield railway station
Beaconsfield railway station
Beaconsfield railway station is the railway station of the town of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains from Marylebone towards High Wycombe and Birmingham Snow Hill and is situated between Seer Green & Jordans and High Wycombe stations.-Background:The...
sees services to Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street, and London Marylebone. Services are provided by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
who provide regular fast and slow services, the faster ones being able to reach London in around twenty five minutes. Beaconsfield is also a popular park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
station for commuters who drive towards the capital along the M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
and M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
corridors who don't want to take their cars into London's congestion charge and parking problems.
Education
Buckinghamshire County CouncilBuckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
operates a selective
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
secondary education system, rather than a comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
system. Pupils can take the 11+ test at the beginning of year 6, when they are age 10 or 11. Approximately 30% attain a score that makes them eligible to go to grammar schools, as well as to the county's upper schools.
- Alfriston SchoolAlfriston SchoolAlfriston School is a girls' special school in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 125 pupils....
is a special school for girls, with moderate learning difficulties, between the ages of 11 and 18. - Beaconsfield High SchoolBeaconsfield High SchoolBeaconsfield High School is a girls' grammar school in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It is a Foundation School, which takes girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
is a high performing grammar school for girlGirlA girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
s between the ages of 11 and 18. - The Beaconsfield SchoolBeaconsfield SchoolThe Beaconsfield School is a co-educational secondary school in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It is a secondary modern community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
has a good performance rating and its sixth form students join together with Beaconsfield High to increase the courses available. - Davenies SchoolDavenies SchoolDavenies School is an independent day school for boys aged 4–13, located in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Its current headmaster is Mr C. Watson. The School was founded in 1941 and was supposedly an all boys boarding school but was soon changed to a day school...
is a private preparatory day school for boyBoyA boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
s between ages 4 and 13. - High March School is a private preparatory day school for girls between the ages of 3 and 12 and boys between the ages of 3 and 5.
- St Mary & All Saints Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Primary School is a Key stage 1 & 2 mixed sex school with excellent OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
reports - Butlers Court School - a Key Stage 1 & 2 Dual Entry Mixed Sex Primary School
Beaconsfield is also home to the Defence School of Languages. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/TrainingandExercises/DSL/
Notable residents
With very close access to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Heathrow Airport and the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
/M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
, as well as having large, expensive estates and houses, Beaconsfield is a popular choice of location for many 'celebrities', personalities and high-flyers. Just some of these include or have included in the past:
- Enid BlytonEnid BlytonEnid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
(1897 – 1968) writer, who lived for most of her life in Green Hedges — a large house that has since been demolished but there is an Enid Blyton Room nearby at The Red Lion pub in Knotty GreenKnotty GreenKnotty Green is a rural hamlet in the parish of Penn in Buckinghamshire, England and located in the Chiltern Hills near Beaconsfield. Knotty Green and Beaconsfield are, however, separated by a parish and district council boundary. Knotty Green is in Chiltern District, whereas Beaconsfield is in...
, where there is a gallery of pictures and a library of books, donated by The Enid BlytonEnid BlytonEnid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
Society There is a model of her house at Bekonscot Model Village.
- Edmund BurkeEdmund BurkeEdmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
(1729 – 1797) statesman and the founder of political conservatismConservatismConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, lived in the Gregories estate just outside Beaconsfield - G. K. ChestertonG. K. ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
(1874 – 1936) writer, is buried in Beaconsfield
- James CordenJames CordenJames Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
(born 1978) actor and TV presenter, lived in Beaconsfield until 2009 - Beverley CravenBeverley CravenBeverley Craven is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 1991 UK Top 5 hit single "Promise Me". Her most recent album, Close To Home, was released in 2009...
(born 1963) singer, has lived in Beaconsfield since 2003
- Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice between 1868 and 1880 was created Earl of Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria in 1876
- Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
(1874 – 1963) poet, moved to Beaconsfield with his family in 1912 - Barry GibbBarry GibbBarry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
(born 1946) singer with the Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a... - Dame Wendy HillerWendy HillerDame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE was an Academy Award-winning English film and stage actress, who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly sixty years. The writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took...
(1912 – 2003) actress, moved to Beaconsfield with her husband Ronald GowRonald GowRonald Gow was an English dramatist, best known for Love on the Dole .Born in Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire, the son of a bank manager, Gow attended Altrincham County High School. After training as a chemist, he returned to his old school as a teacher...
in the early 1940s and lived there until her death
- Peter JonesPeter Jones (entrepreneur)Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...
(born 1966) entrepreneur and star of Dragon's Den lives in Beaconsfield with his girlfriend and children
- Albert Ernest KitsonAlbert Ernest KitsonSir Albert Ernest Kitson KBE, CMG was a British/Australian geologist and naturalist, winner of the Lyell Medal in 1927.-Early life:...
(1868 – 1937) geologistGeologistA geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and naturalistNaturalistNaturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, moved to Beaconsfield in 1930 and died there in 1937 - Anne MainAnne MainAnne Margaret Main is a Conservative Party politician in Britain. She was elected at the 2005 general election as the Member of Parliament for St Albans, defeating the Labour incumbent Kerry Pollard, and was re-elected in 2010....
(born 1957) MP for St Albans, Hertfordshire, is from Beaconsfield originally - Airey NeaveAirey NeaveAirey Middleton Sheffield Neave DSO, OBE, MC was a British soldier, barrister and politician.During World War II, Neave was one of the few servicemen to escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle...
(1916 – 1979) politician, grew up in Beaconsfield
- Sir Gore OuseleyGore OuseleySir Gore Ouseley, 1st Baronet GCH , was a British entrepreneur, linguist and diplomat. He was born in 1770 and died at Hall Barn Park, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire in 1844...
(1770 – 1844) ambassador, orientalistOriental studiesOriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
and High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, died in Beaconsfield - Swaraj Paul (born 1931) business magnate and philanthropist, lives in Beaconsfield
- Sir Terry Pratchett (born 1948) writer, was born and brought up in Beaconsfield
- Piers Paul ReadPiers Paul ReadPiers Paul Read, FRSL is a British novelist and non-fiction writer.-Background:Read was born in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire...
(born 1941) novelist and non-fiction author, was born in Beaconsfield - Peter RogersPeter RogersPeter Rogers was a British film producer.Rogers began his career as a journalist for his local paper before graduating to scriptwriting religious informational films...
(1916 – 2009) Carry On Film producer, lived for many years in Beaconsfield because of its proximity to Pinewood Studios - Alison UttleyAlison UttleyAlison Uttley , née Alice Jane Taylor, was a prolific British writer of over 100 books. She is now best known for her children's series about Little Grey Rabbit, and Sam Pig....
(1884 – 1976) writer, moved to Beaconsfield during the Second World War
- Edmund WallerEdmund WallerEdmund Waller, FRS was an English poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1679.- Early life :...
(1606 – 1687) poet, lived at Hall Barn in Beaconsfield
See also
- Beaconsfield Rugby ClubBeaconsfield Rugby ClubBeaconsfield Rugby Football Club, from Beaconsfield, England, was founded in 1952 by Jack Hickman, a rugby enthusiast and a leading light at Ealing RFC....
- Beaconsfield SYCOB Football ClubBeaconsfield SYCOB F.C.Beaconsfield SYCOB F.C. are a football club based in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. The current club was formed in 1994 following the merger of Beaconsfield United and Slough Youth Centre Old Boys. They joined the Southern League Division One West in 2005 but were relegated from the...
- Chiltern Shakespeare CompanyChiltern Shakespeare CompanyThe Chiltern Shakespeare Company is a Shakespearean theatre company founded in 1989 that produces Shakespearean plays annually in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire...