Welcoming nurseries and primary schools to Bekonscot!
Bekonscot Model Village & Railway was established in 1929 by Roland Callingham and offers your pupils an unforgettable experience.
Set in 1.5 acres of tranquil gardens it captures a beautiful snapshot in time of 1930s rural England. The layout of Bekonscot also provides slightly older children with the opportunity to be more independent and we are proud to consider ourselves an accessible and inclusive venue.
What to expect from your visit
The model village provides free curriculum based workshops with links to history, maths, literacy, D&T and we can provide a comprehensive teachers pack in advance of your visit.
To enhance your visit, or for those preferring a staff-led visit, free workbooks and activity books are available to download prior to your visit.
A PowerPoint Presentation is also available for you to use in the classroom prior to your visit to show the children what to expect without giving away any of the magic of exploring the village for the first time.
What our schools say...
"We loved everything about our visit. The weather was fine which allowed us to explore the village before our workshop! (We were so blessed! It only started to rain the minute we got on the bus to go home!!)
Your workshop was absolutely 'spot on' for the needs of these students. As you could see, we had some 'natural' actors! They loved to be given the opportunity to show off their acting skills and to dress up! The students who like to stay in the background were given the opportunity to do so. Indeed, your workshop was so 'apt' for each and every student. Best of all, it was 'fun'. Three was so much laughter!!!! It was also exactly the right amount of time for our students! "
Oak Lodge School
Organise a workshop
To enhance your visit why not book one of our interactive workshops for up to 30 children? Delivered by our experienced Education Officer, the curriculum linked workshops involve lots of pupil participation with object handling, role play and storytelling. We provide different styles of workshops, depending upon the children’s ages:
The EYFS workshops are fun and interactive, setting the scene for the children’s visit. Topics include, “The Bekonscot Time Machine” and “Oi Get Off Our Train”
KS1 workshops focus on the historical aspect of the model village comparing life in the early 20th century to our lives today. Topics include “Home Life”, Transport”, plus “Toys and Games”
KS2 workshops focus on the methods and materials used to create our models and the importance of scale. Topics include: “Practical Model Making”, “The Iron Man” and “Moving Models”
The workshops run for between 30-90 minutes, depending upon the age of the pupils and are offered as part of the standard entry fee, they must be booked in advance as availability will be limited at busy times.
Planning your visit
Up to two members of staff are invited for a free of charge pre-visit if required.
The 2025 season prices are £7.70 per child with adults free on a ration of 1:5.
If you are a preschool group wanting to visit with a large number of additional adults, please note that all adults (with the exception of staff members) will be expected to pay entry prices (£7.70 per adult). The train ride is available for an additional fee. Please use the specific preschool booking form for these visits.
To help you to visualise your experience, click here to see a full Map of the Village
Click HERE to see the full details of how to find us and our parking arrangements, but all coaches should plan to enter the car park via the Waitrose roundabout and are prohibited on Warwick Road.
- Entrance to the model village
- Free curriculum linked workshop
- Lunch storage
- Access to the play area
- Accessible toilets
- Covered and open picnic areas
- Souvenir shop (items or goody bags can be pre-ordered)
- Ride on train, for a small additional charge
- Immersive museum space
What to do next
Below we share a link to our calendar, that shows availability for your next school visit, once you find the date that you would like to book please email Cathy, our Education Officer at: cathy@bekonscot.co.uk or call 01494 417095 to finalise the details.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bekonscot this season!