Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHY? </h2>



<p>Well-heeled and not afraid to show it! Beaconsfield takes you on a whistle-stop tour through British architecture, with the Old Town home to stunning Tudor, Queen Anne and Georgian buildings, and the New Town all Victorian terraces. There&#8217;s a heady clash of bling and beautiful here &#8211; you&#8217;ll love it or hate it but I can guarantee you won&#8217;t be bored.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1.jpeg" alt="Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1 Bread" class="wp-image-157899" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1.jpeg 2000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Greyhound-Inn-Beaconsfield-Muddy-Stilettos-Review-bread-1-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Greyhound Beaconsfield</figcaption></figure>



<p>Beaconsfield isn&#8217;t short on fantastic places to eat. For a lively night out, head to <a href="https://www.crazybeargroup.co.uk/beaconsfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Crazy Bear</a> hotel/restaurant with its <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/restaurants/review-the-crazy-bear-beaconsfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">frankly bonkers interiors</a> of velvet wallpaper and mirrored ceilings, while modern British gastropub <a href="http://greyhoundbeaconsfield.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Greyhound</a> is well-established as the pre-eminent foodie haunt in the town. There are literally dozens of other options for food in Beaconsfield, including the <a href="https://bacchusbeaconsfield.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bacchus</a> restaurant and wine bar, masters of steak <a href="https://www.millerandcarter.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miller &amp; Carter</a>, well regarded Japanese restaurant <a href="https://achimijapanese.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Achimi</a>, atmospheric Italian <a href="https://prelibato.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prelibato</a>, and <a href="https://www.theoldestpub.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Royal Standard of England</a> – the oldest pub in Britain, thought to be haunted by the ghost of a young drummer boy killed by the Roundheads in 1643. </p>



<p>For cafés, I rate <a href="https://hellofego.com/locations/fego-beaconsfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fego</a> (with other local outposts in Marlow and Gerrards Cross) and family-run indie <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Cafe/Benedicts-Store-189974321888721/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benedict&#8217;s Store</a> where you&#8217;re politely ordered to stay tech-free while you&#8217;re imbibing. Just outside the town in Seer Green there&#8217;s the lovely local pub <a href="https://www.thejollycricketers.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Jolly Cricketers </a>and Michelin-starred <a href="https://www.artichokerestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artichoke</a> in Amersham.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SHOP </h2>



<p>Sweaty Betty, Mint Velvet, Space NK, Whistles, Farrow &amp; Ball, M&amp;S Food Hall and Waitrose are all to be found on the upmarket high street, alongside indie clothes boutiques like the family-run <a href="https://www.instagram.com/graceboutiqueuk/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grace</a>, <a href="https://www.theforgeboutique.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Forge Boutique</a>, and bespoke tailor <a href="https://www.clementsandchurch.co.uk/">Clements &amp; Church</a>. Pre-loved designer dress agency&nbsp;<a href="https://vintageandvogueuk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vintage &amp; Vogue</a> is a short hop away in Gerrards Cross, and there&#8217;s a local Dobbies Garden Centre for the green-fingered.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-amp-wellbeing">HEALTH &amp; WELLBEING</h2>



<p>You&#8217;re spoiled for hairdressers here – try <a href="https://www.abstracthairdressing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abstract</a>, <a href="https://oxygenhairandbeauty.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxygen</a>, <a href="https://www.haringtons.com/find-a-salon/beaconsfield-hair-salon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Haringtons</a> and <a href="http://tombishophair.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Bishop Hair</a> before you pick your go-to. You can have all your exercise needs met in one place at <a href="https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/beaconsfield/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwxY-3BhAuEiwAu7Y6s4Sk0FAqBemWCH1fDFTNMpRvq_wAQXX-L8FpSjdndHHQDOOzup57_xoCc5kQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Lloyd</a> just outside Beaconsfield, complete with swimming pool, tennis courts, exercise classes and more &#8211; or experts at <a href="https://www.hebapilates.com/beaconsfield" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heba Pilates</a> will give you abs to die for. If it&#8217;s aesthetic treatments you&#8217;re after, try <a href="https://sthetics.co.uk/">S-Thetics</a> or the <a href="https://www.defineclinic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Define Clinic</a>. There&#8217;s also a private GP in town, called <a href="https://doctornow.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr Now</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community">COMMUNITY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/florencia-viadana-G6S5IXQTC_A-unsplash-1000x667.jpg" alt="Tomato Stall Artisan Market Beaconsfield" class="wp-image-171619" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/florencia-viadana-G6S5IXQTC_A-unsplash-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/florencia-viadana-G6S5IXQTC_A-unsplash-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/florencia-viadana-G6S5IXQTC_A-unsplash-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/florencia-viadana-G6S5IXQTC_A-unsplash.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Local chamber choir the <a href="https://www.wooburnsingers.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wooburn Singers</a> roll into town every month to perform and get locals involved in collaborative &#8216;Come and Sing&#8217; events. The <a href="https://www.coopersmarkets.com/the-chilterns-artisan-markets/beaconsfield-market/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artisan Market</a> runs on the first Sunday of the month outside the town hall, selling suitably classy offerings for this well-heeled spot. The town centre turns into a funfair for one day a year at the <a href="https://beaconsfieldtowncouncil.gov.uk/beaconsfield-town/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beaconsfield Charter Fayre</a>, a tradition since 1269. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture">CULTURE</h2>



<p>Beaconsfield earned its place in British literary history as home to Enid Blyton for 30 productive years (she wrote <em>The Famous Five</em> and the <em>Noddy</em> series there), and it continues to have a beating heart of creatives. Experimental art space <a href="https://beaconsfield.ltd.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beaconsfield</a> is an artist-run studio space, plus three indoor galleries and a courtyard exhibition space. <a href="https://www.beaconsfieldnow.org.uk/calendar/2948" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beaconsfield Literary Festival</a> is the town&#8217;s annual offering for bookworms, held at St Mary&#8217;s Church. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler-1000x667.jpeg" alt="Cliveden Hotel anf Spa south parterre " class="wp-image-130068" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler-788x525.jpeg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/Cliveden-Andrew-Butler.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cliveden: photo credit Andrew Butler</figcaption></figure>



<p>Celebrities! Beaconsfield is close to Elstree and Pinewood Studios and the lovely Burnham Beeches nature reserve nearby has been used in a long roll-call of films (<em>Goldfinger, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride</em> for starters). Back in Beaconsfield, the town is famous for having the world&#8217;s oldest model village, <a href="https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bekonscot</a> (kids go wild for it) and the lovely lo-fi <a href="https://www.coam.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chiltern Open Air Museum</a> is down the road in the Chalfonts. Nearby National Trust properties are <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cliveden</a> in Taplow and 1930s-style <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dorneywood-garden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dorneywood Garden</a> with its pretty cottage garden and lily pond. Both are an 11-minute drive from the town centre. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-prices">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES </h2>



<p>Start looking down the back of the sofa now, because average house prices in Beaconsfield (aka Millionaires&#8217; Row) are £1,120,519. Like, ouch. The average detached is £1,649,984, with semi-detached a (relatively) more affordable £759,464. Flats go for an average of £469,869. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-property">HOT PROPERTY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="663" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/BEACONSFIELDHOTPROPERTY.png" alt="" class="wp-image-178146" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/BEACONSFIELDHOTPROPERTY.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/BEACONSFIELDHOTPROPERTY-800x530.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/BEACONSFIELDHOTPROPERTY-400x265.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A beautifully presented five-bedroom home on a sought-after road within the Golden Triangle. <a href="https://www.frostweb.co.uk/property-details/BEA240239/buckinghamshire/-/beaconsfield-22" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On the market for £2.75m</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schools"><strong>SCHOOLS</strong></h2>



<p><a href="http://www.beaconsfieldhigh.bucks.sch.uk/">Beaconsfield High School</a>, an all-girls grammar nicknamed Becky High, and the independent primary <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/high-march-school-beaconsfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">High March</a> (a big feeder for Becky High) are both excellent girls options in the town, while for boys aged 4-13 there&#8217;s top day school <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/davenies-school-beaconsfield-2/">Davenies</a>. There are several good schools in neighbouring Gerrards Cross too – <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/maltmans-green-school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maltman’s Green</a>, <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/gateway-school-great-missenden/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gateway School</a>, <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/thorpe-house/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thorpe House</a> and <a href="https://stmarysschool.co.uk/">St </a><a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-marys-gerrards-cross/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mary’s</a>. High Wycombe&#8217;s <a aria-label="Godstowe (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/godstowe-school-high-wycombe-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Godstowe</a> (all-girls day and boarding to age 13) and the uber high-achieving <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/wycombe-abbey-high-wycombe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wycombe Abbey</a> are just 15 mins away. <a aria-label="The Beacon (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/the-beacon-school-amersham-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Beacon</a> boys&#8217; school in Amersham also has a bus route through the town.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-kept-secret">BEST-KEPT SECRET</h2>



<p>During World War Two, Wilton Park Estate was used as an interrogation centre for prisoners of war, and during the Cold War it housed a top secret military bunker on the site of the kitchen garden. These days the C18th mansion acts as a meeting place for policy makers and politicians to solve complex global issues.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commute">COMMUTE </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1021" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green.jpg" alt="Mill House Wooburn Green" class="wp-image-151319" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green-800x545.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green-1000x681.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green-400x272.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Mill-House-Wooburn-Green-771x525.jpg 771w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mill House</figcaption></figure>



<p>Speedy: Beaconsfield is as little as 22 mins to London Marylebone. Annual season tickets (five days a week) from £4,000. Want the stylish co-working space without the commute? Hop in the car for less than 10 minutes and you’re at <a href="https://www.millhousewooburn.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mill House</a>, Wooburn Green (above), a boutique workspace with chic interiors and free coffee. Sign me up.  </p>



<p><em>View the full&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 300 Places to Live</a>.</em></p>


Beaconsfield

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