BOTRA Home Page

BOTRA

Beaconsfield Old Town Residents Association

Beaconsfield is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 30 miles NW of London. The town sits in the highly attractive Chiltern Hills and is part of the London commuter belt. The parish is mainly given over arable land though some forest remains that was planted to supply the furniture industry of High Wycombe. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary.

The town name first made an appearance in manor records of 1184 and was written as Bekenesfelde or "Beacon's Field" in modern English, meaning that here was a field in which could be found a beacon or signal fire. An annual fair is traditionally held on May 10. Its charter originally allowed for a yearly market for the trading of goods and livestock, but it has now developed into a funfair. In the Victorian era the town was the home constituency of Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister in 1868 and then again from 1874 until 1880. In 1876 he was made the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria. It was due to this that Beaconsfield became a popular road name in industrial cities across the country in the late Victorian period.

Today the town is very prosperous and quite picturesque. It is the home of Bekonscot model village, the National Film and Television School, and it is the birthplace of Terry Pratchett. Famous residents included Enid Blyton, Wendy Hiller and Pauline Quirke, and it is the burial place of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Edmund Burke and Edmund Waller.

Old Beaconsfield which grew up on the Oxford Road in part to serve the coach traffic, is now mirrored by New Beaconsfield which has grown up round the station to the north following the introduction of the railway in 1906. In 1969 The Old Town became a Conservation Area to ensure that its architectural and historic character is preserved.

The Beaconsfield Rugby Club	Beaconsfield Old Town Residents Association (BOTRA) is a long established organisation responsible for ensuring that the Old Town remains an attractive place both to live and work in. In addition to routine activity such as maintenance of common areas BOTRA is influential in the review of all planning applications in the Old Town. Open meetings are also held four times a year when members can attend and listen to presentations given by key local representatives. BOTRA is also the first port of call if there are issues that members wish taken up either with the local council or with the police
The Saracens Head	Reasons to join BOTRA: • YOU CARE ABOUT THE OLD TOWN AND THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT • WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE AREA YOU LIVE IN • BENEFIT FROM THE BOTRA MEMBERS RETAILERS DISCOUNT SCHEME • CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP RATES AT ODYSSEY HEATH & FITNESS GYM
Recent BOTRA Events Talk by Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve Talk by Beaconsfield Town Mayor Archie Legg Talk by South Bucks District Council on the improvements of the Old Town Humorous Anecdotal History of Old Town Beaconsfield by Millie Benyon Future BOTRA Events Carols & Brass Band at the Farmers Market 17 Dec 2005 Talk on The War Memorial and presentation of new Plaque by Lady Burnham (July 2006) Talk by Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve (Oct 2006)
	Annual Membership costs from just £10.00 per household. Renewals take place annually in April. To become a member write to: The Secretary, BOTRA, 37 Windsor End, Beaconsfield