Plenty to see, plenty to do...

The Ethorpe is an ideal base for exploring the local towns and delightful countryside of Buckinghamshire. Nearby attractions include a museum dedicated to the great poet John Milton at Chalfont St Giles, Windsor Castle, Legoland®, "Hell Fire Caves" at West Wycombe, Cliveden and, of course, London.

Bekonscot Bekonscot started when Roland Callingham, a London Accountant bought a field in the growing town of Beaconsfield, during the 1920's. As a hobby and for friends and family to enjoy, he dug a pond and built a few miniature houses. His friend, James Shilcock, added a model railway to the site. Roland Callingham lived in Beaconsfield and James Shilcock lived in Ascot, so they decided to combine the names and call the village 'Bekonscot'. The village first opened to the public in 1929. Since then, the Village had evolved with the world around it, so by the 1980's there were model modern housing estates, an airport and even Inter-City trains! The decision was taken at this time to rebuild the village in a more traditional way, so now you see Bekonscot as the world would have been in the 1930's. There are no electricity pylons, no motorways and certainly no Eurostar trains! Model steam trains meander through the countryside, sails on the windmill creak round slowly, and a brass band plays on the pier. Details of opening times between February and November on the website [Bekonscot].

Chiltern Open Air Museum Experience the heritage of the Chilterns and roam through 45 acres of woods and parkland exploring more than 30 rescued historic buildings. More details [COAM].

Cliveden House Set in 376 acres of beautifully maintained National Trust grounds, your visit to Cliveden will include almost every traditional pursuit of country living. Explore the National Trust owned gardens and the acres of woodland, water garden and magnificent formal garden that surround the House. Cliveden perhaps reached its zenith as the family home of Nancy, Lady Astor, a charismatic American socialite and the first woman MP in the British Parliament. Among Nancy's distinguished acquaintances were President Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin – all of whom stayed at the House. More details [Cliveden House].

Legoland LEGOLAND® where creativity meets fun! Discover kid-powered rides, cool building challenges, a unique mix of interactive attractions, exhilarating coasters, shows that pull the audience into the action and so much more. It’s a land of surprise around every colourful corner, lively music, both whimsical and astonishingly accurate LEGO® brick models - a chance to let everyone’s imagination run free. LEGOLAND puts the "fun" in family trips with something geared towards every family member, and dozens of things to enjoy together. Full details of events on [Legoland Windsor].

Milton's Cottage Milton's Cottage is the only extant home of John Milton, the great English poet and parliamentarian, in Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire. It was in this Grade 1 listed XVIth Century cottage, described by Thomas Ellwood as "that pretty box in St. Giles, Chalfont", that Milton completed Paradise Lost, and the idea of Paradise Regained was put to him. A short distance from the hotel. More details [Miltons Cottage].

West Wycombe and the Hell Fire Club The whole village of West Wycombe is owned by the National Trust who bought it in 1929. The main A40, a busy road, runs through it. The main street has buildings from the 15th to 19th Centuries. The Church of St Lawrence stands all alone on a 600 foot hill, on the site of a village no longer there. West Wycombe Park, 18th Century house, once owned by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1750's, with furnished rooms, furniture, paintings, 300 acres of parkland is open to the public. The village is famous for the Hell Fire Club. West Wycombe Park is a beautiful stately home and grounds, set in the 5000 acre West Wycombe Estate situated in the Chiltern hills, Buckinghamshire; an area of outstanding natural beauty. More details [Hell Fire Caves] and [WestWycombe Estate].

Windsor Castle Nine Centuries after its foundation, the Castle continues to perform its prime role as one of the Queen's official residences. More details [Windsor Castle]