It's also, possibly uniquely, an abbreviation. Formerly known as Beaconsfield, in councillors voted to rename the area South Bucks, presumably to be more geographically inclusive but decided against the full South Buckinghamshire, presumably to be more chummy. Spread out between the A40 and the A4, this affluent district stretches from pristine commuter towns in the north to the immediate outskirts of Slough in the south, with a swathe of less populated woodland inbetween.
Getting around by public transport wasn't always easy, but I found a way, and so can bring you tales from four contrasting locations. They bought it up in , this "land suitable for the erection of superior residences", specifically to protect it as a public open space and wildlife reserve. Well done them, it's gorgeous. The plan was to give Londoners somewhere to escape the grime and misery of the capital, and for anybody else who happened to live nearby too. Day trippers arrived via Burnham station, originally called Burnham Beeches, then faced a further couple of miles to reach the forest edge.
I suspect I was the only Londoner who made the effort yesterday. I took the bus. Autumn is possibly the best time to visit, so I just about got in with time to spare. Lovely scrunchy beech leaves underfoot, with a scattering of nuts and mud beneath, form a matted carpet of brown.
So long as you've not come in your best trainers, it's a delight. The main access is from the east, a short walk from the long village of Farnham Common, where a large car park awaits more Bucks-style visitors. Most have brought a dog or two, it's that kind of place, but the city authorities are one step ahead. They've divided the Beeches in two, one allowing dogs to run free but the other only on a leash, which means one half is thick with exercising hounds and the other mercifully free.
Make sure you stop off at the Beeches cafe by the car park, if not for refreshment then for the extensive selection of maps and leaflets available in the attached information centre. The City of London's not short of money or influence, so there's an impressively extensive selection - I plumped for the Geology Trail , but you could instead pick up a guide to fungi , a historical trail or a full colour map. This led me off down a steep beechy valley carved through the clay by a narrow stream , amusingly named the Nile, then back up to the gravels above.
