Burnham Beeches

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Burnham Beeches
latitude= 51.547570
longitude= -0.643640
shire_county = Buckinghamshire
shire_district= South Bucks
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Beaconsfield
post_town= Slough
postcode_district= SL1
postcode_area= SL
dial_code= 01628:"For the house built by Alfred Nicholas near Melbourne, Australia, see Burnham Beeches (Australia)"Burnham Beeches is an area of 540 acres (220 hectares) of ancient woodland, located close to Farnham Common, Burnham and Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire. It is approximately 20 miles (30 km) to the west of London, England, and is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation.

The woodland has been regularly pollarded, with many trees now several hundred years old. Their age, and the amount of deadwood in and around them, means that the woodland is rich in wildlife. More than sixty of the species of plants and animals here are either rare or under threat nationally. The area is protected as a National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest and a candidate Special Area of Conservation.

Filming

The close proximity of Pinewood, Shepperton and Bray Studios and the outstanding natural beauty of the Beeches have made it a desirable filming location. The Crying Game, First Knight, Goldfinger, The Princess Bride, the 1952 Disney film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are just some of the many films and TV productions which have made use of the facilities on offer at the Beeches. ("For a more comprehensive list, see" [http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Burnham+Beeches,+Buckinghamshire,+England,+UK] .)

Filming is tightly controlled due to recognition of the Beeches' international importance for wildlife, restricting filming to no more than 20 days per year and to certain times of year. Filming in environmentally sensitive areas has also been banned. Revenue from filming goes directly to fund the upkeep and management of the Beeches.

Preservation

It was saved from development by the Kyrle Society and is now owned by the City of London Corporation.

Burnham, New Zealand was named after Burnham Beeches.

Affiliates

Burnham Beeches is also linked to the Berkshire based football team Burnham Beeches F.C who currently play in the East Berkshire Football League.

ee also

*English Lowlands beech forests

External links

* [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/living_environment/open_spaces/burnham.htm Burnham Beeches on the City of London website]
** [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AC190868-CE0A-45C3-BD34-AA009C2083DC/0/OS_BB_BurnhamMap26July.pdf Map of Burnham Beeches (PDF)]
** [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8E0E8C59-7A35-4C1A-A560-5C6831C7BC87/0/OS_BB_infoleaflet.pdf Welcome to Burnham Beeches leaflet (PDF)]
** [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FC588DC8-8816-4574-8D49-4A9BEA389216/0/OS_BB_newsletter.pdf Burnham Beaches Newsletter (Spring/Summer 2006 edition) (PDF)]
* [http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Burnham+Beeches,+Buckinghamshire,+England,+UK IMDb list of film and television productions which have used Burnham Beeches]