The Enid Blyton Experience Near London
Before Taking the Trip
Loved the Five Find-Outers and Dog series? You might want to visit Bourne End and the little towns in that area, which are the setting for that series. Do read The Mystery of Tally Ho Cottage, The Mystery of the Hidden House, and Mystery of the Strange Messages before making this trip because many of the places mentioned on this page are referred to in these novels!
Bourne End in the Real World and Peterswood in the Series
From London, take a bus or train to Bourne End. This is most likely to be Peterswood where the Findouters and Dog lived as it is close to Maidenhead and Marlow which are referred to in The Mystery of Tally Ho Cottage, The Mystery of the Hidden House as well as the Mystery of the Strange Messages. It also has a river which is also always referred to in these novels as part of Peterswood.
​
​
Old Thatch is where Enid Blyton lived for about 10 years and obviously got a lot of inspiration from for her series. The cottage is now privately owned, so it is difficult to take clear pictures through the fencing, but you will definitely feel the Enid Blyton vibe here!
Just down the path from Old Thatch is the River Thames. This video shows this river and the houses along the river with a dock for private boats. This would have been exactly how Tally Ho Cottage from the Mystery of the Tally-Ho Cottage would have been! The Cottage in the novel also had a dock for the boat where the Lorenzos arrive at night from Maidenhead.
Maidenhead
Also pop into the town library to find a shelf full of Enid Blyton’s books. Of course, titles such as 'Famous Five go on a Gluten-Free Adventure' written by ghostwriters may make you cringe!
If you want to do some more findouting head to Maidenhead in a train or bus. This is the place from which the Lorenzos take a boat to Tally Ho Cottage in The Mystery of Tally Ho. The river bank here may have been that spot!
​
Unfortunately, the Heritage Centre does not have any information about the books and author. It was disappointing to see that there wasn't more information or memorablia about an author that has influenced so many childhoods!
Beaconsfield
Hop on to a bus again and head over to the last stop of this trail--Beaconsfield. Blyton lived here for 30 years and wrote all the Famous Five and Secret Seven novels here (inspired by Swanage, Corfe Castle and Bourne End, of course).
There’s hardly any acknowledgement of this amazing author’s life here — a plaque with Noddy and Big Ears at the Town Hall, a model village where her house is replicated and the name of the lane where she lived (the house was demolished). She deserves so much more!
A plaque with Noddy and Big Ears at the Town Hall
The lane in which she lived for 30 years has been named after her. Her house has been demolished.
The model village of Bekonscot where Enid Blyton's house is replicated