Nettlebed Countryside Walk

Start and Finish: The Old Kiln, Nettlebed RG9 5BA. Grid ref: SU 701 868

(S/E) From The Old Kiln road, turn right towards the village (A) and right again along Watlington Street for 130m.

(1) Bear right into Mill Road and walk up to the gates of the electricity substation. Take the bridleway on the left (B) and follow the white arrows for 380m to a wide track. Turn right along it to some houses.

(2) At the houses follow the track round to the left. After the last house join a grassy track between wood and fence for 300m to the driveway leading to Westwood Manor Farm. Cross straight over and instead of following the white arrows, bear right to follow a permissive path for 130m and turn right through a gate into a field.

(3) Turn immediately left past the paddocks and down through a gate at the bottom. Climb up the hill to the left of the fence and, where that goes right, continue straight across the field towards the house to the right of the farm buildings. Go through the kissing gate between this house and the barns. Follow the path past the end of a large barn, through the next gate and continue for 60m and drop down to a track.

(4) Turn left and after 50m bear right to reach a lane. Turn right and, at the grass triangle, turn right along a stony track past the entrance to Chears Farm. Follow the bridleway for 170m to a field gate.

(5) Don’t go through the gate, instead turn right through a kissing gate into a field. Follow the left-hand field edge, stay in the same direction straight over the next field and go through a metal field gate then straight on through a second field gate (note: the gate is at right angles to the path and not visible from the route until close to the hedgerow). Bear left, follow the field edge and go through two kissing gates into the next field.

(6) Follow the path downhill to the right of a clump of trees, then continue to descend to a gate in the bottom left-hand corner. Follow the path along the fence line and go through the next gate onto a bridleway.

(7) Turn left and immediately right through a gate. Climb up the steep slope, through a gate and up a set of steps. Continue along the path to a road. Turn right along it past (C) The Five Horseshoes pub (currently closed) for 850m to the left-hand bend in the road.

(8) Turn right, walk along a wide stony lane for 140m and fork right into a field. Drop down under the cables heading for a path just to the left of the corner of the woods, part of (D) Warburg Nature Reserve. Follow the path along the top edge of the wood and through a gate into a field. Bear half left down the field, through a gate and descend steep steps to pass through a gate into a field. Bear half right down it and through a gate at the bottom to a junction of paths and tracks.

(9) Cross the track and go through the gate ahead into a field. Climb up under the cables towards the top left-hand corner. Go through a wooden kissing gate, follow the path at the edge of a beech wood and pass through the next kissing gate to the edge of a large field. Proceed along its edge. The path becomes a wide stony track, passing some cottages on the right. Continue to a junction by the gates to (E) Soundness House (not signed as such).

(10) Bear right along the lane with fields on either side, and where it enters a wood continue ahead for 150m to a road junction. Fork right to return to Nettlebed and the end of the walk. (S/E)

"We hope you have enjoyed your walk. Please remember to rate the walk and add comments. We are interested in how we could improve the instructions or the route and would like to hear about any issues with paths on the walk."

TERRAIN: A moderate walk on good surfaces, but can be muddy. Two significant climbs including two sets of steep steps both up and down. Numerous gates and a couple of stiles.
START & FINISH: The Old Kiln, Nettlebed RG9 5BA. Grid ref: SU 701 868
FOOD & DRINK: The White Hart pub, The Cheese Shed or Mcqueen’s Café in Nettlebed and The Five Horseshoes pub in Maidensgrove (currently closed pending sale/new management.).
PARKING: The Green, Nettlebed RG9 5AX. Grid ref: SU 702 868
LOCAL TRANSPORT: Bus Service X38 runs between Oxford and Reading, Monday to Saturday. Full details can be found on www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk

This walk was created for the book "More Great Walks in the Chilterns" available from the Chiltern Society, White Hill Centre, White Hill, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1AG Tel. 01494 771250 and from Amazon

(A) NETTLEBED: Nobody is sure where the name originates but there a couple of good theories. One is that Roman soldiers rubbed nettles on their limbs to keep warm on marches, and the other is that nettles were used in the production of sheets and table cloths. What Nettlebed was most famous for, however, was the manufacture of bricks, tiles and pottery. There was a plentiful supply of quality clay which allowed this industry to thrive from medieval times to the 20th century. At the starting point is the Grade II listed bottle kiln used for making bricks. Probably built in the late 17th century, it would have been one of a number in the area. It was converted in 1927 to burn lime, which ceased in 1938. It then fell into disrepair but was restored in 1975. By the bus shelter there are a pair of puddingstones and an information board.

(B) NETTLEBED COMMON is one of a number that constitute the Nettlebed & District Commons. It provided many of the raw materials needed for the local brick making industry including clay, sand, water and firewood. The electricity substation is located on Windmill Hill. The mill that once stood here was burned down in 1912. The hill was also the site of a 16th century warning beacon.

(C) THE FIVE HORSESHOES is a 16th century pub with breathtaking views over the valley. MAIDENSGROVE AND RUSSELLS WATER COMMON – Maidensgrove is in the modern parish of Pishill and Stonor. Its earlier names were Maiden’s Grove and Minigrove. It’s on the edge of the large area of common land known as Russells Water and Maidensgrove Common which belongs to Stonor Park.

(D) WARBURG NATURE RESERVE has a wealth of fauna and flora, including 15 species of orchid. It’s home to an incredible variety of habitats sheltering thousands of species. Look for bluebells and wood anemones in spring, pyramidal orchids, and aromatic wild marjoram and thyme in summer. During the autumn there are glorious colours throughout the tree canopy, while down below grow the Chiltern gentians.

(E) SOUNDESS HOUSE is an imposing manor house, changed and developed over hundreds of years, where it’s reputed that Nell Gwynne, the mistress of Charles II, once stayed. The house is visible looking back on the left when proceeding along the lane.