Nettlebed is a traditional English village, with a history dating back to the Domesday Book.
Indeed, the leafy lanes and listed properties in the village conservation area bear witness to a long and prosperous past. Although St Bartholomew’s Church was completed in 1846, parts of the tower date back to Norman times. The White Hart Hotel, now a popular place to dine, was once a coaching inn used by both Cavaliers and Roundheads in the English Civil War.
Today, Nettlebed is a thriving village with a strong sense of community and a good range of facilities. There’s a Village Shop and Post Office – and, if you need extra supplies – a Budgens at Nettlebed Service Station. There’s an excellent delicatessen and bakery with a café and the renowned Nettlebed Creamery. The Creamery’s Shed Shop sells its own organic produce along with breads, eggs, honey, pickles, kimchi, charcuterie, pasta, sauces and more.
Nettlebed is also home to two stores selling furniture and furnishings – Brights of Nettlebed and Life at Nettlebed. The village has its own GP surgery and there’s a good selection of dental practices in nearby Henley-on-Thames.
There’s been an inn on the site of The White Hart since the 15th century and today its tradition of good food and a great atmosphere continues. Food is served all day every day and the menu includes sandwiches, salads, steaks, pizzas and a selection of substantial main courses – and on Sundays, there’s a carvery.
Mcqueen’s Deli & Bakery is the perfect spot for morning coffee or lunch with a choice of delicious pastries, cakes, quiches, salads, sandwiches, home-made meals and hot drinks.
At Nettlebed Creamery, refreshments include mouth-watering cheese toasties made from award-winning cheeses – as well as cakes, ice-cream, smoothies and locally ground coffee.
If you’re dining out, you’ll be spoilt for choice in terms of venues in nearby Henley-on-Thames which range from independents like the Shellfish Cow to popular chain restaurants such as The Giggling Squid.
Located on top of the Chilterns, between the valley of the Thames at Henley and Wallingford, Nettlebed enjoys a setting within the wooded countryside of The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Forming part of this landscape, Nettlebed Common is a mix of woodland, heath and open grassland set on both sides of the B481, surrounding Windmill Hill and including Nettlebed Recreation Ground. With a network of country lanes, bridleways and public footpaths along with a section of the Oxfordshire Way, it’s easy to explore the area to the south of the village on foot or by bike.
When exploring, it’s worth visiting Nettlebed Woods and the beautiful woodland and chalk grassland of Warburg Wildlife Reserve.
For such a small community, Nettlebed has a surprising number of facilities including a village club, community hall, sports pitch and recreation ground.
The 200-capacity Village Club, built in 1913, seats 200 people and is the venue for more than 20 groups and organisations, including Pilates, Karate and dance classes, bingo and the Good Neighbours lunch club and coffee mornings.
Nettlebed also offers bell ringing and circuit training for seniors. The Community School’s two halls, kitchen and all-weather pitch are available to hire for community use and this is where the Back to Netball group meets.
Nettlebed Sports Association organises the very popular and successful annual Nettlebed Fete and manages the Sports Pavilion whilst Henley Cricket Club manages the grounds in return for use of the facilities on most Saturdays during the cricket season.
Nettlebed Cricket Club, a local Sunday side, enjoys the use of the playing area which Henley Cricket Club has brought up to league standard. The outfield is used for informal football play and the pavilion is available for other activities when there isn’t any cricket being played.
For an evening out, head to Henley-on-Thames, home to the Kenton Theatre, a Regency theatre with a programme of dance, drama and comedy performed by touring companies and amateur groups.
Henley is also home to the Regal Picture House, an independent three-screen cinema with a café/bar and a varied programme of the latest and art-house releases.
The Corn Exchange in Wallingford is a venue for film theatre and music whilst Reading is home to a Vue multiplex cinema, the Hexagon theatre and the South Street Arts Centre.
With woodland trails, beautiful gardens, a turf maze, a photogenic Chinese Bridge and a 19th-century century ice house, Greys Court provides an interesting and enjoyable day out.
Originally built in the 14th century and enjoying views over the Chiltern Hills, Greys Court has a series of walled gardens and two waymarked walks.
The Cowshed Tearoom, open daily, has indoor and outdoor seating where you can enjoy hot food, drinks and snacks. A shop, created in the old woodshed, sells homeware, books and seasonal gifts and there’s a Book Nook selling pre-loved books.
Photo © Brian Robert Marshall (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Located at Huntercombe near Henley-on-Thames, Nuffield Place was the home of one of the most remarkable men of the 20th century – William Morris, Lord Nuffield who built the Morris Motor Company from the ground up.
His home and personal possessions are just as he left them and the garden is Arts & Crafts style with a rock garden, decorative lawns and a woodland walk.
This fascinating well is a gift from India in the heart of the Chilterns.
The Maharajah of Benares in Northern India gifted the well to the people of Stoke Row in the mid-19th century, having heard from Edward Anderton Reade, the fifth son of the Squire of Ipsden, how the people of Stoke Row struggled to access clean water, relying mainly on water retained in dirty ponds and deserted clay pits.
The well’s canopy stands 23 feet high but the shaft, dug by hand, is 368 feet down to the waterline.
Photo © Steve Daniels (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Nettlebed is located less than 5 miles from Henley-on-Thames and approximately 6 miles from Wallingford.
Thames Travel bus route 23 which travels between Great Western Park and Henley on Thames via Didcot, Wallingford and the villages in between stops at The Green, Nettlebed.
The X38 service between Oxford, Wallingford, Henley and Reading also stops in Nettlebed.
The nearest railway station is Henley-on-Thames with regular services to Twyford and, from there to London Paddington.
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