About Nettlebed

A community of some 700 inhabitants set in the beautiful wooded countryside of the Chilterns National Landscape (formerly Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – AONB) and surrounded by large areas of common land. The church, St. Bartholomew’s, was rebuilt in 1846 and parts of the tower date back to Norman times. Many of the dwellings are listed buildings and in a conservation area. The wonderful beech woods and hills around make the area popular start for walking and rambling.

Red Kites re-introduced to England in recent years can be seen regularly over Nettlebed. The countryside surrounding Nettlebed can offer some of the darkest skies in this part of England. Binoculars and telescopes will amply reward the visiting astronomer.

Nettlebed was the most important brick and tile making centre in the Chilterns from the mid-14th century onwards until 1939. In 1365, 35,000 tiles were made for Wallingford castle. One redundant lime burning kiln remains and is a focal point of Nettlebed. Two ‘pudding stones’ (consisting of very rounded flint pebbles, with sand filling the gaps and held together with a quartz cement) near The Green are thought to be millions of years old and were until recently outside the former Bull Hotel in the High Street and were used for mounting horses.

There were several pubs in Nettlebed at one time but today there is only the White Hart, an old coaching inn now a hotel & restaurant. Nettlebed Club (formerly the Working men’s Club) is a popular watering hole for the local community and the High Street is home to, “Life” interior furnishings, McQueen’s Deli & Bakery and Brights of Nettlebed, renowned for their reproduction furniture, have their headquarters here. Next to St. Bartholomew’s church is the Nettlebed Creamery which manufactures high quality cheese from local organic milk which is sold in their Cheese Shed – this is a pop[ular destination for walkers and cyclists who stop for coffee and the, now well known, Cheese Toasties.

The BP service station, with its handy convenience shop, lies at the end of the village on the A4130 and behind it is the White House Garage, a vehicle repair workshop.

For more information on Nettlebed’s history click here