Pictures of Nettlebed

About Nettlebed

Nettlebed is a lovely English village in the heart of rural Oxfordshire. It boast a wealth of charming, quaint buildings and delightful cottages, many of which have been featured on the long running TV series Midsomer Murders, starring John Nettles.

It is an old village with a history stretching back to the time of the Doomsday Book and possibly beyond. In ancient times the land formed part of a pass through the Chiltern hills, this is now the Oxford to Henley Road. The fortunes of the village where largely founded on clay and pottery making. A tradition of pottery making began in the 9th century, and later the region became known for its brick making which continued from the 14th century until shortly before the 2nd World War of the 20th century. Today, only one kiln remains, this is preserved as part of the village heritage.

Sleepy, attractive and peaceful, the village epitomises all that is best of the traditional English village scene with leafy lanes, a church from Norman times, thatched properties with foliage and pretty gardens, and handsome houses standing beside beautifully manicured lawns. A feature of the village is the White Hart Hotel standing on the site where there has been an inn since the 15th century. The hotel has a fascinating history and was used by both Royalists and Roundheads during the Civil War, but it is not known whether King Charles I, who travelled through en-route for Nettlebed Manor, called in or not. The hotel was once a coaching inn, its stables are now converted to luxurious bedrooms and a rumour exists that the building is haunted by a ghost! In recent times, this too has been the setting for an episode of Midsomer Murders, with John Nettles being filmed in the bar.

Nettlebed is pleasantly placed for easy access to Henley-on-Thames, Reading and the dreaming spires of Oxford. Apart from its picture postcard dwellings, for pure atmosphere alone this is a place well worth a visit.