Nettlebed Community
South Oxfordshire Chilterns

 About Nettlebed

Nettlebed  lies on the A4130 between Henley and Wallingford and the B481 between Watlington and Reading in the South Oxfordshire District and on one of the highest points of the Chiltern Hills.

We are often asked how to get here by public transport. From London Paddington take a train to Henley-on-Thames. You usually have to change at Twyford. Then take the 139 Wallingford bus from Hart Street (town centre - outside Barclays Bank). This service runs hourly on weekdays, with a reduced service on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays and takes about ten minutes.  Local taxi service details can be found on our Village Directory page.

Postal Code RG9 5##  - Telephone area code +44 (0)1491

Height above sea level 210 mtrs (692 feet) - highest point Windmill Hill

Position  51deg 34'.6 N   00 deg 59'.2 W

A community of some 700 inhabitants set in the beautiful wooded countryside of the Chiltern Hills 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. 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 near the bus shelter 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 Village Club (formerly the Working men's Club) is a popular watering hole for the local community. There is a thriving post office/ shop, Nettlebed "Life" interior furnishings and The Field Kitchen café and delicatessen. Brights of Nettlebed have their headquarters here. The Sue Ryder Foundation have a palliative care home at Joyce Grove, the former home of the Fleming family. A service station with Spar shop lies at the end of the village on the A4130 and a vehicle repair workshop is nearby.

Opened in 2015, the Nettlebed Creamery manufactures high quality cheese from local organic milk.
Their cheese, “St. Bartholomew” named after our church, is sold locally.

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.

Do visit our history pages

Link to Wikipedia entry for Nettlebed