The Stag and Huntsman is a warm and welcoming inn in the small and picturesque village of Hambleden just a couple of miles from the River Thames near Henley,,, It made the perfect overnight stopover point for my walking companion and poet Peter Gibbs and I before stepping out on our second stage of The Chiltern Way on a cold and misty January morning. But the inn was originally called The Dog and Badger back in the 19th Century, until a desperate stag took shelter overnight in a nearby cow shed to escape the huntsmen and providing much excitement for village children who were taken to see it. After a good night’s sleep and breakfast by a log fire we stepped out into a cold fresh morning under blue skies with the lingering fingers of a rosy dawn. A footpath from the village led up a long wide valley towards the small village of Turville some five miles into the Chiltern Hills. But the going was going to be extremely soft and muddy, so we chose to follow a nearby lane with elevated views over the surrounding countryside. Walking into Turville, we found a sunny seat outside the lovely 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin where we stopped for coffee before striking uphill and then headlong down through sunlit beech woods, but what was this barrier just ahead? It was, we quickly realised, a high wire fence and padlocked gate barring access into the 250-acre Stonor Park country house estate and gardens. There was now no alternative but to turn on our heels and trudge back up the track to a point where we had completely missed a small white arrow on a tree, guiding walkers off to the left and on a panoramic hillside walk with wide views overlooking the 13th century house which has been in the same family for hundreds of years. Then it was another trek uphill through wooded and common land eventually to descend to the busy village of Nettlebed and our overnight stop at the homely White Hart Inn. A highlight of the following morning’s walk back into open country was the National Trust’s Greys Court, a Tudor Country house and garden and not far beyond we came upon picturesque Greys Green with its cottages and cherry trees, where cricket is played in the summer. Then moving ever onward south and west with the whistling cries of kites forever in the skies we came upon the popular Packhorse Inn at Chazey Heath. Here we enjoyed a late lunch and waited beside an open fire in a centuries-old hearth for Peter’s lifelong friends John and Linda to pick us up and take us back to their home in nearby Caversham where we spent the night. Luckily Linda and a friend often go dog walking around Chazey Heath and she knew the exact spot on the trail to drop us off early the following grey and misty morning. From here we made our way steadily towards historic Mapledurham House, first descending through more beech woodland to pass a magnificent statue of a Grecian figure standing on a sturdy plinth and gazing out over the countryside ahead. Now we walked forward on a narrow bridle way for half a mile before making an extremely long and steep field ascent yielding a rich reward for our strenuous efforts. For on taking a breather and turning to look back we were richly rewarded by fabulous view over the River Thames. It was the perfect spot to take a break and enjoy a cup of coffee, but then there was to be a complete change to our walking plans when on entering the large beech wood beyond we missed the way. Instead of taking what was probably a hidden right fork we continued ahead on a long woodland track and had covered probably a quarter of a mile before we realised our error although greater attention to our OS map might have raised the alarm much earlier. But all was certainly not lost because after descending a long and winding track back towards the river, we reached a lane and followed it for several miles into Whitchurch-on-Thames. Our OS map now revealed a dead-end lane leading after half a mile to a footpath into Goring-on-Thames, but I was aware that the river had recently burst its banks at Wallingford so would we be able to make it to journey’s end, or should we consider a road alternative, I wondered? We decided to risk it and the prospect of having to retrace our steps all the way back, played more and more on my mind the closer we got to the river, but fortune favoured the bold because to my great relief, the undulating woodland track stayed well above the waters’ edge. Now an elusive sun came out casting a golden glow over the steeply sloping bracken covered hillside and making a fine finale to our walk into Goring-on-Thames. And here is Peter’s poem:- Chilterns Morning Whirling, whistling, wheeling The red kites greet the day Above the frosted hillsides Like children out to play Snowdrops on the roadside Hint at coming Spring When length’ning days and growing warmth Will nature’s bounty bring Along the quiet country lane Past sturdy stone-built barn Where swollen stream in meadow green Flows t’wards a silent farm. Cross village scene there comes the sound Of happy schoolyard fun As cottages stand slumbering Beneath the wintry sun. Readers can enjoy many more of Nigel and Peter’s walking adventures by simply Googling Amazon Books, Paths & Poetry by Nigel Heath or by following this link. Nigel has also published several novels including Albany House a six-part rollercoaster family saga centred on a fictitious village in North Devon. Again you can find these on Amazon by following this link.
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