Nettlebed, Oxfordshire

Our drive back home to Sheffield was more straightforward than going down to Berkshire when one of the major routes across country that we usually take was closed due to a Moto Grand Prix sports motorbike racing event at Silverstone race circuit.  The beech woods in Oxfordshire were shades of green compared with the above photo taken on an earlier journey when the trees were beginning to turn into Autumn shades. 

Driving through Caversham we stopped to put flowers on the family graves at Henley Road Cemetery.

We then stopped in the village of Nettlebed as I had hoped to see the stained glass windows in the church designed by the English artist John Piper, a painter, printmaker, photographer, book jacket and theatrical set designer.  Unfortunately when I spoke to a villager who was out litter-picking (although from what I observed the village looked immaculately well-kept), the gentleman explained that the church was closed at this time because of vandalism.  However, the key could be obtained from a church warden who lived opposite the church.  With a long journey ahead of us it was not possible to stop for long, but I did take a walk in the churchyard and took photos of the exterior of the church and surrounding buildings.

The origin of the name Nettlebed is unknown.  There are various theories.  One is that Roman soldiers in the 1st and 2nd century AD rubbed nettles on their limbs to keep warm on marches!  Another well known fact is that nettles yield a thread which can be made into linen cloth.  Many homes in the 18th century had sheets and table cloths made from nettles that grew in abundance around the area.  

The present church was designed by J. Henry Hakewill (1811-1880) of London and built on the site of the original 12th century church.  Remains of the first church can be seen forming the base of the tower of the present building (not photographed).

The lychgate is also a war memorial.

There was a beautiful copper beech in the churchyard.....

and an impressive hedge at the entrance to the garden of one of the village homes.

This notice looked intriguing so I walked a short way down the lane by the side of the churchyard to take a look at what might be there.

The refreshments at The Cheese Shed looked inviting.  It was a pity that we couldn't stay and sample them - another time if we're in the area.

Looking back I saw the gentleman litter-picker and engaged him in conversation. We know now that we need to contact the church warden if we want to visit the church out of hours of church services.  

Someone has visited and has taken a photo of one of the stained glass windows and has given it public domain status which gives an idea of one of the designs.  It would be even better for us to visit the church sometime and take in the detail of this place of worship.

The lane by the church. In the Home Counties and elsewhere the grass was brown due to the lack of rain.  The fields that we passed were golden with wheat and barley, but farmers have reported that the grains are small and the yield will be less because of the intense heat and no rain over the Summer months.

Despite the lack of rain people are still lovingly tending their gardens.  Above are some random photos - dahlias in a garden near our daughter D's home and a Reading Council flower display outside the Italian restaurant taken at night.  Opposite are the Forbury Gardens.  I'll probably post some old photos of my walks in Reading town centre another time.  This time it was all about being with our family.

The internet seems to be back on track. Thank you for coming by.

On the road: Nettlebed, Oxfordshire

During February and at the end of March our journey to and from my home town of Reading in Berkshire took us through the woods near Nettlebed as this is our preferred route through some beautiful countryside in south Oxfordshire. In February there were patches of snowdrops growing in the woodlands and on the grassy banks of country lanes whilst in March the leaves on the trees were creating green canopies along the way.  If we went to our local woods we would now see a haze of blue under the trees as it's the season for bluebells and I'm sure that would also be the scene in the beech woods of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Back during our time in Berkshire and Oxfordshire we stopped in the village of Nettlebed as every time we pass that way I've wanted to take a photo of the pot kiln on the outskirts of the village. It stands out, but now looks rather strange surrounded by modern dwellings. There were several interesting things to photograph and learn from the display boards that gave an insight into the history and geology of the village.

   

This mosaic in the bus shelter depicts the woodland, the local brick making industry and the red kite. By the end of the 19th century the red kite disappeared in England, but a few pairs survived in Wales and were reintroduced into England and Scotland in the late 1980s with chicks from Spain and Sweden being released at specially protected sites in the hope that they would breed. Now they can be seen in greater numbers in the area, in other areas such as mid Wales, Scotland, East Midlands and Yorkshire and are a protected species.

I've yet to get a close-up shot as we drive through the winding lanes in the area.  I watch them as they fly high using the forked tail to steer, twisting it like a rudder. Suddenly one swoops downwards. It skims the air above the car before disappearing into the treetops. The best I can do is point the camera at a far away bird and capture its distinctive shape against the grey sky.

the pot kiln in Kiln Close

closeup of the size and different colour of individual bricks

Across the road on the corner of Kiln Close is a house that 

looks like the one in the old photo on the display board.

Tiles and bricks have been made in Nettlebed since the Middle Ages and were used locally mainly for roofing and flooring during this period. The bricks were renowned for their strength. Many fine buildings in the region were later built using them. Raw materials were obtained locally as the chalk escarpment is capped with clay and flints and at Nettlebed with Reading and London clay beds. The woodland provided fuel for the kilns. By the mid 19th century the sites were taken up with clay pits, water pools, drying sheds, brick yards as well as the kilns.

The bottle shaped pot kiln (above) was  in use from the 18th century until 1938 and is the only one left of those that were located in Nettlebed.  (The earliest known site of a kiln is of one near the village church where three generations of a family were making bricks). They would have taken up a lot of land, encroached on common land where the clay was dug out, but would have been an important enterprise employing many people from Nettlebed and other nearby villages. The main products were large water pans, seed pans, chimney pots, vases, jugs, platters, ornamental flowerpots and other similar items.  The greenish white sandy clay was advertised as the finest clay for stoneware in the south of England.  When thrown the pots were cut from the wheel with a wire and when leather hard trimmed with a knife. Glazing the interior and sometimes the exterior was necessary if the vessels were to hold liquids.  A mixture of red lead and linseed  oil was used. The use of this mixture was a hazard to health and lead poisoning of at least one worker is recorded. The kiln was converted to produce quicklime in 1927 as by then the local clay had run out. It was restored with the support of local people and Oxfordshire County Council.  

We turned off the Henley-Oxford road to travel on through Watlington.  It's necessary to drive slowly through the narrow high street where we stopped at the road crossing. The traffic lights were on red and so I was able to photograph Watlington Town and Market Hall which was built using Nettlebed bricks.

I hope many of you enjoyed the long weekend which included the May Bank Holiday on Monday.