Discover country walks, cosy pubs, scene-stealing sights and more great things to do in Turville and the Chiltern Hills
If the great outdoors is calling, Turville has you covered. This tiny village near Henley-on-Thames has one pub, one church and one hell of a countryside setting. Wrapped in Chiltern Hills greenery and dotted with sixteenth-century cottages, Turville’s looks have landed it a bunch of TV roles. It was the perfect rural setting for ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ and where Villanelle embarked on a murderous chase in ‘Killing Eve’. Blow the cobwebs away with a walk along the Chiltern Way, stop to take in the view from one of several cosy pubs, and you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about.
Stretch your legs with a walk up to the Cobstone Windmill, which features in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. Take the footpath between the church and the green – it’s a steep climb, but the lofty views over Turville and the Chilterns are worth it.
Swing by Turville’s half-timbered pub The Bull & Butcher. Expect proper pies, real ales and an interior that’s all open fires and original beams. The garden is the place to be on a sunny day, and four-legged friends are welcome. But Turville’s only pub gets busy, so book before you turn up.
From The Bull & Butcher, you can walk a 3.5-mile loop and tick off two more cracking pubs in neighbouring villages. Head south into Great Wood towards Skirmett, where The Frog Inn awaits. Then follow the Chiltern Way up through Adams Wood to The Chequers Inn at Fingest.
For a pin-drop-peaceful walk, head towards Turville Heath, where Lord Sainsbury’s manor is tucked away. Even the café here is car-free to keep things quiet. The Barn at Turville Heath serves drinks and snacks to walkers, cyclists and horse riders – via an honesty box on weekdays.
Unless you need a new saddle for your horse, you won’t find much in the way of retail therapy in Turville. But head south towards Henley-on-Thames and you can shop for fine wines or book a tasting experience at Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery. It’s a ten-minute drive or a glorious 50-minute walk.
Pay a visit to St Mary the Virgin Church – AKA St Barnabus in ‘The Vicar of Dibley’. Nestled in gardens dotted with wonky gravestones, it’s as quiet and peaceful outside as it is indoors – bar the odd bout of bell ringing
If you’re not quite ready to leave the green and pleasant Chiltern Hills behind, bed down in this sweet seventeenth-century farmhouse. White Pond Farm is in a tiny woodland village on the edge of the grand and historic Stonor Park estate. It’s ten minutes’ drive from Turville, but shares its IMDB credentials – the farm has appeared in ‘Midsomer Murders’ and James Bond flick ‘The Living Daylights’. Book a cute barn-conversion cottage or a wing of the main house to savour all that super-photogenic peace and quiet. From £375 for three nights.
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