Here we go again on our coronavirus travels around our home town of Maidenhead. Today’s walk takes us on a circuit around the idyllic village of Littlewick Green. What a great name. We’ve actually never been here before, but it’s rather lovely.
As the name suggests, there’s a very lush village green, ringed with substantial houses – this is the Home Counties after all. There’s an old church, a cricket club, and a pub, The Cricketers. Closed of course right now, but might be worth a visit in happier times!
We set out from the south-east side of the green, passing Redroofs, former home of Ivor Novello. Born Ivor Davies, he is best remembered for his wartime anthem ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ and for the award established in his honour for songwriting. It started off well with Lennon and McCartney…but the Spice Girls are amongst the recipients…standards have slipped then.
His former abode is now a theatre school. I read through the list of alumni, which starts off promisingly with Kate Winslet, but next in line is Lucy Benjamin (Lisa from Eastenders) and then some bloke from Death in Paradise. A tad underwhelming I agree.
Off we saunter, accompanied by a friendly neighbourhood cat, along a lane and through farmland towards Woolley Green. It’s flat as far as the eye can see – this is the Thames Valley and hills are in short supply.
We turn left and head towards the A4. At the other side is the evocatively named Maidenhead Thicket, a wooded common owned by the National Trust with trees up to 400 years old. We plunge in, intrigued by alleged links to Robin Hood. Did he really venture this far south?
The Thicket was known to be the hideout of highwaymen from the Middle Ages right up to the 18th century. The Great West Road was a magnet for thieves due to the rich noblemen and merchants who used it. Was Robin Hood one of them? Locals seemed to think so – giving the name ‘Robin Hood’s Arbour’ to iron age earthworks they found here.
Unfortunately there is no evidence that Robin Hood ever came to Maidenhead. Just legends that tell of him right across the country from Yorkshire to Berkshire. To cover a distance of 250 miles robbing the rich to give to the poor, he would have been extremely busy! Seems it may have just been local crims who hung out here and they weren’t famous enough to lend their name to a local landmark. Why let the truth spoil a good story hey?
We hang a left at the Arbour and walk towards the lodge at the gates of Stubbings House, an 18th century mansion which now houses a garden centre in its grounds. The estate has been used as a location for filming The Professionals and the Benny Hill Show. Oh dear, it’s all rather low- brow around here isn’t it? I expected better.
To the left of the lodge we leave the woods and head out across the open fields again.We briefly join the Chiltern Way, a 125-mile-long circular route. No, we have no intention of walking that far. Lockdown hasn’t sent us totally crazy…yet.
We turn left on the outskirts of Burchetts Green, along Burchett’s Green Road, which was built by Lord Salisbury to avoid the nasty robbers in the Maidenhead Thicket as he journeyed from Hatfield to Bath. He obviously had a lot to lose! There are some beautiful houses here, along with a Michelin starred gastropub, The Crown. Sigh, another one for the future maybe.
Back across the (relatively quiet) A4 and along Jubilee Road, we are on the way back to our starting point of Littlewick Green.
One thing is puzzling us – what’s with all the teddy bears? We’ve seen several along our walk today – on walls, tucked behind signs, lounging in deck chairs. We don’t have children, so we’ve missed the memo about the international bear hunt. Thank goodness for google, reassuring us that there isn’t some strange cuddly toy sect on the outskirts of Maidenhead.
We get back into our car, parked right outside the pub, as we like to torture ourselves. Home time, but we’ll be walking again soon. Did you know it’s National Walking Month?
Steph's Travels 