Colourful Wargrave

The riverside village of Wargrave is usually quiet during the week, but often busy with visitors and boating enthusiasts at the weekends, particularly in the summer. It is sometimes mistakenly believed that the village has a connection with military cemeteries. That couldn't be further from the truth - its name actually means 'grove by the weirs'.

The village is distinctly Edwardian in appearance but its origins date back many centuries. When Edith, the wife of Edward the Confessor, held the manor in the 11th century, it was known as Weregrave. The church among the trees dates from the First World War, replacing an earlier building that, except for the Norman tower, was destroyed by fire on Whit Sunday, 1914. It is believed that the fire was the work of a militant wing of the Suffragettes - angry because the vicar would not withdraw the word 'obey' from the marriage service. However, this claim was never proved. Madame Tussaud's daughter-in-law is buried in the churchyard.

Thomas Day, the 18th-century idealist, was a resident of Wargrave. He wrote Sandford and Merton (1783-9), the story of two boys - one rich, the other poor. Day was an eccentric character but a genial man, nonetheless. He supported the abolition of slavery and the protection of animals from cruelty. He believed, too, that animals responded to kindness and gentleness. However, this proved to be his undoing. One day in 1789, in an attempt to demonstrate his conviction, he mounted an unbroken horse and was subsequently thrown off and killed.

Wargrave seems to have produced more than its fair share of colourful characters over the centuries. One of them was Zachary Allnutt who lived for more than 100 years at Lavender Cottage on the Henley road. Allnutt was a well-known local lavender grower in the 19th century. He had 40 acres (16ha) of it and the air around Wargrave at that time must have been very fragrant.

Another eccentric local figure was the 18th-century Irish peer, the Earl of Barrymore. He built a theatre close to his Wargrave home and engaged the services of a famous Covent Garden clown known as Delphini. The opening night in 1791 was a sensation, with the cream of theatrical society in attendance. The Earl died suddenly in 1793, and by that time he had frittered away over £¼ million on the theatre, as well as various other sporting pleasures. There is a final, rather sordid, footnote to this story. The Earl was buried at Wargrave church on a Sunday so as to prevent his creditors seizing his body and holding it until his debts had been settled!

What to look for

The pretty hamlet of Crazies Hill lies on the upper slopes of the valley. There is a rather charming story behind its name. Apparently, buttercups were once commonplace in this area and 'crazies' is a rustic country name for buttercups. Look out for the entrance to Thistle House. In the 1960s this was the home of David Greig, a butcher who began a supermarket chain. His emblem was the thistle and the house was used as a training college for a while.

While you're there

As you approach Crazies Hill look across the fields towards nearby Cockpole Green. It is believed there was once a cockpit here where cock fighting took place. Along the road to Remenham Hill, at Upper Culham Farm, was a RAF airfield. During the Second World War the residents of this area would have become used to the sound of droning aircraft overhead.

Where to eat and drink

There are several pubs in Wargrave - among them the Bull, the Greyhound and the White Hart. Alternatively, if you want to stop midway round the walk, try the Horns at Crazies Hill. This popular timber-framed pub has a range of filled baguettes and daily-changing menus.