On my recent visit to the Olde Bell in Hurley I noticed some information above a wooden panel next to the fireplace. I was intrigued by it and took a closer look. The photo and words informed that a passage runs from the cellar of the Olde Bell to the Village Priory and the passage was accessed by concealed panelling next to the inglenook fireplace.

The Olde Bell first opened its doors in 1135 AD as a guesthouse for visitors to the nearby Benedictine Priory. For hundreds of years, the ringing of the Sanctus Bell signalled to the monks that an important visitor had arrived in the village and was on his way to call at their monastic retreat beside the River Thames. The Sanctus Bell still hangs over the door of The Olde Bell, a sign of welcome and refreshment to travellers.

There is a secret passage running from the cellar of The Olde Bell to the Priory in the village. The secret passage was used by Lord Lovelace of Hurley who was a plotter of the ‘Glorious Revolution’ in 1688 which drove the Catholic James II into exile and placed his son-in-law William of Orange jointly with his wife, James’s daughter Mary, on the throne.

When I woke up the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Mr C started his morning ritual of making a cup of tea only to find that the drinks tray had not been restocked!  When we entered the dining room I chose a table that was next to French doors that opened out onto the terrace so we could enjoy the sunshine over breakfast.

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel, put our luggage in the car and took a short stroll down the high street to find the remains of the old Priory building which now functions as Hurley Parish Church. The inside of the church is delightful and within it is housed what is thought to be one of the oldest wooden crosses in England, dated at around 1040.

We then returned to the car and drove to Henley-on-Thames where we took a stroll around the town and along the river. As we approached the bridge over the Thames we noticed a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang style car that was driving over the bridge. It was making alarming noises and limped its way off the bridge before breaking down.

We then looked at options of where next to visit that would also serve lunch. Mr C opted for Stonor which was nearby although we nearly changed our minds when we got there. There was a large craft fair taking place and the place was heaving with cars and people. After a brief talk with the car park attendant we were advised that if we only wanted to go to the house and gardens we needed to go a different way.

When we got to the house there was hardly anyone there. Initially we only bought tickets for the gardens because we didn’t know if there would be time for the house. The formal garden was enjoyable and we found that we still had time to go inside the house so we upgraded our tickets.

The lady who was checking tickets on entry to the house persuaded Mr C that he should purchase a small pamphlet about the contents that are on display. I am so glad she did, it is full of fascinating information. Unfortunately they had run out of guide books so I had to come away without one.

The house and contents are fascinating. The house has been home to the Stonor family for over 850 years and is linked with the travails of the Catholics following the reformation by Henry VIII. The roof space at Stoner was used by Edmund Campion to print the ‘Ten Reasons’ pamphlet in the 1580s. The library houses an important collection of Recusant books that were either printed abroad and imported illegally or illegally printed in England.

On display is an original copy of the ‘Ten Reasons’. Next to the house is the private Chapel of the Blessed Trinity, the interior of which is quite stunning.

All too soon it was time to set off on our homeward journey. The traffic was free flowing unlike our outward journey and when we got home the weather was still being kind to us so we were able to dine on the patio. I have to say that as a culinary experience, it was meal of the weekend.

Our room was a little warm overnight due to the lovely weather. The breakfast spread was excellent, having both cooked and continental style options, although unfortunately the plates were cold.

When we were comfortably replete we drove to The Savill Garden which is situated in Windsor Great Park. Whilst we were travelling Mr C’s phone started to ring again, luckily, for some unaccountable reason (divine intervention?), the fully charged phone had completely drained its battery leaving us to enjoy the gardens in peace. The summer garden beds were particularly spectacular and we enjoyed walking through the woodlands in the wider garden. Before we left for our next destination we had lunch and browsed the extensive gift shop.

We had planned to visit Dorney Court next but realised that it wouldn’t be open when we arrived so we took a slight detour to see the Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede. We made the short walk to the memorial which was erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This area is another plane spotter’s paradise and, as we made our way back to the car park we observed many planes coming into land at Heathrow at approximately one minute intervals.

The hot weather prompted us to purchase a Mr Whippy ice cream before making our way to Dorney Court.

Dorney Court has a fascinating history having been in continuous ownership of the same family since 1537. The house visit is by guided tour and our guide shared many interesting bits of information including pointing out the 17th century priest hole which is rumoured to connect to a secret tunnel running to Burnham Abbey which is about a mile away.

After we had been in one of the rooms for a few minutes our guide mentioned that it was the room where the ghost had appeared. The story goes that whilst a young single man is sleeping in bed a lady dressed in grey appears and points to the corner of the room. Later in the place indicated by the ghost, a skull and other skeletal remains were found behind the wall.

After relating the tale the guide looked at me and said ‘in fact the ghost appeared exactly where you are standing and I see the colours you are dressed in’ (mauve/greys). Thankfully the room (for me) didn’t have an odd or creepy feel to it.

Before joining our guided tour we visited the charming parish Church of St James the Less which is situated just behind the house. The church has lots of interesting features and I would have liked to go back after the tour but unfortunately a wedding was taking place on the lawn blocking access to the church.

That evening we dined in the hotel restaurant which turned out to be a mistake.  The bread plates (but not the bread) were partially removed before our main courses arrived. The meal was disappointing and it was served on cold plates leading to our meal going cold very quickly. After we had finished the plates were removed and then, a little while later the bread was removed from the table. Dessert menus were not offered so after a while Mr C attracted someone’s attention and we were provided with menus but nobody came to take our order.

By this time we had given up on the idea and Mr C went to track someone down and request the bill. When he found someone he said ‘Could I have the bill for the table you have forgotten over there?’ Almost immediately the head waiter came over with the bill, apologising profusely, and advised that he had removed the cost of the meals from the bill and that we would only have to pay for the wine.

The saga of poor service continued in the bar area where the young bar tender was rather rude with an ‘I couldn’t care less’ attitude (Manuel who had served us the previous evening was serving in the restaurant). When mum asked if she could have a coffee he rather abruptly said no and when the next drink she wanted was not available either, no apologies just a curt response.

Chaos and mayhem continued as the bartender shared his this attitude with other customers and members of staff. For one group of customers the right type of glasses could not be found and drinks were not available until a little later they were miraculously unearthed in the cellar. Whilst all this was going on mum advised us that room service had removed her flannel from her room that morning. All very ‘Fawlty Towers’!

By the end of the evening I was trying very hard not to laugh out loud