From Bucklebury to Stanford Dingley

The sleepy village of Bucklebury first hit world popular press headlines in November 2010 as the family home of Catherine Elizabeth 'Kate' Middleton, Prince William’s bride-to-be. And in July 2013 it was back to the family home in Bucklebury that the Duchess of Cambridge, as she had now become, brought her newborn son George. It was reported that the royal couple were desperate to swap the attention of London and the formality of their royal home, Kensington Palace, for somewhere they felt welcome and more at home. Whether they will still be allowed by the world’s press (or their own security staff) to do the 'normal' things they used to do, such as enjoy a quiet drink at The Old Boot Inn at Stanford Dingley, is quite a different matter.

Fit for a princess

A 'commoner' Kate may be, but she will hardly want for much whenever she chooses to return to the country village where she grew up. The family house, Bucklebury Manor, is a Grade II Georgian home, set in 18-acres (7.5ha) with tennis court, swimming pool and library. The village is not reticent about its meteoric rise to fame and was quick to point out that not one but two future kings were staying with them (even if only for a short while). One enterprising local shop, having previously sold commemorative Kate and William wedding mugs, produced a special edition to celebrate the birth of Prince George, and promptly sold its initial batch of 500. Not to be outdone, Bucklebury Parish Council commissioned a limited edition 'Hooray for George' mug.

On a more monumental scale, a set of grand gate posts to commemorate the marriage of Kate and William have also been installed in the village. Causing some controversy amongst the locals at the time, Bucklebury will never quite be the same – nor, probably, would it want to be.

Cross the road from the car park to the church. Make your way to the side door and leave the churchyard to the left-hand side of the lovely timber-framed cottage. Turn left and continue on the road for a while. Eventually, on the right-hand side of the road you come to a fine old red-brick building which used to be the school house (unsigned). Opposite here, take the right of way on the left. Follow a grassy track, and three-quarters of the way across a field, reach the corner of a ditch and a waymarker. Turn left and head for a footbridge and stile. Continue ahead in the next field and make for a bridge, crossing it.

Turn right to follow the River Pang to Stanford Dingley. Keep straight ahead on a grassy waterside path, eventually reaching two stiles, a gate and a track. Bear right here for 80yds (73m) to the next gateway, swinging left immediately before it. Keep left as the path forks, making for a kissing gate among the trees in the far corner. Cross a footbridge and go through a wood to the next kissing gate, and then follow the path across the pasture, keeping Stanford Dingley Church in view. Make for a stile at the road and turn right to make the short detour to the Bull.

Retrace your steps, go past the church and head away from the village to a staggered junction. Take the first left turning, following the road back to Bucklebury for a short distance. (Make sure that you do not continue straight ahead at this point as the Bucklebury signposting is ambiguous.)

As the road begins to curve left, look for a path and stile on the right and enter the field. Follow the boundary to a stile and walk ahead across the next field, aiming to the right of Pangfield Farm. As you draw level with the outbuildings, take the path on the right. Join the right of way further along and follow it between trees and then through the woodland. Keep ahead to the next waymarked junction.

Turn left here and continue deep into High Copse Woods. As you continue, piles of logs can often be seen lining the route, waiting to be transported to sawmills. After 650yds (594m) take the waymarked path left downhill for a similar distance until you get to a pretty timber-framed house. Join the drive and walk for another 600yds (549m) down to the road. Turn right, then take the next left turn back towards Bucklebury. Cross the River Pang over a small humpback bridge and go straight ahead. Go through a kissing gate, across the field and exit via another kissing gate to return to the church and the car park.