 Ducking out for a weekend at The Duck Inn
by Vaughan Humphries
Situated in the lee of the Chiltern Hills, the village of Aston Clinton was established at the crossing of two Roman roads - Akeman Street and Icknield Way. During the Industrial Revolution, Aston Clinton was once again an important junction, nestled between two arms of the Grand Union Canal. In all honesty, the only crossing that I was worried about was getting from the CCTV monitored car park across the road to the hotel. Since 2003, a new dual-carriageway bypass on the A41 means that traffic that once passed through at incredible speed through the middle of the village are now diverted. That and a conveniently located speed camera mean that traffic now goes by at a slightly more sedate manner. Still, the hotel is only three minutes drive from the junction, so it remains handy to an arterial route.
The hotel from the outside is deceptively small, but once you go through the welcoming doors, the true extent of the building becomes obvious. Chris Evans would be ashamed of me – in my haste to leave I did forget my toothbrush, and my razor, and my comb… thankfully the staff members were able to supply me with complimentary toiletries.
Reception, like many Innkeeper’s Lodges, is at the bar, and when a place as popular as the Duck In is busy, you have to be patient. Fresh faced from a wind-exposed afternoon at the nearby Whipsnade Zoo, my partner and I were delighted to rest our weary feet, and collapse on the sofa in our room and have a good old-fashioned cup of tea. We stayed on the ground floor, and were treated to a huge tastefully decorated room with a classic, yet contemporary feel that had two French doors leading out to the courtyard.
The restaurant was packed to the gunwales, and rather than heading out to another nearby restaurant, we elected to wait for a selection of food from a sumptuous menu. We were informed that it would be anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes, so we were bowled over and out for a duck when the meals came out in less than half the time.
We were never so pleased to rest our heads after a packed day, so despite the main road being outside, we slept like logs on a very comfortable large double bed, resplendent in ostrich skin headboard, and crisp clean sheets.
The following morning at breakfast, we were greeted with a warm smile from the staff complimented by the warm rays of the sun coming in through the windows. The Duck In is the perfect place for couples wanting a romantic break or if you have a wedding on and want your guests to stay in agreeable surroundings. Once we checked out, we checked out another local attraction – Gravity Hill found in Dancer's End Lane, off the B4009. An optical illusion whereby a downwards slope appears upwards. Public road, so exercise caution! It is quite surreal when you put the car in neutral and coast uphill. Not that further down the road is Aston Hill, which lent its name to luxury car maker Aston Martin. A magical ending to a magical weekend.
Fancy a go yourself? Then write a review of a stay in an Innkeeper’s Lodge that you’ve enjoyed recently and post it on our facebook event page for all our fans to read.
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