Jeremy Austin makes himself at home in front of the fire at this friendly pub.

AND so the windswept car, covered in mud, its suspension still jangling from a pothole experienced a few miles back, finally came to rest outside the pub. The right pub this time. Not one on the wrong side of the common.

Anyone will tell you, if you don't know where you are going, it's very difficult to get there. We discovered how easy it is to find The Brickmakers Arms when travelling from High Wycombe after we had finished our meal and were heading home. Just head out to West Wycombe and turn left at The Dashwood Arms, Piddington. A short ride through pitch black lanes (if it's night, obviously) will bring you out at this incredibly inviting pub.

Wheelerend Common was, unfortunately, not included on my High Wycombe map, so my wife and I decided to rely on our wits to get there. We knew it was out near Lane End, head that way and follow the signs when they appeared, I thought. So that's what we did, despite my wife's assertion that we should go along West Wycombe Road and turn left. I've been married a little over two years, but that's still long enough to learn the lesson: "Always listen to the missus."

We found Wheelerend Common easily enough through my means, unfortunately we were on the wrong side of the green bit. We attempted to cross using the unmade and potholed road that runs through the middle, but gave up when we realised that the depth of the holes was not the result of an optical illusion caused by the water in them and our headlights; they really did reach down into Hell.

Back on the main road we stopped at the Chequers pub and asked directions. Back on to the main Marlow to Stockenchurch road and turn left at the Peacock, we were told. We left. Followed instructions and eventually arrived to find a sparsly peopled pub with, joy of joys, a three-piece suit nestling in front of a fireplace that was soon lit upon our arrival.

Upstairs is a restaurant, but we opted for the pub menu, which is comprehensive enough, and is backed up by a range of interesting specials. My wife's mushroom soup was rich and salty, just right, with huge pieces of mushroom in it. It was served with a crusty roll thick enough to feed a nation. Smaller republics could have had a piece of my deep fried brie. They, too, were great hunks of cheese served with cranberry sauce.

If this served to help us forget our journey, then the friendly greeting we received from the locals and the extra guest of the pub dog at our dining table made the voyage seem as distant as the pub had when we set off earlier that evening. I must apologise to the dog. When it wandered over, it didn't see me enveloped by my armchair and was most surprised to find an arm shoot out and start patting it.

It was also eyeing my wife's shredded duck pancake -- a real pancake, not the tortilla-style things you get in Peking restaurants. It came with chips and, although not outstanding, was fine enough to fill a gap.

My mushroom stroganoff served with rice and salad was very nice; standard pub fare as was the treacle pudding. But this review is about the whole experience. The Brickmakers Arms would be a wonderful place to retire after a cold, hard day tramping around the Chiltern countryside. If you kicked off your walking/ riding/ wellington boots and settled in front of the fire with a bowl of soup or plate of stroganoff you would soon warm up. Not just from the food and fire, but from the friendly atmosphere that welcomed you.

Just find it on a map before you set off.

Mushroom soup: £2.20

Deep fried brie: £2.95

Shredded duck pancake: £6.25

Mushroom stroganoff: £4.75

Treacle sponge: £2.50

Drinks:£3.68

Total: £22.33

Quality of food: Fine, no complaints, but not extraordinary. A good range in the bar.

Quantity of food: Good portions. We could only manage a pudding to share.

Staff: Very friendly, welcoming and attentive.

Would you recommend it? Rambling types will find a home from home.

Snug factor: Lying inside, in a warm bed, while the rain beats on your window.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.