Petersfield, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Petersfield is a market town
and civil parish in the East Hampshire
district of Hampshire
, England
. It is 17 miles (27.4 km) north of Portsmouth
, on the A3 road
. The town has its own railway station
on the Portsmouth Direct Line
, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth
and London
. The town is situated on the northern slopes of the South Downs
. Petersfield lies wholly within the South Downs National Park
. The town is on the crossroads of well-used north–south (today the A3 road) and east–west routes (today the A272 road) and it grew as a coach stop on the Portsmouth
to London
route. Petersfield is twinned with Barentin
in France
, and Warendorf
in Germany
.
, later chartered by his widow, Hawise de Beaumont, and confirmed by charter in 1198 from "John, Count of Mortain" (later to be King John
). In 1415 King Henry V granted the burgesses of Petersfield freedom from toll, stallage, picage, pannage, murage, and pontage throughout the realm of England. All charters are preserved in the archive files at Petersfield Town Council.
The town grew in prosperity due to its position on frequently travelled routes, local sheep farming, and cottage level manufacturing industry of leather and cloth. The town had weekly markets in the town square for sheep, horse and cattle trading, and 2 annual fairs, in June (on the feast of St Peter and St Paul) and November (on the feast of St Andrew). An autumn fair which began in the early 19th century was held in October on The Heath, called "The Taro Fair".
Farmers' markets are still held on the 1st Sunday of every month in the town square.
, based in her old studio, displays the Bedales Historic costume collection, which consists of over 1,000 pieces dating from 1720. The gallery exhibits a small part of this collection, which is changed annually, along with examples of art by Flora Twort. Petersfield Museum
exhibits social-history collections made up from maps, photographs, archives, oral history and artefacts related to the history of the town and is situated in the town's old courthouse. Exhibitions are sometimes also held at the Festival Hall, St Peter's Church, and the Physic Garden.
Petersfield was once home to the world's first Teddy Bear Museum, which opened in 1984. It closed at the end of 2006, and is now a private house.
holds regular markets throughout the week, and there are also monthly Farmers' market
s. Stallholders and farmers from Petersfield's French
twin town Barentin visit Petersfield and hold a French market.
The town's market square has a statue
of King William III (of Orange)
by Henry Cheere. The king is depicted sitting astride his horse, and the statue is raised up on an engraved plinth. This is one of only four statues of William in the United Kingdom
outside Northern Ireland
(the others being Brixham http://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/brixham.html, Hull and Bristol) and, as such, attracts bands of marching Orangemen
in mid-July to commemorate William's victory at the Battle of the Boyne
.
church in the town centre, The Square. Other churches include the Methodist church - Station Road; the Catholic church, St Laurence's - Station Road; the United Reformed Church
- College Street; the Evangelical
fellowship which meets at the Herne Farm Leisure Centre on the eponymous estate; the Religious Society of Friends
- Voluntary Centre, the High Street; the Salvation Army
- Swan Street; Life Church Petersfield, formerly Petersfield Christian Fellowship, currently meets at The Petersfield School
.
In a Catherine Tate
Show episode featuring a drunk bride, the camera zooms out from an invitation referring to St Mark's Chapel, Petersfield: a completely fictional institution.
Petersfield Youth Theatre was formed in 1990 and performs annually at the Festival Hall as well as delivering projects throughout the year.
Petersfield offers a range of public houses and bars to suit all tastes. There are 14 pubs in all, from historic coach stops to modern bars and coffee houses.
Petersfield had one nightclub
, Vertigo (originally known as Oscars when it first opened in the early 1990s). This was housed in the old Savoy cinema, a 1930s building used as a cinema until its closure in 1985. In May 2007, Vertigo nightclub was closed for good and sold to a developer to make way for a restaurant/bar with 14 flats above. The Savoy building was demolished in 2008, the replacment development has yet to be completed, as of November 2011.
The King's Arms
is the local youth club situated near the town centre.
and rugby player Tim Rodber
.
There are various sports venues, such as the Taro Centre, a leisure centre containing swimming pools, squash courts, a gymnasium and other facilities. The town also has tennis courts (both public and members only), an open-air pool, and many playing fields and local golf courses.
Petersfield Town F.C.
is the town's football club and plays in the Wessex League
.
District Council offices are in Petersfield.
Petersfield is part of the parliamentary
constituency of East Hampshire
. Its Member of Parliament
is Damian Hinds
, a member of the Conservative Party
. He took over from Michael Mates
who stood down at the 2010 general election.
The County Councillors are Samantha Payne and Michael Cartwright.
EHDC has supported the formation of the South Downs National Park
, which includes Petersfield.
, France
and Warendorf
, Germany
.
Petersfield is located on the mainline rail link (the Portsmouth Direct Line
) between Portsmouth and London. It is served by Petersfield railway station
. Additionally, there was at one time a branch to Midhurst, which closed in 1955. The main station buildings date back to the opening of the line in 1859 and are of a "town" type.
The main road (the A3
) link between Portsmouth and London used to pass through Petersfield, before the bypass was built round the western side of the town. Another major road, the A272
, now also by-passes the town via the A3 and a link road to Sheet
on its route between Winchester, Hampshire's county town
, and Heathfield, East Sussex
.
, usually referred to as 'TPS'. Primary schools in the area include Petersfield Infant School, Sheet Primary School and Herne Junior School. There are also a number of schools in the surrounding areas of Petersfield, which feed into the Petersfield secondary schools. These schools include Langrish Primary school, East Meon Primary School, West Meon Primary School, Steep Primary School and Buriton Primary School.
Petersfield is notable for lacking a state-sector Sixth-form of any description, pupils normally continuing their education at one of 3 local colleges, Havant College
, Alton College
or South Downs College
.
. Churcher's College
is located in Petersfield, and counts Tim Rodber
and Tiny Rowland
amongst its former pupils. Ditcham Park School
is situated just outside the town, and Bedales School
is located in the neighbouring village of Steep
. Former Bedales pupils include the Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis
, actress Minnie Driver
and pop singer Lily Allen
.
Formerly, Morton House School
was located in the town centre. In 1993 it was bought by Churcher's College to become Churcher's College Junior School, however, the school's success meant it soon outgrew these premises and has since relocated to Liphook
. The old Morton House school site has been converted to housing.
and ITV1 London are the local ITV
television franchises. Meridian is received from the Midhurst transmitter, whilst London is received from the Crystal Palace transmitter & the Guildford relay transmitter.
Petersfield has three weekly newspapers,The Petersfield Messenger, Petersfield Post
and Petersfield Herald
. There is a popular monthly community magazine, Life in Petersfield. Delta Radio was the local radio station and had been transmitting to Petersfield since 2003 after many years of campaigning. Delta Radio was closed in 2010 and its service merged with Kestrel FM who now broadcast to the area.
, on the Lower Greensand at the northern edge of the South Downs
.
The town lies at the western end of the Greensand Ridge
, a sandstone ridge running through Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.
The town is surrounded on all sides by farmed countryside, with the South Downs south of the town, the Hampshire Downs to the west, and forested hills (Durford Wood) to the north east.
Close to the town and situated on the South Downs is Queen Elizabeth Country Park
, which incorporates Butser Hill
(270 metres), and has a wide variety of scenery from chalk hills to pine forest. The Hangers Way
footpath runs from the country park, through Petersfield and on to Alton
.
On the south east side of the town is Petersfield Heath, 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of heathland
including woodland, grassland, a pond, and a picnic and recreation area suitable for children. Petersfield Heath is registered as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (a SINC). It also contains 21 Bronze Age
barrows which together provide the site with Scheduled Ancient Monument status.
Heathland is very rare throughout Europe and the Petersfield Heath is a typical heathland mosaic of many micro habitats. Across the site are sandy heath and acid heath areas, grassland and scrub which gives the area many diverse zones for insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals.
As a prime location for habitation the heath (and Petersfield area in general) has always been occupied with frequent finds of flint axe and tool remnants from the Mesolithic period (up to 10,000 years ago). The burial mounds may be up to 4,000 years old, their distribution is mainly to the east and south east of the heath. These are considered to be one of the most important lowland barrow groups in this country. The barrows indicate that the area of the Heath was occupied by people who may have come to regard this area as sacred to their religion. As yet no trace has been confirmed for the dwellings of these people as the structures would have been wooden.
Petersfield Heath is one end and starting point of "The Serpent Trail
", a 65 miles (104.6 km) walk though heath and downland of Hampshire and West Sussex
to Haslemere
.
The temperature range is similar to most of southern England.
The wind direction is prevailing south westerly although local variations are frequent due to the hills.
Being situated in a dip, with the South Downs to the south and The Hangers to the north, the weather in Petersfield can be quite different from the weather across the South Downs on the coast. In particular, there tends to be more fog
than on the south (coastal) side of the South Downs hills.
Makes bat and ball
Pitch a wicket, play at cricket
With any man in England.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the East Hampshire
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
district of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 17 miles (27.4 km) north of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, on the A3 road
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
. The town has its own railway station
Petersfield railway station
Petersfield railway station is a railway station serving the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
on the Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The town is situated on the northern slopes of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. Petersfield lies wholly within the South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
. The town is on the crossroads of well-used north–south (today the A3 road) and east–west routes (today the A272 road) and it grew as a coach stop on the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
route. Petersfield is twinned with Barentin
Barentin
Barentin is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A town of light industry and farming situated by the banks of the Austreberthe River in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D6015, D143 and the D104 roads...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Warendorf
Warendorf
Warendorf is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of Warendorf District.The town is best known today for its well-preserved medieval town centre, for horse-riding, and the opportunities it provides for cycling...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
The town was founded during the 12th century by William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of GloucesterWilliam Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester
William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester was the son and heir of Sir Robert de Caen, 1st Earl of Gloucester, and Mabel FitzHamon of Gloucester, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon.- Lineage :...
, later chartered by his widow, Hawise de Beaumont, and confirmed by charter in 1198 from "John, Count of Mortain" (later to be King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
). In 1415 King Henry V granted the burgesses of Petersfield freedom from toll, stallage, picage, pannage, murage, and pontage throughout the realm of England. All charters are preserved in the archive files at Petersfield Town Council.
The town grew in prosperity due to its position on frequently travelled routes, local sheep farming, and cottage level manufacturing industry of leather and cloth. The town had weekly markets in the town square for sheep, horse and cattle trading, and 2 annual fairs, in June (on the feast of St Peter and St Paul) and November (on the feast of St Andrew). An autumn fair which began in the early 19th century was held in October on The Heath, called "The Taro Fair".
Fairs and markets
On 6 October every year the Taro Fair is held on Petersfield Heath, a reminder of cattle fairs that were held annually until the 1950s. It is now a fun fair. ("Tarw" was the Welsh language shout by the herders for "Bull" and is where the word "Taro" was derived).Farmers' markets are still held on the 1st Sunday of every month in the town square.
Museums
Petersfield has two museums, both run by the Petersfield Museum Trust. The Flora Twort GalleryFlora Twort Gallery
The Flora Twort Gallery is an art gallery in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, dedicated to the work of Flora Twort.The gallery is located beside St. Peter's Church, just off the town's market square....
, based in her old studio, displays the Bedales Historic costume collection, which consists of over 1,000 pieces dating from 1720. The gallery exhibits a small part of this collection, which is changed annually, along with examples of art by Flora Twort. Petersfield Museum
Petersfield Museum
Petersfield Museum is a local museum in the small town of Petersfield in the English county of Hampshire.The Museum is situated in the Old Magistrates Courthouse, Petersfield, Hampshire. It is located halfway down the alleyway between St Peter's Road and Hylton Road. The Museum was formed by a...
exhibits social-history collections made up from maps, photographs, archives, oral history and artefacts related to the history of the town and is situated in the town's old courthouse. Exhibitions are sometimes also held at the Festival Hall, St Peter's Church, and the Physic Garden.
Petersfield was once home to the world's first Teddy Bear Museum, which opened in 1984. It closed at the end of 2006, and is now a private house.
Markets
Petersfield's market squareMarket square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
holds regular markets throughout the week, and there are also monthly Farmers' market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
s. Stallholders and farmers from Petersfield's French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
twin town Barentin visit Petersfield and hold a French market.
The town's market square has a statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of King William III (of Orange)
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
by Henry Cheere. The king is depicted sitting astride his horse, and the statue is raised up on an engraved plinth. This is one of only four statues of William in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
outside Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(the others being Brixham http://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/brixham.html, Hull and Bristol) and, as such, attracts bands of marching Orangemen
Orangemen
Orangemen can refer:*Historically, to supporters of King William III of Orange.*To members of the modern Orange Institution - a Protestant fraternal organisation.*To the former name of male sports teams of Syracuse University, now called the Orange....
in mid-July to commemorate William's victory at the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
.
Churches
The town is named after the Anglican parish church, St Peter's, a NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church in the town centre, The Square. Other churches include the Methodist church - Station Road; the Catholic church, St Laurence's - Station Road; the United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
- College Street; the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
fellowship which meets at the Herne Farm Leisure Centre on the eponymous estate; the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
- Voluntary Centre, the High Street; the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
- Swan Street; Life Church Petersfield, formerly Petersfield Christian Fellowship, currently meets at The Petersfield School
The Petersfield School
The Petersfield School is located in Petersfield, Hampshire, in southern England. The school opened on 20 June 1958 and remains the only state secondary school in Petersfield. It received Arts College status in September 2004, and became an academy in July 2011...
.
In a Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
Show episode featuring a drunk bride, the camera zooms out from an invitation referring to St Mark's Chapel, Petersfield: a completely fictional institution.
Gardens
In the High Street is the Physic Garden, which is a recreation of a 17th-century herb garden. It is open to the public nearly every day of the year.Theatre
Petersfield's Festival Hall shows many plays and concerts during the year.Petersfield Youth Theatre was formed in 1990 and performs annually at the Festival Hall as well as delivering projects throughout the year.
Pubs and bars
Petersfield had one nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Vertigo (originally known as Oscars when it first opened in the early 1990s). This was housed in the old Savoy cinema, a 1930s building used as a cinema until its closure in 1985. In May 2007, Vertigo nightclub was closed for good and sold to a developer to make way for a restaurant/bar with 14 flats above. The Savoy building was demolished in 2008, the replacment development has yet to be completed, as of November 2011.
The King's Arms
The King's Arms
The King's Arms is a youth project run by Hannah Turner located in Petersfield, Hampshire, England.It is a project set up with funding provided by Petersfield Area Churches Together to provide a safe and friendly venue for the young people of the town to go, during weekday evenings...
is the local youth club situated near the town centre.
Sport
Petersfield has a number of clubs and teams for most sports. Several players have gone on to lead successful professional sporting careers, such as footballer Maik TaylorMaik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
and rugby player Tim Rodber
Tim Rodber
Timothy Andrew Keith Rodber formerly a rugby union footballer who played at Number eight, flanker or lock for Northampton Saints, England, and the British and Irish Lions...
.
There are various sports venues, such as the Taro Centre, a leisure centre containing swimming pools, squash courts, a gymnasium and other facilities. The town also has tennis courts (both public and members only), an open-air pool, and many playing fields and local golf courses.
Petersfield Town F.C.
Petersfield Town F.C.
Petersfield Town F.C. are an English football club based in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of Wessex League Division One. They play at the Love Lane Stadium....
is the town's football club and plays in the Wessex League
Wessex League
The Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system...
.
Government
The East HampshireEast Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
District Council offices are in Petersfield.
Petersfield is part of the parliamentary
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
constituency of East Hampshire
East Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Hampshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. Its Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Damian Hinds
Damian Hinds
Damian Patrick George Hinds is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for the East Hampshire constituency.-Education:Hinds was educated at St...
, a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He took over from Michael Mates
Michael Mates
Michael John Mates is a Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of East Hampshire from 1974 to 2010.He has been a member of the Privy Council since February 2004.-Education:...
who stood down at the 2010 general election.
The County Councillors are Samantha Payne and Michael Cartwright.
EHDC has supported the formation of the South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
, which includes Petersfield.
Twinning
Petersfield is twinned with BarentinBarentin
Barentin is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A town of light industry and farming situated by the banks of the Austreberthe River in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D6015, D143 and the D104 roads...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and WarendorfWarendorf
Warendorf is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of Warendorf District.The town is best known today for its well-preserved medieval town centre, for horse-riding, and the opportunities it provides for cycling...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.Transport
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
) between Portsmouth and London. It is served by Petersfield railway station
Petersfield railway station
Petersfield railway station is a railway station serving the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
. Additionally, there was at one time a branch to Midhurst, which closed in 1955. The main station buildings date back to the opening of the line in 1859 and are of a "town" type.
The main road (the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
) link between Portsmouth and London used to pass through Petersfield, before the bypass was built round the western side of the town. Another major road, the A272
A272 road
The A272 is a road in South-East England. It follows an approximate East-West route from near Heathfield, East Sussex to the city of Winchester, Hampshire. It has achieved somewhat unlikely fame in recent years by being the subject of a book by the Dutch author, Pieter Boogaart...
, now also by-passes the town via the A3 and a link road to Sheet
Sheet, Hampshire
Sheet is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is northeast of Petersfield, just off the A3 road.The nearest railway station is Petersfield, southwest of the village. The parish church of St Mary Magdalen is located in the village....
on its route between Winchester, Hampshire's county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
, and Heathfield, East Sussex
Heathfield, East Sussex
Heathfield is a small market town, and the principal settlement in the civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England.-Location:...
.
State schools
The local state secondary school is The Petersfield SchoolThe Petersfield School
The Petersfield School is located in Petersfield, Hampshire, in southern England. The school opened on 20 June 1958 and remains the only state secondary school in Petersfield. It received Arts College status in September 2004, and became an academy in July 2011...
, usually referred to as 'TPS'. Primary schools in the area include Petersfield Infant School, Sheet Primary School and Herne Junior School. There are also a number of schools in the surrounding areas of Petersfield, which feed into the Petersfield secondary schools. These schools include Langrish Primary school, East Meon Primary School, West Meon Primary School, Steep Primary School and Buriton Primary School.
Petersfield is notable for lacking a state-sector Sixth-form of any description, pupils normally continuing their education at one of 3 local colleges, Havant College
Havant College
Havant College is a sixth form college situated in Havant, Hampshire. In 2006 its A/AS-level performance was above both the county and the national average. In March 2010 Havant College announced a reduction in the number of A levels offered to students due to a cash shortage and lack of student...
, Alton College
Alton College
Alton College is a sixth form college located in Alton, Hampshire, England. As well as being a sixth form, the college provides an adult education service to the local population as well as catering for students with disabilities from nearby Treloar College...
or South Downs College
South Downs College
South Downs College is a further education college located in Waterlooville, to the north of Portsmouth, England.The College occupies a single site, purpose-built campus on Portsdown Hill, within the Borough of Havant....
.
Private schools
The town and the surrounding villages are home to several public schoolsPublic School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
. Churcher's College
Churcher's College
Churcher's College is an English co-educational independent, fee-paying school which is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The senior school is located in the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire with the junior school in nearby Liphook...
is located in Petersfield, and counts Tim Rodber
Tim Rodber
Timothy Andrew Keith Rodber formerly a rugby union footballer who played at Number eight, flanker or lock for Northampton Saints, England, and the British and Irish Lions...
and Tiny Rowland
Tiny Rowland
Roland "Tiny" Rowland was a British businessman and chairman of the Lonrho conglomerate from 1962 to 1994...
amongst its former pupils. Ditcham Park School
Ditcham Park School
Ditcham Park School is an English co-educational, selective, independent school set in the secluded countryside of Hampshire, overlooking the South Downs. It has very large formal grounds, including sports fields, which adjoin several farms and forests; the main section of the school is a Victorian...
is situated just outside the town, and Bedales School
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
is located in the neighbouring village of Steep
Steep
Steep is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Petersfield, just off the A3 road.The nearest railway station is Petersfield, south of the village....
. Former Bedales pupils include the Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
, actress Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...
and pop singer Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
.
Formerly, Morton House School
Morton House School
Morton House School was a British Public School, that is an independent fee-paying school, situated in the town of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. In 1993 it was taken over by Churcher's College and became the college's junior school. However, following its notable success, the new school soon...
was located in the town centre. In 1993 it was bought by Churcher's College to become Churcher's College Junior School, however, the school's success meant it soon outgrew these premises and has since relocated to Liphook
Liphook
Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.1 miles west of Haslemere, on the A3 road, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.Liphook has its own railway station, on the Portsmouth Direct Line....
. The old Morton House school site has been converted to housing.
Local media
ITV1 MeridianMeridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
and ITV1 London are the local ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
television franchises. Meridian is received from the Midhurst transmitter, whilst London is received from the Crystal Palace transmitter & the Guildford relay transmitter.
Petersfield has three weekly newspapers,The Petersfield Messenger, Petersfield Post
Petersfield Post
The Petersfield Post is a paid-for local tabloid newspaper based in Petersfield, Hampshire. It is owned and published by the Johnston Press, publishers of the Portsmouth News, every Wednesday....
and Petersfield Herald
Petersfield Herald
The Petersfield Herald is a broadsheet newspaper based in Petersfield, Hampshire, and published every Friday. It is one of a series of Herald titles, including the Alton Herald and Bordon Herald....
. There is a popular monthly community magazine, Life in Petersfield. Delta Radio was the local radio station and had been transmitting to Petersfield since 2003 after many years of campaigning. Delta Radio was closed in 2010 and its service merged with Kestrel FM who now broadcast to the area.
Commerce, business, industry
Main employment is in shops and offices in the town centre and farms in nearby villages, while there are many commuters to London and Portsmouth. Light industry tends to be concentrated in the Bedford Road estate on the west side of Petersfield, which is still expanding each year. Whitman Laboratories (part of Estee' Lauder) is based near town. In 2007, the Norwegian-owned oil-supply giant Aibel Ltd added an engineering office in addition to their UK head office in Petersfield.Geography
Petersfield is situated in the valley of the Western RotherRiver Rother (Western)
The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....
, on the Lower Greensand at the northern edge of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
.
The town lies at the western end of the Greensand Ridge
Greensand Ridge
The Greensand Ridge is an extensive, prominent, often heavily wooded, sandstone escarpment and range of hills in south-east England. It runs in a horseshoe shape around the Weald of Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It reaches its highest elevation, , at Leith Hill in Surrey—the second highest point...
, a sandstone ridge running through Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.
The town is surrounded on all sides by farmed countryside, with the South Downs south of the town, the Hampshire Downs to the west, and forested hills (Durford Wood) to the north east.
Close to the town and situated on the South Downs is Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Queen Elizabeth Country Park is a large country park situated on the South Downs in southern England. It is located on the A3 road three miles south of Petersfield, Hampshire....
, which incorporates Butser Hill
Butser Hill
Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only high, it qualifies as one of England's...
(270 metres), and has a wide variety of scenery from chalk hills to pine forest. The Hangers Way
Hangers Way
Hangers Way is a 21 mile long-distance footpath through Hampshire, England from Alton railway station to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.The name Hanger comes from the Old English word hangra, meaning a steeply wooded slope....
footpath runs from the country park, through Petersfield and on to Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
.
On the south east side of the town is Petersfield Heath, 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
including woodland, grassland, a pond, and a picnic and recreation area suitable for children. Petersfield Heath is registered as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (a SINC). It also contains 21 Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
barrows which together provide the site with Scheduled Ancient Monument status.
Heathland is very rare throughout Europe and the Petersfield Heath is a typical heathland mosaic of many micro habitats. Across the site are sandy heath and acid heath areas, grassland and scrub which gives the area many diverse zones for insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals.
As a prime location for habitation the heath (and Petersfield area in general) has always been occupied with frequent finds of flint axe and tool remnants from the Mesolithic period (up to 10,000 years ago). The burial mounds may be up to 4,000 years old, their distribution is mainly to the east and south east of the heath. These are considered to be one of the most important lowland barrow groups in this country. The barrows indicate that the area of the Heath was occupied by people who may have come to regard this area as sacred to their religion. As yet no trace has been confirmed for the dwellings of these people as the structures would have been wooden.
Petersfield Heath is one end and starting point of "The Serpent Trail
The Serpent Trail
The Serpent Trail is a 64 mile long distance footpath. It runs from Haslemere to Petersfield by a circuitous route and is designed to join up the many heathland areas on greensand in the western Weald...
", a 65 miles (104.6 km) walk though heath and downland of Hampshire and West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
to Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
.
Weather and climate
There are an average of 200 days of sunshine each year in Petersfield.The temperature range is similar to most of southern England.
The wind direction is prevailing south westerly although local variations are frequent due to the hills.
Being situated in a dip, with the South Downs to the south and The Hangers to the north, the weather in Petersfield can be quite different from the weather across the South Downs on the coast. In particular, there tends to be more fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
than on the south (coastal) side of the South Downs hills.
Notable residents
- Flora TwortFlora TwortFlora Caroline Twort was an English painter who specialised in watercolours and pastels of the scenes and people of Petersfield, Hampshire....
- artist - Sir William Henry HarrisWilliam Henry HarrisSir William Henry Harris was an English organist and composer, affectionately nicknamed 'Doc H' by his choristers.Harris was born in Fulham, London and died in Petersfield. He was a chorister of Holy Trinity, Tulse Hill...
- musician - John WorlidgeJohn WorlidgeJohn Worlidge was a noted agriculturalist. He lived in Petersfield, Hampshire, England.John Worlidge was one of the first British agriculturalists to discuss the importance of farming as an industry...
- agriculturalist - George William Francis DarvillGeorge DarvillCaptain George William Francis Darvill was an English World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories.-Early life:George William Francis Darvill was born on 26 October 1898 in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. He was the son of Minnie M. and George Darvill...
- flying aceFlying aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
and military hero - George BestGeorge BestGeorge Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
- professional football player - John WyndhamJohn WyndhamJohn Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
- author, Day of the Triffids - Geoffrey BennettGeoffrey BennettCaptain Geoffrey Martin Bennett DSC, FRHS was a British Royal Navy officer and author.-Career:Born into a naval family in 1908, Geoffrey Bennett attended the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and entered the service...
- author and naval historian - Thomas Horder, 1st Baron Horder - Royal physician
- Alec GuinnessAlec GuinnessSir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
- actor - John Small - shopkeeper, cobbler, and Hambledon cricketer, whose shop sign read:
Makes bat and ball
Pitch a wicket, play at cricket
With any man in England.