Petersfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petersfield |
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 Petersfield High Street |
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 Petersfield
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| Population | 14,974 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SU748232 |
| Civil parish |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PETERSFIELD |
| Postcode district | GU31, GU32 |
| Dialling code | 01730 |
| Police | Hampshire |
| Fire | Hampshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Petersfield is a lively market town and civil parish located in the East Hampshire area of Hampshire, England. It is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of the city of Portsmouth. The town has its own train station on the main line connecting Portsmouth and London. Petersfield is nestled at the bottom of the northern hills of the South Downs and is completely inside the beautiful South Downs National Park.
The town sits at a busy crossroads of north-south and east-west routes. This helped it grow as a popular stop for coaches traveling between Portsmouth and London. Petersfield is connected with two towns in other countries: Barentin in France and Warendorf in Germany.
Contents
History of Petersfield
Ancient Times and Early Settlements
Petersfield Heath is home to ancient burial mounds that are up to 4,000 years old. These mounds are mostly found on the east and southeast sides of the Heath. They are considered very important lowland burial sites in England. The mounds suggest that people lived in this area long ago. They might have seen the Heath as a special, sacred place. While no ancient homes have been found yet, the Petersfield Museum is working on a project to learn more about this early period.
Founding and Growth of the Town
The town of Petersfield was started in the 12th century by William FitzRobert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester. His wife, Hawise de Beaumont, later gave the town its first official document, called a charter. This was confirmed in 1198 by "John, Count of Mortain," who later became King John. In 1415, King Henry V gave the people of Petersfield special freedoms. They didn't have to pay certain taxes or fees when trading or traveling across England. All these old charters are kept safe at the Petersfield Town Council.
Petersfield became wealthy because it was on busy travel routes. Local sheep farming and small home-based businesses, like making leather and cloth, also helped the town grow. There were weekly markets in the town square where people traded sheep, horses, and cattle. Two big annual fairs were also held, one in June and one in November. An autumn fair, called "The Taro Fair," started in the early 1800s and was held on The Heath.
The Statue of King William III
In the town's market square, there is an 18th-century statue of King William III riding a horse. This statue was made by John Cheere. It is one of only a few statues of King William in the United Kingdom outside of Northern Ireland.
Geography and Natural Beauty
Petersfield is located in the valley of the Western Rother. It sits on a type of rock called Lower Greensand at the northern edge of the South Downs. The town is also at the western end of the Greensand Ridge. This is a sandstone ridge that stretches through Hampshire, Surrey, and Kent.
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The town is surrounded by beautiful countryside. To the south are the South Downs, to the west are the Hampshire Downs, and to the northeast are forested hills called Durford Wood. Petersfield is a great starting point for exploring the South Downs National Park.
Parks and Green Spaces
Close to Petersfield, on the South Downs, is Queen Elizabeth Country Park. This park includes Butser Hill, which is 270 meters (886 feet) high. The park offers different types of scenery, like chalk hills, beech woods, and pine forests. The Hangers Way footpath begins in this park. It goes through Petersfield and continues to Alton.
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On the southeast side of town is Petersfield Heath, a large area of 95 acres (38 hectares). It has woodland, grassland, a pond, and areas for picnics and recreation. Petersfield Heath is a special place for nature, known as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). It also has 21 Bronze Age burial mounds, which means it is a protected ancient monument.
Heathland is quite rare in Europe, and Petersfield Heath has many small habitats. These include sandy heath, acid heath, grassland, and scrub. This variety creates different zones for insects, reptiles, birds, and small mammals to live. Petersfield Heath is also one end of "The Serpent Trail," a 65-mile (105 km) walk through heathland and downland in Hampshire and West Sussex.
Fun Things to Do in Petersfield
Fairs and Festivals
Every year, on the weekend closest to October 6th, the Taro Fair is held on Petersfield Heath. This fair reminds people of the old cattle fairs that used to happen every year until the 1950s. Today, it is a fun fair with rides and games.
Petersfield also hosts several free festivals throughout the year. The Petersfield Spring Festival takes place over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The Petersfield Summer Festival is held over the August Bank Holiday weekend. And the Petersfield Christmas Festival Market happens on the first Sunday in December. These events are organized by a local group called "Petersfield Community Events."
The town also has an annual "Scooter Sunday" festival. This event has a "mod" theme, where hundreds of scooter riders gather in the square. There is also live music.
Markets
Petersfield's market square is busy with markets every Wednesday and Saturday. There are also monthly Farmers' markets where you can buy fresh local produce. Stallholders and farmers from Petersfield's French twin town, Barentin, sometimes visit Petersfield to hold a special French market.
Gardens
On the High Street, you can find the physic garden. This garden is a re-creation of a 17th-century herb garden. It is open to the public almost every day of the year. Next to the Red Lion pub, there is also a small garden dedicated to the famous writer Charles Dickens.
Petersfield has a small community garden called 'The Good Life (Petersfield) Community Garden'. Volunteers run this garden, which is located near the Sheet railway crossing. The garden is open to members, and joining is free.
Arts and Culture
Petersfield has an Arts and Crafts Society that started in 1934. The artist Flora Twort was one of its founders. This society holds regular demonstrations and workshops. They also have a yearly exhibition at the Petersfield Festival Hall.
Theatre and Performances
The Petersfield Festival Hall hosts plays and concerts throughout the year.
Petersfield Youth Theatre began in 1990. They perform annually at the Festival Hall and work on projects all year long. The artistic director, Nik Ashton, is also an associate director for the musical Matilda.
Winton Players started in 1947 and is one of the oldest amateur drama groups in Petersfield. They are well-known for their yearly pantomime show at the Festival Hall.
The Petersfield Shakespeare Festival happens every July. It takes place in the grounds of Bedales School in Steep. Professional actors perform, and local community members also join in. The artistic director is Jake Smith, a theatre director.
Music Scene
The Petersfield Musical Festival started in 1901, founded by two sisters, Edith and Rosalind Craig Sellar. It is still held every year in the town's Festival Hall. Many famous musicians have been involved over the years. Several pubs in town also host live music, open mic nights, and Battle of the Bands competitions. The Studio at The Petersfield School also puts on various live performances.
Museums
Petersfield has one museum, run by the Petersfield Museum Trust. It is located in the town's old courthouse and police station. Inside, you can find the Flora Twort Gallery and the Bedales Historic Costume Collection, which has over 1,000 pieces of clothing dating back to 1720. There is also a collection related to the poet Edward Thomas. The museum also displays items about the town's social history, including maps, photos, and old records. Sometimes, exhibitions are 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 in 2006 and is now a private house.
Youth Club
The King's Arms is a youth club located near the town center. It was started by Petersfield Area Churches Together (PACT), a Christian charity. The King's Arms now runs independently.
Former Cinema
Petersfield used to have a large cinema called the Savoy, which opened in the late 1930s. It was built where an even older cinema, the Petersfield Electric Theatre, stood since 1910. In the 1970s, it became a Bingo Hall before closing in 1985. After being closed for six years, the building was used as a nightclub from 1993 until 2007. It was torn down in 2008, and now there are apartments and a shop on the site.
Religion
The main church in Petersfield is St Peter, which gave the town its name. It is an Anglican church with Norman origins, located in The Square. Other churches in town include the Methodist Church (Station Road), the Catholic Church (St Laurence's, Station Road), and the United Reformed Church (College Street).
The Salvation Army has been in Petersfield since 1886 and has been in Swan Street since 1924. Their hall is open most days for various community activities, helping the community in traditional ways.
The Evangelical fellowship meets at the Herne Farm Leisure Centre. The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) meets in the Voluntary Centre on High Street.
Life Church Petersfield, previously Petersfield Christian Fellowship, has an office in Chapel Street. They meet in the Methodist Church Hall on Station Road.
Sports and Recreation
Petersfield has great sports facilities, including the Taro Centre. This leisure center has three swimming pools, squash courts, a gym, a sauna, and a steam room. The town also has tennis courts, an outdoor pool, several playing fields, and a golf club.
Petersfield has many sports clubs and teams. Petersfield Town F.C. is the local football club. Several players from Petersfield have gone on to become professional athletes, such as footballer Maik Taylor and rugby player Tim Rodber. More recently, Calum Chambers, who plays for Aston Villa, has also been called up for England. The town also has a Triathlon Club.
There are cycling groups in Petersfield, including a local CTC group and The Petersfield Mountain Bikers.
Transportation
Petersfield railway station is on the main train line that runs between London and Portsmouth. There used to be a smaller train line to Midhurst, but it closed in 1955. The main station buildings were built in 1859 when the line first opened.
Petersfield was once at a major crossroads. However, the A3 London to Portsmouth road now goes around the west side of the town. The A272 road also bypasses the town using the A3 and a link road to Sheet. This road connects Winchester, Hampshire's main town, with Heathfield, East Sussex.
Schools in Petersfield
State Schools
The main state secondary school in Petersfield is The Petersfield School, often called 'TPS'. The primary schools are Petersfield Infant School, Sheet Primary School, and Herne Junior School. Other local primary schools in nearby villages, like Langrish, East Meon, West Meon, Steep, and Buriton, also send their students to Petersfield secondary schools.
Petersfield does not have a state-run sixth-form college. Students usually continue their education at Havant and South Downs College, Bohunt Sixth Form, or Alton College.
Independent Schools
The town and nearby villages have several independent schools. Churcher's College is in Petersfield. Famous former students include rugby player Tim Rodber and businessman Tiny Rowland. Ditcham Park School is just outside the town, and Bedales School is in the nearby village of Steep.
Moreton House School, once in the town center, was bought by Churcher's College in 1993 to become Churcher's College Junior School. However, it quickly outgrew the building and moved to Liphook. The old Moreton House school site was then turned into homes.
Local Media
For regional news and television, people in Petersfield watch BBC South and ITV Meridian. Television signals come from the Midhurst TV transmitter.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Solent and Heart South. There was a local station called Delta Radio until 2010 when it joined with Kestrel FM from Basingstoke. It then became The Breeze in December 2012. That station closed in September 2020 and was replaced by a national service called Greatest Hits Radio. In 2019, a local volunteer group started making local speech podcasts. In August 2020, they launched a 24-hour local radio service for Petersfield called Petersfield's Shine Radio, which broadcasts online.
Petersfield has three weekly newspapers: The Petersfield Messenger, Petersfield Post, and Petersfield Herald. There is also a monthly community magazine called Life in Petersfield.
Businesses and Jobs
Many people in Petersfield work in shops and offices in the town center. Others work on farms in nearby villages. Some people travel to London and Portsmouth for their jobs. Light industries are mainly located on the Bedford Road estate on the west side of Petersfield. This includes Whitman Laboratories, which is part of Estée Lauder. In 2007, the Norwegian oil-supply company Aibel Ltd opened an engineering office in Petersfield, in addition to their UK head office.
From 1919 to the 1980s, rubber products were made in the town. These included parts for footwear. In the 1930s, they also made interlocking toy bricks called Minibrix, which came before the plastic versions like Lego.
Famous People from Petersfield
Many notable people have connections to Petersfield. William Cowper (c. 1666 – 1709), an anatomist and surgeon who discovered Cowper's gland, was born here. Other famous people linked to the town include botanist John Goodyer, Royal physician Thomas Horder, 1st Baron Horder, archaeologist Stuart Piggott, cosmologist Professor David Wands, and agriculturalist John Worlidge.
Actors like Jamie Campbell Bower, Arthur Brough, Tamsin Egerton, Alex Lawther, and Miranda Hart were either born or live in Petersfield. BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers actors Charles Collingwood (who plays Brian Aldridge) and Edward Kelsey (who played Joe Grundy) also have connections to the town. Sir Alec Guinness, a famous actor, and his wife are buried at St Peter's Church in Petersfield. They lived in Kettlebrook Cottage in Steep, a village next to Petersfield.
In music, conductor Kathleen Merritt, opera director Ella Marchment, tenor Wilfred Brown, Sir William Henry Harris, and composer Michael Hurd have Petersfield connections. Mark Owen from the band Take That lives in Petersfield.
Children's author Michelle Magorian lives in Petersfield. Author Ursula Moray Williams (1911–2006) was born there. John Wyndham (1903–1969), who wrote Day of the Triffids, lived in the town. H. G. Wells also had links to Petersfield, and The Old Drum pub has a blue plaque remembering his visits for dining and writing.
Vice Admiral Sir Stuart Bonham Carter (died 1972) and Sir Percy Wyn-Harris, a mountaineer and Governor of The Gambia (died 1979), both passed away in Petersfield. Victoria Cross holder Commander Loftus William Jones, who died at the Battle of Jutland, was born in Petersfield. He was known for his bravery, continuing to give orders even after being severely injured.
Arthur Chandler, who was the Bishop of Bloemfontein, retired to Petersfield and died there in 1939. Christopher Lowson, who is now the Bishop of Lincoln, was the vicar of Petersfield from 1991 to 1999.
In sports, John Small, a shopkeeper, cobbler, and cricketer from Hambledon, is buried in St Peter's churchyard. Footballer Calum Chambers was born in Petersfield in 1995. John Westwood, a well-known football fan, lives in the town. He is a partner in Petersfield Bookshop, which has two Royal Warrants and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018. Erika Roe, famous for streaking at Twickenham in 1982, was working at the bookshop at that time.
Twin Towns
Petersfield is connected with these towns:
- Barentin, France (since 1992).
- Warendorf, Germany (since 2006).
Images for kids
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The statue of King William III in The Square
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Aerial view from the northeast, showing the railway on the right and College Street on the left
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Aerial view from the southwest, with the A3 road in the foreground
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Heath Pond in autumn 2006
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The George café in The Square in the middle of Petersfield
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Petersfield Festival Hall and Town Hall
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St Peter's Church
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Petersfield railway station connects directly to London and Portsmouth.
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William Cowper
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See also
In Spanish: Petersfield para niños
