St Mary Bourne

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St Mary Bourne is small village in the downland of northern Hampshire.

The village is typical of Hampshire, with its mixture of farms and woodlands, its thatched houses, the stream running through it and the old flint and stone church.

In other ways, it's a bit different. There's a thriving local amateur dramatic society, for example, and two golf clubs, both based around pubs. These societies, along with the cricket club and other local organisations, are representative of the community in microcosm - members range from the poor to the rich. There is also a village school.

The farms, pubs and the partly-volunteered shop aren't the only businesses in the village. There's one of the world's leading watercress beds - Vitacress. There's a business improvement consultancy, a thriving garage, a blacksmith, a recruitment company, an agency for marketing responsible tourism, and a maker of quality curtains and soft furnishings.

Many locals commute, heading off to railway stations 5 or more miles away. Just as many drive to Newbury, Whitchurch, Basingstoke or Andover.