Clanfield, Hampshire

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Clanfield
Clanfield, Hampshire (Hampshire)
Clanfield, Hampshire

Clanfield shown within Hampshire
Population c. 4500
OS grid reference SU703159
Parish Clanfield
District East Hampshire
Shire county Hampshire
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WATERLOOVILLE
Postcode district PO8
Dialling code 023
Police Hampshire
Fire Hampshire
Ambulance South Central
European Parliament South East England
UK Parliament East Hampshire
List of places: UK • England • Hampshire

Coordinates: 50°56′19″N 1°00′00″W / 50.9387, -1.0001

Clanfield is a village and civil parish located between Waterlooville and Petersfield in Hampshire, England.

The surrounding villages are Horndean, Catherington, Hinton Daubney, Chalton, East Meon, and Hambledon. It is at 50°56′N, 1°00′W

It is in the very south of the district of East Hampshire. It has a semi-rural character with 3 sides of the village being surrounded by fields including Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

It is situated is about 12 miles north of Portsmouth and six miles south of Petersfield and sits to the just west of the main A3 road, just north of where the A3(M) (Motorway) ends. It is in the far east of the county of Hampshire.

Clanfield is overlooked from the otherside of the A3 road by Windmill Hill and Chalton Windmill which stands at 193 metres above sea level. Many references in Clanfield feature the windmill, like Windmill Garage.

The population of Clanfield is c. 4500 (estimated 2002).

Clanfield consists of two parts, "Old" Clanfield and "New" Clanfield. Old Clanfield has been around for roughly 250 years and New Clanfield about 30 years. Starting with Old Clanfield, it is not very large at all, yet there are more takeaway restaurants than in the most similar sized communities. It is on (next to) a main road which means it is very easy to access and buses run through it frequently. It also has a skatepark and children's play area in Peel Park. New Clanfield is slightly larger than its elder sibling, yet still much smaller than the neighbouring village of Horndean. However, the New Clanfield shopping facilities are superior, containing a newsagent, greengrocer, Chinese takeaway, an excellent butcher, optician, hardware store, Costcutter, two hairdressers, and the Co-Op. Recently opened is the high quality Mela Indian Restaurant, and a recent redevelopment promises to bring a wine bar/coffee shop.

Clanfield is a popular area for walkers, with Queen Elizabeth Country Park being next to the village. The old village also has a recently restored pond, a thatched village well, and the church of St. James.

There are two schools. Petersgate Infant in Clanfield and Clanfield County Junior School in old Clanfield.

Clanfield is twinned with Val d'Oison, France

Clanfield Well and Thatched Cover
Clanfield Well and Thatched Cover
Clanfield Pond
Clanfield Pond

Contents

[edit] History

The name Clanfield is derived from the Old English and means "field clean of weeds".

Clanfield was historically a small farming community centred about the church of St James, that dates from 1305 and was rebuilt in 1875 and contains two ancient mediaeval bells. Recently it has had scaffolding around the outside as a fire in December 2007 damaged the inside and holes had to be cut in the roof to release the heat. It is suspected that it was arson. The community in 1929 recorded the population as 129, by the late 1940s almost 500, and in 1998 over 4500, with almost 1700 households and growing.

Clanfield boarders the South Downs National Park on three sides (east, north and west)

St James Church, Clanfield
St James Church, Clanfield

[edit] Politics

Clanfield has a parish council, two councillors for the Clanfield and Finchdean ward of East Hampshire District Council, and one councillor for the Petersfield Butser electoral division of Hampshire County Council.

Clanfield is in the newly (2007) created Meon Valley constituency for elections to the House of Commons and the South East England constituency for elections to the European Parliament.

[edit] Public Transport

The number 41 bus from First buses runs to Southsea and Portsmouth from Clanfield and the 37 (Changed from 38 in September 2007), a Stagecoach bus, goes to Petersfield, which is the nearest larger Railway station. The nearest slow train railway station is Rowlands Castle railway station

[edit] Community, and sport

There are two parks in Clanfield. Both have swings and other child play items and one (Peel Park) has a skateboard park. South Lane Meadow has a cricket ground, and Peel Park has football pitches set up. There is a new changing room at Peel Park. Clanfield has a large football club called Clanfield (Hampshire) F.C.

Clanfield's major community centres are Clanfield Memorial Hall, in South Lane, Clanfield, the St James Church Hall and Leader Hall, Little Hyden Lane (For the Scouts), although this has recently burned down.

There are three public houses. The recently rebuilt (and much improved) Rising Sun in the old village, the Hogs Lodge on the outskirts of the parish near the A3 and the famous Bat and Ball Inn, in Hyden Farm Lane, opposite the 'Home of Cricket', Broadhalfpenny Down cricket ground. The boundary between Clanfield and Hambledon used to run through the Bat & Ball and you can still see the brass strip marking the old boundary running across the floor.

Great use is also made of the neighbouring villages facilities.

Also in (near) Clanfield is the Clanfield Observatory run by the Hampshire Astronomical Group, who have open days. The observatory is next to one of Portsmouth Water's reservoirs.

St James Church, Clanfield
St James Church, Clanfield

[edit] Papers

The local newspapers and publications are

[edit] Business

Business of note are

[edit] External links

[edit] References