Country: | England |
Official Name: | Waltham Chase |
Coordinates: | 50.9361°N -1.1951°W |
Shire District: | Winchester |
Shire County: | Hampshire |
Region: | South East England |
Constituency Westminster: | Winchester |
Post Town: | Southampton |
Postcode District: | SO32 |
Postcode Area: | SO |
Dial Code: | 01329 and 01489 |
Os Grid Reference: | SU565155 |
Waltham Chase is a village in Hampshire, England, neighbouring the town of Bishop's Waltham. It is in the civil parish of Shedfield, comprising about two square kilometres of land to the south-east of Bishop's Waltham.[1]
Previously a forest used for the hierarchy of Bishop's Waltham to hunt game, the village started to establish its own, independent identity in the 19th century.
The village has a primary school - St John the Baptist CoE; older children attend Swanmore College nearby. It has several green areas, e.g. a recreation ground and park area. It has a thriving village hall which is used by many societies and clubs. There is a village store which includes the post office and there is also a hairdresser. There is a garage with car repair, a car sales outlet and a commercial vehicle sales business. The village also has two public houses It has a Methodist church; the local Anglican church, St John the Baptist, is located at Shedfield. The parish of Shedfield includes Shirrell Heath, Waltham Chase and Shedfield.[2]
According to the ONS (from the 2021 census) the population of the whole Winchester LSOA (Lower Layer Super Output Areas) - "Winchester 012F" area which includes both Waltham Chase and most of Shirrell Heath was 2,830.[3]
There is an SSSI site (unit ID 1007744) within the village, Waltham Chase Meadows - "one of the best examples in the county of dry neutral unimproved pasture."[4] [5]
Across the road from the Moors Nature Reserve is the Chase Mill, which was still in use in 1957. This mill has been featured on a television restoration programme - Salvage Squad - which first aired on Channel 4 in January 2003.[6]